World War 2 invasion of Normandy, France. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Marshal Joseph Stalin, and Prime Minister Churchill, meeting at Tehran, Iran, in December 1943. U.S. Generals George Marshall and Hap Arnold, at conference table. Closeup of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Map showing defense areas of the German 7th, 15th and 19th Armies in Europe. Map showing ports at Brest, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Dieppe, and Calais. Cherbourg is highlighted. U.S. Army trucks, tanks, and artillery, stockpiled in England. Railroad train carrying M3 Stuart tanks. U.S soldiers leaving troop ships and marching to their camps in Britain. Allied troops practicing amphibious assaults on Southern coast of England. Formation of B-26 bombers. View from Allied aircraft flying low over German-occupied area. B-17 aircraft dropping bombs over Germany. Bombs away view seen as bombs drop toward enemy targets. German fighter planes attacking B-17 bombers beginning in February 1944. Gunner in turret of B-17 firing at them. Dogfight views with German fighter aircraft. A B-17 exploding in the air. German fighter downed by B-17 gunner. Gun camera footage of German Bf 109 attacked from rear by gunfire. Just as it is hit it releases its drop tank. American soldiers in trucks, DUKWs, M4 tanks, and M8 armored Cars. Troops receive gas masks, waist life belts, field rations, and French money. May 30, 1944, American soldiers board tanks, trucks and other vehicles bound for embarkation points in England. Seen are Stuart M3 light tanks, jeeps, and M7 Priest tanks. M7 tanks are seen, equipped with intake and exhaust ducts. (At TC:11:39, U.S. M7 Priest tanks, equipped for deep wading, are seen passing the base of the Jubilee clock on the beachfront at Weymouth, on their way toward Castle Town in Portland for embarkation.) Transport ships are loaded at the embarkation ports. Trucks being backed onto LCT-453. U.S. Army infantry marching and boarding transport ships. Troops marching into LST 376 at Plymouth, England. Higgins Boats, from the USS Samuel Chase (APA-26) bringing troops to board her. Troops on deck of Attack transport, USS Joseph T. Dickman (APA-13). Barrage balloons overhead. Soldiers shooting craps on a troop ship deck. Coastguardsmen playing with a puppy dog. Gun crews on U.S. Navy warship being briefed. Soldiers field-strip and check their weapons.
U.S. Paratroopers boarding C-47 aircraft, on June 5th, 1944 during World War 2. Huge naval task force underway in the English Channel. C-47s loaded with paratroopers taking off, the evening of June 5th. C-47s taking off towing gliders. Formations of C-47s and gliders passing over the Naval task force in the English Channel. Three pet dogs with troops on one of the ships.
Opening scene shows U.S. troops, tanks, jeeps, and trucks assembled in a sandy marshaling area in southern England preparing to proceed, on 30 May 1944, to embarkation points for the invasion of France during World War 2. Troops are seen heading toward Sherman tanks, landing vehicles, tracked, and other military vehicles. An army Captain is seen overseeing some of the activity. The troops riding armored vehicles and trucks begin moving in formations from the marshaling area. Wading tanks and Sherman tanks, some pulling artillery pieces, are seen moving through an English town.(An unusual deep wading tank with no turret and two forward guns in the front is seen. (It seems to be a modified Stuart tank.) Next, the vehicles are seen arriving at a seaport pier, where a large transport ship is docked. A heavy truck is seen loading in reverse aboard British Landing Craft T 453, at Trebah gardens (Polgwidden cove) at Falmouth docks, Grove place slipway falmouth, England. View from the landing craft as another truck backs into it. Another truck driving forward onto a landing craft. Allied troops marching toward the embarkation points and marching from a pier to board a transport ship. Troops boarding USS LST 376. Troops boarding Higgins boats to be ferried to their transport ship, the USS Samuel Chase (APA-26) anchored in the harbor. Troops stepping from the Higgins boats to board the Samuel Chase. Some of the troops boarding the transport ship by means of a landing net, and being helped aboard as they reach the top. Camera pans across the harbor where transport ships are moving to their places in the invasion convoy. View from a ship underway, with other transport ships behind it and barrage balloons in the air above. Troops on a ship's deck shooting craps with dice. Sailors playing with a small puppy. Soldiers napping on deck. View of sailors on a warship being briefed in groups about their forthcoming combat roles. Troops being briefed about the invasion operations. Troops checking and making sure their personal arms and equipment are ready. One soldier shining his boots. The U.S. battleship USS Arkansas (BB-33) seen at anchor. Closeup from rear of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, British Admiral Sir Bertram Home Ramsay and another officer on the deck of British light cruiser, HMS Belfast. Major General Clarence Ralph Huebner, Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division ("The Big Red One") standing on deck of the cruiser, USS Augusta (CA-31) together with Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk, who is later seen with his Chief of staff, Rear Admiral Arthur D. Struble, on the deck conversing with officers. An unidentified American admiral walking along a ship's deck followed by a Captain and other members of his staff. Other officers conversing on a ship's deck. Inserted near this point is a view of a U.S. Navy Vice Admiral walking along a deck followed by a Captain and other naval officers.
Briefing about D-Day invasion of Normandy prepared by SHAEF Public Relations Division (SHAEF is Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Forces). With English narration. Allied troops on foot and in DUKWs, amphibious trucks move towards southern ports in England to launch D-Day attack in France during World War II. Allied soldiers board landing crafts and landing ships. Military vehicles being loaded in ships. Royal Air Force bomber aircraft attack German-held Normandy coast during night. Fire and explosions occur. A soldier talks to another soldier holding a bayonet. Allied soldiers aboard vessels move across the ocean as balloon barrages fly over head. British soldiers look at pamphlets on France. Soldiers read General Eisenhower's order. Footage shot between June 6 and June 9, 1944 (D-Day to D-Day plus 3)
United States Coast Guard Troop Transport ships arrive in England during World War II. Troops are all on deck aboard the USS Samuel Chase (APA-26) watching as she approaches the coast of England in February , 1944.Views of soldiers watching from various places on the ship. The last few seconds of the films also shows similar views of troops arriving on the USS Joseph T. Dickman (APA-13) (World War II; WW II; World War 2; World War Two)
American troops and Coast Guard ship's crew practice loading vehicles and personnel aboard Coast Guard Troop Transport ship in England, during World War II. A United States Army jeep being hoisted aboard a U.S. Coast Guard Troop Transport ship at a port in England in March, 1944. Men load jeep onto the ship. Boxes in a net being hoisted aboard ship. An officer directs the loading operations. United States Army troops board the ship. (World War II; WW II; World War 2; World War Two)