each week american history tv's reel america brings you films that provides context for today's issues. "the last bomb" documents the final months of the b-29 super fortress air campaign against japan. the 34-minute film from the national archives concludes with the august 1945 atomic bombings of hiroshima and nagasaki. ♪

early 1945 our b-29s began full scale operations against japan. 1500 miles to targets, and 1500 miles back from bases at saipan, tinian and guam. planned the ultimate crushing defeat of japan, down to the last bomb. here was the beginning of the end of the road to tokyo. after six months of reoccupation there were few signs of war along the quiet summer shores of guam. the liberated were back in their clean native villages. american citizens again. smiling and friendly. unaware that a miracle had happened around them. a miracle that moved mountains

of material, equipment and supplies across the pacific that changed their dirt roads into broad highways, that manicured their jungles into acres of black-topped airfields. and nearby new communities of american citizens had set up housekeeping with various types of self-service. the latest labor saving devices, few laundry problems. and no modern inconveniences. by midsummer 21st bomber command was in business. big business. under general direction long armor began punching the enemy with appalling power. from guam, tinian and saipan, 600-plane missions increased bombing weight 100% in two months. behind this expanding power was planning. the plan began on the ground with maintenance. assembly line technique cut

engine change times from three days to less than half a day. and shops and hard stands ground crews worked day and night during the blitz weeks to keep more b-29s on the line. by july bomber command is an efficient, well-oiled, well-drilled machine of destruction. here's a vital cargo, 11 men and a bomber. while they wind up for action, let's find out where they're going and some of the things they're going to do and why and with what. how do they set up the longest, toughest bomber mission in history? it began about 12 hours ago in the war room at guam with general la may and his staff receiving a report on tomorrow's weather in japan. tomorrow's forecast is typical. >> about 10,000 feet, in tokyo area 6/10 of 22,000, 3/10 at

14,000 feet, closing up solid after 11:00 a.m. osaka and everything west reported completely socked in. >> how will the general solve that one? his b-29s are up against a blank wall except for a possible opening around tokyo. the old man considers every vital factor and makes his decision. four wings will strike tokyo at 10:00. they'll go in under that weather and bomb at 12,000. now it's a question of target selection. first priority is number 573. intelligence informs the general that 573 is already 3/4 destr destroyed. at the moment number 574 still untouched would seem more important. operations checks the tactical plan for 574. general orders the required changes, okays the target and commence all executive details to his staff.

operations with his deputy chief of staff and project officer goes to work setting up the changes. in that plan's folder is a mountain of preparation by special sections of intelligence and operations. 1,000 hours of research, colated facts and figures have been distilled into tactical plan 574. aircraft will assemble as brief with three groups of p-51 fresh court, smoke markers at one-minute intervals will be dropped by lead planes to expedite departure from assembly point. one squad on each wing will carry m-47 incendiary clusters. balance of squadrons 500 and 1,000-pound gp bombs fused, quarter second nose and tail. altitude of attack, 12,000 feet. planes of 314th wing will carry capacity fuel loads of approximately 7300 gallons per plane. calibrated air speed of 210

miles per hour will be flown by all aircraft on bombing run. radar landfall 3450 north and 140 east will be the same for all planes for a good water contrast checkpoint. the navy is requested to furnish the following facilities for air sea rescue purposes. three surface vessels to proceed to positions x, four submarines assigned life guard duties at positions y. two dumb bos to orbit. two will orbit as super dumbos at following positions. each section of the plan is double checked to supervise certain aspects of planning, lieutenant colonel catton, a former lead crew pilot, recently brought over to staff as project officer. this officer's extensive combat experience now helps to iron out operational kinks. he will accompany this mission to observe new smoke signals at assembly point, a field order is now dispatched to the wings.

