World War 2 scenes following the Gran Sasso raid or Operation Eiche: The rescue of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini by German paratroops under the command of Otto Skorzeny, in the Apennine Mountains. A German soldier speaks over the radio. A tower on a hill. Otto Skorzeny salutes Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Skorzeny helps him from a mountain cable car. Soldiers wave and bid farewell to Mussolini as he boards a light German Fieseler Fi 156 'Stork' reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft in flight. German Fuhrer Adolf Hitler and Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano greet Mussolini as he gets off from a German Junker transport in Germany. Hitler, Mussolini and other officers. An official hugs and greets Mussolini. Hitler guides the Italian leader to his car. Soldiers give the Nazi salute. The two leaders get into the car and leave. German officers and soldiers welcome Hitler and Mussolini on arrival at Hitler's headquarters. The meet with numerous Nazi officials. They get into a car and leave. Mussolini meets more Nazi officers and officials. They greet Mussolini with the Nazi salute. Mussolini boards the German Junker. Hitler waves as the plane takes off for Italy.
A radio broadcast about the arrival of United States Secretary of State Cordell Hull and the Quebec conference between Britain, America and Canada. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Mackenzie King pose for the press and answer their queries. Roosevelt addresses a large gathering about the conference. Naval guns shell Italy prior to invasion.
United States 2/503rd - Later the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion in North Africa during World War II. Fully equipped 509th PIB paratroopers climb into United States Army Air Force C-47 transport airplanes to land in Italy. Soldiers lift the nose of a glider and load a 105 mm howitzer into the front end. The nose of the glider being lowered. The soldiers load a jeep into the front end of the glider. The nose of the glider being lowered.
USAAF (United States Army Air Force) 86th Fighter Bomber Group in North Africa prepares to bomb Sicily, Italy during World War II. Pilots being briefed by a USAAF officer in front of a map of Sicily. A pilot smokes a pipe while he examines a chart on a wall. The pilots move out of a tent. They are transported by jeeps to parked airplanes.
USAAF (United States Army Air Force) 86th Fighter Bomber Group in North Africa prepares to bomb Sicily, Italy during World War II. USAAF A-36 Invader dive bombers taxi on an airfield.
Allied Invasion of Sicily, Italy during World War II. United States Army Air Force (USAAF) B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber aircraft in flight. USAAF B-24 Liberator heavy bomber aircraft in flight. View of lowered landing gear of B-24 aircraft as it taxis on airfield. B-24 aircraft lands. Crew member signals as aircraft lands. View of engines of United States Army Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber aircraft. Pilots climbs out of B-24 aircraft . They remove stretcher from B-24 aircraft aircraft and put the stretcher into an ambulance. Crew members get in a truck. Soldier looks at flak damage. Bullet holes seen in fuselage of an aircraft. Flak damaged sections of B-24 aircraft. Pilot and crew member walk by a tent. American flag flutters in wind.