SIEG IM WESTERN Reel 1 · Part 1

Description

SUMMARY: Introductory Title: "Forward To The Decision". Montage, German troops take oath of allegiance to Hitler. Long seq: beautiful scenic shots Alpine landscapes, Rhine, Cologne Cathedral. Animation, German Frontiers in Bismark's time. Shots - Danzig Harbor. Montage, interior and exterior scenes, Ruhr industrial area; mine underground shots; exterior shots; Hamburg Harbor. Two German soldiers in pre-WWI uniforms on honor duty as sentries. Ext, German Pre-WWI 1914 Naval vessels. Animation, extent of World War I fighting beyond Germans's borders and ending with presentation of situation on November 9th, 1918. Series of sequences show WWI fighting. Animation, 4 1/2 years of WW I fighting. CU, Hindenburg and Ludendorff at headquarters. CU, signatures in Versailles Treaty. Animation, creation of Polish Corridor. SEQ, demilitarization and disarmament activities of German factory areas. One shot shows hundreds of WW I type German fighter planes dismantled and wrecked. SEQ, strike riots and communistic street fights, in front of Brandenburg Gate. SEQ, French occupation of Ruhr area. Montage, all types of German inflation money. Very early CU of Hitler talking. SEQ, Scenes from Nurnberg "Peace" Congress. Ext, storm troopers in reigmental parade formations. CU, General Von Seeckt reviews parade of Reichswehr. SEQ, Guard regiments, infantry and artillery in Potsdam. Hindenburg reviews Reichswehr parade. SEQ, German Army uses weapons made of cardboard in maneuvers. Medium CU, Laval. SEQ, Promulgation of new German Constitution in the Garrison Church of Potsdam with Hindenburg, Hitler, Papen, in March of 1933. Also parade scenes of same day. SEQ, Newly created Nazi Labor Corps. Reel 2: Shot of famous German ,autobahn highway. SEQ, British guards on parade, British recruits and German recruits being drafted. SEQ, Brauchitsch, Hitler and Keitel review parade in Berlin. SEQ, Big guns, tanks, airplanes in process ofmanufacture. SEQ, German troops enter Rhineland, Vienna, Austria and Sudentenland. CU, Hitler stands up in car and salutes. SEQ, Animation of how Germans looked at Czechoslovakia as the possible jumping off place for an attack against the Reich. Exts, building of West Wall. CU, Dr. Todt, founder of Nazi "Todt Organization". SEQ, Ferro concrete tank traps in West Wall. CU, Dr. Hacha and Baron Von Neurath in Prague. Animation, situation in Polish Corridor. SEQ, "Polish Terror". Animation, Polish Corridor situation embodying ideas of connecting highways between East Prussia and the main part of Germany across the Corridor. SEQ, Polish parade in Warsaw. Shots - Lord Halifax, Eden, Smigly-Rydz and Churchill. SEQ, Beginning of Polish campaign on September 1, 1939. Animation, progress of Polish campaign up to the beginning siege of Warsaw and the reaching of the preliminary demarcation line between Russia and German military interests. Hitler on B.C. Scope watches proceedings on front. Air shots of combat areas shows many columns of smoke rising. Animation, capitulation of Warsaw. SEQ, German contingents during transport from finished Polish campaign back to West Wall. Inserts, German newspapers record "Post Mortem" for the eighteen day campaign. Animation, execution or the Norwegian campaign. SEQ, German destroyers and torpedo boats convoy invasion forces to Norway. German soldiers in landing barges ready for landings. German parachute troops descend to Norway's soil. Few good scenes of Junkers troop transports on airport. Animation, closed front against the west after finish of Norwegian campaign from Narvick down to the spot where the West Wall touches the North Sea. CU, German sentries in front of barbed wire entanglements use binoculars. CU, Reichs-Chancellory door. CU, Hitler returns salutes of storm troopers in Wilhelm Strasse. Reel 3: Montage, German troops in parade formations listen attentivelywhile the sound part of reel repeats Hitler's Order of the Day to the Army in the West Wall. Animation, situation of the Maginot Line in regard to German ideas of impending attack. It purports to show the necessity of warding off any possible attack against the Ruhr area. SEQ, French motorcyclists, French tanks, trucks and field artillery on the march; Belgium, English troops, motorcycles, French troop trains, British tanks (WW I type), British Bren carriers, French soldiers, infantry men march through villages. Scene, specially equipped Maginot line, troops march to their positions. French infantry (colored contingents). CU, General Gort and his aide. SEQ, British light tanks and infantry advance. MCU, heavy