The War

DVD cover.

TV Series (2006)

Starring:
No Actor are seen as only pictures and movies of the first half of the XXth century are shown.
Commentaries are done by actors who could change from a country to another.

"The Second World War was fought in thousands of places, too many for any one accounting. This is the story of four american towns and how their citizens experienced that war." (from each episode's begining).

Please note this page is based on the european version, which is made of a 14 parts serie (14 x 52 mn). The original US one has only seven (7 x 90 mn).

Episode One

A Necessary War

Douglas A-20J

Stock of glass nozes for Douglas A-20J.

Aichi E13A1

Nicknamed Jake.

Relief of a sunk Aichi E13A1, named Jake by the allies.

Relief of a sunk Aichi E13A1, named Jake by the allies.

Nakajima B5N

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Nakajima B5N

Archive footage of the take-off of the B5N ready to attack Pearl Harbor.

Consolidated PBY Catalina

Same shot in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Consolidated PBY Catalina after the air assault on Pearl Harbor.

Unidentified Aircraft

Biplane in the foreground is probably an old Douglas BT-2 for instructional use. Despite out of service in 1941, several planes were still used for the instruction of mechanics.
With a Douglas B-23 Dragon hidden by the smoke. Same aircraft seen in other movies - IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Unidentified Aircraft

A japanese aricraft pulling up, probably a Aichi D3A Val or a Nakajima B5N.

Vought OS2U Kingfisher & Curtiss SOC-1 Seagull

Both are in the background; in the center for the Vought and on the right of the picture for the Curtiss.
Picture seen too in an issue of National Geographic used in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2009) short movie.

Consolidated PBY Catalina, Vought OS2U Kingfisher & Curtiss SOC-1 Seagull after the attack of the 7th december 1941.

Boeing B-17C Flying Fortress

One of the Fortress destroyed during the Pearl Harbor raid.

Boeing B-17C USAAF (United States Army Air Forces) s/n 40-2074 at Hickam Field, (same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft).

Boeing B-17C s/n 40-2074.

Boeing B-17C

Savoia Marchetti SM.79

Nicknamed Sparviero.
To explain how the War clashes, the Spanish Civil War is evocated.

SM.79 Sparviero wearing the color of the Nationalist.

Unidentified Aircraft

Still to illustrate the civil war held between 1936 and 1939, a dogfight between two unidentified aircraft.

Junkers Ju 87 B Stuka

What seems to be a scene from a german propaganda movie (perhaps Stuka !).

Unidentified Aircraft

Unidentified Aircraft

Unidentified Aircraft

As the narrator speaks about the Battle of Britain, an unknown aircraft tracked by spots.

Mitsubishi Ki-1-II Army Type 93-2

Mitsubishi Ki-1-II Army Type 93-2

Kawasaki Ki-3

Kawasaki Ki-3

Unidentified Aircraft

Japanese air parade.

Kawanishi H6K

Kawanishi H6K named Mavis by the allies.

Mitsubishi A6M Zero

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Mitsubishi Ki-51

Mitsubishi Ki-51 Type 99 Attacker or Sonia for the allies.

Lockheed P-38 Lightning

the wreck of a Lockheed P-38 Lightning.

Nakajima Ki-27

Probably Nakajima Ki-27.

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

A Curtiss P-40 chasing a Mitsubishi A6M.

Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate

Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate, alias Franck in the Allied reporting name.

Douglas TBD Devastator

Should be USAF Seversky P-35 but the longer engine's cowling makes think to the Douglas Devastator.

Episode Two

A Very Fearful Time

Junkers Ju 87 B Stuka

Same footage seen in other movies - IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Unidentified Aircraft

Not from a He 111, B-26, B-24

Heinkel He 111 G

Same aircraft seen in other movies - IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Heinkel 111 G -or a later version- dropping bombs.

Curtiss-Wright C-46A Commando

Douglas SBD-1 Dauntless

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Douglas TBD Devastator

Grumman F4F Wildcat

(bottom right) A Wildcat under the snow, probably during a war bond campaign.

Episode Three

The Worst Is Yet To Come (uncompleted analysis)

Mitsubishi A6M Zero

Same aircraft seen in other movies - IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Grumman F6F Hellcat

Grumman F4F Wildcat

Wildcats banking.

Lockheed P-38 Lightning

a pair of Lockheed P-38 Lightning.

a Lockheed P-38 Lightning dropping two bombs.

Junkers Ju 87 B Stuka

Messerschmitt Me 210

North American B-25 C Mitchell

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Supermarine Spitfire V

A Spitfire V with the specific Tropical filter.

Unidentified Aircraft

Boxes of allied twin engine bombers taking off.

Douglas DB-7 Boston

A RAF Boston.

Douglas A-20 Havoc

A USAAF Havoc.

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Assembly line of the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 which powered the B-24.

Episode Four

When Things Get Tough

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Assembly line of the B-24.

Assembly line of the B-24.

Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress

Yo-yo 'It Always comes Back' a B-17 F (42-30375) of the 365th BS / 305th BG(H)

Short S.29 Stirling

Short S.29 Stirling of the RAF.

