American troops rehearse amphibious landings at Slapton Sands, England in January, 1944, before the invasion of Normandy, France, in World War 2. American soldiers descend from a troop transport ship and board a Landing Craft Tank (LCT 504) that takes them toward the beach. A group of Higgins Boats is seen maneuvering in the water. Their troop transport ship is seen further offshore. Next, a Higgins Boat full of soldiers is silhouetted against the sky and the sun shining on the water. Closeup of Coast Guardsman at the tiller of the boat. Scene changes to a view from the beach as a Higgins Boat, from Transport ship, USS Samuel Chase (APA-26) hits the beach, drops its front door ramp, and soldiers rush ashore. Complete change of scene shows American troops, carrying full battle gear, coming up a gang plank to a large established port terminal, where they go up another gangplank to board a large transport ship.
A convoy of ships is seen heading from America to England during February, 1944. View from aboard a transport ship, with troops jamming her upper deck. Escorting war ships are seen ahead. Sailors on the foredeck, near a soldier explaining the use of a life preserver to others (unseen). Several sailors lounging near a 20mm gun position. View of sleeping quarters where cots are stacked four rows high. A soldier on deck, dealing cards to others in a circle of players. Closeups of some soldiers resting in their bunks. One is asleep. Another looks at a magazine. A picture portrait of his wife and two babies is seen balanced on his rifle, above his head. A third soldier is writing a letter and another is busy sewing something on his uniform. Back on deck, soldiers and sailors look at the sea as the ship makes way. The film ends showing the deck crowded with troops watching as the ship enters a harbor in England. A few use binoculars to view the shores.
Higgins Boats (landing craft) from the USS Bayfield (APA-33) are seen heading toward the shore on the River Clyde in Scotland, where they carried out amphibious landing exercises from 14 March, through 21 March,1944, in preparation for the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War 2.. Snow-covered mountains dominate the background. View of a U.S. Coast Guardsman standing in one of the boats. Several landing craft are seen near the shore in the background. Snow extends almost as low as the beach. Several landing craft moving in loose formation across the water, with rising moon low on horizon in background. View of one Higgins Boat plowing through the water, towards the camera. The moon is now higher in the sky. American troops wading ashore through surf, in the moonlight. Some stars are visible high in the background sky. Troops coming ashore along a wide stretch of beach. Clouds obscure the sky.
D-day minus 1 (June 5, 1944) during World War 2. U.S. soldiers eat a meal while seated on the deck of a Large Landing Craft Infantry LCI(L) number 88, docked in Weymouth, England. (This ship would be the first LCI(L) to carry troops to the Easy Red landing zone during the second wave of landings at Omaha beach, on D-Day. Among troops landing there would be the 16th Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, with support from 7th Field Artillery Battalion;1st Engineer Combat Battalion; 1st Medical Battalion; 741st Tank Battalion (DD); 62d Armored Field Artillery Battalion; and 20th Engineer Combat Battalion.) A Captain and a field grade officer sit next to each other on the ship's deck. One soldier looks through his binoculars at an English woman standing outside her back door, looking back at him through her binoculars. Wash is drying on her line. The soldier tries to call out to her, but stops, realizing it is futile. Several of his buddies are amused by the whole event. Scene shifts to U.S. Army Air Forces B-26 bombers flying in formation, and then to aerial views from an aircraft, of bombs exploding on the ground in a city below. Next, a formation of B-17 bombers is seen, escorted by P-47 fighters. Scene shifts back to Weymouth harbor again, where American troops attend a Roman Catholic mass on the pier, adminstered by a military chaplain, wearing traditional clerical garb. LCL(L)s number 89 and 93 are seen tied up in the background. Coast Guardsmen gather around one of their ship's officers who briefs them on the operation.
Military funeral at the Tannenberg Memorial, in World War 2, for German General Günther Korten, Chief of the General Staff of the Luftwaffe, who died from injuries suffered in the assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler in July 1944. the Tannenberg Memorial. German troops form an honor guard. The casket is flanked by 6 pallbearers, and covered in the German War ensign flag. Two of the pallbearers hold displays of Korten's numerous miiitary decorations. Large German crosses decorate the structures of the memorial, but no swastikas. Hermann Goering walks to pay condolences to Korten's widow and family members. The plaintive war song melody of, "Ich hatt' einen Kameraden," is heard throughout the film. Marshal Goering delivers a eulogy from a podium. The top military leadership is represented, including Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel, Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, and others. Closeup of the widow and gentleman relative. Goering, representing Adolf Hitler, salutes with his Marshal's baton and places a large wreath at the foot of the coffin. A sword, scabbard and helmet, are place atop the coffin. All present, stand and salute. Pallbearers carry the coffin at shoulder height following the wreath carried ahead. The coffin is placed in a crypt,
Adolf Hitler visits German Army officers, who were injured, in the July 20th assassination attempt against him. They are being treated at a military hospital, in Rastenburg, during World War 2. Among the victims he visits are: Major General Walter Scherff; Navy Captain Heinz Assmann; Rear Admiral Karl-Jesco von Puttkamer; and General Walther Buhle. Hitler is seen with a small bandage in his right ear due to a ruptured ear drum from the explosion. He takes time and speaks with each of the wounded officers. As he leaves, women nurses, assembled outside, render Nazi salutes, and cheer him. Change of scene shows Hitler, at the Wolf's Lair compound, near Rastenburg, East Prussia (now Poland). He greets Walther Funk, Reich Minister for Economic Affairs; a local Gauleiter; Reich Minister Albert Speer; a Dr. Sauer; and Reich Minister Hans Heinrich Lammers, President of the Reich Cabinet. Next scene shows Heinrich Himmler, chief of the Nazi Gestapo, speaking with General (Generaloberst) Ferdinand Schörner. Hitler strolls with Hermann Goering, and is then seen, from behind, as he greets Reich Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels and General (Generaloberst) Heinz Wilhelm Guderian, Chief of Staff of the Army. Beside him is Hermann Fegelein. The Nazi top leaders stand and converse. Goebbels speaks with Martin Bormann and General Alfred Jodl, whose head is bandaged. (He was injured during the July 20, 1944 assassination plot against Hitler.)
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