French long range self-propelled artillery battery. French demolish bridges and roads in order to impede German attack. Sand table with animation, fortifications system of Allies in Holland, Belgium and France. Hitler, Brauchitsch, Keitel in headquarters in front of big General Staff map table discussion. Animation, group of German armies in concentration area behind West Wall. CU, German types of radio, , telephone and other communication for High Command. SEQ, German Armored Troops contingents, German motorcyclists, half-tracks, personnel carriers, all prime moving medium and heavy guns starting. German Chief of Staff Keitel enters his plane. CU, Goering. SEQ, German Air Force in action especially heavy bombers. Int, Junkers troop transports and parachutists; parachutists jump. AV, Rotterdam. German infantry street fighting; remove Spanish Riders; smash border defenses; German heavy tanks remove road obstacles. German infantry in deployed advance, no fire, patrol takes cover. German heavy machine gun fire. German infantry advance across road under fire. Empty street of Belgium village. German patrol advances through empty street. German tend wounded. Reel 4: Sand table animation, plan ofattack on Liege, point of application for initial thrusts being Fort Eben Emael; the River Meuse and the Albert Canal are shown with their fortifications. Also shown are the six Allied lines or defense. First Line - The Ijssel Position. Second Line - The Grebbe Position. Third Line - The Meuse Position. Fourth Line - The Peel Position. Fifth Line - The Willem Canal Fortifications. Sixth Line - The Albert Canal Fortifications. SEQ, German assault and shock troops use rubber boats with ladders to cross River Meuse under fire. Mechanized German infantry and bicyle contingents cross River Meuse over bridges not destroyed. Infantry fords stream; German infantry mortar crew fire. SEQ, German Engineers Assault Party of 17 men cross the Canal to enter the forefield of outside fortification No. 4 of Fort Eben Emael. German Engineer mounts the concrete cupola of fortification No. 4 and places heavy T.N.T. load with time fuse in ventilation slot of the giant pill-box. Five seconds later the explosion. Sand table animation, importance of fortification No. 4. Flame throwers in operation against the auxiliary out-forts of Fort. No. 4. Belgium soldier with white flag in front of entrance of Fort Eben Emael. Several scenes, Belgium prisoners walk to rear. Sand table animation, scheme of attack to cross Albert Canal in broad front. German shock troops in rubber boats cross the River Rhine. German heavy tanks fire across river, explosion hit can be seen on other side. Sand table animation, scheme of how parachute troops attack and hold the Moerdijk Bridge until arrival of other troops. Several scenes show German combat contingents on the move. SEQ, Dutch Military Commander of the City of Rotterdam accompanied by one Dutch soldier carrys white flag and one German Parlamentair walks pest camera and crosses undamaged Moerdijk Bridge. Int of Armistice negotations, Dutch officers seated at a table with Colonel Gen. Von Bock. Several scenes,Dutch soldiers led back to rear as prisoners. Animation, favorable tactical situation of fact that River Rhine Estuary is in German hands. Short scenes, light, medium and heavy German tanks advance. Pan shot, German Panzer formations assembled in attack groups in their concentration areas behind the lines. Crews resting, eating, digging slit trenches. Gerrman anti-tank gun and field communications set in operation. SEQ, zero hour and tanks on the move. SEQ, German mechanized infantry with personnel carriers in attack under fire. Medium tank attacks. Scenes, street fighting in Belgium towns and villages. Burning allied tank. Reel 5: SEQ, German tank formations advance in regimental columns; switch over to scenes of Allied tanks attacking. MCU, two tanks (Allied) seen through driver's slit. Shot of Allied tank advancing, firing, one getting hit and exploding. MS, three Stukas peel off and dive; bombs hit the ground. MS, Allied tank burns. LS, Allied tank reigment in attack formation. CU, French passenger car on fire, pan to Allied heavy tank being inspected by German soldier. CU, German tank passes camera, one wounded soldier on tank. CU, German wounded being placed into motorcycle sidecar. CU, wooden sign "First Aid". CU, German wounded being tended. Individual CUs, several wrecked Allied tanks; German soldiers talk to French tank crew; face of wounded French tank driver. CU, wrecked French tanks. CU, fallen French tank crew. CUs, wrecked British