Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / GunshipRescue

Go To

1%%%
2%%
3%% This page has been alphabetized. Please add new examples in the correct order. Thanks!
4%%
5%%%
6
7%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1617833649042235800
8%% Previous thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1564153177016603500
9%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
10%%
11[[quoteright:350:[[VideoGame/StarWarsRepublicCommando https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/3e3c4b7536ff22601860ed791718d66f.png]]]]
12%%
13->'''Johnny Rico:''' This is Roughnecks 201. We are under heavy attack! ... I request retrieval, now!\
14'''Radio Operator:''' On the outpost? That's crazy!\
15'''Johnny:''' Well I hope you have a crazy pilot. Out!
16-->-- ''Film/StarshipTroopers''
17
18The heroes are facing overwhelming odds, probably their LastStand. Everything [[DarkestHour looks hopeless]] and there is [[NoOneCouldSurviveThat no possible way they can survive this]]. There's only enough time for a FinalSpeech. It almost looks like they are heading for a BolivianArmyEnding, when suddenly... [[TheCavalry The Air Cavalry is here!]]! An allied aircraft swoops overhead and loops around for another pass! The enemy (one that uses HollywoodTactics, anyway) just got [[DeathFromAbove raked from above!]]
19
20It is often set up to be a [[SurpriseVehicle complete surprise]] to the ones being rescued. That way, when the gunship lowers into place it produces squeals of joy from the audience. The real joy is [[OhCrap the look on the enemy's face]] when the gunship appears and they have to stare down the [[MoreDakka machine]] [[GatlingGood guns]], [[MacrossMissileMassacre missile pods]], [[EnergyWeapon lasers]], or whatever other kind of heavy firepower is mounted on the craft.
21
22Often preceded by ItHasBeenAnHonor. It also invokes some resemblance to DeathFromAbove, and can often include an awesome looking visual of the rescuers doing a flyby, often putting themselves between the rescuees and the bad guys. Also likely to include the soul-shaking noise of big aircraft engines... followed a chorus of gun booms, rocket fwooshes and laser pews.
23
24When played straight, this is a variant of TheCavalry. Not classified as DeusExMachina, since most times it is set up in advance and rarely anticlimactic. And while most examples are of aircraft, specifically helicopter gunships or the [[TechnologyLevels Technology Level]] equivalent, ground vehicles and ocean vessels with a {{BFG}} mounted can sometimes be used for a Gunship Rescue. Compare OrbitalBombardment.
25
26----
27!!Examples:
28[[foldercontrol]]
29
30[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
31* The first story arc of ''Manga/BlackLagoon'' has the Black Lagoon being chased by a Mi-24 Hind-A heavy attack helicopter. Inverted -- instead of saving the day, the Hind Gunship is destroyed spectacularly by a surprise torpedo attack of all things.
32* In Episode 5 of ''Literature/BodaciousSpacePirates'', the Odette II is being fired upon by the Lightning 11 using optical sights (since the crew had hacked their computer beforehand). The main character, Marika, aboard the Odette II, uses an ImprovisedWeapon in the form of aiming their solar sails to blind the Lightning 11's gunners. Shortly afterwards, the Bentenmaru and the Barbaroosa, along with several military ships show up to assist them.
33* In ''Manga/CatShitOne'' the Mi-24 gunship, call sign Angel One, comes in to rescue our heroes Packy and Botasky just when they thought they are completely surrounded. To quote Packy's words:
34-->'''Packy:''' Well... that's one hell of an angel who came to help us.
35* ''Literature/FullMetalPanic The Second Raid'''s first episode has Sousuke being surrounded on a bridge. With nowhere to go, Al recommends self-destruct to avoid capture which Sousuke promptly rejects. The enemy commander starts counting down over loudspeaker... and just as he reaches 'one', the Arbalest launches off the bridge above the water. Cue the Tuatha de Danaan breaking through the surface and launching several cluster missiles at the enemy forces, wiping them all out in a single salvo while retrieving the Arbalest and quickly diving back underwater. Hilariously lampshaded by the shocked and singed enemy commander a while later.
36* ''[[Anime/GaoGaiGar The King of Braves GaoGaiGar Final]]'', Episode 7. Palparepa: "Pathetic God of Destruction...what can you do alone against us?" Off-screen Taiga: "He is ''not'' alone!" Turn camera to the Division Fleet and cue Taiga's greatest speech ''ever''.
37** Even earlier in the series, during the final battle with the Machine Kings. Volfogg's getting trashed rather badly by Penchinon, then gets saved by the Multi-Dimensional Intelligence Submarine going on a kamikaze strike to Volfogg's 3rd theme. Topped off by Penchinon's attempt to absorb it proving to be a ''very'' bad idea as its fusion reactor explodes.
38** Inadvertently invoked by Soldato J and the J-Ark on their debut a few episodes later. While defeating the Primevals ''was'' intentional, saving [=GaoGaiGar=] in the process...not so much.
39* ''Literature/{{Gate}}'': This trope is shown oh-so '''very beautifully''' during the Defense of Italica from the soldiers-turned-bandits when they decide to raid Italica [[EvilIsPetty to try to replace the utter shame they got when they miserably failed to retake Alnus Hill from the vastly superior JSDF forces.]] Huey and Cobra gunships do their work '''exquisitely''', and the reaction from the Gate-worlders show equal fascination/terror upon viewing such advanced military technological might firsthand, with the Princess and her royal aide reacting to it especially.
40* ''Anime/HaloLegends'':
41** In ''The Package'', when the Master Chief and Dr. Halsey are escaping from dozens of Seraphs, the ONI stealth ship ''PRO-49776'' comes to their rescue by blowing up all their remaining pursuers in seconds.
42** Subverted in ''Homecoming''; the Pelican gunship coming in to rescue Daisy and company is itself destroyed.
43* ''Manga/HanaukyoMaidTeam''. ''La Verite'' Episode 11. The gang is trapped in a dire situation, being chased by Konoe's AxCrazy sister, when [[spoiler: Ryuuka's murder zeppelin shows up, now sporting laser cannons, to save the day.]]
44* There was a ''Toad'' Rescue moment in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''. During the invasion of Konoha, a giant three-headed snake was devastating a large region of Konoha, having already breached the defensive wall to allow the invasion force inside. As the Konoha ninja are fighting a losing battle against it a giant toad summon falls from the sky, wiping out the snake summon and turning the tide.
45* In the last episode of ''Anime/MacrossFrontier'', [[spoiler: a Vajra "[[OrganicTechnology gunship]]" is about to blast its WaveMotionGun point-blank into the ''Battle Frontier's'' bridge, only to have the ''Macross Quarter'' -- a ship ''much'' smaller than ''Frontier'' -- skewer the ''Vajra'' with its own main cannon while coming out of Fold space]].
46* In the flashback of ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'', the armada of the three major powers in the MagicWorld arrives to stop the end-of-the-world spell, as Nagi defeated the BigBad one second too late.
47** In Chapter 274, Paru uses her ship for this, complete with Sayo manning a {{Magitek}} [[GatlingGood minigun]]. [[spoiler:It doesn't make much difference, though, since [[ActionGirl Kaede and Setsuna]] can handle the {{Mooks}}, and Paru hadn't anticipated the enemy cruisers and [[SummonMagic summoned]] EldritchAbomination.]]
48** Chachamaru's [[KillSat Artifact]] was introduced this way.
49* The arrival of the [[spoiler:Moby Dick, Whitebeard's personal flagship]] early in the Marineford arc of ''Manga/OnePiece''. The shocker is that it came [[spoiler: from underwater taking the entire Marine force at Maineford by surprise!]]
50** And then one-upped 15 chapters later, [[spoiler:when a black replica of Moby Dick arrives in the same way as its predecessor, to save the Whitebeard pirates who survived Admiral Akainu's destruction of their entire fleet's vessels.]]
51* ''Literature/RebuildWorld'':
52** When Akira holes up with Katsuragi's merchant convoy for mutual defense from TheSwarm of monsters and the three of them are on their last legs, Elena and Sara bust through the enemy answering Katsuragi's DistressCall with Sara blasting the swarm with a {{BFG}} in each hand.
53** When Akira is escorting hunters whose DistressCall he answered away from a ScaryScorpion nest, just as Akira is running out of ammo and they're all surrounded, a convoy from the Forward Base blasts through and rescues them.
54** When Akira answers a DistressCall from lower ranked hunters coming from further back in the BigBadassRig convoy he's escorting, he blasts through TheSwarm embattling them but both parties end up nearly overwhelmed by successive waves until the convoy's head of security Mercia rushes back in her WalkingArmory MiniMecha to save them.
55** Alpha does this a number of times controlling Akira's [[WeaponizedCar weapon equipped]] CoolBike, one time with Carol on board helping.
56* ''Arcus Prima'''s return to active duty in ''Anime/{{Simoun}}'' takes place just in the nick of time to save ''Messis'' from an overwhelming Argentum attack.
57* ''Manga/TalesOfWeddingRings'' features a fantasy version in Chapter 30. Satou has just taken his best shot at the [[BigBad Abyss King]], but failed to kill him, and he is too exhausted to defend himself as the Abyss King retaliates. Granart and the other princesses leap to Satou's defense, only to be surrounded by endless hordes of the Abyss King's demons. Just when it seems all hope is lost, [[WizardClassic Alabaster]] swoops in on the back of a giant bird to save the day.
58* At the end of ''Literature/TheFamiliarOfZero'''s first season, Saito shows up in a WWII-era fighter plane, turning the battle and [[spoiler:giving up his chance to go home]].
59* In ''Anime/TransformersArmada'', the Decepticons decide to call in Tidal Wave as a backup. Tidal Wave happens to be a gunship. In the sense that he's [[MilitaryMashupMachine a Flying Aircraft Carrier with Guns]].
60* ''Durandal'' gets the medal for her appearance to save ''Elsa'' from Gnosis in ''VideoGame/{{Xenosaga}}''. ''Episode 1'' goes one better with a heavily-armed mobile ''space colony'', appearing to similarly relieve the Durandal and the colony it is docked with.
61[[/folder]]
62
63[[folder:Comic Books]]
64* The ''Series/TwentyFour'' comic ''One Shot'' has a scene where Jack and an informant are being pursued by a chopper full of terrorsts when a [=CTU=] helicopter appears to shoot down their pursuers. This keeps Jack and his companion from being gunned down, although the friendly chopper takes damage during the fight and has to land, leaving it unable to evacuate the heroes away from land-based pursuers.
65* In ''[[ComicBook/{{Elephantmen}} Elephantmen: War Toys Volume 1]]'', French freedom fighter Yvette is cornered on the roof of a cathedral by several Elephantmen. Then three or four Red Chinese gunships appear and open up on the Elephantmen with MoreDakka. Subverted, because [[spoiler: the gunships are shot down by the Elephantmen, crash into the cathedral roof, and kill everyone except Yvette who miraculously survives.]]
66* ''ComicBook/TheMightyThor'':
67** During ComicBook/TheSurturSaga, Sif stays behind to defend a convoy of alien transport ships from horde of demons. When her strength starts failing, she prepares herself to take as many demons as possible with her. Then all the sudden the demons are blasted away and she is greeted by Skuttlebut, an intelligent spaceship who was also sent to protect the convoy.
68** Skuttlebutt did it again, during the Godhunter Saga. When Beta Ray Bill was on the receiving end of a curbstomp battle from the Silver Surfer, Skuttlebutt flew in and proceeded to blast Surfer unconscious. You gotta love that ship.
69* In ''Franchise/{{Tintin}}'''s "[[Recap/TintinTheRedSeaSharks Red Sea Sharks]]", Tintin's ship is under attack by a submarine. They manage to reach an Amrican warship, but are afraid they'll be sunk by the time it gets there. As they try to avoid the torpedoes, the captain suddenly hears a boom and thinks they've been hit -- only to discover it's the cruiser's seaplanes depth-charging the sub.
70* In ''ComicBook/WynonnaEarp: Season Zero'', Wynonna and the remains of the Banditos, her old BadassBiker gang, are holed up in Bloody Porch. Outnumbered and outgunned, they are preparing to make a LastStand against their foe when suddenly Smitty appears on the horizon, flying a helicopter gunship sporting a HoodHornament, and loaded with Black badge reinforcements. Suddenly the fight gets a lot fairer.
