Tora! Tora! Tora!
At the end of July I had the chance to visit Oshkosh for the big AirVenture 2015 show. Lots of great acts including the F-22 Raptor, Harrier Jump Jet and an awesome night show. One of the acts that blew me away was the Tora! Tora! Tora! Airshow. What an assault on the senses with great information, narration and beautiful flying.
See the full Tora! Tora! Tora! at AirVenture 2015 Oshkosh gallery.
The Attack on Pearl Harbor
Many of the planes were used in the movie of the same name. The story follows the history of World War 2 in the Pacific from the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor through the Doolittle raids and culminating in the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima.
B-17 Returning to the Carnage at Pearl
It was quite a solemn display. It reminded me a bit of watching Saving Private Ryan where you just wanted the onslaught to stop. They also did a good job of not vilifying the Japanese too much and it wasn’t overly flag waving on the American side.
The Tide Turns
Later on the American war machine gets going. The industrial complex starts to churn out new planes with more advanced technology and the tide turns.
The B-29 Superfortress FiFi stands in for the Enola Gay.
In the final act there is a hush as the B-29 drops the “Bomb” on Hiroshima.
It is definitely a must see if Tora! Tora! Tora! comes to an air show near you. Check out their page Tora! Tora! Tora! Airshows for more info.
Don’t forget to check out a bunch more awesome photos from the show!
Interesitng scenes.