tanks in village street. SEQ, German Mercedes-Benz personnel carrier prime-moving 88mm dual purpose gun, other prime-moving anti-tank guns and one assault gun. Animation, Maginot Line extension. Scenes, asparagus beds (anti- tank fortification) of Maginot Line. Sand table animation, underground works and elevator system of Line. MS, air conditioning, machinery of communication center of Line. MS Ext, French Maginot Line troops in company formation move out ofbarracks in double quick step, walk past giant pill box. SEQ, operation of underground small Gauge Railroad inside the Line; munitions transport and storage, kitchen and soldiers making merry. Montage with superimposed legend "Nous Vaincrons Parce Que Nous Sommes Les Plus Forts" ("We shall gain Victory because we are the stronger ones"). Animation portrays that more than six hundred million human beings are on the French side. Montage of French colored troops and posters. Animation, Colonel General V. Rundstedt's idea of surprise attack west of Namur and Brussels. Int CU, Colonel Rundstedt with aide in front of large map. Animation, position of armies of General V. Kluge, General List and General Busch and their breakthroughts between Maubeuge and Sedan crossing the Meuse River; rapid advance to the channel coast to reach Abbeville. SEQ, German engineer troops build bridges across Meuse River under fire. SEQ, infantry moves rubber assault boats towards Meuse River; rubber boats cross River; German Signal Corps men lay wire; all under fire. German cavalry and infantry cross Meuse River. German tank crosses bridge. Reel 6: MS, two heavy German tanks ferried across River on ponton ferry. MS, German heavy tank fords shallow river. CU, General Kluge greets officer. German soldiers eat and rest. MCU, armored force park. CU, German Staff Officers in front of their maps, ext shots. CU, artillery fire direction plans for light, medium and heavy fire as preparation for attack. Animation shows plan of attack on fortified Hill No. 505 near Sedan. SEQ, actual "covering" of Hill No. 505 by all calibers of artillery. CU, heavy artillery fire. SEQ, advance after cessation of artillery preparation by engineer shock troops; Spanish riders and barbed wire in foreground. MCU, several German assault guns (l05mm Howitzers, self-propelled artillery) of a Panzer division moves in for attack. Int, French defenders of Hill No. 505 firetheir guns. Excellent HS, German tanks attack; tracer ammunition fires, burning buildings and wrecks. German soldiers frisk French prisoners, long pan to French prisoner camp. SEQ, General Giraud leaves a Junkers Transport plane salutes the German Officers and surrenders. Animation, Rommel's breakthrough to Abbeville. SEQ, Rommel's Armored Force and fast troops followed by Cavalry and Infantry on their way to the channel coast at Abbeville. SEQ, German field artillery in street fights in Abbeville. CU, Colonel General Von Bock walks into lens, salutes. MCU, assembly of German tanks on high cliffs and pan to channel coast. Animation, Allied attempt to avoid the Dunkirk evacuation by counterattacking Arras. SEQ, British and French artillery in action. CU, French heavy tank pulls a disabled Bren gun carrier through a shell ditch in spectacular action. MCU, British light tanks in very fast advance. German heavy artillery action includes siege artillery. Allied tanks under fire. Reel 7: CU, German heavy tanks advance in open country followed by two Panzer grenadiers. German infantry advance under fire. MCU, German medium and heavy tanks fire. MCU, French tank men taken prisoners. Scenes, German soldiers eat their "Iron Rations". MS, British and French tanks retreat through streets of Dunkirk. CU, MCU, Allied soldiers board the evacuation vessels at Dunkirk. LS, burning Dunkirk coast line. Rear shot, car of King Leopold of the Belgians moving through streets lined with Belgian soldiers; large white flag on car. LS, CU, King Leopold in front of a castle talks to German officers. General Von Reichenau and two military aides of King Leopold enter a car in front of castle entrance. Several scenes of Belgian prisoners. Animation, preparatory tactical moves to be executed near Hazebrouk and Ypres for Dunkirk. CU, British soldier presses T.N.T. plunger. AV, eight Stukas in attack formation; peel off. LS, hectic dogfight in channel skies. Six Stukas in individual attack formation. CU, anti-aircraft multiple machine gun aboard a British warship in heavy action. CU, seven Stukas dive for attack. LS, British deotroyer under attack. CU, Stukas dive; bomb hits water. AV, Stuka bombs hit targets in