Crowd fills the Plaza Venezia in Rome where Benito Mussolini appears on the balcony of the Piazza Venezia (formerly known as the Palace of St Mark) in Italy, on June 10, 1940. He announces that Italy has entered World War 2 on the side of the Axis powers. Views of the jubilant crowd waving Italian and some Swastika flags. Next, a road sign points to Paris and to Poissons, in France followed by view of German troops triumphantly entering Paris, through the Arch of Triumph. View of the Eiffel Tower, and of a German flag flying atop it. More views of German troops marching through Paris. A German railway gun firing. (Narrator implies that the target is the Maginot Line, which is not correct. It was bypassed by the Germans, negating need to attack it directly.) Other German railway guns and siege mortars firing and many huge explosions and fires are seen, including some from flame throwers. Next, German troops are seen marching around a circle where a railroad car is parked near Compiègne, France. This rail car is the scene of Germany's surrender to France in World War I. Statue of French Marshal Foch, who had then, received the delegates of vanquished Germany here. Adolf Hitler walking past a German Honor Guard, salutes. He is accompanied by Marshal Hermann Goering and other high ranking military persons. The nearby 1918 "Alsace-Lorraine monument" is covered by a German flag. The German delegation headed by Hitler and Goering, enter the rail car and take their places. Outside, the French delegation, headed by General Charles Huntziger, is escorted by German officers. They enter the car and he German delegation stands. Both delegations exchange salutes. Next, Hitler is seen stepping from the rail car, followed by Goering. The German delegation walks past the honor guard, and Hitler salutes them. German and French officials still in the rail car exchange salutes. Hitler expresses jubilation.
During World War 1, in 1918, American Expeditionary Force's 1st Aero Squadron members, including a mascot dog, pose on airfield. Airplanes in the background. Crewman pastes paper iron cross over enemy bullet hole in tail of airplane. Colonel Billy Mitchell decorating a flyer. General Benjamin Foulois in cockpit of a DH-4. United States officers shake hands with Colonel Thomas D. Milling. Colonel Frank Laub talks with a French officer. Members of the Lafayette Escadrille converted to the American 103rd Aero Squadron. July 1918 - Major William Thaw, steps forward and salutes, followed by Lieutenant Gordon D. Larner, Lieutenant Charles I. Merrick, and Lieutenant Edgar G. Tobin. Ace Captain Field Kindley, stands by a Sopwith Camel, supporting a small dog perched on its propeller. Ace Major Raoul Lufbery, smoking a cigarette, poses in front of a Nieuport 28c.1. Ace Captain Elliot Springs, also smoking a cigarette, poses in front of another airplane. Ace of Aces, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, poses by SPAD S.XIII, number 5 ( its number not seen in this image) with "Hat in Ring" insignia painted on fuselage. (WWI,WW1, World War One, First World War)
Opening scene shows a French Salmson 2 aircraft with front wheels chocked in a concrete pit and its tail supported to maintain the aircraft level during test firing of its machine gun. Mechanics surround the plane. Its engine is running. A mechanic leans over the Vickers .303 caliber machine gun installed at the front cockpit. (It is synchronized so as to fire through the propeller while the engine is running, however it is not being fired at this time.) Scene shifts to closeup view from front cockpit of engine with cowling covers removed. Gun sight and a scope are seen. Camera pans down revealing top of the cockpit instrument panel where needle/ball, airspeed, clock, and some engine instruments are visible. Glimpse of a side-mounted Vickers machine gun firing on a French Breguet 14. Next, Lieutenant Eddie Rickenbacker (prior to October, 1918, when he was promoted to Captain) is seen in cockpit of his parked Nieuport 28 aircraft. He manipulates the two Vickers machine guns installed on his plane (but does not fire them). Scene shifts to the French Breguet 14, seen firing machine gun, earlier. It is being towed backwards, up and out of the testing pit. (Minor Note: Rickenbacker's 94th Aero Squadron had their Neuports replaced by Spads in July 1918, so the brief scene showing him was shot before then.
The Armistice at Compiegne, France on 22nd June, 1940 between France and Germany during World War II. German officers including General William Keitel, accompany Chancellor Adolf Hitler as they walk past a German honor guard lined up, while a band plays the German National Anthem. French General Charles Huntziger and another officer arrive and enter a railway carriage (the same one in which Germany signed the 1918 armistice). Interiors of carriage showing French General Huntziger signing the documents. Adolf Hitler has left and is chatting with German officers outside. General Keitel presents the document to Hitler for countersigning. Hitler asks for a pen, and they drop it as Keitel hands it to Hitler. Keitel quickly retrieves it and Hitler signs. French General Huntziger steps down from the rail car and is escorted away with others of his party. Hitler expresses pure delight in chatting with members of his staff.
Marshal Joffre presides at a celebration in honor of Mr Edward Shearson, American philanthropist and Chairman of the American Committee of the Fatherless Children of France. Marshal Joffre is seen at a party held by the committee of Fraternite Franco-Americaine, where he was present to thank the children of America for aiding orphan children of France in World War I. Joffre stands with William Graves Sharp, American Ambassador to France, who holds a glass in hand. Joffre talks to the people in the party. Also present at the party: Captain Charles Carroll of Carrollton Maryland, from the American Red Cross; Admiral Fournier, Andre Tardieu, French High Commissioner to the United States; Louis LaFerre, French Minister of Public Instruction.
U.S. troops in La Cheppe, France during World War I. The troops unload hay from railroad cars. They stand around the hay. The troops walk on a street. Houses on either side of the street. Cars and horse drawn carts carry hay. The soldiers cook food and eat it. They sit in a circle and play a game.
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