The fountain of Neptune (Fontana del Nettuno) in Messina (Via G. Garibaldi, 98122 Messina ME, Italy) shows damage after the Allied Invasion of Sicily during World War 2. Messina’s waterfront, the Via Vittorio Emanuele II, with damaged structures and rubble strewn all over. The Comune di Messina-Palazzo Zanco at Via S. Camillo, 110, 98122 Messina ME with the word “Vincere” (“win” in Italian) on the side of the building, with the war memorial Monumento ai Caduti (Via Consolato del Mare, 25, 98122 Messina ME, Italy) seen on the left. View from the intersection of Via Antonio Laudamo and Via G. Garibaldi shows Via Antonio Laudamo strewn with rubble, with The Church of Christ the King (Viale Principe Umberto, 93, 98122 Messina ME, Italy ) in the background with a sign “DUCE” (title of Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini). Closer view of The Church of Christ the King and the sign “DUCE”. A street in Messina with wrecked vehicles. View of the Strait of Messina, with smoke in the horizon.
Opening scene shows large stores of military supplies needed to support invasion forces in various areas during World War 2. An American C-47 transport airplane taking off from a field in a desert area. Local people with a donkey and cart in foreground. View from within a formation of U.S. B-17 flying fortress bombers flying above clouds. View shifts to the bombers silhouetted against clouds below. Complete change of scene to amphibious forces in action. Two American Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft fly just above the water at high speed to attack enemy shore positions in the Pacific. Close-up of one as it appears above the camera. Sections of a city separated by a body of water, somewhere in Europe. Huge quantities of war materiel stored on a beach in Italy, with mountains in background. Truck convoys transporting supplies away from the area. Landing Ships Tank (LSTs) sit at water’s edge with their bow doors open. One is American LST-350. Large mountain in background. Small multi-masted boats without sails, at an inlet in background. Soldiers are busy unloading equipment and supplies from the LSTs. View from above of cranes on barges loading landing craft with supplies at an established pier. Close-ups of LSTs being offloaded by American soldiers. Troops look out portholes of a transport ship. A number of Higgins Boats pulled up to the shore where trucks are lined up. Solders on a DUKW (amphibious truck 6x6) equipped with an A-frame crane. More views of the port showing a caterpillar bulldozer pulling trailers of supplies, and trucks. A large transport ship tied up at an established port, where it unloads a British Crusader tank. View into the hold of the ship where a number of Crusader tanks are stowed next to one another. Ships of an invasion task off Italy, silhouetted against a sunrise (or sunset). Views from a ship, of Allied minesweepers at work, in the flotilla. A twin funnel P2-SE2-R1 class troop transport ship is seen in the background. A formation of landing craft approaching the beach. Close-up view from beach of one beaching through surf and soldiers charging ashore. A U.S. Navy Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft flying low over the landing craft. Another landing craft (Higgins boat) hitting the beach and soldiers charging ashore. Next, several USAAF Curtiss P-40 aircraft fly low over the beach. A dog accompanying troops leaving a Higgins boat, has trouble walking across the cross-hatched ramp on the boat. More views of loaded landing craft speeding toward the beach and soldiers running ashore. Soldiers digging foxholes in sandy soil of an orchard of trees. At one point, they all take cover in their foxholes as air attack threatens. Glimpse of troops crouched in a ditch as explosion occurs nearby. (Note: Some of the later scenes in this film show troops in training exercises.) (World War II; WW II; World War 2; World War Two)
Completely destroyed buildings line a dirt road in Italy during World War 2. The general landscape is devastated. American troops and military vehicles are parked beside one section of the narrow road and infantrymen walk in a line along the road past the camera. Closeup of damaged building and steps. A young Italian boy walks past the camera, carrying a sack over his shoulder. Glimpse of a dead soldier next to a wall. A tracked construction vehicle with protected top and carrying a tow cable, moves along rubble strewn road towards area where soldiers are gathered near destroyed buildings. View of totally destroyed buildings.
American troops, in North Africa, board ships going to Italy during Operation Avalanche. Film opens showing front gate of Karouba Aviation Maritime base in Tunisia during the American occupation in World War 2. An American flag is displayed and the gate is guarded by two Navy shore patrolmen. A jeep drives past the gate inside the base. An army MP also stands near the entrance. A jeep carrying two U.S. soldiers exits the gate. Scene shifts to the Tunis port, where many U.S. troops are assembling on the docks, next to landing craft infantry (LSIs). One column of soldiers begins walking one at a time up a gangplank to board an LSI. More soldiers are seen arriving at a courtyard at the waterfront and then heading toward the loading docks. Views of one column of soldiers showing their identifications to two monitors who check them of a list of troops. Two soldiers show up carrying a bale of hay. They are followed by soldiers herding pack animals. Soldiers must struggle with some of the animals to get them to board an LSI. A small black dog walks near some of the pack animals. View from entrance of an LSI as soldiers board from the gangplank. View from side of a gangplank where soldiers are pushing and pulling a reluctant burro up the plank. They have much trouble getting several animals aboard. Another group of soldiers tries using light wooden switches to prod their animals. Groups of soldiers and sailors work together to herd resisting animals aboard.
Two formations of U.S. Army Air Forces P-38 lightning aircraft, of the 14th Fighter Group, departing from Telergma airfield in Algeria, during World War 2. They are headed on a mission to Sicily, Italy. Views of the formations high overhead, and more P-38s flying close to the camera, after takeoff. A dozen P-38s in a "V" formation overhead. More P-38s climbing out after takeoff, to join the formations.
A U.S. convoy readies to leave Oran, Algeria for the invasion of Salerno, Italy during World War II. A U.S. DD (destroyer) anchored off the shore. The shoreline of Oran. Two CLs (Light Cruiser) approach the shore. U.S. troops aboard the destroyer.