Short S.29 Stirling of the RAF.

Avro Lancaster

A Lancaster of the Royal Air Force with the underbelly H2S radar.

Messerschmitt Bf 109 E

Bf 109 E

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G

Messerschmitt Bf 109 F or G.

Bf 109 G

Bf 109 G6/R2

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt

Focke-Wulfe Fw 190 A

Messerschmitt Bf 110

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

The pilot of a Bf 110 photographed by his navigator.

Douglas A-20 Havoc

A picture probably taken in the same place than this seen in the first episode.

various aircrafts

From left to right, a Bell P-39 Airacobra , a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, a North American B-25 Mitchell ? and a Curtiss-Wright C-46A Commando.

and now, we can see a Curtiss-Wright C-46A Commando, a Lockheed P-38 Lightning and a Consolidated B-24 Liberator.

Barrage balloon

A small barrage balloon during a war bond collect.

Fieseler Fi 156 C-3 Storch

Mussolini boarding the Fieseler Fi 156C-3/Trop, W.Nr.1268, SJ + LL

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Fieseler Fi 156C-3/Trop, SJ + LL, taking off from the Gran Sasso.

Junkers Ju 52/3m

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft (Military Fixed-Wing).

Mussolini unboarding from a Junkers Ju 52/3m on 15th september 1943.

Unidentified Aircraft

Perhaps A-36 Apache

Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vc

MX*P, a Spitfire Mk Vc from 307th FS, 31st FG.

Episode Five

A Helluva War

Unidentified Aircraft

Probably a japanese aircraft to illustrate fightings in Tarawa.

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Unidentified Aircraft

A USN ship fires its AAA towards a japanese aircraft.

Episode Six

A deadly Calling

Junkers Ju 87 B Stuka

North American B-25C/D Mitchell

North American T-6 Texan

Republic P-47B Thunderbolt

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt

P-47D of 65th FS,57th FG based at Alto, Corsica.

P-47D-15, march 1944.

Republic P-47N Thunderbolt

P-47N s/n 44-88335.

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G

Focke-Wulfe Fw 190 A

Unidentified Aircraft

Probably a plane from the PT (Primary Training) category.

Bellanca J-3-500

Same footage of the accident of marquis De Pinedo on the 3rd of September 1933 with his Bellanca J-3-500 "Santa Lucia". Seen too in Sous le signe du taureau; look at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.
The picture is mirror-like inverted.

Bellanca J-3-500 Santa Lucia reg. NC13199.

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Martin Baltimore

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Episode Seven

Pride Of Our Nation

Unidentified Aircraft

Baloons over a harbor where ships are uploaded for the forecoming D Day.

Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress

B-17F of 303rd BG, baptised Hell's angels, s/n 41-24577.

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress

Airspeed AS.51 Horsa I

Line up of Airspeed Horsa the day before D-Day.

Airspeed Horsa tug by Douglas C-47.

Horsa crashed at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, killing eight soldiers of the 82nd Airborne HQ.

Lockheed P-38 Lightning

Grumman TBF Avenger

Republic P-47B/C Thunderbolt & North American P-51 B/C Mustang

North American P-51 B/C Mustang

Douglas C-47 Skytrain

Waco CG-4A

Martin B-26 Marauder

The following scene seen in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

This footage is used also in Faces of Death.

Hawker Typhoon

Consolidated B-24J Liberator

Short S.29 Stirling

Short Stirling tugging a Airspeed Horsa.

Unidentified Aircraft

During Overlord, some L-4, L-5 and a handfull of Auster were bring into the beaches on '1 1/2 tons' trucks with the dismantled wings put along the fuselage.

Episode Eight

A Volunteer Basis

Republic P-47C Thunderbolt

A picture which shall be better seen in Episode 14.

Heinkel He 45

Gun camera during straffing of what seems to be Heinkel He 45 used for primary training or night harassment missions.

Hawker Typhoon

Douglas C-47 Skytrain

Same aircraft at landing, in front of a barrage balloons.

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

First screenshot in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Grumman F6F Hellcat

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

One of the most famous crash landing occured to this Hellcat.

Unidentified Aircraft

Unidentified Aircraft

What could be a Kawanishi N1K2.

Mitsubishi A6M Zero

These same footages are already seen in Flying Leathernecks.

Unidentified Aircraft

A japanese twin engine aircraft. Look at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Same shot seen in Tokyo File 212.

Unidentified Aircraft

Another Kamikaze.

Nakajima B6N Tenzan

Archive footage seen in other movies; look at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

The same aircraft is seen too in Flying Leathernecks.

North American P-51 B/C Mustang

Messerschmitt Bf 109 G

A Gustav variant with the R2 set (underwing gondola for 20mm canon).

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Stream of Liberators.

Martin B-26 Marauder

Airspeed AS.51 Horsa I

Douglas SBD Dauntless

Episode Nine

FUBAR

Vought OS2U Kingfisher & Curtiss SOC-1 Seagull & Consolidated PBY Catalina

Ford airfield after the raid of 7th december 1941.

