The Allied Forces crush the Axis troops in the Mediterranean during World War II. Italy surrenders. Newspapers in the U.S. show headlines of surrender of Italy. People in the streets read the newspapers. In New York the Americans of Italian descent celebrate Italy's surrender. Roll of honor. A child holds an American flag. American and Italian flags side by side. An Allied convoy moves towards North Africa. Allied troops land in North Africa. U.S. General Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander; British General Montgomery, commander 8th Army and Lieutenant General Clark, commander of U.S. 5th Army are shown. U.S. President Franklin D Roosevelt and the British Prime Minister Churchill meet at Casablanca. Prelude to surrender- Allied planes drop bombs on islands off Italy. Allied warships off the coast of Sicily. Fighting off the coast. Sicily is invaded by the Allied troops. Americans land on shore. The U.S. 7th Army and the British 8th Army land on Italy's mainland behind a naval bombardment. The Allied soldiers in the streets. U.S. Army Corporal Salvatore DeMarco, of Italian origin, reunites with his family after having left home at age 15. German troops surrender to the U.S. troops and are sent out of the country in ships.
Convoy of Japanese supply ships in the Southwest Pacific during World War 2. Mysteriously, two explode. One sinks and one is left burning. Narrator describes similar losses of Japanese cargo vessels and Japanese reports attributing the losses to new superior American aircraft. View of Japanese Military High Command buildings in Tokyo, Japan. An Imperial Japanese Navy Night Fighter (QHAFMFA6) seen taking off. Japanese admiral boards warship to plan Imperial Navy strategy and tactics. Attacking aircraft is shown as a U.S. Navy PBY Catalina Flying Boat. Several views of Catalina flying boats in flight, painted black for night flying (called "Black Cats"). Aerial view of islands with small harbors where a PBY can hide during daylight. Base personnel gather at a catalina base awaiting an overdue returning PBY. She appears and buzzes base to announce successful mission. The PBY then lands in nearby harbor, taxis toward shore and is met by sailors in boats who attach a tow line to winch the PBY ashore, tail first. Squadron Commander meets the plane as the crew disembarks. Commodore Thomas S. Combs, Commander Aircraft 7th Fleet, arrives by jeep with Group Commander, Captain Peck. Crew gives quick accounting of mission. Corpsmen take wounded combat cameraman from the PBY on a stretcher. Tow pulls the PBY to area of ramp for servicing and repairs. Maintenance personnel note crew report of problems and begin corrective actions. They count 8 bullet holes in starboard wing.They find hole in fuselage from shrapnel that wounded the cameraman, and repair it. They repair a gas tank leak and refuel the PBY. View of 525lb and 1000lb bombs in Squadron dump. Armorers assemble belts of 50cal machine gun ammunition.They rearm the PBY with bombs under one wing and a torpedo under the other, and machine gun ammunition. They remove two black cats (animals) from inside the airplane. PBY crew plays water polo with a coconut. View of officer's quarters. Pilots prepare for next mission and go to intelligence briefing
Allied Operation Husky in World War 2. Opening scene shows Allied ships in task force bound for the invasion of Sicily, Italy. Barrage balloons are seen in sky overhead. At first most of the ships seen are troop transports. Then a British Escort Cruiser is seen, followed by other British warships. The British Naval Ensign flying from the masthead of a warship. More views of battleships and destroyers. Aircraft carriers in line. View from ship in the task force as it passes island off Tunisia, and then passing Cape Bon, Sicily. A British destroyer pulls to the port side of the camera ship and transfers a person by bosun's chair. (Narrator calls him a "military expert.") Glimpses of life aboard the ships of the task force. Sailors swimming in a pool aboard deck. Others repairing shoes; washing items in small buckets; and reading "soldiers Guide to Sicily." Sailors use signal lamp to communicate with other ships. Sailors man and maneuver a multi barrel bofors anti-aircraft gun, on deck. Suddenly winds pick up and the seas become very rough. Next, the seas are seen very calm. Scene shifts to North African mainland, where several trucks full of British and American paratroopers move across the sand toward C-47 aircraft that will take them behind enemy lines in Sicily. C-47s are seen parked all over the area. Paratroopers don their chutes and battle gear as they prepare to board their aircraft. Closeup of a crew chief pulling propeller through on number one engine of a parked C-47 aircraft. British paratroopers assist one another with their gear. Officer makes final check of paratroopers under his command. Closeup of British paratroopers boarding their C-47 transport aircraft, and the plane taxiing in sand and taking off. Numerous C-47s taking off as daylight wanes. Allied warships bombarding the Sicilian shore in the nighttime. Troops engaged in amphibious assault on beaches of Sicily. Battle scenes showing black flak clouds in the sky and explosions near the assault and landing craft during the amphibious operations. Black smoke rising from Allied ships struck by bombs or shelling. A landing craft, filled with Canadian soldiers, leaves a transport ship headed for the beach. Other assault boats headed for the beach. Views from the Allied beachhead on Sicilian shore. British, Canadian and American troops making their way from landing craft to the shore, guided by ropes. The march along the shore. A British scout car arrives on the beach, followed by a truck. Then tanks come ashore from large landing craft. Some troops come ashore on a DUKW amphibian vehicle. Allied troops wade ashore and smile for the camera.
U.S. Torpedo Bombers TBF Avenger in flight over Espiritu Santo Island. The TBF Avenger bombers in various formations over clouds.
U.S. Liberator bombers fly over Pacific Theater. They strike Japanese installations in Pacific Theater. Landing crafts carry infantry and vehicles. United States troops land on the Pacific Island during amphibious assault. Troops carry supplies. Steam shovels and tractors clear jungle foliage for an airstrip. Firing in the forest area. (World War II period).
Australian troops in Timor during World War II. A map of Timor. Australian troops isolated on the island. The soldiers cook food and eat. A man holds a coconut and takes a bath. Natives help a soldier to bathe as they pour water. Soldiers plan a run raid on Japanese positions. They look at a map. They attack a native village. People run away to save their lives. Australian troops construct a radio set. They work on the radio to send messages to the nearby head quarters. Authenticity of their messages is tested. On being proven authentic help flies in. A plane in flight as it brings mail, food and arms. Soldiers read their mail.
CRITICALPAST.COM: About Us | Contact Us | FAQs - How to Order | License Agreement | My Account | My Lightboxes | Shopping Cart | Advanced Search | Featured Collections | Website Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy ©2026 CriticalPast LLC.
License Agreement |
Terms & Conditions |
Privacy Policy
©2026 CriticalPast LLC.