channel coast. CU, Allied war vessel fights back with anti-aircraft fire. CU, Stuka peels off, dives and attacks large Allied war vessel. MS, British light cruiser attacked. CU, bombs are released from racks. MS, burning Allied freighter. German infantry, field artillery and assault guns in street fight. CU, British soldiers surrender. Scenes, destruction near Dunkirk. CU, improvised bridge built by British with trucks, tanks and other vehicles to reach their boats that had too deep a drift to come close enough in the shallow water. British prisoners assembly in market place of Dunkirk. Pan, wrecked Allied tanks and prisoners. CU, MCU, wrecked Allied ships in channel waters. Pan from swastika banner to the shoreline and mole (pier) shows Dunkirk lighthouse. High MCU, bodies of British soldiers in channel surf. CU, great port and harbor site with giant cranes and German supply trucks with trailers moving away from them. German supply trucks with trailers on Auto Roads. CU, German Q.M. Corps activities. Reel 8: VS, German railroad engineer troops build and repair bridges; locomotive pulls train over one of newly built bridges. SEQ Ints: German ammunition and armament factories. CU, Chief of Armament Production Artillery - General Fromm and aide at desk. CU, General Weitz and Kreiss, leaders of Second and Ninth German armies. SEQ, German soldiers living Bivouac life. Montage of exts and ints, French Cathedral, church organ, scenes of Cerman homeland towns and villages. CU, German street audiences in Cermany listen to radio announcement in front of radio store. MS, German infantry advances. Animation, attack scheme on Somme, Oise-Aisne Canal andWeygand Line. German infantry in street fights. MS, eight Stukas in attack formation fly past captive observation balloon. LS, ten Stukas in attack formation above clouds. AV, French town taken from inside HE-111 with heavy anti- aircraft fire speeding towards plane. French anti-aircraft batteries in action. MS, three HE-111 loosing sticks of bombs. AV, nine HE-111 in flight. MS, follow shot of bombs dropping. MS, Dornier 17 flying into clouds. CU, int of pilot's cabin, Spitfires attack. MS, Messerschmitt fighter climbs away to gain altitude. ELS, aerial combat. Reel 9: CU, well concealed German heavy tanks break out into open for start of attack on Somme Line, morning of June 5, 1940. German observation plane, a "Fieseler-Storch", on reconnaissance mission shows terrain of combat below with shells exploding, gun smokes as well as other burning objects. AV, pan, bombing of Somme Bridge. Sound shot, MS, CU, same bridge receives near hit. CU, underbrush lined road, one vehicle burns, terrific explosion in background and two German medium tanks drive away from camera. High truck shot, highway with burning vehicles in ditch. German Panzer vehicles advance in distance. MS, pan, huge assembly of Panzer forces on southern slopes of Somme River. MS, Fieseler-Storch throws down smoke, message; camera pans with missile down to ground showing German soldier running to spot and picking up message. HCU, German officers and scout car in hay cover; officers study staff map. CU, tank commander on top of tank, int shot, tank gunner and his binoculars. Scenes, very good tank shots negotiating steep hills. SEQ, tanks accompanied by infantry with light machine guns and scout cars in attack across open field. Animation, situation of Weygand Line and disposition or army group Van Bock, Van Rundstedt before breakthrough to Rouen. Heavy Allied attack by tanks, CU, German tanks stand still and fire. Tank Commander looks throughbinoculars. One Allied tank is hit and explodes. VS, Allied and German tank action. Advance of armored force to lower Seine. German Panzer formations enter city of Rouen; CU, Colonal General Von Bock. Pan, fiercely burning giant oil tanks. CU, burning oil floating on water. LS, City of Rouen. VS, burning and crashing city buildings, damaged traffic lights and trolley wires in foreground. MCU, Rouen Cathedral, heavy smoke rises in background. CU, German soldiers, remove debris in streets of Rouen. Int pan, Rouen Cathedral, ext HS, two uneven towers of Rauen Cathedral. Truck shot, animation shows attack on "Chemin Des Dames". Int, German Regimental Commander in dugout gives attack orders. SEQ, building of corduroy road by German engineers through swamps. German medium field artillery fire. LS, mountain ridge called "Chemin Des Dames". Reel 10: SEQ, German infantry, engineers and close supporting guns cover crossing of Oisne-Aisne Canal by rubber boats and foot bridge. Animation, attack of army group Von Rundstedt