American P-51 Fighters Attack Tokyo, Incredible Remastered HD Footage

P-51s Hit Tokyo in Spectacular HD Restoration

The film opens by showing the key departure points for American bombing missions: Saipan, Guam, and Tinian, emphasizing how these islands have changed under U.S. control. General Curtis LeMay is seen planning a bold daylight bombing raid on Japan’s industrial heartland. A squadron of B-29 bombers is assembled, and the audience joins them on their long journey across the Pacific Ocean, spanning a distance comparable to the U.S. from Mexico to Canada. Along the way, the film highlights the strategic importance of Iwo Jima, located midway along the route.

The story then shifts to the bombing mission itself, featuring intense dogfights between B-29s and Japanese fighters, and showcasing the widespread destruction caused by bombs and strafing attacks on Tokyo. After the raid, the film turns to the dangers of war, focusing on the perilous task of landing the massive bombers, landings that often ended in disaster.

In the closing scene, color footage of the Hiroshima mushroom cloud is shown. According to narrator Reed Hadley, the atomic bomb ultimately saved thousands of American lives by eliminating the need for a full-scale invasion of Japan.