At beginning, and throughout the film, organ music is heard as camera pans from top of a church tower, down across the roof and sides, to the front of a church building in a German occupied town in Southern France, during World War 2. A lone German soldier patrols an empty street in the background. Closeup of the German soldier patrolling. Camera pans over stained glass window inside the church to a German soldier at keyboard playing the church organ. Camera shifts to view of interior balcony and stained glass windows at front of the church. View of soldiers hands on the keyboard as he plays the organ. Interior view of side of the church with pillars above which Gothic arches extend toward the roof. Camera pans down to view from behind the organist, showing him and the full interior of the church in the background, behind him. (The organ is located in a loft at the rear of the church.) Closeup profile of the soldier organist. Camera pans inside, showing damage to roof and then down to large pieces of masonry rubble on the floor. View changes to closeup profile of a German soldier standing outside at the door of the church.
As film begins, heavily camouflaged German Panther tanks (Panzerkampfwagen V Panther) are seen moving along a dirt road in Normandy during World War 2. Next, German infantry walk along a road next to forests and behind a Stug IV assault gun. A stone marker on the ground, at rear of a parked Panther tank, points to Beauquay 5 Km and Aunay 7Km. A German soldier lying prone on side of road firing an M42 machine gun. Another soldier lying prone behind him. Parked Stug IV with gun pointed to right. Some infantry gather behind artillery firing from heavily camouflaged positions. An officer with headphones communicates to gun crews. Shells bursting in the distance. A battery of rocket launchers (Nebelwerfers) begins firing. Closeup of soldier activating remote fire control box. White smoke rising in distance. Infantry moving forward toward area of white smoke. German soldiers examine a dead American soldier lying next to a knocked out Sherman tank. Closeup of large shell hole in side of the tank. German infantryman walks past a destroyed U.S. Army tank. A German soldier exploring inside the turret of a half overturned American tank. A formation of German soldiers at a field decoration ceremony. Soldiers receiving the iron cross award. They exchange hand salutes and handshakes afterwards. Next, Oberleutnant Franz Ludwig Chef 2. Batterie / Sturmgeschutz - Abteilung 1346 and Commander Stug III (Sd. Kfz. 1542/1) is seen showing approval of a soldier who mans a Stug III Ausf G, with numerous white rings painted on its gun barrel (indicating victories in combat). (Franz Ludwig is wearing the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, awarded on June 24, 1944 for success against British tanks in combat at the forest of Bovent east of the River Orne, Normandy.) Closeups of Franz Ludwig. View of him briefing several soldiers as they stand in front of barrel-striped StuG III. (Note: Franz Ludwig died in combat on August 14, 1944.)
Opening scene shows a German half track (Sd.Kfz. 251) racing through sandy areas in Normandy during World War 2. Closeup of the half track. It is followed by a Panzer III tank. View across a grassy field of shells exploding in the distance. Glimpse of a German soldier's helmet as he ducks down to fire an artillery piece. Close view of a shell exploding and throwing debris into the air. A destroyed building in the background. View from top of closed up self-propelled gun as it fires.Shell exploding in near distance, raising dense smoke. Closeup of a knocked out smoking Allied tank. German soldiers silhouetted against background, as they run from area filled with white smoke. German tank firing from camouflaged position nested in huge pile of twigs. German infantry advancing along sides of a road in a rural village and running past some bombed out buildings including some on fire.
Square overlooking Danzig Town Hall (Długa 46, 80-831 Gdańsk, Poland) is filled with flags and banners of Nazi Germany during World War 2. A crowd watches a Nazi marching band in the square. German 60th Infantry Division (60th Panzergrenadier Division Feldherrnhalle) marches in the streets of Danzig holding their banner. The Nazi Wehrmacht infantry marches past the front of Danzig ( Gdansk ) Główny Central Train Station (Podwale Grodzkie 2, 80-895 Gdańsk, Poland). Rows of German soldiers neatly lined up as Zug (platoon) marches into place. Soldiers execute the Inspector Arms formation, showing their rifles. Saluting SS officials in Danzig. German soldiers standing in formation. SS generals walking by soldiers as they do the Nazi salute. A group of German soldiers standing with a Nazi banner displaying the words “Feldherrnhalle”, “Deutschland” and “Erwache” (“Feldherrnhalle. Germany Wake up”). Danzig town square filled with Nazi banners and Feldhernnhalle Wehrmacht soldiers standing in formation. “Feldherrnhalle” banner on display. Feldhernnhalle soldiers marching. General performing the Nazi salute. Feldhernnhalle soldiers marching in the Long Lane (Ulica Długa in Polish, Langgasse in German) leading to the Danzig Town Hall.
At the Führer Headquarters (Führerhauptquartiere) or Wolf’s Lair, in Gierłoż, East Prussia (later Poland), German leader and Führer Adolf Hitler walks in a garden with a group of Nazi senior officials during World War 2. Hitler salutes guards while passing them. Hitler and the group of officials enter headquarters. Hitler meets with Otto Skorzeny, an Austrian-born SS Lieutenant Colonel ( Obersturmbannführer ) in the Waffen-SS. View of Skorzeny talking to Hitler.
During World War 2, a Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor aircraft taxis into Zaporozhye (Zaporizhzhia) airfield. German leader Adolf Hitler, wearing ear plugs, gets off the plane, passing by his personal pilot Hans Baur performing the Nazi salute. Hitler meets Eastern Front General Commander Erich von Manstein and the two look at a map on a table with other army officials. Hitler points to the map as they discuss. A Mercedes-Benz 770 automobile drives onto the airfield to waiting Wehrmacht soldiers. A soldier opens the door. Hitler and some officials get out of the car. Hitler shakes hands with Manstein and they salute each other good-bye. View from behind Hitler, seated inside the plane and wearing ear plugs, as he waves through the window as the plane takes off. The plane’s left wing is seen as it flies in the sky.
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