***SPOILERS*** On a routine flight from San Francisco to Honolulu the crew of the B-17 bomber, one of nine on the flight, Mary-Ann gets the shocking news that Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Japaneses that left the US Pacific Fleet in shambles. Angry as hell and wanting to get back at the Japs for what they did the bomber's crew members, despite their differences, unite in the cause to fly the bomb-laden bomber into the teeth of the Royal Japanese Navy and bomb the living hell out of it! Even if in the end they all end up going under, the waves of the Pacific, with it!
Rip roaring and at times tragic war movie about how the US got its act together after getting sneaked attacked by the Japs and ended up giving em', the Japanese Pacfic Fleet and imperial Army, hell all throughout the vast and bloody Pacific Theater of War! The hell meted out on the Japs in the movie is that by the crew of the Mary-Ann who island hopped from Hawaii to Wake Island to the Philippians, before the Japs captured them, and ended up leading the charge at the surprised Jap fleet, who thought that they already won the war, in the battle or the Coral Sea. It was the battled scared and heroic B-17 Mary-Ann together with the remainder of what was left of the US Army Air Force that ended up blasting it, the Imperial Japanese Navy, to smithereens in that naval slug-fest!
Of course there were losses on our-the USA-side as well that included the Mary-Ann's Captain Quincannon and radio man Chester together with scores of US Army Navy and Marine personal but that was nothing compared what the Japs got in them losing almost their entire navy and air force including dozens of Jap fifth columnists, who were secretly working undercover for Tojo, by the time the movie ended.
Effective WWII propaganda movie released at the worst of times for the US and its allies in battling the Axis forces who at the time, late 1942, were in fact winning the war. The B-17-or Mary-Ann's, crew took everything that the Japs could throw at them and ended up shooting down dozens of Jap Zeros before the plane was finally, after losing a wing tip engine and a good part of its fuselage, grounded by Jap Zero machine gun and cannon fire. After being repaired and airborne the Mary-Ann continued to give it back to the Japanese in the final and climactic battle, the Battle of the Coarl Sea, in the film that saw the Japanese fleet, and thousands of its sailors and marines, end up dying for their emperor in ways they never expected to: By them being prevented in kamikaze like suicide attacks in them both dying and taking their hated enemy, the US Army Navy and Marines, along with them!
P.S There's some major inaccuracies in the movie especially that of Japanese/Americans, in the Hawaiian island, joining in with the attacking Japs in sabotaging US military and naval installations in and around Pearl Harbor. There's also the fact that the Battle of the Coral Sea, in May 1942, ended in a drew between the US and Japanese navies instead, like in the film, of being a total and decisive victory for the US. But still who need accuracy when your country is in a life and death struggle with a highly motivated and determined enemy and any negative news, accurate or not, could only help its cause. If like in all war propaganda films bending the facts can turn things around on your side, like the film "Air Force" did, and motivate the public to willingly join in the fight who cares it the facts in the film aren't exactly on the level, like in the Battle of he Coarl Sea, or not even right, like in the case of Japanese/American fifth columnists, at all!
Rip roaring and at times tragic war movie about how the US got its act together after getting sneaked attacked by the Japs and ended up giving em', the Japanese Pacfic Fleet and imperial Army, hell all throughout the vast and bloody Pacific Theater of War! The hell meted out on the Japs in the movie is that by the crew of the Mary-Ann who island hopped from Hawaii to Wake Island to the Philippians, before the Japs captured them, and ended up leading the charge at the surprised Jap fleet, who thought that they already won the war, in the battle or the Coral Sea. It was the battled scared and heroic B-17 Mary-Ann together with the remainder of what was left of the US Army Air Force that ended up blasting it, the Imperial Japanese Navy, to smithereens in that naval slug-fest!
Of course there were losses on our-the USA-side as well that included the Mary-Ann's Captain Quincannon and radio man Chester together with scores of US Army Navy and Marine personal but that was nothing compared what the Japs got in them losing almost their entire navy and air force including dozens of Jap fifth columnists, who were secretly working undercover for Tojo, by the time the movie ended.
Effective WWII propaganda movie released at the worst of times for the US and its allies in battling the Axis forces who at the time, late 1942, were in fact winning the war. The B-17-or Mary-Ann's, crew took everything that the Japs could throw at them and ended up shooting down dozens of Jap Zeros before the plane was finally, after losing a wing tip engine and a good part of its fuselage, grounded by Jap Zero machine gun and cannon fire. After being repaired and airborne the Mary-Ann continued to give it back to the Japanese in the final and climactic battle, the Battle of the Coarl Sea, in the film that saw the Japanese fleet, and thousands of its sailors and marines, end up dying for their emperor in ways they never expected to: By them being prevented in kamikaze like suicide attacks in them both dying and taking their hated enemy, the US Army Navy and Marines, along with them!
P.S There's some major inaccuracies in the movie especially that of Japanese/Americans, in the Hawaiian island, joining in with the attacking Japs in sabotaging US military and naval installations in and around Pearl Harbor. There's also the fact that the Battle of the Coral Sea, in May 1942, ended in a drew between the US and Japanese navies instead, like in the film, of being a total and decisive victory for the US. But still who need accuracy when your country is in a life and death struggle with a highly motivated and determined enemy and any negative news, accurate or not, could only help its cause. If like in all war propaganda films bending the facts can turn things around on your side, like the film "Air Force" did, and motivate the public to willingly join in the fight who cares it the facts in the film aren't exactly on the level, like in the Battle of he Coarl Sea, or not even right, like in the case of Japanese/American fifth columnists, at all!