Thunderbolt!
Encyclopedia
Thunderbolt! is a 1947
film documenting the American aerial operations of Operation Strangle
in early 1944, when American flyers based on Corsica
successfully impeded Axis
supply lines to the Gustav Line
and Anzio
beachhead.
The film begins with an introduction by James Stewart
, who notes that the footage was shot in 1944, "ancient history", and reads a message from the commander that, even though the units in the picture happen to be American, it could easily have been an RAF
mission, and indeed belongs to all people who desire freedom.
The narrative begins by showing desolate areas of Italy, noting that this was the fulfilment of the promise of Fascism
, an idea dedicated to the proposition that some men are meant to be the slaves of others. The film next brings the audience to Corsica, introducing us to members of the squadron in question and then tells us the objectives of the mission by way of an after-breakfast briefing that merges into an animated map of Italy showing the allies stuck at the Gustav line
, and the mission to cut of the supply lines by destroying bridges and roads in northern Italy.
Next the film follows the airmen through the tense moments before the flight, and the long journey to the mainland while flying in formation. The pilots are shown finding their target, a bridge, and successfully taking it out; then they go on independent "strafing" activities, finding trains, lighthouses, anything that could be used by the enemy and destroying it.
When the pilots return, the film shows how the airmen try to relax in the makeshift community in Corsica; but it also takes a melancholy look into how some of them are getting along emotionally, thinking of what else they could be doing with "the best years of their lives".
Thunderbolt! ends when the Allies set free Rome
in May 1944. The narrators note that it is the "evening" of the mission in Corsica, but not the end of the war. At the end the words "THE END" appear... behind a superimposed red question mark.
1947 in film
The year 1947 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 22 - Great Expectations is premiered in New York.*November 24 : The United States House of Representatives of the 80th Congress voted 346 to 17 to approve citations for contempt of Congress against the "Hollywood Ten".*November 25...
film documenting the American aerial operations of Operation Strangle
Operation Strangle
Operation Strangle was a series of air operations during the Italian Campaign of World War II by the United States Fifteenth and Twelfth Air Forces to interdict German supply routes in Italy north of Rome from March 24, 1943, until the fall of Rome in spring 1944. Its aim was to prevent essential...
in early 1944, when American flyers based on Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
successfully impeded Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
supply lines to the Gustav Line
Winter Line
The Winter Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt. The primary Gustav Line ran across Italy from just north of where the Garigliano River flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, through the Apennine Mountains to the...
and Anzio
Operation Shingle
Operation Shingle , during the Italian Campaign of World War II, was an Allied amphibious landing against Axis forces in the area of Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The operation was commanded by Major General John P. Lucas and was intended to outflank German forces of the Winter Line and enable an...
beachhead.
The film begins with an introduction by James Stewart
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
, who notes that the footage was shot in 1944, "ancient history", and reads a message from the commander that, even though the units in the picture happen to be American, it could easily have been an RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
mission, and indeed belongs to all people who desire freedom.
The narrative begins by showing desolate areas of Italy, noting that this was the fulfilment of the promise of Fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
, an idea dedicated to the proposition that some men are meant to be the slaves of others. The film next brings the audience to Corsica, introducing us to members of the squadron in question and then tells us the objectives of the mission by way of an after-breakfast briefing that merges into an animated map of Italy showing the allies stuck at the Gustav line
Winter Line
The Winter Line was a series of German military fortifications in Italy, constructed during World War II by Organisation Todt. The primary Gustav Line ran across Italy from just north of where the Garigliano River flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west, through the Apennine Mountains to the...
, and the mission to cut of the supply lines by destroying bridges and roads in northern Italy.
Next the film follows the airmen through the tense moments before the flight, and the long journey to the mainland while flying in formation. The pilots are shown finding their target, a bridge, and successfully taking it out; then they go on independent "strafing" activities, finding trains, lighthouses, anything that could be used by the enemy and destroying it.
When the pilots return, the film shows how the airmen try to relax in the makeshift community in Corsica; but it also takes a melancholy look into how some of them are getting along emotionally, thinking of what else they could be doing with "the best years of their lives".
Thunderbolt! ends when the Allies set free Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in May 1944. The narrators note that it is the "evening" of the mission in Corsica, but not the end of the war. At the end the words "THE END" appear... behind a superimposed red question mark.