The Last Bomb (ca 1945) 2 of 4
The Last Bomb was a 1945 propaganda film mainly concerning the conventional phase of the bombing of Japan in 1945. The film begins by describing the taking off points in Saipan, Guam, and Tinian, remarking how they have changed since American occupation. General Curtis LeMay is shown planning a daylight raid on Japan’s industrial areas. A bomber squadron of B-29s then assembles and the audience rides with them through a space of ocean as wide as the US from Mexico to Canada, special attention being given to the island Iwo Jima, which is midway through the journey. The film then proceeds to the actual bombing of Japan, showing one of the B-29s’ encounters with Japanese planes, and the destruction leveled on Tokyo by the B-29s’ payload and subsequent strafing. When the bombers return to base, the hazards of war are assessed, particularly the problems associated with landing the large planes, which could sometimes be fatal. At the very end some color footage of the mushroom cloud at Hiroshima is shown, the narrator telling us that it saves thousands of American lives by preventing an invasion of Japan.
The Last Bomb (ca 1945) 1 of 4
4 Vidoes 00:35:00 The Last Bomb was a 1945 propaganda film mainly concerning the conventional phase of the bombing of Japan in 1945. The film begins by describing the taking off points in Saipan, Guam, and Tinian, remarking how they have changed since American occupation. General Curtis LeMay is shown planning a daylight raid on Japan’s industrial areas. A bomber squadron of B-29s then assembles and the audience rides with them through a space of ocean as wide as the US from Mexico to Canada, special attention being given to the island Iwo Jima, which is midway through the journey. The film then proceeds to the actual bombing of Japan, showing one of the B-29s’ encounters with Japanese planes, and the destruction leveled on Tokyo by the B-29s’ payload and subsequent strafing. When the bombers return to base, the hazards of war are assessed, particularly the problems associated with landing the large planes, which could sometimes be fatal. At the very end some color footage of the mushroom cloud at Hiroshima is shown, the narrator telling us that it saves thousands of American lives by preventing an invasion of Japan.