Waco CG-4A

Hadrian in two rows, bordered by C-47.

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Unidentified Aircraft

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

Movie poster of Flying Tigers, as the War is too a matter of spirit and moral.

Mitsubishi Ki-21-II

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Mitsubishi Ki-21-II named Sally by the Allies, a footage already used in The Fighting Seabees.

Unidentified Aircraft

Probably a Nakajima B6N.

The same footage seen in episode 8, this time in full color.

Nakajima Ki-44

The same aircraft is seen too in Flying Leathernecks.

Unidentified Aircraft

The first landing in at Iwo Jima : a TBF or F6F ?

Douglas C-47 Skytrain

Hawker Tempest V

Armstrong Whitworth A.W.41 Albemarle

Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle.

Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle ready the night of 5 to 6 june 1944.

Airspeed AS.51 Horsa I

a Horsa at start, tug by an Albermale.

Episode Ten

Life's accidents

Unidentified Aircraft

In the center, a P-47 or a A-36 Apache is firing HVAR (High Velocity Air Rocket) and the two fumes reveal its position, slighty at the right of his leader.

Unidentified Aircraft

A gun camera during a straffing with Bf 109 or Ju 88 under the fire.

Focke-Wulfe Fw 190 A

Fw 190A set on fire during a swept.

Unidentified Aircraft

A japanese twin engine aircraft. Look at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Same attack seen at episode 8, 22mn50.

Republic P-47 D Thunderbolt

Junkers Ju 87 Stuka

A late version -D or G- Ju 87 is under heavy fire.

Unidentified Aircraft

American boys and their flying models; some have familiar lines, common to real airplanes.

Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

The bubble version.

Accident involving two Thunderbolt.

LTT Q. Aanenson crash landed this P-47 before flying this seen in episode 8 & 14.

Douglas C-47 Skytrain

This Skytrain has lost its right leg.

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress

B-17G s/n 42-38056 of 751st BS, 457th BG, Queen Bea, was set on fire after a collision on june 22nd 1944.

Episode Eleven

The Ghost Front

Junkers Ju 87 B Stuka

Douglas C-47 Skytrain

Episode Twelve

Terrible choices

Ilyushin Il-2M3 Sturmovik

Consolidated B-24 J Liberator

B-24J s/n 44-40737 of 739 BS / 454 BG / 304BW

Grumman F6F Hellcat

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Pilots going to their Hellcats.

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

Grumman TBF Avenger

These TBF are follow probably by Douglas SBD Dauntless.

Douglas VC-54C Skymaster

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Yalta : Roosevelt come in with 'Sacred Cow', the single VC-54C Skymaster, s/n 42-107451.

Lockheed P-38 Lightning

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress

Avro Lancaster BI Special

One of the 32 Lancaster B I Special using a Talboy bomb, the biggest one of the war.

North American B-25C/D Mitchell II

Boeing B-29-45-MO Superfortress

Mitsubishi A6M Zero

Vought F4U-1D Corsair

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Take off with RATO for this F4U Corsair.

Episode Thirteen

A Long, Tough Road

Aichi B7A2

The same aircraft is seen too in Flying Leathernecks.

Aichi E13A1

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Shot taken from the movie : The Last Bomb (1945).

B-29 of the 9th BG.

Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

Douglas SBD-1 Dauntless

Grumman F6F Hellcat

Grumman TBF Avenger

Ilyushin Il-2M3 Sturmovik

Mitsubishi A6M Zero

Unidentified Aircraft

Several kamikaze aboard unidentified aircrafts.

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Same footage in Flying Leathernecks (Various Japanese Aircrafts section).

Nakajima J1N1

Kawasaki Ki-61 Hien

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

The nearest model has a liquid cooled engine, representing the single aircraft of this kind in the Pacific area, the Ki-61.

Mitsubishi A5M

Mitsubishi G4M

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Look at Flying Leathernecks to see this footage in color.

Nakajima Ki-27

Unidentified Aircraft

Several types seen during a flypast.

Vought F4U-1D Corsair

Yokosuka D4Y Suisei

Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Unidentified Aircraft

Picture to illustrate the result of the kamikaze attack which hit the Yorktown. The wing of a unspecified aircraft is seen on the left.

Episode Fourteen

A World Without War

Boeing B-29-45-MO Superfortress

B-29 of 509th Composite Group, 309 BS.

B-29 of 58th BW, 509th CG.

Enola Gay : look at Same aircraft in other movies at IMPDb: Frequently Seen Aircraft.

Loading of Little Boy, the first atomic bomb, on Enola Gay, B-29-45-MO, s/n 44-86292.

Unidentified Aircraft

Two japanese kamikaze.

Grumman TBF Avenger

Grumman TBF.

A TBF with its bomb bay open.

Lockheed P-38 Lightning

Vought F4U-1D Corsair

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt

P-47 flown by Capt. Quentin Aanenson; already and quickly seen in Episode 8

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See also

• The War at Wikipedia