71[[/folder]]
72
73[[folder:Fan Works]]
74* In the ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' [[TransplantedCharacterFic Uberfic]] ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/9075802 The Artisans of War]]'', B'Elanna Torres and Annika Hansen are extracted from a [[StarScraper bladescraper]] via a tilt-rotor gunship shooting out the windows, followed by a US marine jetpacking through the broken window, locking them into a hostage rescue harness and flying them back to the helicopter.
75* ''Fanfic/GogglesAndTheTears'': In the climax, the Vox Populi arrive in dozens of zeppelins and gunships to help the main characters fight [[VideoGame/SystemShock SHODAN]], thanks to Booker [=DeWitt=] and Elizabeth actually rescuing Chen Lin earlier.
76* ''Fanfic/AHollowInEquestria'': Ulquiorra performs the living equivalent of a gunship rescue. The ponies are facing off against the arc BigBad [[spoiler:Nightmare Moon]] barely able to hold their own even with reinforcements, and ultimately getting wasted for their efforts. Just when it seems all hope is lost, Ulquiorra comes in out of nowhere, delivers a badass one liner, and deploys a cero right in her open mouth at point-blank range.
77* ''Fanfic/JauneArcLordOfHunger'': The chapter "[[Recap/JauneArcLordOfHungerFear Fear]]" see Glynda Goodwitch, Team JNPR, and Team RWBY all driven to exhaustion following a prolonged fight with a [[TheJuggernaut terentatek]]. The terentatek had [[NoSell no-selled]] almost all of their attacks and was preparing to finish them off when it's interrupted by the arrival of a Bullhead that Glynda had radioed in prior to the battle. The dropship then unloads hundreds of high-caliber Dust rounds and a barrage of missiles which break through the terentatek's previously impenetrable armor. This gives the heroes time to recover and regroup to finish the creature off.
78* ''Fanfic/KimiNoNaIowa'': Subverted in Chapters 32 and 33. Faced with [[spoiler:Northampton's impalement of Takanami]], Naganami calls in fire support from the Chinese bombers on overwatch. The attacker proceeds to [[spoiler:TeleportSpam her way around the incoming missiles and then use Judgment Cuts to slice both bombers in half, killing all but one of the aircrew.]] Later on, additional fire support is deployed from Australian [=F-35s=] firing antiship missiles, and [[spoiler:both the Demons and Northampton dodge the missiles before the latter tries to Judgment Cut them as well.]] Naganami ends up having to save the saviors, and for her troubles [[spoiler:she gets punched into a missile meant for Northampton.]]
79* ''Fanfic/TheMysteriousCaseOfNeelixsLungs'': Tuvok uses ''Voyager'''s Aeroshuttle to pull out a fireteam led by Ayala when they come under attack by the Kazon-Nistrim, [[DeathFromAbove torpedoing a Kazon ground position]] and dogfighting with Kazon fighters on the way back out.
80* ''Fanfic/{{Origins}}'': Aria T'Loak's forces attempting to retake Omega (which has by then crashed into the Citadel) are rescued in this fashion by geth. Said geth had been waging a guerrilla war against the invaders, and having noticed that potential allies were in trouble, swooped in with what forces they had. It even leads to an airdropped geth colossus serving as a mount for the remaining organic forces. Arguably, Trans-Galactic Republic forces in the [[Fanfic/FracturedSovereignGFC previous work]] count as well when they smash Reapers.
81* ''Fanfic/PonyPOVSeries'': There's one of these in the Shining Armor Arc, during Shining's first battle with [[BigBad Makarov's]] forces. Just when it looks like Shining and the Griffon special forces unit he's working with are going to be wiped out, [[TheCavalry in comes the rest of the Royal Guard]], complete with armed airships.
82* ''Fanfic/TheWeaverOption'': Taylor's army is on the verge of being overrun by a daemonic horde led by [[spoiler:Fulgrim]]. Just as things are looking grim, a Webway gate opens and [[spoiler:the ''Flamewrought'', Vulkan's personal battleship]] arrives, devastating the daemons and deploying veteran Space Marines to deal with [[spoiler:Fulgrim]].
83[[/folder]]
84
85[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
86* ''WesternAnimation/BatmanAndMisterFreezeSubZero'': Batman and Robin do this with Batwing to save Barbara Gordon.
87* Towards the end of ''WesternAnimation/DespicableMe2'', Gru and two minions are rescued from a bunch of evil minions from a rooftop by a VTOL plane. Visually the scene is held close to the well known examples of this trope, but instead of lasers or machine guns the plane uses jelly-miniguns to distribute a cure.
88* ''WesternAnimation/{{How to Train Your Dragon|2010}}'' has this for the climatic scene where Stoik and his forces are fighting a hopeless battle against [[spoiler:the Red Death Dragon]], and suddenly Hiccup and Toothless swoop in and give the Vikings one thing they never had before in battle, ''air support''.
89[[/folder]]
90
91[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
92* ''Film/NinthCompany'' depicts a last stand by a company on a hilltop in Afghan mountains. Just when the very last of the defenders are cut down by Mujahedeen, Mi-24 Hind gunships show up and annihilate the enemies with 30mm cannon, leaving the last survivor to contemplate his sacrifice (note that in the real defense of Hill 3234, most of 9th Company survived and was successfully relieved, after getting regular fire support throughout the fight).
93* ''Film/ActOfValor'' has the [=SEAL=] team heavily outnumbered and outgunned, hotly pursued by militia forces, and then just as the militia catches up to them, a pair of [=SWCC=] boats show up and deliver a literal ''wall'' of fire, doing their best to achieve enough dakka in almost two minutes of near-sustained fire.
94* ''Film/AvengersAgeOfUltron'' has one near the climax when [[spoiler:Nick Fury]] shows up with [[spoiler:Helicarrier 64 from ''Film/TheAvengers2012'' in order to help evacuate the city that Ultron had just ripped out of the ground]]. Played with, as the Avengers, or at least [[spoiler:Iron Man and War Machine]], end up [[spoiler:defending it by shooting down Ultron's drones as they attempt to attack the Helicarrier and its rescue ships]].
95* ''Film/Battleground1949'': With Nazi forces closing in and all hope lost, Sgt. Kinnie suddenly notices that the trees around his soldiers' foxholes are casting shadows. It takes several seconds for his exhausted brain to work out what that means: If the trees have shadows, then the sun is shining. If the sun is shining, the clouds have broken. And if the clouds have broken, [[spoiler:Allied aircraft can get off the ground! Cue the thunder of engines overhead, as Allied fighter-bombers rip the Nazi attackers to shreds while American transport aircraft practically bury the besieged [=GIs=] in crates full of fresh food, fuel, medicines, and ammunition]].
96* In ''Film/BehindEnemyLines'', Burnett is cornered by pretty much the entire Serbian Army, but is rescued when a fleet of American helicopters loaded with weapons and angry Marines arrive and completely wreck the Serbians.
97* ''Film/BlackHawkDown'' is a bit of a {{subversion}} of the trope: the eponymous Black Hawks ''were'' good for gunship purposes due to their miniguns, but proved too vulnerable to RPG fire. On the other hand, the much smaller [[LightningBruiser Little Birds]] fulfilled this purpose admirably -- they packed more firepower in their rockets and were much more difficult to hit.
98* In ''Film/BlueThunder'', the titular BlackHelicopter pulls one of these off when hero Frank Murphy's girlfriend is about to be arrested by the police after being pulled over on a bridge while carrying the PlotCoupon. Cue dramatic engine roar and the sight of ''Blue Thunder'' rising up from beneath the bridge, {{BFG}} aimed right at the cops. A hilarious DoubleSubversion follows, as while the OhCrap moment gives Murphy's girlfriend a chance to drive off, the cops recover in time to pursue her... until Murphy blows their car in half.
99* In ''Film/Border1997'', based on the events of the Battle of Longewalla, the squadron of Indian Air Force Hawker Hunters shows up at daybreak to pull this off for Major Chandipur's embattled weapons company.
100* The Bat serves this purpose in the climax of ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises''.
101* ''Film/EscapePlan'': During the final escape, the allies of Breslin and Rottmayer send a armed helicopter to pick them up. The heavy machine guns provide useful suppressing fire that forces the guards to keep their heads down (and kills several of them).
102* ''Film/GodzillaKingOfTheMonsters2019'': A [[Characters/MonsterVerseMonarch Monarch]] military jet squadron pull off such a rescue quite early in the movie, during [[BigBad Ghidorah]]'s first scene after awakening. The main human heroes are trapped on the ground in the middle of Antarctica with no working vehicles, and [[AxCrazy Ghidorah]] is directly terrorizing them (having already killed most of their mooks [[spoiler:and Dr. Graham]]) while Godzilla is momentarily knocked down. A barrage of airborne missiles impacting Ghidorah's [[MultipleHeadCase faces]] before he can attack anyone else is [[DynamicEntry the very first sign the cavalry has arrived]]. And the aerial attack on one side of Ghidorah combined with Godzilla getting back up on Ghidorah's other side is apparently enough to drive Ghidorah to [[VillainExitStageLeft retreat]] and rebuild his strength.
103* ''Film/HarleyDavidsonAndTheMarlboroMan''. And even firing at the building.
104* ''Film/JamesBond'':
105** In ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService'', Bond and his ally (and soon-to-be father-in-law) Marc-Ange Draco attack [[BigBad Ernst Stavro Blofeld]]'s mountain hideout of Piz Gloria with helicopters full of {{Red Shirt}}s that are equipped with submachine guns and a flamethrower in order to rescue Marc-Ange's daughter Tracy and ruin Blofeld's EvilPlan.
106** In ''Film/DiamondsAreForever'', a helicopter attack is launched on Blofeld's oil rig by Leiter and the CIA. Said helicopters are armed with rocket launchers.
107** In ''Film/{{Octopussy}}'', the old ''Q'', of all people, saves some of Octopussy's AmazonBrigade by landing on some of Kamal Khan's mooks with his hot air balloon.
108** Inverted in ''Film/{{Skyfall}}''. This time, the ''BigBad'' has a gunship, and tries to kill Bond with it.
109* ''Film/ManOfSteel'': Surprisingly, this is achieved more often by the villains than the heroes, as a couple of Kryptonian fighters are part of their limited arsenal, and it outclasses anything humans have. The military does help a little with their A-10 Warthogs being able to at least distract and/or disorient their targets, but can't deal any real damage. In addition, earlier in the movie, one of Zod's gunships is about to blast Kal-El's capsule out of the sky when it is blown to smithereens by a Kryptonian Council loyalists-aligned gunship. Cue many more gunships surrounding Zod's position and forcing him to surrender.
110* ''Film/TheMatrix'': The last third of the movie has Neo and Trinity pilot a helicopter armed with a mini-gun that even the near unstoppable Agents can't dodge.
111* In ''Film/OffLimits'' two American military policemen are surrounded by corrupt South Vietnamese police. The chief policeman tells the Americans, "I am afraid you are outgunned today." As a helicopter BDG appears from behind the buildings, the lead MP replies, "You still don't get it, do you? We [Americans] are ''never'' outgunned!
112* In ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd'', after [[spoiler: Will Turner stabs Davy Jones' heart and the ''Dutchman'' sinks, the EITC armada is about to wipe out the pirate armada... and then the ''Dutchman'' explodes from the water, [[YouKillItYouBoughtIt with Will at the helm]]]].
113* ''Film/RedDawn1984'':
114** In the beginning, the heroes realize that their escape to the mountains is about to be prematurely cut off by a Soviet roadblock. Just then an Army [[EveryHelicopterIsAHuey Huey]] helicopter turns up and blows the roadblock to pieces, clearing the way for them. (Another chopper, or possibly the same one, shows up later on harassing the Soviets as they secure the town)
115** Inverted towards the end, when the DirtyCommies finally catch LaResistance out in the open, and the Wolverines find out that Mi-24 Hinds are out of their league.
116* Averted in ''Film/Rogue2020''. The mercenaries are expecting to be extracted by helicopter gunship after they rescue the governor's daughter. The helicopter arrives but Zalaam shoots it down, forcing Sam and her men to keep running and attempt to improvise a new extraction route.
