French troops engage Germans (not seen) from trenches only 40 feet apart, during World War 1. explosions create a line of white smoke in background, as French troops are photographed in a deep trench by camera from above. Glimpse of a French Schneider 240 mm howitzer firing. Shells striking and heavy white smoke rising. French troops in a deep trench, lined with woven wood sticks. They use a grenade launcher to propel ball grenades. Grenades striking and raising clouds of white smoke. A French soldier by several canisters placed in a trench. He ignites one that begins to emit white smoke. He quickly leaves the trench as all the canisters ignite and generate large clouds of white gas that drifts toward the German trenches. Views from evacuated position of the gas rising and drifting. Several French artillerymen firing a heavy gun. They run to the rear of the gun as it fires and some cover their ears. More views of the gas drifting toward German trenches. A German shell explodes on or near the French trench where the gas is being generated. A battery of French 120mm long guns mounted on railway flat cars. They fire tear gas shells. View of the same trenches shown earlier, with gas continuing to cloud the area, and a shell exploding in the midst of it. French soldiers in a fortified position,load,tighten,and release a grenade launcher, propelling a grenade toward German positions. An Aasen mortar (Mortier Aasen) 3.5-inch (88.9-mm) gun-mortar firing gas shells from a trench. White smoke rising from shell strikes. Small German shell or grenade, exploding just outside a French trench. French soldiers hunched down and moving quickly through a trench, and then going "over the top," in a charge. (Note: This footage was filmed by the famous American World War 1 photographer, Donald C. Thompson, as indicated in the opening slate.)
People gather to watch air show commemorating 20th anniversary of Langley field, Virginia. Long line of P-12s parked with engines running on the air base ready for flight. Crew members rush towards the planes. Y1B-17 bombers, from 2nd Bombardment Group, move slowly along taxi strip toward the runway. One of the B-17B takes off. Nine B-17Bs in flight in echelon formation. PT-6 lays a smoke screen. P3-2As and PB-2As, of the 8th Pursuit Group, fly low over the field. Suddenly, one PB-2A dives and crashes into the ground, and burns. Smoke arises from the crashed plane. (Major Alfred J. Waller is killed in the crash and his observer, Sergeant John Johnston is injured.)
German Bf.109 E aircraft fly low in formation over railroad tank cars being filled with liquid from a ship in a port. Closeup of the liquid being discharged from a large hose into the tank car. A formation of German Dornier DO-17 bombers in flight overhead. German aircraft with engines running on a flight line. They have two long curving pipes, each collecting exhaust from six cylinders of its 12 cylinder engine. A formation of Heinkel He 51 airplanes taking off. A formation of Dornier Do 23 G heavy bombers in flight. View of bombs falling from aircraft. Bombs bursting on the ground. (World War II; WW II; World War 2; World War Two)
Ground crew members flash a searchlight in the European Theater. A German guard stands near a pole. Germans operate a radar machine. German women radio receivers work receiving updates on enemy positions. A woman writes a message and raises her hand for another woman to take and deliver it. High-ranking German officers marking a spot on a large wall map. Officers seated at table. German radio operators at work, wearing headphones, listening to transmissions and taking notes. German officers work on a large table map. German pilots resting in a barracks on bunks while other play cards. Siren sounds and they scramble and run out of building. German pilots run up to a long line of ME-109s. They climb into the cockpits of ME-109 aircraft. Ground crew starts plane. ME-109 taxi and take off from the airfield. A German writes on a chart. Crew operates a searchlight. A plane in flight. A German draws on a wall map. Searchlight flashed on the flying plane.
Russian artillerymen shell a Turkish battery across a valley in the Caucasus during World War 1. View of gun crew loading a 155mm wheeled long gun, set up over a valley in the Caucasus. The principal gunner aims the gun and then the crew fires it. (WWI; WW1)
A French railroad gun captured by the Germans during World War 1. German soldiers stand near a damaged French railway gun. "Against the Big Bertha" is written on the gun, in French. Two soldiers sit on the gun barrel. Other soldiers stand on the railway gun and pose for the movie camera. (This is a German film with English caption describing the gun as one of the heavy rail guns intended to silence our long range guns firing on Paris.)
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