A documentary on the US 8th Air Force's bombing campaign against Germany in World War 2. In particular we see what goes into a bombing mission: the high-level planning and decision-making, how the order is then cascaded down through the organisation, how it is translated into lower-level plans and operations, the individual group's preparations for the mission, the mission itself and the aftermath.
From the title I initially assumed this was some sort of companion-piece to the British made "Target for Tonight" (1941) but the 2-3-year gap between them probably means they were independent efforts. This, the US one, probably thought of the title "Target for Today" after seeing the British one and thinking that it would be appropriate (the British generally bombed at night, the Americans during the day during the bombing campaign against Germany).
The end result is a very interesting and informative documentary. Made during WW2 so there is a fair dose of propaganda involved but it is quite unflinchingly accurate.
It's more for someone who likes how things, especially organisations, work and the logistics of things rather than someone who wants to see a gung ho war documentary. "Target for Tonight" threw in a dramatized sub-plot through showing the raid from the perspective of one bomber's crew and the trials and tribulations they go through. "Target for Today" doesn't have that perspective, making it a bit drier, but it is still very interesting.
Like "Target for Tonight" all the "actors" are actual USAAF personnel, going about their usual lives in WW2. Considering the high casualty rate the 8th Air Force suffered, many of the personnel seen in this documentary didn't survive WW2, a rather sobering thought.
From the title I initially assumed this was some sort of companion-piece to the British made "Target for Tonight" (1941) but the 2-3-year gap between them probably means they were independent efforts. This, the US one, probably thought of the title "Target for Today" after seeing the British one and thinking that it would be appropriate (the British generally bombed at night, the Americans during the day during the bombing campaign against Germany).
The end result is a very interesting and informative documentary. Made during WW2 so there is a fair dose of propaganda involved but it is quite unflinchingly accurate.
It's more for someone who likes how things, especially organisations, work and the logistics of things rather than someone who wants to see a gung ho war documentary. "Target for Tonight" threw in a dramatized sub-plot through showing the raid from the perspective of one bomber's crew and the trials and tribulations they go through. "Target for Today" doesn't have that perspective, making it a bit drier, but it is still very interesting.
Like "Target for Tonight" all the "actors" are actual USAAF personnel, going about their usual lives in WW2. Considering the high casualty rate the 8th Air Force suffered, many of the personnel seen in this documentary didn't survive WW2, a rather sobering thought.