takeoff time is flashed to the controller. who coordinates the vast network of communications gathered at the heart and center of command. here in the control room status panels and mission board are maintained to show to glance the countless up to the minute details of daily operations. prior to takeoff each mission is set up on the board to afford a visual progress of the flight. from takeoff to target and return. colored yarns, one for each wing are laid out to indicate the flight lines, which pass close to iwo jima, the halfway point. and proceed as specified in the field order to the proper target. other symbols are used to mark air sea rescue positions.

a timetable of statistics for each wing is planned and flown as recorded from hourly reports on the status panel. beginning with takeoff time. to veteran crews it's just another day's work. one more 1500 mile haul up and down the ready pacific. 15 hours, 7,000 gallons, four engines, 11 guys. knock wood, a water jump across 20 degrees of the globe, a

continent of ocean. destination tokyo. it's like taking off in mexico for targets in canada. the 314th is airborne. 145 planes, one minute apart, 67 tons each. those b-29 takeoffs are a tough sweat. that first long moment is the worst. some swear it takes luck, like a

wife's stocking, to beat it. at tinian, 100 miles north, two more b-29 wings prepare for takeoff. 134 aircraft from the 58th wing. 100 more from the 313th wing. at saipan a few minutes later, the veterans 73rd wing lines up for takeoff. 153 more bombers are added to the mission's striking force.

>> the last b-29 is airborne at 1540. the tower at saipan relays this information to the controller back at guam. first and last takeoff times of each wing are recorded here and go to make up the first of a series of tabulation mission reports. copies of these reports are dispatched to headquarters,

washington. and posted on the control room report board. during that first hour the b-29s have settled down for the big grind, saving precious gas, cruising 1,000 feet off the water. ability, experience, confidence ride in each plane. a plan of action for 11 men trained and tested to function as one. the navigator sets the course, logging island checkpoints as they climb past, pagan, assumption, after about four hours of flight the bombers pass close to iwo jima, the hot rock, a black gritty pork chop halfway to hanjiu, bought and paid for by our marines. we made some changes cutting away that volcanic crust and rolling iwo surface into one

enormous flat top. three big airstrips now launch our p-51s for bomber escort over japan. the general and his staff seventh fighter command run the show and direct all air sea rescue operations in close collaboration with bomber command. a last-minute briefing check. just to make sure today's fighter escort knows all air sea rescue positions. out on the line general moore's b-51s lining up for the longest fighter flight on record. seven hours and one engine, extra belly tanks, extra nerve and stamina in the cockpit. about the time our bomber wings are passing iwo jima, the pea

shooters are taking off. scheduled to join them three and a half hours later off the shores of japan. after a rendezvous, the b-51s head for assembly point led by b-29s designated as navigator ships. farther west our bomber wings grind ahead on the last lap to the empire. reports to the controller back at guam give their flight position, which is kept up to the hour on the mission board. still at low altitude, the b-29s are approaching the bad weather belt where unreported storms and cool fronts appear suddenly across the bomber course. >> pilot to crew, we're going to start our climb. check oxygen equipment. tell buck he better get out to his dog house. >> as they begin their slow climb to altitude, the crews prepare for the vital business ahead.

and from now on until they come off target and head home it's all business. the central fire control system is warmed up. super human brain power at the flick of a switch. each gunner flexes his sights and tries the coordinated fire controls with a few short bursts to clear the gun. after pushing up to altitude, the bombers arrive close to assembly point. air in the pressurized cabin is comparable to 8,000 feet, but oxygen masks are a adjusted and ready for instant use. from the northeast our fighter jet appears with navigator ships which now turn off to wait for the fighters' return at rally point. the mustangs climb in formation to take positions above the boxes of b-29s.

lead bombers begin to circle, dropping new smoke markers for assemble. project officer observes this part of the tactical plan in action. from various zone positions, the groups separate. and form on their lead ships are 9 or 11 planes. which head to the initial point, the big parade is on. landfall has picked up. along with the first from enemy coastal barracks. the familiar white beacon marks the turn for initial point.