117* The ending of ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan'' features the US Army Air Forces saving the day, specifically the [[CoolPlane P-51 Mustang]] "Tank Busters."
118* An entire fleet of Royal Navy {{Airborne Aircraft Carrier}}s turns up to rescue the protagonists at the end of ''Film/SkyCaptainAndTheWorldOfTomorrow'' (2004), though they really [[TheCavalryArrivesLate don't need saving by that stage]].
119* ''Franchise/StarTrek''
120** The climax of ''Film/StarTrekIVTheVoyageHome'' plays with this, partly for comedy. A whaling vessel is chasing the two humpback whales Kirk and crew need to bring back to the 23rd century to [[SpaceWhaleAesop save Earth from a destructive probe]]. The vessel sights the whales, fires a harpoon -- which suddenly bounces off ''nothing'' with a metallic clang. Cue the heroes' stolen Bird of Prey decloaking above the water... and the whaling ship urgently attempting to turn around and run away.
121** ''Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier'' has Spock as gunner on a Klingon Bird-Of-Prey blowing up a wanna-be ''God'' with a timely arrival.
122** In ''Film/StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry'', Captain Sulu and the ''Excelsior'' show up to help the ''Enterprise'' fight a cloaked Bird-of-Prey. In this case it wasn't necessarily for the firepower but in Sulu's own words "Give them something else to shoot at" and take pressure off the beleaugred ''Enterprise'' while the technicians figured a way around the cloak. But once the [[HomingProjectile modified seeker torpedo]] finds its mark, Sulu and the ''Excelsior'' are quick to exploit the opening.
123--->'''Sulu:''' Target that explosion and fire!
124** ''Film/StarTrekFirstContact'': "Sir, there's another ship coming in. ''...It's the Enterprise!''" Cue the shiny new ''Enterprise''-E swooping in like an avenging angel to save the mangled ''Defiant'' (commanded by [[TheWorfEffect Worf at the time]]) from the Borg cube.
125** Two Romulan Warbirds under Commander Donatra try to do this for ''Enterprise'' in ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'', but are quickly disabled.
126** ''Film/StarTrek2009'': [[spoiler:Alternate Spock is headed into a massive missile barrage in Spock Prime's little ship, with the computer warning him that the black-hole-creating-stuff in the back will ignite if they're hit. Cue the "Jump-out-of-warp" noise, and the ''Enterprise'' blasts into the scene with all guns blazing furiously, picking off every missile. Oh, and they beam Spock out of the little ship and Kirk and Pike off of the bigger one about to be rammed.]] BigDamnHeroes ''and'' Gunship Rescue moment for the ''Enterprise'' and her crew, set to an epic, ''epic'' soundtrack.
127** ''Film/StarTrekBeyond'': When Kirk is about to be sucked into space [[spoiler: after ejecting Krall and the weapon from Yorktown, Bones arrives in a stolen swarm ship and Spock comes out and saves Kirk.]]
128--->'''Kirk:''' What would I do without you, Spock?
129* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
130** ''Film/ANewHope'': Han Solo saves Luke, who is being targeted while piloting straight to the tunnel leading to the core of the Death Star.
131--->'''Han Solo:''' You're all clear, kid! Now let's blow this thing and go home!
132** ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'':
133*** Just after hijacking it an AT-ST Scout Walker, Chewie starts blowing away other Scout Walkers that have been chewing up the Ewoks pretty badly.
134*** When Han and Leia manage to take care of a couple of storm troopers giving them trouble, only for a AT-ST Scout Walker to approach them. They give the OhCrap look, only to find out it was the one Chewbacca and the Ewoks hijacked earlier. And in the end they used the communications link in the walker to draw the base guards out rather than just blast open the doors.
135** ''Film/AttackOfTheClones'' features a gunship rescue moment from Yoda and the clone troopers, and a BigDamnHeroes moment from Yoda confronting Count Dooku. The event is even ''called'' "Gunship Rescue" on the DVD.
136** ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' has an X-Wing squadron tearing through First Order forces like paper during the battle over Maz Kanata's base, clearing the way to extract most of the focal characters.
137** In ''Film/RogueOne'', X-Wings and U-Wings of Blue Squadron obliterate the entire force of AT-[=ACTs=] that had the ground team dead to right [[CurbStompBattle in a single pass]], after the [[AirstrikeImpossible sprint through the Scarif shield gate]] that claimed multiple ships. The U-wings also drop a few squads of reinforcements. [[HeroicSacrifice Blue Squadron are wiped out with the rest of Rogue One]] in the end but without their intervention the raid would have failed, and the Rebels would never have been able to destroy the first Death Star.
138** ''Film/TheLastJedi'' has Rey and Chewbacca arriving on Crait in the ''Falcon'' during the Resistance's DarkestHour on Crait. Their DynamicEntry consists of taking out three TIE fighters with one shot.
139* The climactic battle in ''Film/SwissFamilyRobinson'' is won when Roberta's grandfather returns in the nick of time with a warship and blasts the pirates to smithereens.
140* ''Film/TearsOfTheSun'' ends when Creator/BruceWillis' team of Navy SEAL badasses, having just barely survived a battle with a pursuing enemy army, end up chased into a grassy field. Just when all hope seems lost for them and the refugees they have been escorting, a flight of F/A-18 Hornets comes screaming in and [[KillItWithFire liberally applies napalm]] amongst the enemy ranks. The timing of it also deserves special mention, the [=SEALs=] call in air support almost as soon as the battle starts, and the jets ''still'' only arrive a the last second.
141* Used severral times in the Film/TransformersFilmSeries.
142** In ''Film/Transformers2007'', the Decepticon Scorponok had several soldiers pinned down and facing imminent death, when they call in two [[CoolPlane A-10 Warthogs and an AC-130 Spectre]]. Later in the movie, Megatron is beating the crap out of Optimus, when a bunch of F-22 Raptors [[MacrossMissileMassacre swoop in and shoot]] Megs and Blackout.
143** ''Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen'' features an air strike to help the ground troops trying to hold their position that was represented on-screen with a Guinness Record for the largest explosion Hollywood has ever done. Say what you will about Creator/MichaelBay as a director, he knows how to blow shit up.
144** ''Film/TransformersDarkOfTheMoon'' has a subversion, as they already know that none of their aircraft could match the Cybertronian aerial fighters (a F-22 Raptor was shot down with little trouble) and thus they staged a wingsuit entry into the city, in this case the "air" support was actual people. But it was played straight somewhat during the climax, not from physical aircraft but from a series of Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a nearby base thinning out the Decepticon ranks.
145* ''Film/TrueLies'' has Harry approaching the terrorists holding out in an office building and proceeds to rip apart the entire floor with an anti-tank weapon on the Harrier-II he was flying.
146* ''Film/WeWereSoldiers'':
147** In the final battle scene of the movie as the U.S. soldiers crest the hill they are staring down the barrels of the enemy weapons who are about to shoot them. Just as it looks like they are about to get shot to pieces, you see the enemy getting splattered by rockets and minigun fire from Huey Gunships allowing the Americans to finish storming the enemy positions.
148** Earlier in the film, the Americans are on the verge of being overrun by the NVA. In a desperation move, they call in a "Broken Arrow", which calls in ''all'' available air assets to assist. The NVA get [[CurbStompBattle curbstomped]], at least for the moment.
149[[/folder]]
150
151[[folder:Literature]]
152* In ''[[Literature/SixteenThirtyTwo 1634: The Baltic War]]'', one of the USE's "timberclad" warships steams to the rescue of the folks escaping from imprisonment in the Tower of London.
153* ''The Alchemist'' by Ken Goddard. When the undercover narcs are pulling the drug deal at the end of the novel, an attempted rip-off is stymied by their pilot turning up in an AH-64 Apache he borrowed from a nearby military base.
154* In a two-for-one hybrid of Gunship Rescue with the Biggest Damn Hero ''ever'', Angel City is saved by the timely appearance of the Garuda bird in ''Literature/TheCaseOfTheToxicSpellDump''. It qualifies as a ship as well as a hero, because in this {{Magitek}} setting, the mighty Garuda is being ''outfitted for space travel'' by the setting's analog of N.A.S.A.
155* Another Creator/TomClancy one in ''Literature/ClearAndPresentDanger,'' this time from the perspective of the gunship. A twenty-one-ton Pave Low might make for awesome firepower, but it's not a dedicated gunship, as the crew are keenly aware.
156--> '''[[AcePilot PJ]]:''' What's the opposition like?\
157'''[[OldSoldier Clark]]:''' Lots of people with [=AKs=]. [[UsefulNotes/VietnamWar Ought to sound familiar.]]\
158'''PJ''': It does. I got three [[GatlingGood minis]]. Without any air support...\
159'''Clark''': You guessed right. You are the air support. [[ThisIsGonnaSuck I'd hold on to the miniguns.]]
160* In the ''Literature/DirkPittAdventures'' book ''Atlantis Found'', Dirk Pitt and the unarmed icebreaker he came in on are getting pummeled by a U-boat's machine guns and deck gun in Antarctica. They look well and truly screwed until his boss Sandecker pulls some strings and gets the U.S Navy to send the U-boat to the bottom with a destroyer-launched Tomahawk cruise missile.
161* In ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' novel ''Literature/SmallFavor'' Harry Dresden is saved by Badass mercenary Ms. Gard, who proceeds to gun down demons using a minigun on an illegal Huey. While playing "Ride of the Valkyries" [[Film/ApocalypseNow on speakers mounted on the chopper.]] Even Marcone was very impressed. The best part? It is piloted by an ''actual Valkyrie.''
162** There's also Dresden himself, in ''Literature/DeadBeat'', Harry charges into a zombie horde on top of a reanimated ''T. rex'' and rescues the Wardens who are losing miserably.
163* ''Literature/{{Eisenhorn}}'' has a guncutter that turns up at least once per novel. In ''Xenos'' [[spoiler: when the titular inquisitor is cornered by Glaw, Midas Betancore brings the cutter down and helps Eisenhorn escape with an artefact]]. In ''Malleus'' [[spoiler: his daughter Medea saves Eisenhorn from witch-finder Tantalid -- "Never argue with a guncutter, asshole"]]. Subverted in ''Hereticus'' where [[spoiler: Medea flies in to try and save Eisenhorn and company from a Chaos titan, despite Eisenhorn's orders to stay put, and gets shot out of the sky]].
164* Also by John Ringo, in ''Hell's Faire'', the fourth and final book of the Posleen War series, just as all hope looks lost for the [[PowerArmor ACS]] [[spoiler:the entire [[StandardSciFiFleet Space Navy]] shows up in orbit (against orders) and begins OrbitalBombardment of the [[AlwaysChaoticEvil Posleen]] positions.]]
165* ''Literature/TheHeroesOfOlympus'' series:
166** Subverted. The Argo II doesn't get to Camp Jupiter until the day after the invasion.
167** It does, however, pull off a lot of rescues in ''The Mark of Athena''.
168* It happens several times in ''Literature/HonorHarrington'', which both played this straight and subverted it, depending on the book in question.
169* Though they are intelligent animals and characters in their own right, this is the narrative role of the Eagles in ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', ''Literature/TheHobbit'', and ''Literature/TheSilmarillion''. Almost every time they show up it's to bail out the heroes from a hopeless battle, rescue anyone who needs rescuing, and turn the tide. Complete with enough power to ''wound a god'' in the case of Thorondor.
170** Lúthien and Huan showing up at Tol-in-Gaurhoth and kicking Sauron's butt. This happens just as Beren is left alone and helpless by the death of Finrod Felagund. It's this, not DeusExMachina, because the implication is that Finrod knew they were coming.
171** The Númenoreans pull a literal one on Gilgalad and Elrond during the War of the Elves and Sauron: sailing up the Anduin and relieving the Siege of Imladris. While the elves had asked for help from Númenor, Queen Telperien dithered about whether to help for so long that the situation had gotten quite desperate for the elves before the fleet showed up.
172* Subverted in the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' prequel novel. A gunship arrives with lasers blazing to save the outnumbered-and-pinned-down soldiers from mercenaries, only to be shot down by the TheDragon bounty-hunter who not only predicted the gunship, but prepped massive anti-aircraft weaponry beforehand.
