Description
Object description
A panegyric celebrating Italy's use of air power in the Balkan offensive.
Full description
The film opens with bomber, dive-bomber and fighter aircraft and their crews preparing for action, then shows bombing attacks on a variety of targets: the soundtrack provides rousing music, and a commentary based on the aircraft's predatory names and lists of targets successfully destroyed. Winter interrupts the campaign: the effects of mud on men and machines are illustrated but seaplane bases continue to function. Life at the airbases - maintenance and loading, gunnery practice, domestic and recreational activities; Mussolini visits an airfield. Spring brings renewed bomber activity; an inserted sequence shows Alpini troops and wounded at the still snow-covered front. A climactic sequence of bombers, fighters and above all dive bombers in action suggests the final crushing of enemy resistance. The music changes to peaceful singing, as Italian aircraft fly over advancing troop columns and captured territory, and the commentary lists the conquests.
Commentary translation "Alcioni, Ricci, Simbola each one with his load of bombs. The Italian Army has halted the Greeks and held them in their most recently gained positions. Above the wide river valleys of Ipiros high above the emeny positions our pilots fly, search them out and strike. Carnations of death - enemy aircraft with fire blossoms into the sky. On their return to the airfields in Albania a flood awaits them. The bad weather makes flying impossible but these brave devils take off anyway with full bomb loads. They fly whatever the weather because they know their infantry are in battle with the Greeks. They work in the rarified icy air up in their small flying boxes. The radio operator signals each encounter with the enemy. Sometimes he breaks off - forever. Tomorrow the war news on the radio will tell the story. These men are loading death for the enemy in the shape of huge bombs, or belts of machine gun bullets: passive for moment - like a snake not yet awakened. A recruit learms to fire accurately. Tomorrow in the air his shot must be as accurate. The bullets must be fired in bursts timed to avoid damaging the propeller. When they aren't flying or workimg they have fun. The average age of men on the base isn't more than twenty five. These men at target practice are fighter pilots. On the airfields of Southern Italy the first hint of spring arrives. The Duce flies to the Albanian Front, but on these damnable mountains the snow still lingers. The Alpini have held firm throughout the winter waiting as always with courage and extraordinary patience. And here it is - the deadly spring. Hundreds of aircraft take off over the sea, the coast, the mountains, carrying a storm of bombs and machine gun fire. On a mountain road a military detachment is spotted, straffed and scattered. The enemy resistance has crumbled. The history of the war remains engraved on these tragic mountainsides. Colums of Italian soldiers advance southwards to the east and to the north. They are advancing rapidly towards Dalmatia; they are moving toward Macedonia; Ipiros is occupied. They have triumphed from the Adriatic to the Aegean Sea. Our pilots fly freely over the mainland, and over the islands. Corfu is occupied. Cepholonia is under our control. They fly where they choose!"
Physical description
35mm