Thunderbolt! is a 1947 film documenting the American aerial operations of Operation Strangle in early 1944, when American flyers based on Corsica successfully impeded Axis supply lines to the Gustav Line and Anzio beachhead. The film begins with an introduction by James Stewart, who notes that the footage was shot in 1944, "ancient history", and reads a message from the commander that, even though the units in the picture happen to be American, it could easily have been an RAF mission, and indeed belongs to all people who desire freedom. The narrative begins by showing desolate areas of... Italy, noting that this was the fulfilment of the promise of Fascism, an idea dedicated to the proposition that some men are meant to be the slaves of others. The film next brings the audience to Corsica, introducing us to members of the squadron in question and then tells us the objectives of the mission by way of an after-breakfast briefing that merges into an animated map of Italy showing the allies stuck at the Gustav line, and the mission to cut of the supply lines by destroying bridges and roads in northern Italy.
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| Release date: | 1947 |
| Directed by: | William Wyler, John Sturges |
| Runtime: | 44 Minutes |
| Music by: | Gail Kubik |