173* In the Creator/CliveCussler novel ''The Mayan Secrets'', at the very end, the townsfolk are ready to be on the receiving end of a major curb-stomp when two attack helicopters arrive, seemingly out of nowhere. Apparently Sam Fargo, one of the main characters, has some secrets in his background.
174* Is used to good effect in the ''[[Literature/EmpireFromTheAshes Mutineer's Moon]]'' and ''Excalibur Alternative'' universes. "Break off ''and leave them to us!''"
175* In ''Literature/{{Orphanage}}'' by Robert Buettner, Metzeger combines this with a heroic sacrifice, crashing a gunship into the alien hive to save his friend and his pregnant wife from being killed in a hopeless siege.
176* John Ringo's ''Literature/PaladinOfShadows'' series features in its later volumes two gorgeous helicopter pilots call-signs "Valkyrie" and "Dragon." Dragon flies a Czech version of a Hind attack helicopter with so much weaponry on it that when she unloads on the bad guys it looks like the helicopter has blown up.
177* Happens a few times in ''{{Literature/Parellity}}'', once by Mobius, and once by [[spoiler:the CORE]].
178* Ralph Peters's ''Literature/RedArmy''. Soviet close air support with ''fuel-air bombs'' destroy the remaining Dutch tanks about to overrun Kryshinin's forward security element.
179* ''Literature/RedStormRising'': Edwards and his men have been discovered, are pinned down and getting torn apart by a Russian squad. Friendly A-7s manage to kill the Russian mortar teams, but are unable to safely hit the assault troops [[TrialByFriendlyFire because of their proximity to the Americans]]. Then Edwards is hit, hears rotor blades and figures it's the Russian Hind from Keflavik... [[spoiler:[[TheCavalry it's not.]]]]
180* In ''Literature/TheSalvationWar'', during the battle at Hit between the U.S. Army and the invading demon army, the infantry are heavily pressed by the baldricks because their rifles don't do enough damage to drop the invaders, and they have no air support because of the harpy presence....until the harpies have been culled from the skies by massed anti-air fire. Cue the Apaches.
181* In Creator/HarryHarrison's alternate history novel ''Stars and Stripes Forever'', Washington D.C. is being invaded until the ironclad Avenger arrives to save the day.
182* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'':
183** ''Literature/{{Shatterpoint}}'' played with this trope intensely. Throughout the novel, gunships both repeatedly assault the main characters at the worst possible moments, and [[spoiler: rescue a whole bunch of civilians in the nick of time.]] The climactic sequence involves [[spoiler: the rescue cruiser being ambushed, the crippled gunships being saved by Mace Windu commandeering ENEMY gunships, using these in a [[FalseFlagOperation Trojan horse assault]], being Gunship Rescued right back by the enemy air fleet, using one of the gunships stolen earlier as a tank to try to pull off the daring assault, having it destroyed, and having a different set of enemies use another set of aircraft to lure the first enemies into a brutal massacre of civilians]]. Peace only reigns when everyone [[spoiler: sends the damn things home.]]
184** Another particularly noticeable example in ''Legends'' comes at the end of ''Literature/ChoicesOfOne''. The local Imperial Fleet (including Pellaeon and Thrawn), which Han, Wedge and Leia [[spoiler:[[EnemyMine have been covertly helping]]]] are surrounded and badly outgunned by the true BigBad of this novel. Cue [[spoiler: Lord Darth Vader's personal squadron.]]. You know, the one from ''Empire Strikes Back''.
185* Happens in the climax of Jenő Rejtő's novel ''The Vanished Cruiser'' with the titular cruiser, unexpectedly emerging on the nearby river and not only dishing out so much needed artillery fire, but also dispatching some troops with machine guns.
186* In Creator/LoisMcMasterBujold's ''Literature/TheVorGame'', the heroes are hopelessly outnumbered when the commander says, "Whatinhell's that? It's too big to be that fast. It's too fast to be that ''big''." It's the gunship rescue, is what it is, spearheaded by the Barrayaran Empire's newest, biggest, shiniest battleship, still on it's shakedown cruise, and at forefront of a rapidly-formed and extremely motivated alliance of neighboring Navies. Jointly commanded by the Empire's most famous military tactician (and former Imperial Regent) and [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething the Emperor]] himself. Once they arrive, and demonstrate that their weapons have three times the effective range of anything else in flight, it's essentially all over bar the mopping up.
187* ''Literature/TheWarAgainstTheChtorr''. After losing his surrogate children the protagonist decides to drive into an alien-infested zone until something eats him, only to have his ColonelBadass girlfriend turn up in a massively-armed jetcopter gunship and blow up the road in front of his vehicle.
188[[/folder]]
189
190[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
191* ''Series/{{Airwolf}}'' used this ''all'' the time, being that the title craft was a gunship.
192* Plenty of cases in ''Series/BabylonFive''. A memorable example in "Walkabout", where [[TheCaptain Sheridan]] takes the ''[[CoolShip White Star]]'' to face off several [[AbusivePrecursors Shadow]] vessels. He wants to use Lyta Alexander's PsychicPowers to immobilize the Shadows in order to destroy them. Lyta manages to hold one Shadow ship, while three telepaths on the accompanying Minbari cruiser restrain all but one. Just as it seems the remaining Shadow vessel will blast both the ''White Star'' and the Minbari cruiser, a jump point opens, and the Narn cruiser ''G'Tok'' appears, blasting its [[SlowLaser Slow Lasers]] at the unsuspecting enemy. This outmatches the Shadows to the point of forcing them into retreat, for the first time since the Shadow War opened. ''Then'' G'Kar orders the ''other'' ships he brought with him into action...
193** During the battle for Babylon 5's independence, Babylon 5 and two destroyers manage to hold back an [=EarthForce=] fleet loyal to the {{President|Evil}} (losing one of their destroyers in the process). Cue jumpgate opening and a large [=EarthForce=] fleet arriving, larger than the one they just barely repelled. Then cue ''more'' jump points, with three Minbari ''Sharlin''-class warcruisers, a ''White Star'', and a ''very'' unhappy Delenn.
194--->'''Delenn:''' Babylon 5 is under our protection. Withdraw or be destroyed.\
195'''Capt. Drake:''' Negative, we have authority here. Do not force us to engage your ship.\
196'''Delenn:''' Why not? Only one human captain has ever survived battle with a Minbari fleet. ''He'' is behind me. ''You'' are in front of me. If you value your lives, ''be somewhere else''.\
197''[the fleet proceeds to turn tail and [[KnowWhenToFoldEm get the hell out of there]]]''
198** During the battle for Earth at the end of Season 4, [[spoiler:the deranged President Clark turns the Earth Defence Grid against the planet itself]]. The ''Agamemnon'', captained by Sheridan, is [[spoiler:out of ammo]] and the only ship close enough to destroy the last remaining weapons system. Sheridan orders ramming speed -- [[spoiler:at which point the ''Apollo'', in a magnificent HeelFaceTurn, comes blazing out of a jump point with all guns firing, saving the hides of both the ''Agamemnon'' and Earth itself]]. Let's not forget that the ''Apollo'' had put a cap on this battle, which began with the cinematic ''beauty'' in the combined fighting might of Minbari, alien and Earthforce ships and fighters [[SealedBadassInACan working in destroying the defense grid with astounding might and power in a way never seen before.]]
199* ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}'' has just such a moment in the evacuation of New Caprica. The ''Galactica'' is going down, it's being pummeled by basestars, it's lost maneuvering thrusters and FTL. Adama has told his crew ItHasBeenAnHonor. Cut back...[[spoiler: the {{Battlestar}} ''Pegasus'' swoops in and destroys one basestar in the first few seconds of firing. The Pegasus then has to take the brunt of the battle and is itself heavily damaged, leading to Lee to conclude RammingAlwaysWorks. It does, killing TWO other basestars.]]
200** In the same episode, when the Resistance forces were pinned down by Cylon fire, ''Galactica'' comes to the rescue by jumping ''into the planet's atmosphere'', launching its Viper wing, and jumping out again in time to avoid going splat[[note]]The ''Galactica'' has the aerodynamics of a brick and was ''not'' designed for atmospheric operations. This maneuver is rather like a battleship ramming the coast to get a better shot.[[/note]].
201--->'''Hotdog:''' Well, this oughta be different.
202** Lee did it first when he [[spoiler: rescued Tyrol, Cally, and Baltar from Centurions on Kobol in the Season 2.]]
203* In the final episode of ''Series/CowboyBebop2021'', Spike is ForcedToWatch Vicious and his men execute Jet and [[WouldHurtAChild his daughter Kimmie]], when suddenly Faye Valentine opens up from outside the building with the guns on her Red Tail, using an infrared imager to target the goons inside without hitting their prisoners.
204* ''Series/DoctorWho'':
205** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E4TheSontaranStratagem "The Sontaran Stratagem"]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS30E5ThePoisonSky "The Poison Sky"]] has the ''[[AirborneAircraftCarrier Valiant]]''. Although it isn't the guns that save the day, but the jetwash from its rotors blowing away the poison in the immediate area's atmosphere.
206** Danny Boy and his space Spitfires, first in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS31E3VictoryOfTheDaleks "Victory of the Daleks"]] and then in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E7AGoodManGoesToWar "A Good Man Goes to War"]].
207* ''Series/{{The Expanse}}'': The ''Rocinante'' naturally serves this role often, having been designed as an MCRN fast-attack gunship. Prime examples include in "The Monster and the Rocket" when the Roci shoots down a missile launched at a refugee ship before threatening the UNN and MCRN fleets with mutual assured destruction in order to get the civilians out of the combat zone. Later in "IFF" the Roci rescues the Razorback by again taking out pursuing torpedoes, then using a nuclear blast to blind the much larger UNN warship hunting them long enough to cripple it.
208* Parodied in the ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' episode "Scratch 'n Sniff" when [[DamselInDistress damsel-in-distress]] Raxil discovers our heroes preparing to assault the BigBad's fortress with a couple of pulse pistols.
209-->"Two guns? I mean, I thought you were the great Crichton and D'Argo! I mean, you blew up a Shadow Depository. I mean, I thought you'd bring pelshfer charges...and a plasma bomb...and a really big gunship...but no! You bring nothing! You bring two little weapons that wouldn't kill a negnik!"
210** Talyn often played this role in other episodes, such as "Thanks for Sharing" and the "Liars, Guns and Money" Trilogy.
211* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'' subverts this trope repeatedly.
212** Set up and inverted in the original pilot, when DuringTheWar, Mal's little group of Independents hang on against impossible odds. You get your moment of Gunship Rescue as the roar of an arriving fleet of aircraft sounds... [[spoiler: only to find out that the gunships belong to the other side and they're about to be on the receiving end of all that firepower]]. Cue the [[HeroicBSOD look on Mal's face]].
213** There's a bluffed rescue in the episode "The Train Job", when Wash shows up in ''Serenity'' to save the crew from a fight, threatening to "blow another crater in this little moon". ''Serenity'''s sudden appearance is apparently so intimidating that the locals back off without stopping to think that, as a transport ship, she doesn't actually have any guns. Jayne laughs at the locals for falling for it.
214** Played straight in "Safe", before River can be burnt at the stake. ''Serenity'' may not be armed, but ''Jayne is''. [[{{BFG}} Heavily.]]
215--->'''Preacher:''' This is a holy cleansing. You cannot think to thwart God's will.\
216'''Mal''': Y'all see the man hanging out of the spaceship with the really big gun? I'm not saying you weren't easy to find... but it was kinda out of our way, and he didn't want to come in the first place. Man's lookin' to kill some folk. So really it's HIS will y'all should worry about thwarting!
217** Subverted yet again in "Heart of Gold" when Mal's plan for ''Serenity'' to provide support in a firefight with WeaponizedExhaust [[spoiler:is screwed up by the bad guys ambushing Wash and Kaylee in the cargo bay]].
218* ''Series/GameOfThrones'': Drogon and the other dragons are the closest equivalent ''Game of Thrones'' has to this trope. The first one happens in the pits of Meereen where Drogon spontaneously saves Daenerys from the Sons of the Harpy in Season 5. In the penultimate episode of Season 7, Daenerys [[spoiler: rescues the Wight-hunting party from the Night King's army of wights by [[WaveMotionGun roasting veritable scores of the undead with her dragons. Viserion doesn't survive said rescue raid, however.]]]]
219** ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': Subverted with the Velaryon soldier who's crucified by the Crabfeeder. He's overjoyed when [[DargonRider Daemon Targaryen]] enters the scene on the back of his dragon Caraxes and expects to be saved and for them to annihilate the Crabfeeder's forces... only for him to end up crushed under the claws of Caraxes.
220* A rather archaic appearance of the trope happens in the ''Series/HoratioHornblower'' TV series episode "The Frogs and the Lobsters" when the main characters and a platoon of marines are trapped on a beach and about to be killed by the French, at least, until the HMS ''Indefatigable'' opens up. Ocean vessel variant of the trope.
221* ''Series/{{JAG}}'':
222** At the final climax in the first season episode "Scimitar", Harm and Meg while driving a limousine are chased by Iraqis in a Soviet made Hind. But at the Kuwait border a U.S. Army Apache saves the day.
223** Also in the fifth season episode "The Bridge at Kang So Ri", two U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagles out powers two North Korean Migs.
224* An episode of ''Series/NCISLosAngeles'' has Kensi and Deeks pinned down by mercenaries near the Mexican border with a pair of kidnapped Marines. [[spoiler:Cue Sam and Callen coming over the horizon in a helicopter with Sam sitting in the open door with his M4.]]
225* ''Series/PowerRangersRPM'': Gem and Gemma's or ([[Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger Hiroto and Miu]]) debut as involves two gunships that look like a giant chicken and a tiger.
226** ''Series/PowerRangersSamurai'': Done with the Samurai Battlewing in the episode "The Rescue".
227* The Marines rescue the titular team in ''Series/SEALTeam'' with three gunships. As the [=SEALs=] are pinned down, a Huey fires its door mounted machine gun, suppressing the enemy horde. A Cobra gunship then blows them up with its nose cannon and rockets, after which an Osprey lands and deploys an extraction team that provide covering fire while the [=SEALs=] run to the tilt rotor and board it.
228* ''Series/StargateSG1'' and ''Series/StargateAtlantis''. In fact, the ''Daedalus''-class' service record is about 50% Gunship Rescue moments.
229** Hell, [[spoiler:Atlantis itself]] has a moment of this during the series finale.
230** Also happens with the ''Beliskner'' in the episode "Thor's Chariot", where Thor's flagship comes down from the clouds and beams away all enemy Jaffa and destroys every Ha'tak piece-by-piece.
231** "Into the Fire" has the survivors of SG-1, -3, -5, -6, and -11 held prisoner by Jaffa. [[spoiler:Then the gate opens and Teal'c and General Hammond fly through in a modified death glider that blasts apart the turrets guarding them while a squad of rebel Jaffa led by Bra'tac comes through the gate.]]
232** Another episode involves the heroes trying to get the Asgard of a parallel reality to pull a Gunship Rescue to save that reality's Earth. Viewers are treated to same shot as in "Thor's Chariot", except that ''Beliskner'' is hovering over the SGC.
233** In "Avenger 2.0" Jack and Teal'c get tired of waiting for the gate network to be fixed and hijack an Al'kesh just in time to save Carter and Dr. Felger from an army of Jaffa.
234** ''Lost City, Part 2'', the Season 7 finale has SG-1 in a small, unprotected Tel'tak using a modified ring transporter to drill through a mile of ice in Antarctica and Anubis's fleet rapidly approaching their position. The ''Prometheus'', with General Hammond as commander, and a squadron of F-302's show up and the ''Prometheus'' ''parks'' above the Tel'tak to defend their position.
235*** The ''Prometheus'' herself gets rescued by a Big Damn Gunstation once O'Neill launches a giant swarm of glowing squid missiles that completely destroy the attacking Goa'uld fleet, including Anubis's giant ship.
236** Defied in [[spoiler: "Camelot." The Ori motherships have come through the Supergate and are [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomping]] the combined forces of several Ha'tak vessels, Asgard ships, and Earth ships. Teal'c comes in raining fire on the Ori with three ships of his own… which proceed to get curb stomped just as easily.]]
237** At the end of the first ''Atlantis'' episode with the Genii they attempt to double-cross the Atlantis team and steal their Puddle-Jumper, which Major Sheppard had earlier told them was the only one the Expedition had...
238--->'''Sheppard:''' Puddle-Jumpers 2 and 3, execute.
239** Averted and then played straight in an early episode of ''Atlantis'': When Sheppard engages in a 12 hour game of cat and mouse with a particularly powerful Wraith, and it's not going at all well, he's relieved to hear Lt. Ford call him on the radio to say that Ford's coming with reinforcements and heavier weapons, and Sheppard compliments Ford on the "nice timing" of the rescue. Ford radios back that he and the reinforcements are still twenty minutes away, to which Sheppard replies "In that case, your timing stinks Lieutenant. Get here when you can." [[spoiler:But the big guns still turn the tide in killing off the Wraith.]]
240** Played straight with the arrival of the ''Daedalus'' itself in the first season finale.
241* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
242** ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'''s GrandFinale had Riker flying in the new-and-improved ''Enterprise''-D which is capable of ignoring the Klingon shields and blasting several holes in their ships with the huge super-phaser.
243*** Riker would do this again about the Zheng We in the Season 1 finale of Star Trek Picard, jumping in with a fleet of Federation ships to see of the Romulans
244*** And a third time in the Season 1 finale of Lower Decks, aboard the Titan this time, jumping in to rescue the Cerritos from the Packleds. Riker makes a habit of this.
245** Shran's ship performs this role in the Season 3 finale of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise''.
246** The ''Defiant'' does this twice in the Mirror Universe two-parter in ''Enterprise'''s fourth season.
247** An entire fleet of Klingon ships did this at the episode "Sacrifice of Angels".
248** To quote [[FourStarBadass General Martok]] in ''Call to Arms'', "Continue your work, Commander, ''I'' will handle the Jem'Hadar."
249*** Who says there's never a Klingon around when you need one?
250** The Klingons get to do it again in the TNG episode ''The Defector''. The ''Enterprise,'' alone in the Romulan Neutral Zone, is surrounded by two huge Romulan warbirds (each of which alone would nearly be a match for the ''Enterprise''). Picard gives a RousingSpeech and ''three'' Klingon Birds-of-Prey decloak to reveal that it was actually the Romulans who are surrounded and outgunned.
251--->'''Commander Tomalak''': You will still not survive our assault.\
252'''Picard''': And you will not survive ours. Shall we die together?
253** In the ''[[Series/StarTrekDiscovery Discovery]]'' episode "[[Recap/StarTrekDiscoveryS1E04TheButchersKnifeCaresNotForTheLambsCry The Butcher's Knife Cares not for the Lamb's Cry]]", the USS ''Discovery'' uses the experimental spore drive to appear right above the mining colony, as the Klingon birds-of-prey are preparing to finish it off, and blasting several ships before they figure out what's going on. Rather than fight them conventionally, Captain Lorca decides to teach the Klingons a lesson, while showing off his new toy. He lets the Klingons get very close, while strafing the hull of the ''Discovery'', then has the ship "spore" out, leaving behind a cluster of primed photon torpedoes that obliterate the rest of the Klingon force. All this takes a few seconds. By the time the colonists look up to see what happened, the ''Discovery'' is gone, and they're left wondering who saved them.
254*** This, unfortunately, fails in "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum", where the ''Discovery'' comes to the aid of the USS ''Gagarin'', which is being pounded by Klingon ships that have been equipped with [[InvisibilityCloak cloaking devices]]. A Klingon ship launches two torpedoes at the crippled ''Gagarin''. Lorca orders the ''Discovery'' placed between the ''Gagarin'' and the torpedoes, but they manage to intercept only one. The other one obliterates the ''Gagarin''. This is when Starfleet decides that something needs to be done to counter the cloaking device.
255[[/folder]]
256
257[[folder:Music]]
258* At the ending of "Cows With Guns", the eponymous cows are rescued from "ten thousand coppers" by "chickens in choppers".
259* In "Dawson's Christian" by Leslie Fish, the titular spaceship comes to the rescue when Hera's Dream, an unarmed freighter, is attacked by pirates.
260* "Hell Patrol" by Musci/JudasPriest, a tribute to the US Air Force during UsefulNotes/TheGulfWar.
261[[/folder]]
262
263[[folder:Podcasts]]
264* In Chapter 36 of ''AudioPlay/WereAlive'', The Colony looks to be on the brink of collapse under the assault of the [[ArtificialZombie "Little Ones"]] when Michael and crew arrive in the Pelican an proceed to mow down zombies with an [[GatlingGood M134.]]
265[[/folder]]
266
267[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
268* In ''TabletopGame/RocketAge'' during the Trail of the Scorpion, the heroes can be rescued from a hostile Martian city-state by a mixed force of British, US and Europan space ships.
269* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' has several.
270** [[ExpandedUniverse In the fiction]], during the siege of Terra, primarch Rogal Dorn seemingly deserted his post, only to return in the nick of time aboard a city-sized floating superweapon.
271** Apocalypse games using flyers can throw this out a lot, especially now that it is (slightly) more affordable to have an entire Elysian army mounted in Valkyries. One can imagine the variety of scenarios that could be put together; a small Imperial Guard garrison set to hold a fortress against an overwhelming tide of Tyranids until [[ItsRainingMen a Space Marine company with a Thunderhawk swoops in to the rescue]]...Or a band of Eldar Guardians holding the line until half a dozen Aspect Warrior-laden Vampires drop out of the sky and start opening Webway portals all over the battlefield...
272[[/folder]]
273
274[[folder:Video Games]]
275* You are the Gunship Rescue several times throughout the ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' series. The fourth installment's Operation Bunker Shot plays this twice in the same mission. The first is you doing this for the amphibious assault forces; the second was the Eruseans attempting this at the end of the mission with their flight of A-10s showing up.
276** The most triumphant example is in Mission 12 of Ace Combat 6, where you're heavily outnumbered and surrounded on all sides -- and then ''every single allied squadron you've helped shows up to return the favor.''
277* In ''VideoGame/ApacheAirAssault'', you ARE the Gunship Rescue most of the time.
278* In ''[[VideoGame/BattlefieldBadCompany Battlefield: Bad Company 2]]'' the main characters are about to be executed by an improvised firing squad in a cutscene, and just as the command to fire is about to be given Flynn the pacifist pilot flies over the cliff edge in an armed Blackhawk and unleashes hell on the bad guys. Accompanied by a few [[PreMortemOneLiner appropriate words]], of course. Also happens in one of the multiplayer trailers, where american soldiers are pursued by russians in a hectic [[ChaseScene vehicle chase]], they run into a cliff and are seemingly cut off from escape until a Blackhawk comes from below, turning to face its mounted minigun towards the pursuers. [[GatlingGood Braaammm!]]
279* Somewhat subverted in ''VideoGame/Battlefield3'' expansion ''Armored Kill'' : There are Gunships, they can rain down instant death, but the fact that it's slow moving, hard to spot the people down on the ground, and require trajectory calculation just make the Gunship a huge target.
280* ''VideoGame/BloodyWolf'' finishes the game with your current commando escaping enemy territory after killing the General, only to be cornered by mooks, with a helicopter bearing down upon him. But it turns out that helicopter was commandeered by the ''other'' commando, who then mows down all surrounding mooks before picking up the player character. Cue ending credits.
281* The final stage of ''VideoGame/CaliberFifty'', where you infiltrate the enemy airbase, and radio for help. In the stage's last area, a US Army chopper will arrive and provide cover fire as you try forcing your way past enemies, but you'll need to kill enough mooks to allow the chopper to safely land. The game ends once you got onboard.
282* ''[[VideoGame/ModernWarfare Call of Duty 4]]'' featured at least three Gunship Rescue scenes: one is in the USMC mission "The Bog", featuring two Super Cobras coming to TheSquad's rescue when it's overwhelmed by enemies; the second features a ''Lockheed AC-130'' gunship appearing just before the team faces a enemy armored platoon (it then also covers their subsequent escape); and the third one is in the very end, when a Havoc arrives to rescue Soap in the last damn moment. There's also a mission where you can call in a Mi-28 at will, so whether it invokes a BigDamnHeroes moment depends entirely on you.
