The battle of the Ham Rong bridge was a resounding and unforgettable victory for the Vietnamese Air Force, during the brutally destructive American bombing of North Vietnam. A young, experienced team of DTU Silver Swallows Studio professionals have just released a trailer of their first short feature film “The First Swallow Wings”, the first episode in a series of Vietnam Aerial War films, already well-received by viewers.
A poster of “The First Swallow Wings” movie (photo: Silver Swallows Studio)
This is the first time that this heroic moment in the history of Vietnam’s defense has been so vividly recreated, using the latest graphic technology, and it promises to leave a lasting impression on the Vietnamese movie industry this year.
The First Swallow Wings movie focuses on the brutal destruction caused by the American Air Force on North Vietnam, in their effort to block support from the north reaching the National Liberation Front in South Vietnam. The first battle took place at the Ham Rong Bridge in Thanh Hoa province.
The graphical reconstruction of a Vietnamese MiG-17 aircraft (photo: Silver Swallows Studio)
At 1 pm on April 3rd, 1965, American squadrons penetrated Thanh Hoa airspace to destroy the Ham Rong Bridge, with some of the most advanced fighter jets in the world at that time. The trailer of The First Swallow Wings portrays the intense dogfight between the Vietnamese MiG-17s, nicknamed the Silver Swallows, and the more powerful and advanced F-105s, known as the Thunderchiefs.
The American F-105s with strong firepower and state-of-the-art technology (photo: Silver Swallows Studio)
In the ensuing, unequal battle, the Vietnamese crews were forced on using all their skills and courage to withstand the Americans. The spirit and emotions of the patriotic Vietnamese pilots, hovering on a line between life and death have now finally been depicted in this feature, fifty years later.
The MiG-17 airplane concept (photo: Silver Swallows Studio)
The Silver Swallows Studio has carefully recreated the feats of the Vietnamese air aces, including Le Trong Long, Phan Van Tuc, Ho Van Quy, Tran Minh Phuong, Tran Hanh, Pham Giay, Le Minh Huan and Tran Nguyen Nam.
The Vietnam Aerial War series emblem (photo: Silver Swallows Studio)
On their Fan Page, the Silver Swallows Studio explain their objectives and hopes:
- This is a not-for-profit project aimed at recreating Vietnamese Air Force battles on film.
- The film is apolitical, with the objective of reminding younger generations about the determination of the wartime soldiers to restore peace and independence to Vietnam, despite the overwhelming loss of lives and sacrifices involved.
Powerful American aircraft set about destroying the Ham Rong Bridge (photo: Silver Swallows Studio)
The First Swallow Wings movie will open on the 44th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification. The DTU team hope that many people will watch it so that a series of more historic films can then be expediently produced for national viewership.
Some memorable scenes in the movie:
Portraits of the Vietnamese pilots who took part in the dogfight for the Thanh Hoa Bridge in 1965 (photo: Silver Swallows Studio)
A Vietnamese MiG-17 landing (photo: Silver Swallows Studio)
A MiG-17 in flight (photo: Silver Swallows Studio)
A Vietnamese pilot in the cockpit of a MiG-17 Silver Swallow (photo: Silver Swallows Studio)
A MiG-17 with two 27mm cannons and one 23mm cannon (photo: Silver Swallows Studio)
The Ham Rong Bridge, vividly recreated in the film using graphic technology (photo: Silver Swallows Studio)
The trailer of the Vietnamese movie based on the 1965 aerial battle for Ham Rong Bridge (photo: Silver Swallows Studio)
(Media Center)