First, watch specially outfitted B-25s flying at treetop level while strafing factories, railroad yards, bridges, towns and anything else that moves. You can see people and animals running as the B-25 Mitchell bombers touch the trees while speeding just over the ground. I’ve slowed down most of this footage for you so you can see the detail and action captured.

The footage is from 38th BG of the 5th Army Air Force, "The Sun Setters", action in 1945 on Formosa.

Also included in the footage are a few minutes of movies of the 38th Bombardment Group troops receiving medals with their B-25s clearly seen in the background.

During the time these films were shot the 38th Bomb Group was stationed in the Philippines and supported U.S. troops on Luzon, struck targets on Formosa and harassed shipping along the China coast. I believe that Lt. Col Edwin H Hawes was the commander.

Next, once you stop shaking your head at the unbelievable B-25 action you can watch Air Power New Guinea. This film will show you behind-the-scenes and captured Japanese footage and help you to understand the incredible obstacles and hurdles that American pilot's faced.

You’ll relive history as you fly with the dedicated airmen of the WW2 south pacific island campaign leading to V-J day. U.S air power was critical to the strategic plan to overcome the enemy on the many islands of this area by cutting off supply lines by sea from Japan and neutralizing the enemy forces stranded on the islands. See how a bunch of dedicated and courageous pilots carried out a coordinated air campaign of high-altitude bombing with B-17s, low level, sea-skimming attacks with B-25s and aerial dogfights using legendary P-39s, P- 40s and the famous twin-tailed P-38 Lightnings. Tens of thousands of the enemy were bypassed and succumbed to starvation and disease in a stark and startling playing out of their "victory or death" battle philosophy.

This film contains dramatic footage of air combat (bombing of ships, island strafing, and dogfights.

Other standout pictures include enemy bodies washing ashore, shots of Japanese soldiers training for war, and American marines struggling to fight and survive in tropical downfalls (up to 128 inches a year on some of the islands) in some ground action shots early in the movie.

Runtime: 60 minutes

Feedback on this Movie

"I just watched this new movie from Rare Aviation and I am impressed, both by what I saw, and the fact that I was seeing it. I am not sure who was crazier, the guy who thought to put eight .50 cal machine guns in the nose of a B-25, or the guys who flew the thing! And the bonus video was excellent as well. This is COOL stuff!!"

Feedback From a Former B-25 Pilot That Flew With the Planes in This Film

"Steve,

Yes, I flew the B-25J22 as well as the B-25J32 strafers. Both of these ships had eight 50cal machine guns in the nose along with, at times, two package guns on each side for a total of twelve 50s firing forward. The 32 model also had rocket launchers under each wing. Here is a photo of my last ship taken on IE SHIMA off of OKINAWA in 1945 right after the war had ended.

The beautiful part about these strafers was that all twelve guns could be charged by the pilot simply by pushing a button on the back end of a small tube on the upper right side of the control wheel. You fired all twelve by pressing the button on the front side of that same tube.

On the other hand, all the older C and D models each gun had to be charged by pulling individual cables. Needless to say this was a real problem when you were on a low level run and guns jammed and had to be recharged during the course of the run.

Ken Adds...

"We were often attacked with AA fire both small and large calibers. The 40 millimeter were deadly should you be hit.

The Japanese even had up to 105 mm AA.On a mission over the Sakashima Group of islands NE of Formosa, I was almost shot down by these 105s. My tail gunner screamed over the intercom that the burst were tracking us and were coming right up on our tail. At that point I made a sudden diving turn to the left and went out beyond the coast line and out of range. We had just completed the assigned mission. We lost planes in our squadron just as other units did over FORMOSA.

On another low level mission against BOKOTO island in the PESCADORES SW of FORMOSA six of our planes were attacking a very large Japanese ship which was sitting just off of a peninsula. As we began our single file runs at 30 second intervals toward the target, the lead ship had a large hole blown in its left wing, but managed to fly all the way back to LINGAYEN where we were based. Two other ships were hit to a lesser degree and the ship immediately in front of me was simply blown up as it continued into the target and disappeared as it crashed into the ship in a big explosion and fireball. Only two of our ships were not hit including me. All of this was from intense Japanese ground AA fire. They were very accurate and with this type of a low level head on attack, we were like sitting ducks. Needless to say there many close calls and on one occasion I was hit and it caused hydraulic failure of the systems requiring it. After pumping the gear down by hand and making a no flap landing, I could not stop the ship and we crashed into a ditch. It pretty well totalled the plane, but no one got killed. Only the navigator got cut up when the ship came to a sudden halt.

Our primary targets were:

1.Early on it was Airfields and the aircraft on them

2.Refineries of sugar cane and production of alcohol for munitions and fuel

3.Railroads yards and trains

4.Military barracks

5.Trucks and any form of transportation that the Japanese could use.

I did not experience any recoil problems with the 12 50 caliber guns up front as with the 75millimeter cannon in the G an H model. It was more for anti-tank use or heavy duty artillery. I only fired the 75 in training at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

We did not slide around per say except to redirect the line of fire. We would sometimes skid the plane from left to right to cover a wider area of fire, but this was rare. We simply didn't have the luxury of time to do that very often. In fact, I only remember specifically doing it once somewhere around SUBIC BAY on LUZON in the Philippines.

Our speed on strafing runs was always at top speed to get in and out of the target area as quickly as possible to avoid being shot down by ground fire of all calibers. In fact, we most often started a run for the target while off the coast of FORMOSA at 2000-3000 feet, diving down to the deck to pick up all the speed we could. We would go straight to the target area, hit it, do a 180degree turn and head back out to sea.

On occassions the primary target would be socked in with weather and we would then hit a preplanned secondary target or targets of opportunity as we headed back out to sea.

On the shore area there were frequently small sailing craft which we were told to strafe with any remaing ammunition. We were told to this because they would pick up downed aircrews and turn them over to the Japanese."

Sincerely,

Ken Barber