283** A very similar scene to the ending of [=COD4=] appears in ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare2'', when [[PlayerCharacter Roach]] and [[TheLancer Ghost]] escape from Markarov's [[BigFancyHouse Dacha]], chased by dozens of Russian {{Mooks}}. 30 meters from the extraction point, you get knocked out by a grenade right next to you, only to awaken while being dragged away by the collar by Ghost. As you try to take some more enemies down through your blurry gaze, the ringing in the ears turns into the unmistakeably sound of miniguns warming up and a chopper flies over your head, completely shredding the pursuing soldiers to pieces. [[spoiler:But once you're up on your feet and handed the retrieved data to General Shepherd, [[CavalryBetrayal he shoots Roach and Ghost]] [[TearJerker and burns their bodies in a ditch]].]]
284** In ''[=MW3=]'' The Lockheed AC-130 from the first game returns, in which you have to blast free a path out of Paris for the soldiers who captured Volk. Earlier in the level you can throw purple smoke grenades to call an airstrike, so again whether it invokes a BigDamnHeroes moment depends entirely on you. At the end of the level, the Delta Force soldiers are making a stand on the Pont d'Iéna against vastly superior Russian forces with heavy tank backup. Just as you start to run out of ammo and the tanks close in, American bombers come in and obliterate the Russian forces. [[spoiler:Unfortunately this causes the Eiffel Tower to collapse.]] In Sierra Leone you can take remote control of the gun on Nikolais gunship, and in Berlin you are given a target designator for an A-10, "the tanks natural enemy".
285** ''Black Ops'' has ''two'' in the mission "The Defector", one by a gatling-armed Huey chopper that clears the path for your squad and the other by a flight of F4 Phantoms covering your escape.
286** There is also a Gunship Rescue in ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty2''. Dog Company has to hold Hill 400 against an overwhelming amount of German infantry, supported by tanks and half-tracks. After doing this for several minutes, a flight of P-51 Mustangs will finally come to the Rangers' rescue, forcing the German troops to break off their attack.
287** Also used in ''VideoGame/CallOfDutyWorldAtWar'' in the mission "Black Cats". The titular "Black Cat" is a PBY Catalina flying boat that's landed on the water to pick up survivors of a sunken destroyer. Your character is trying to keep attacking Zeroes off the plane while it tries to get airborne, but the gun turrets are scripted to run out of ammunition as one final wave of enemy planes is inbound. At the last possible second, a squadron of Navy Corsairs show up and clear a path for your escape.
288*** An example of a Gunship Rescue for the Gunship Rescue. You had just arrived on the scene as the fleet was being attacked by the Japanese, doing your best to fend off the Zeroes and the Japanese torpedo boats while you did your rescue work.
289* ''VideoGame/ColdWinter'' have this happening in the final cutscene. You sabotaged Project ''Cold Winter'', saved the world, and makes an escape as terrorists chases after you. When you reach a balcony with no escape, suddenly you're rescued by a military chopper who uses it's turrets to wipe out your pursuers.
290* ''VideoGame/COD2SpanishCivilWarMod'': In one mission, your armoured car gets ambushed and destroyed by a Republican tank. Then you crawl out of the wreckage and find yourself in an open area with no cover, the tank aiming at you and left without any means to damage it.... but the enemy vehicle is suddenly destroyed by one of your dive bombers.
291* Arguably, any RTS where you can call in an air attack to bail out your ground forces can count. ''VideoGame/CompanyOfHeroes'''s Strafing Runs from Airborne Company P-47s have been known to turn the tide of many a game. In the expansion pack, the Panzer Elite can request Henschel close air support aircraft for a similar purpose. The Soviets in the ''Eastern Front'' fan-made expansion take it up a notch in typical Russian style by calling in an entire squadron of Il-2 Sturmoviks. Nothing says "Gunship Rescue" like watching Panther and Tiger tanks disintegrate under a storm of [[MacrossMissileMassacre aerial rockets.]]
292* Mission 3 from ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar: Winter Assault''. Your Imperial Guard force is holding the line against the biggest Ork WAAAGH! you've probably ever seen for 10 minutes. As the timer counts down, a Squiggoth charges your lines and proceeds to dominate your pitiful force. Countdown ends: cue Baneblade tank, a rolling engine of destruction that saves your ass and easily devastates the Squiggoth and remaining Orks single handedly.
293* In the arcade game ''VideoGame/DungeonsAndDragonsShadowOverMystara,'' the heroes defeat the final boss, only for it to start getting back up for a final attack. But, before it can, an entire fleet of Elvish airships shows up and bombs it into the ground for good.
294* There is a battle in ''VideoGame/EarthBoundBeginnings'' where your party is saved by the giant tank that rolls up and kills the enemy.
295* ''VideoGame/Fallout3'', in the DLC Broken Steel: After you set the Enclave mobile base to self-destruct, your guys show up in a captured Enclave VTOL.
296** Enclave Vertibirds in general employ the villainous version of this trope, coming out of nowhere and laying down all sorts of suppression fire on everything in sight. Amplified by the fact that, for the most part, nobody but the Enclave has functional cars let alone military gunships.
297* This can happen in the final battle of ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' twice. If you help the [[MadBomber Boomers]] get their B-29 bomber, they'll use it against whatever faction you're fighting. If you manage to get the help of the Enclave Remnants, they'll show up via a Vertibird.
298* ''VideoGame/Fallout4'':
299** Once you join up with the Brotherhood of Steel, you can summon a Vertibird gunship with the Signal Grenades. Also, [[spoiler: completely siding with either the Railroad or the Minutemen and completing their main quests in the right manner will have them provide you with Signal Grenades to summon a captured Brotherhood Vertibird.]]
300** The Brotherhood do this regularly with their Vertibirds appearing in random locations in the Commonwealth Wasteland, providing either fire support and/or dropping off their troopers, similar to the Enclave in ''3''. [[spoiler: This only happens after killing Conrad Kellogg in the main quest.]]
301** The Gunners happen to possess at least one Vertibird in their arsenal (presumably stolen or salvaged from an undisclosed wreck somewhere) and will appear if you decide to travel to the South Boston area and have hostile relations with them.
302* Some ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games (e.g. [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI 3/6]] and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII 7]]) give the airship owner a special attack in the form of a bombing run by the party's airship.
303** Also is in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'' The main character's airship is facing down a large flight of silver dragons when Lindblum's Aerial Fleet Arrives and takes them on to open the way for the heroes.
304** Another example, from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': right before Yuna is about to be forced to marry Seymour, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdKj86SEAoU her guardians arrive, at high speed,]] in the ridiculously [[CoolShip cool airship]] which is on fire from the previous bossfight, and then slide down the airship's grappling lines to the rescue, under heavy fire.
305* ''[[VideoGame/CrisisCore Cirisis Core: Final Fantasy VII]]'' has the Air Strike LimitBreak invoked by lining up Tseng's image in the DMW slots. He flies in on a helicopter, shoots up your enemies, then launches some rockets/missiles. Unfortunately, it doesn't ignore enemy Vitality.
306* ''VideoGame/{{Freelancer}}'' has many of these. In one instance you and Juni [[spoiler: are cornered by ''half the Liberty Navy'' as wanted criminals, and you're outgunned so badly it's not even funny. Just when things are at their bleakest, Captain Marcus Walker charges to the rescue in his cruiser, blowing away a ''battleship'' with its WaveMotionGun, buying you and Juni precious time to escape.]]
307* Happens some in ''VideoGame/FreeSpace''. One mission has an enemy ship about to open fire on a station you are protecting (an enemy ship too powerful for your fighters to handle), when all of a sudden, the very-aptly-named ''Colossus'' warps in and blasts the crap out of it.
308* In ''VideoGame/GhostReconAdvancedWarfighter'', Captain Mitchell (the player) is given the chance to direct gunships at armored targets at various point in the game. However, there is a deliberate invocation of the trope in the infamous Plaza del Angel mission: after the US Embassy has been blown up by insurgents, the Ghost squad must protect the dignitaries -- and the "football" -- from a sheer ''onslaught'' of enemy forces. These start as endless on-foot infantry... then a couple of jeeps... then an [=APV=]... Then you see a ''tank'' just a few blocks away, and all of a sudden the ruins of the embassy are demolished by cannon fire... Then you hear the roar of helicopter blades and the tank ''disintegrates'' as a US gunship descends from ''[[TheCavalry freaking nowhere]]'', giving Mitchell and his squad the chance to evacuate on a Blackhawk, providing a glorious finish to [[NintendoHard the most intense firefight]] in the entire game.
309* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'':
310** Whether you choose the "Deal" or "Revenge" path in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIV'', the final battle leads to a pretty much unwinnable chase -- Niko is either going after a helicopter while in a boat or a boat while on a motorbike. Until Little Jacob swoops down in an aptly-named Annihilator helicopter to give him a lift and provide supporting fire.
311** Happens in ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoIVTheBalladOfGayTony'' during the final mission. Luis is on a motorcycle being chased by assassins when Yusuf shows up in a ''gold plated helicopter'' and blows up the assassins' vehicles.
312* ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'':
313** ''VideoGame/Halo3'' had a Pelican come in to take out Covenant ships that are giving you trouble. Subverted later; when thousands of Sentinel drones are rising in the air and Sergeant Johnson is preparing to engage them with the turret on the Pelican, Guilty Spark alerts the good guys that the Sentinels are on their side, and are ready to help them against Covenant forces.
314*** A [[TheCavalry cavalry]] version happens earlier when the ''Shadow of Intent'' arrives and Elites start dropping into to help you against the Flood, showing that they have switched sides.
315*** The scene where Miranda Keyes goes to rescue [[spoiler:Johnson]] by piloting a Pelican through a ''giant tower's window''. However, it ends up being {{subverted}} when [[spoiler:Miranda is killed by Truth]].
316** A variant of it happens in ''VideoGame/Halo2''. The Master Chief [[RidingTheBomb rides a bomb]] into a Covenant Assault Carrier, destroying it. Unfortunately, he is now plummeting to Earth. Fortunately, Miranda Keyes maneuvers her frigate to "catch" him.
317--->'''Johnson:''' For a brick, he flew pretty good.
318** In the ''VideoGame/HaloWars2'' beta, Captain Cutter could call in a squadron of 4 Pelican gunships that circle an area, [[StuffBlowingUp obliterating all enemies with]] [[MacrossMissileMassacre volley after volley of guided missiles]], paired with [[GatlingGood withering rakes of fire from]] [[MoreDakka 8 gatling guns]].
319* In the ''Videogame/HenryStickminSeries'', some of the options involve asking helicopter pilot Charles for help with mixed results. These range from having him use some sort of weapon to him deciding to crash his chopper into you.
320* ''VideoGame/JediKnightDarkForcesII'': At the end of Level 1, Kyle has shot off 8t88's arm, but the droid has escaped in an Imperial shuttle... and then a TIE Bomber appears and shoots at Kyle. Fortunately, Jan Ors shows up in the ''Moldy Crow'' to destroy it and save Kyle's life.
321* ''VideoGame/JetsNGuns'' does this once with the USS ''[[UnfortunateNames Impotence]]'': Just as the player ship is about to be overwhelmed by enemy forces, it arrives and [[BeamSpam detonates five ion torpedoes]] ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill that completely clear the entire screen of everything]]'' ([[FriendlyFireproof save the player]]). Even the music changes to reflect this.
322* You can subvert this in ''[[VideoGame/JustCause Just Cause 2]]''. If you case enough chaos (read: blow up a military base single-handedly) the enemy will send in helicopters as their Gunship Rescue. This would work really well, since they are armed with minguns and occasionally rocket launchers, if only you didn't have your [[GrapplingHookPistol grappling hook,]] as this allows you to hijack the helicopeter and wreak even more destruction (read: blow up two more bases, then jump out and jack another helicopter on the way down).
323* A common sight in the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' series:
324** Near the end of ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'', Shepard can order the Fifth Fleet to rescue the Council aboard the ''Destiny Ascension''. Its a Gunship Rescue for the Citadel regardless, but the ''Destiny Ascension'' is only saved if you feel like it.
325** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'':
326*** [[ColdSniper Archangel's]] recruitment mission has this, too, on the bad guys' side. Depending on the choices you made earlier, it may or may not be completely repaired. Samara's recruitment mission and Kasumi's loyalty mission have the same thing for the bad guys.
327*** During the ending cutscene, [[spoiler:after killing the Human-Reaper, Shepard and his/her squad are on the run from the overwhelming horde of Collectors. Just as you reach a dead-end leading into space, the ''Normandy'' swoops in from above and you make an epic low-gravity leap to safety ([[TakeMyHand or not]]).]] Not an entirely classic example, since ''Normandy'' actually doesn't have any weapons she can safely deploy at that moment, but unless you fared ''really'' badly up to that point, she is still carrying the [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits ten toughest badasses]] in the galaxy ready [[IGotYouCovered to cover you]].
328** And in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'':
329*** The ''Normandy'' pulls this off again during the ActionPrologue, where they obliterate the Cannibals about to over-run Shepard and Anderson's position.
330*** On Tuchunka, you are prevented from taking any side routes, and are forced to charge ''straight at'' a Reaper. The Reaper charges its weapon (fully capable of incinerating) you...and then the Turian fighter squadron (which most players probably forgot about) flies in and starts shooting it. They are far too weak to destroy it, but they do distract it and save you.
331*** Shepard flies in on a shuttle and uses a mounted gun to save [[spoiler:Admiral Koris]].
332*** A villainous example is found with Kai Leng, who during your first boss battle with him will [[DirtyCoward call up a gunship to provide cover fire while he recharges his shields]].
333*** At the end of the game, the entire allied fleet arriving to retake Earth, consisting of every single faction Shepard has gathered in the game. It's even better if the ''Destiny Ascension'' arrives to return the favor for saving her in part one: while she is not shown doing anything awesome, she nonetheless makes up for it by being an awe-inspiring sight completely dwarfing every other vessel of the fleet.
334* ''VideoGame/MechCommander'': the final CutScene of the first game involves a ''DropShip'' Rescue: on the verge of victory, the protagonists' command lance are suddenly ambushed by a desperate and overwhelming [[Characters/BattletechClans Clan Smoke Jaguar]] counterattack, which is just as suddenly interrupted by several [[Characters/BattletechInnerSphere Draconis Combine]] dropships firing naval cannons into the attackers and then disgorging a vast army of HumongousMecha onto the field. The stunned protagonists are informed that this was the last remnant of the Jaguars on Port Arthur, and that the planet was secured. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpUA3khos9I]]
335* The ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonor'' 2010 reboot has one in the form of 2 Apache helicopters coming to the rescue of Army Rangers who have been ambushed at the foot of a mountain. Particularly poignant as the ''four'' Army Rangers (well, three Rangers and one Air Support Tech) had already spent minutes and most of their ammo waiting for reinforcement, only to call off their own troops, as their support would only arrive in time to walk into another ambush after the squad was killed. The four resign themselves to their fate as their ammo quite literally runs out and their cover is completely blown away… and ''then'' the gunships show up.
336* ''VideoGame/MetalGear'':
337** ''VideoGame/MetalGear2SolidSnake'' ends with such a rescue, as Snake and Holly escape from Zanzibarland.
338** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' has quite a few, a notable one being near the end, where the Navy shows up with a formerly mothballed battleship to save Snake from the super-submarine Outer Haven.
339** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVGroundZeroes'' features this as a ''gameplay mechanic'' with Morpho the support helicopter, which can be called in for an emergency extraction if neccessary. [=Subverted=] in that calling it into a high-danger zone runs the risk of it being [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome shot out of the sky.]] One Mission even revolves around it, having Snake provide air support from the chopper while an Intel Operative [[spoiler: modeled after and voiced by ''[[CreatorCameo Hideo Kojima himself]]]]'' makes his way to the landing zone.
340** The support helicopter returns in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'', now code-named [[Literature/MobyDick Pequod]]. Unlike Morpho, Pequod can also be used to provide fire support as well as extraction, and can be upgraded with more resilient armor to prevent it from being shot down so easily.
341* Averted throughout the ''VideoGame/MetalSlug'' series, where the gunship belongs to [[BigBad General Morden]].
342* ''[[VideoGame/NinjaGaiden Ninja Gaiden II]]'' had this occur in an arena battle almost exactly like ''Franchise/StarWars''.
343* Happens a lot in ''VideoGame/OperationFlashpoint'' and ''VideoGame/{{ARMA}}'' missions, due to the inherent power of helicopter gunships against tanks and infantry. In a rare example of this being used against the good guys, the climax of one mission in the Resistance expansion has your guerrilla group abandon the armored vehicles you captured in the previous mission and flee into the woods when you come under attack by Soviet Mi-24 attack helicopters.
344* The climax of ''VideoGame/{{Pilotwings}}'' sees you flying a gunship to rescue your instructors and a political prisoner. It's also an UnexpectedGameplayChange, since they're the only missions you fly the gunship in.
345* This happens all the time in ''VideoGame/{{Planetside}}'' -- often, as one faction is about to lose a base, a [[TheCavalry large tank column or group of Liberators and Galaxies will reinforce the base,]] saving it from being captured.
346* Inverted at the end of ''[[VideoGame/RainbowSix Ranbow Six: Vegas 2]]''. The player, Bishop, orders his team to stand down while he goes to face off against the BigBad. He's in a white shirt carrying a handgun, and you're fully armed and armored... this'll be an opportunity to PayEvilUntoEvil. And then his own Gunship Rescue shows up, and you have to distract it for a while until your allies can shoot it down.
347* Subverted in ''VideoGame/RedAlert3Paradox'': it's stated that the Harbinger gunship was sent to attack a prison camp holding a high-value prisoner. The gunship did indeed singlehandedly destroy the defenses, the ground forces, the camp... unfortunately, [[SplashDamage it also destroyed the prisoner as well.]] The scandal was such that the Harbinger project was shelved indefinitely (to explain why the Harbinger, like all Uprising units, are absent from Paradox).
348* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'':
349** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' has a gunship come and help the player deal with a lot of zombified enemies. Which is then promptly subverted [[spoiler:when it gets hit by a well-aimed [=RPG=] and is destroyed]].
350** Happens again in ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5'', only this time with [[spoiler:flying Plagas instead of a missile.]]
351** Inverted in the opening of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil6'' where Leon and Helena are fired upon by a helicopter right after they barely survived an explosion. Played straight when [[spoiler:later it is revealed said helicopter was actually piloted by Ada and was helping them by shooting at the zombies around them.]]
352* ''VideoGame/ScarfaceTheWorldIsYours'' has some missions where the enemy calls in a chopper to take Tony down.
353* In ''VideoGame/SplinterCellConviction'', in the Michigan reservoir level, on your way to tag the second generator for the EMP an enemy helicopter shows up to give Sam trouble. [[spoiler: Fortunately, Vic's chopper shows up after you tag the second generator and blows the enemy heli away.]]
354* ''Franchise/StarCraft'':
355** Subverted in the opening cinematic to ''[[VideoGame/StarCraftI Starcraft: Brood War]]'', wherein the Gunship Rescue is seen hovering overhead... and then ''leaves'' without firing a shot, [[KickTheDog abandoning the marines below to the fury of the Zerg Swarm]].
356** In ''VideoGame/StarCraftII'', the ''Hyperion's'' first appearance takes the Brood War example and does it right. By the time it arrives your base is being completely overrun by Zerg, with Creep Tumors falling from the sky and Nydus Worms erupting right inside your base... Then the ''Hyperion'' drops in like a meteor and rains ''hell'' down on them. They do it again in a cinematic near the end of the campaign, although in this case it's a squadron of Banshee gunships instead of a capital ship.
357* ''VideoGame/StarFoxAssault'' has an EnemyMine variant of this. During the Corneria mission, Fox is ambushed on a rooftop by the Aparoids. Suddenly, [[TheRival Wolf]] appears piloting his Wolfen and makes short work of the bugs, while also flying underneath to catch Fox when he's forced to jump off the building. When Fox questions him about this, Wolf replies "[[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou If anyone's gonna tan your hide, it's gonna be me.]]"
358* At one point in ''VideoGame/StarWarsRepublicCommando'' the squad prepares to make their LastStand and to [[TakingYouWithMe Take Them With Us]]. And then the Acclamator assault ship ''Arrestor'' drops from Hyperspace to save the day. It's a SubvertedTrope, however; the ''Arrestor'' is out-gunned by the Trade Federation battleship and you need to get the ''Prosecutor's'' weapons back online to support it or else it will be destroyed.
359** This seems to happen at least once per campaign. On Geonosis, a gunship blasts a hole in the side of a ship that's about to self destruct, allowing the player and his squad to escape. Later on Kashyyyk, a gunship shows up just after numerous [[MookMaker Mook Makers]] are dropped virtually on top of the squad.
360* A ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' staple, with the catch that the "guns" are also your party. You're given a small group of units and told to take out around ten enemies. Once those are out, a horde appears, possibly with a boss... at which point your ship also appears and you get to deploy the forces you've already collected.
361** This is particular awesome when your ''Space Noah''-class battleship appears on the field and fires its [[WaveMotionGun Tronium Cannon]] at the enemies with extremely fitting [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTZlfw8qH-M music playing]].
362** Of special note is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtPKtD-mrRg Trombe's interrupt]] from Original Generations 2, referencing an AscendedMeme from the first Original Generations, the [[BackgroundMusicOverride Trombe Override]].
363* Happens in ''VideoGame/SyphonFilter: The Omega Strain'' after [[HoldTheLine holding the line]] at Taherir Palace. In this case, you have to physically jump to the helicopter, if you miss, you fall to your death and fail the mission.
364* The TCS ''Mount St Helens'', in ''VideoGame/WingCommanderIVThePriceOfFreedom'', steps up to bat for this trope, [[BigDamnHeroes jumping in from Sol System with Captain Eisen in command]], to engage its sister ship, the ''Vesuvius'', just as the ''Vesuvius'' was about to blow the player's carrier to [[Literature/HonorHarrington dustbunnies]]. However, as the ''Mount St Helens'' wasn't completed before Eisen hijacked it, things didn't go quite as well as hoped, though they did still delay the ''Vesuvius'' long enough for Blair to slip in ahead of [[WellIntentionedExtremist Admiral Tolwyn]], for the final showdown.
365* In ''VideoGame/WorldInConflict'', the heavy attack helicopters. Their only purpose in the game is dishing out DeathFromAbove to everything that moves and has wrong colors on it, meaning that in any given multiplayer match, the Heavy Air players will end up pulling off Gunship Rescues repeatedly. Is it any surprise that the SeparateButIdentical heavy chopper models of the Soviets and the U.S. are Mi-24 Hind and AH-64 Apache? The Tactical Aids can be this, if applied correctly, particularly the Heavy Air Support.
366** In the singleplayer campaign, [[spoiler: when your battalion is heavily outnumbered during the Battle of Pine Valley, critically-low on ammunition and with Colonel Sawyer ordering [[LastStand a retreat to the beach]], the [[CoolBoat USS Missouri]] arrives and rains death on the Soviets]].
367* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft's'':
368** The Halls Of Reflection instance ends with one. After fleeing from the Lich King, the players and Jaina Proudmoore (Sylvanas for Horde) find themselves at a dead end. Just as he prepares to kill you and your leader, your faction's gunship shows up and buries him in a pile of rubble.
369** The Alliance's attempt to invoke this trope accidentally results in the awakening of the Sha, and kicks off the Mists of Pandaria expansion. Mostly because Garrosh Hellscream can't resist following them and attacking them: even though the ship in question is a lightly armed ship crewed mostly by Theramore marines ''who are neutral''. To top it all off: [[SubvertedTrope it turns out that the person they were trying to rescue, Prince Anduin Wrynn, doesn't really need it]].
370** Sylvanas and Varian [[PlayingWithATrope attempt]] a literal one of these at the Broken Shore in the lead up the Legion expansion. Alliance forces led by Tyrande Whisperwind, and Horde forces led by Warchief Vol'jin, were facing certain defeat after the shattering death of Tirion Fordring. Suddenly, Alliance and Horde gunships appear in the sky. However: [[spoiler: Vol'jin is mortally wounded, forcing Sylvanas to retreat, which in turn forces Varian to [[HeroicSacrifice sacrifice himself]] so that the Alliance can leave.]]