flight becomes heavier and more accurate. and now the first jap snoopers appear diving head on into the formations. some are suicide fighters trying to ram our bombers. other jap fighters drop phosphorous bombs set to explode in front of the oncoming b-29s. our b-51s go outd after them and know they're tangling with experts. the b-51's job is to protect the b-59s. but some of those filter through and meet the blast of bomber

guns. [ gunfire ] >> a tail gunner pleads with a fighter to come in a little closer. [ gunfire ]

>> from the turn at initial point the tight bomber waves move steadily on and get ready for business. flak and fighters fall off, but those clouds are beginning to close in and it looks worse ahead. then just east the tokyo area breaks clear. the bombederes begin to draw a beat, the planes sit tight for bombing run. here's where we pay off.

♪ >> two jap aircraft plants and an air drone 12,000 feet below are about to receive 4,000 tons of destruction. the first waves of b-29s have already found their objective. succeeding bomber groups add

their devastation to the smoking targets. tactical plan 574 is now an accomplished flight. the bombers turn and go downwind across the burnt acres of tokyo. close up camera show the scars of those spectacular fire strikes last march. 51 square miles of lamay treatment. across the bay in a tail wind speeds them south down the peninsula, this is fighter country, with the first call on the intercom our mustangs peel off and go to work again.

[ gunfire ] [ gunfire ]

[ gunfire ]

[ gunfire ] >> with the big bombers homeward bound, concentrate on definite objectives from here to the enemy coast, skimming along at maximum speed, the fighters pair off and go to work cutting vital jet pipelines, blasting away at communications, radio installations, power lines.

[ gunfire ] >> swooping down on enemy transportation, railroads, small suburban factories. [ gunfire ]

>> and airfields. [ gunfire ]

>> then on to shipping targets, freighters, trolleys, destroyer or lugger, it's the same enemy.

>> our fighters climb back to rally point and the waiting b-29 navigator planes. fuel gauges are down close to empty, but fighters' spirits begin to rise. they wind up and finish with a kick, coming at whiplash speed and assume their victory roles.

>> after the last fighter groups are in, all hands sweat in their first limping b-29s. that runway is a beautiful sight as they let down with engines out, low on gas, or beat up by flank and fighters. you can understand why those four fan boys blast those marines and even name their planes after them. the lucky ones have fueled and depart for home bases in an hour. but some still have its hazards. weather can turn this station into a hopeless daymare.

orders to bailout can be due to fog. or with luck, a b-29 might drop in for a copy book pitching. from here, you can see how the cloud cover out there smothers the runway and realize what one pilot went through. sometimes a battle-scarred bomber staggers back only to flatten out at the last heartbreaking second.

>> by some miracle, the whole crew got away from their stations to safety. firefighters risked their lives to save the ship. this, too, takes courage beyond the line of duty. part of south, most of the wings are nearing their bases. exhausted crews wait out the last endless hour when time seems to stop. their position is radioed in, and the controller gets word of the approaching flight. at last the familiar planes appear on the horizon. the bombers fly across guam and

turn into the landing pattern. 15 hours ago, they left the other end of that runway. it's a pleasure to be back. a pleasure to roll on solid, familiar black top. it's good to be among the lives, swapping details with the ground

crew, flank, fighters, the close co corp, the one that got away. but some of those b-29 crews won't be able to talk it over today. 11 men and a bomber that didn't quite make it. >> the rescue squads tear away

the hot metal. somehow in the burning wreckage, a man has lived to feel those gallant hands. one saved, one lost. that's part of today's toll. and there were many other days and nights that took their toll of young american lives in the service of our relentless expanding air power. by the end of july, our b-29s had all by obliterated our en y enemy's ability to make war. the question was how much longer would a beaten japan hold out. in august, we made a test that never was applied to germany. while great land, sea, and air forces gathered for the last

invasion, our b-29s dropped two atomic bombs. which hastened the surrender of japan and saved untold thousands of american lives. so the mission of our air forces, which began nearly four years ago, was accomplished. you're watching american history tv all weekend, every weekend on c-span. to join the conversation, like us on facebook at c-span history. o