This fascinating film shows how various intelligence sources, including spies, interrogations of refugees & POWs, aerial reconnaissance and seemingly innocuous sources like corporate parts catalogs were tied together and used in the strategic planning and execution of one of the epic missions of World War 2, the bombing of the ball bearing plants at Schweinfurt, Germany. The "tremendous trifle" refers to how the interruption of supply of an apparently insignificant, but vital, part like a ball bearing can have a huge impact on war production because so many machines depend on them. And there’s some exciting footage of 8th Air Force bombing operations too. (Ironically, the actual maximum effort deep penetration bombing raids on Schweinfurt were so costly to the Allies, they had to be discontinued until long range P-51 fighter support became available in 1944.)-