371*** Later in the same expansion: Lothraxxion and the paladin player pull one of these on the priest player, during the Order Hall campaigns. The priests are about to be overwhelmed by Legion attackers who have found their hidden base. Then suddenly the paladins show up out of the blue, having been warned by [[OurAngelsAreDifferent X'era]] of the attack.
372*** In a horrifying [[SubvertedTrope subversion]], the green dragon Ysera's attempt to pull one of these on Malfurion Stormrage ends with her forced FaceHeelTurn instead.
373** During the Battle for Lordaeron the Alliance is on the verge of routing after Sylvanas unleashed the Blight. At the last moment Jaina Proudmoore flies in on her enchanted galleon, cleanses the blight with a single spell, and blasts a hole in the keep's walls with her cannons. Seeing this, the Alliance rallies and pushes into the city.
374* A couple of wacky examples occur in the ''Battle for Azeroth'' expansion to ''VideoGame/WorldofWarcraft''.
375** When the Horde troop ship carrying Princess Talanji comes near the island of Kul Tiras, the Alliance navy also happens to be in the area. A chase ensues, and the Alliance are about to surround the Horde ship. However, Talanji calls on her loa (patron spirit) Rezan and a spectral dinosaur attacks the Alliance fleet covering the Horde entrance into Zandalar, Talanji's home.
376** Lady Ashvane betrays the Lord Admiral of Kul Tiras and attacks the harbor with a pirate fleet. The Kul Tiran navy is forced to fight inside their harbor, and the walls of the city are under attack as well, and she has summoned some nasties as well. New Lord Admiral Jaina Proudmoore has to take matters into her own hands, summoning back her brother who has been lost in a mystical fog for twenty years. He comes in behind the pirates and pretty handily turns the tables on Lady Ashvane and her cronies.
377* In the ''VideoGame/{{Worms}}'' turn based attack games one of the attacks you can choose is calling in a bomb drop.
378* ''Zombie Gunship'' has your AC-130 protecting your away team from hordes of zombies as they scavenge for useable scrap in a ZombieApocalypse. Your gunship also has to save your base occasionally from overwhelming tides of undead trying to overrun it.
379[[/folder]]
380
381[[folder:Web Animation]]
382* Hilariously played with in ''WebAnimation/RedVsBlue'':
383--> "I would say that was the cavalry, but I've never seen a line of horses crash into the battlefield from outer space before."
384[[/folder]]
385
386[[folder:Webcomics]]
387* Early on in ''Webcomic/DubiousCompany'', Walter steers his heavily armed airship around in an attempt to do this for [[LivingMacGuffin Sal]]. Unfortunately, his [[GlassCannon airship is wooden]] and [[TheDragon Izor]] has a squad of [[KamehameHadoken mages]] with him, forcing Walter to retreat and think of a better plan.
388* The climax of ''Webcomic/AMiracleOfScience'', though it was fairly obviously coming. In a bit of a twist, however, the gunship fleet only guarantees everyone's physical safety, and the main character still risks his life to SaveTheVillain (or rather, the villain's sanity).
389* ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'', troops from the company on the ground have on occasion been rescued by close air support provided by their home ship, as shown [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2002-03-10 here]] and [[http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2009-01-15 here]], for two examples.
390-->'''Maxim #4:''' ''[[DeathFromAbove Close Air Support]] covereth a multitude of sins.''
391:: Followed immediately by,
392-->'''Maxim #5:''' ''[[SplashDamage Close Air Support and Friendly Fire should be easier to tell apart.]]''
393* In the "Dead Dogs" arc of ''Webcomic/SkinHorse'', the team and [[TalkingAnimal Sweetheart's]] pack are facing off against a horde of werewolves. Sweetheart is in the middle of her RousingSpeech when [[BlackHelicopter Nick]], who'd been left behind at the pack's base, shows up with massive reinforcements.
394[[/folder]]
395
396[[folder:Web Original]]
397* Subverted in Season 8 of ''WebVideo/AcquisitionsIncorporated'': With the party trapped inside Dragonspear Castle by two large green dragons, TheIntern Viari brings back help in form of the Acquisitions Inc. [[CoolAirship Battle Balloon]], equipped with all kinds of dragon-killing weaponry and crewed by six gnome automatons. However, Viari decides to dramatically leap off onto one of the dragons' back, while the gnomes prove too dumb to operate said weaponry, so the Balloon just floats idly above the castle, while the party somehow manages to slay the dragons and their cohorts on their own. [[spoiler:The airship's weaponry comes in helluva handy a bit later, though, when the party accidentally flies into a massive aerial battle between two dragon factions.]]
398[[/folder]]
399
400[[folder:Western Animation]]
401* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' had a dramatic reversal [[spoiler:with the airships the Fire Nation had built, premiering]] in the pivotal "Day Of Black Sun."
402** Also a more traditional one with the use of a War Balloons in the episode "[[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheNorthernAirTemple The Northern Air Temple]]" to protect those living at the Temple. Especially when [[spoiler:the Fire Nation thinks ''they're'' the ones being reinforced, thanks to the insignia on the balloon. They aren't.]]
403* A handful of times in ''WesternAnimation/AdventuresOfTheGalaxyRangers''. "New Frontier" where Kidd's ship swoops in and takes out some of the Crown fighters (granted, it was just to get their captain back from the Rangers' custody). In "Renegade Rangers" the Laredo shows up to blast at the battle cruiser the RoguesGallery stole. Subverted in "Changeling" where the Rangers have to convince the gunship ''not'' to open fire on a penal colony asteroid, and inverted in "Armada" where Shane and Niko fly in with a tiny interceptor and broadcast to the gunships how to destroy the Crown Armada.
404* Villainous example in ''WesternAnimation/ExoSquad'', when gigantic dreadnought, ''Olympus Mons II'', arrives to the besieged Venus, temporarily changing the tide of battle in favor of Neosapiens.
405* ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekLowerDecks'':
406** In "[[Recap/StarTrekLowerDecksS1E10NoSmallParts No Small Parts]]", [[spoiler:the U.S.S. ''Titan'' drops out of warp to save the ''Cerritos'' from the Pakleds]].
407** {{Exaggerated|Trope}} in "[[Recap/StarTrekLowerDecksS3E10TheStarsAtNight The Stars at Night]]" where Mariner calls in ''[[AllOfThem every single Cali-class ship in service]]'' to deliver DeathByAThousandCuts to the [[AIIsACrapshoot rampaging]] USS ''Aledo''.
408* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
409** ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars'': "[[Recap/StarWarsCloneWarsS3E1Chapter21 Chapter 21]]", the Season 3 opener, has a custom-painted gunship save some Jedi from General Grievous just in the nick of time, in a move almost as cool as Grievous hunting them down in the first place.
410** ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'':
411*** "[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS2E5LandingAtPointRain Landing at Point Rain]]": The clone troopers under Obi-Wan Kenobi are falling back and an injured Obi-Wan lights his saber for their LastStand... and a squadron of Y-Wings arrive to take out the incoming droids and bugs.
412*** "[[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS4E8TheGeneral The General]]": During the clones' assault on the Umbaran positions, Fives and Hardcase sneak into an enemy air base and commandeer two of their fighters to take down the Umbaran juggernauts, which none of the clones' weaponry can harm.
413* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersAnimated'':
414** Played straight in the first season, when Lugnut and Blitzwing were trying to reach the Ark. Ratchet had reactivated the war ship weapons system and the two Decepticons found themselves facing one hell of a WaveMotionGun in the face. In the end of Season 2, Sari and Ratchet go to get reinforcements... which consists of reactivating the ship they came to Earth on and [[spoiler:turning it into Omega Supreme. Also a plain old BigDamnHeroes since, hey, he's both a HumongousMecha and a battleship.]]
415** Ultra Magnus rescues Bulkhead, Wheeljack, and Miko from Predaking with his space cruiser during the third season of ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime''.
416[[/folder]]
417
418[[folder:Real Life]]
419* During the American Civil War, at the Battle of Hampton, ironclad warships were relatively new. On the first day of the Battle of Hampton Roads, the Confederacy revealed their shiny new metal behemoth, the CSS ''Virginia'' (a rebuilt captured steam frigate, the former USS ''Merrimack''), which almost single handedly mopped the floor with two of the wooden ships that the Union Navy was using. On the second day of the battle, the ''Virginia'' came back to the fight to finish off the third Union ship, the USS ''Minnesota''. However, the Union had brought in their own ironclad, the USS ''Monitor'', into a defensive position in front of the ''Minnesota''. Thus began the very first battle between metal warships... Which resulted in a stalemate as both ships were armed with weapons that [[PaddedSumoGameplay couldn't penetrate the hull of their opponent]].
420* Also during the American Civil War, at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862, the final Confederate assault on Union lines was repulsed with the help of naval artillery fire from the wooden gunboats ''Lexington'' and '' Tyler'', steaming on the nearby Tennessee River. Small, shallow draft gunboats were used throughout the war, especially during the Mississippi River campaign, so this trope is bound to crop up quite a few times.
421** One major advantage that the river gunboats had was that they could easily transport guns that were significantly heavier and more powerful than land-based units could, which meant that the gunboats were often able to engage enemy artillery positions from a safe distance. Later in the war, ''ironclad'' gunboats became more and more common, meaning they could safely engage land-based units even if they ''weren't'' outside the enemy guns' range.
422* Used multiple times in the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI Battle of Jutland]] with cases of "AllAccordingToPlan". First, the German battlecruisers, outnumbered by 6 British battlecruisers and 4 fast battleships to 5 battlecruisers, succeeded in luring them into the teeth of the main German fleet, which was their plan all along, to lure parts of the larger Royal Navy to be destroyed piecemeal by the German fleet. The British ships fled north, luring the German fleet into the teeth of the even larger British fleet, which was ''their'' plan all along, to lure the German fleet into a DecisiveBattle. The British fleet didn't get the battle they wanted, when the Germans successfully fled back into port, but never really left port afterwards.
423* At the [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Battle of Normandy]], American troops who were pinned down at Omaha Beach received some respite in the form of American and Royal Navy destroyers, sailing dangerously close to the beach (several times nearly running aground in the shallows) to engage the shore defenses directly with their 5 inch gun batteries. By the end of the battle, the Navy had lost three Destroyers, a Destroyer Escort, and a troop ship to the enemy defenses in order to help the Army get ashore and inland.
424* Reports are that the Libyan rebels in the 2011 civil war, being forced to retreat under fire from government forces, regarded the sudden arrival of [[UsefulNotes/GaulsWithGrenades French air support]] as this. To make it even more dramatic, one commander even said that he had thought that the UN resolution authorizing force had been forgotten and that they really had been abandoned.
425* Close air support duty tends to lead to this, and it's what most modern aircraft designated as "gunships" are designed for.
426* The USAF AC-130 gunship is a converted transport plane equipped with [[{{BFG}} an artillery gun,]] autocannon, and two [[GatlingGood vulcan cannons]].
427* Among the A-10 Thunderbolt II's jobs is to provide this for downed pilots and the helicopters sent to pick them up.
428* As mentioned in ''Film/ActOfValor'', the whole point of SWCC boats is to be this when the [=SEALs=] need hot extraction, bristling with guns on every corner.
429* One real incident was during the 1983 US invasion of Grenada when a unit of [=SEALs=] tried to extract the US ambassador from the US embassy, but found themselves surrounded by enemy troops. Cut off from their support, and their own communications equipment out, the US troops desperately make a civilian phone call to their base in North Carolina. Once the callers were confirmed as US troops in peril, the base connected them to the theatre operations-headquarters and the commanders diverted an AC-130 gunship to provide air support for the unit.
430* In the UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Battle of Bulge, things were looking bleak for the Allied troops trying to hold off Nazi Germany's counterattack until the weather cleared midway into the battle and the Allied air forces could start striking back from the air.
431* Something similar happened earlier that year at the Battle of Arracourt. The Germans attacked during bad weather, but in at least one instance, the very moment the storm clouds parted, Allied attack aircraft [[DeathFromAbove swooped down]] and attacked the Germans.
432[[/folder]]

Top