Movies - 633 Squadron

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	Movies - 633 Squadron

633 Squadron is a World War II film directed by Walter Grauman and produced by Cecil F. Ford for United Artists in 1964 starring Cliff Robertson, George Chakiris and Harry Andrews. The script was adapted by author James Clavell and Howard Koch from an original novel by Frederick E Smith.

Story

After a Norwegian resistance leader reports to British Royal Air Force officials the location of a recently discovered German V-2 rocket fuel plant, the RAF's 633 Squadron (The squadron is fictional - there was no real 633 Squadron.) is assigned to destroy it. The plant, however, is in an impregnable location beneath an overhanging cliff at the end of a long, narrow fjord lined with anti-aircraft guns. The only way to destroy the plant is by collapsing the cliff on top of it, a job that only the 633 Squadron's light Mosquito aircraft are capable of.

The squadron go on training for their mission in Scotland, where there is a similar feature.

The Norwegian resistance are tasked with destroying the anti-aircraft defences around the factory, but fail, meaning that the squadron has to attack with the defences intact. In the end only one aircraft survives, but the factory is destroyed.

The planes

The film features real De Havilland Mosquito aircraft, a plane also known as the "Wooden Wonder" because of its primary construction material. Five Mosquitos were used during filming, three that were flightworthy and two that could not fly, but could be taxied around the runways. However, the three airworthy Mosquitos were actually photo-recon versions that were restored to fighter-bomber specifications for filming.

The German aircraft featured in the film, which were supposed to be Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter planes were actually Messerschmitt Bf 108 "Taifun" liaison aircraft repainted to look more like fighters.

Influence

The film Mosquito Squadron is a virtual remake of 633 Squadron even using some footage from the original film.

The film's finale shows the squadron's planes flying down a deep fjord while being fired at along the way by anti-aircraft guns lining its sides. George Lucas has stated in interviews that this sequence inspired the 'trench run' sequence in Star Wars.

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Movies - 633 Squadron

Story

The planes

Influence

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