after Rouen had been reached. It then shows the supporting attacks of the army group of General Von Witzleben against the Saar Line, the army group Von Leeb and the Dollmann Army crossing the upper Rhine. The Panzer forces of General Kleist, General Guderian, General Hoeppner and General Booth support the breakthrough operation. German medium and heavy artillery in action. German armored forces reach River Marne at Chateau Porcien in the Ardennes. CU, road sign "Avancon 7km- Reims 41 km". VS, heavy tanks and artillery cross rivers, drive through streets and villages and travel highways. CU, German infantry on the march. MCU, German soldiers search for booby traps and possible stragglers or snipers left behind. CU, River Marne and one Marne bridge. VS, infantry and street fights, crassing of Marne River, German Red Cross men tend graves of fallen soldiers. German infantry in street fighting; Germans crossMarne River. German field artillery and cavalry as well as infantry advance in close formation. Germans advance in suburbs of Paris. GU, pan, Eiffel Tower. CU, German soldier hoists Swastika on top of Eiffel Tower. LS, Paris with Arc de Triomphe in center. CU, German troops march in front of the Arc and Church of St. Madeleine. CU, General von Bock and Kuechler review parade in Tuileries (avenue). Decoration of German soldiers. Animation, impending attack on Normandie, Brittany, the Loire River and the Plateau of Langues; truck shot to CU of attack on Verdun from the rear. Also on Nancy, Epinal and Belfort. The final thrust to be crossing of the Saar River and upper Rhine and breakthrough on left bank of the Saar. Reel 11: German infantry and light and heavy infantry close support weapons attack the forefield of Verdun. Int, French bunker crews fire; good ext of giant pill box dome shows gun flash. German medium field artillery fires at distant fortification hill; explosion hits can be seen on the hill. Pan, French soldiers come toward camera on country road and surrender to the artillery men. CU, French fortress crews come out and surrender. CU and pan, result of armor piercing annunition and bunkers. MLS, French fortress crews surrender. Pan, CU, French Verdun monument of 1914-1918. German parade before General Busch in Verdun. CUs, French prisoners. MS, German infantry on march through Verdun to Domremy, La Pucelle and Neufchateau. CU, wrecked self-propelled heavy French siege Howitzer. CU, camouflaged, self-propelled long range German siege gun. CU, German soldiers on Swiss frontier, followed by a good establishing shot showing Swiss countryside. Animation, closed rings around three French armies in Alsace- Lorraine; attack of First Army across Saar and Seventh Army across upper Rhine. Heavy German siege artillery in action against fortress fortifications. Ints, French defenders of Maginot line in action. CU,disappearing giant Maginot pill box dome fires and disappears. MCU, German heavy railroad battery fires. CU, heavy hits on fortress hill. CU, railroad gun crews in action load and fire by pulling lanyards. CU, heavy railroad gun fire, heavy German siege mortar with protective steel housing for crew, fires. MCU, very heavy hit. MCU, heavy siege howitzer fires. Muzzle CU, artillery. CU, General Dollmann of the Seventh Army shows Hitler his plans for action in front of large map. Scenes show crossing by German troops of upper Rhine, here 900 feet wide and with strong current, in storm boats. Reel 12: CU, Rhine crossing under fire. Establishing shot, Vosges Mountains. MCU, follow shot, Colonel General Von Brauchitsch in command car with aides. MCU, German bicycle troops cross ponton bridge, infantry cross Rhine. CU, German engineer and infantry shock troops advance under fire. Ext and int, French defenders of Maginot Line in action. CU, German sappers cut barbed wire entanglements. MS, forefield of Maginot line with asparagus beds in foreground. Two good flame throwers actions against hill fortifications. Germans enter Maginot Line for occupation, a French Officer acts as guide. SEQ, Armistice negotiations in Compiegne; Hitler, Keitel, Goering and Raeder can be seen. French delegation arrives with Gen. Huntziger leading. Animation, demarcation between occupied and unoccupied France. Int, Hitler and general staff visit Strasbourg Cathedral, cut to Berlin, Bradenburg Gate, Hitler arrives at Kroll Opera House; several ints of Kroll Opera House and ReichStag in session. Reel ends with patriotic montage.

Collection

National Archives Collection of Foreign Records Seized

Series

Motion Picture Films From G-2 Army Military Intelligence Division