U.S. turns offensive in the Pacific theater and captures Tarawa from Japan during the World War II. The U.S. invasion fleet moves toward Tarawa. Sailors on the ship discuss the strategy. A globe showing the Pacific Ocean. Marines on the fleet ships pray. The U.S. Navy opens fire. Explosions on the surface of water. Marines land and fight after a naval bombardment. More reinforcements arrive. Destroyed Japanese emplacements due to the American offensive. Wrecked Japanese weapons on the island. Korean laborers. American construction battalions repair the damaged airfield.
U.S. military personnel gather around the door of a Navy R4D (Navy DC-3) parked on marsden matting ramp at an airbase in the Aleutian Islands (possibly Adak) during World War 2. Camera shifts attention to U.S. Army P-47E aircraft parked near the runway. Tents are pitched nearby and mountains are in the background. The P-40s display the characteristic yellow propeller spinners of the 11th Pursuit Squadron, “Aleutian Tigers,” but do not display more elaborate tiger markings. Back at the R4D, one of the Navy crew is checking passenger names as they board the aircraft. Next, the R4D transport plane is seen starting number 1 engine (#2 is already running). It takes off raising considerable dust as it gains speed. Its identification number, 4-R-107 is visible below the cockpit. After takeoff, it flies past a nearby mountain and circles back and buzzes the field, flying over the runway at about a thousand feet, as it proceeds on its way
American troops and war correspondents in France, during World War 2. They visit Mont Saint Michel, a small rocky island at the mouth of Couesnon River in Normandy, separating Normandy and Brittany. View of the island with a monastery at the top. War correspondent Robert Capa (of Life and of Time Magazines) looks on and takes pictures. Military jeeps leave the island. Madam Poulard stands under a sign at her Hotel Poulard. Sign for the Hotel and its reputed omelette. Soldiers on the street. Shops and French flags. GIs at the Benedictine Abbey and steepled church. An old French man points. U.S. Soldiers take a tour of the monastery with a woman guide. Steeples, towers, arches and other architectural features of the abbey and monastery. War correspondents including Charles Collingwood, Chicago Daily News' Helen Kirkpatrick, New Yorker Magazine's Joe Liebling (Abbot Joseph Liebling) and Warden Becker. Helen and Charles pose for the camera. Ernest Hemingway, covering for Colliers Magazine, drinks and talks to Bill Walton. War correspondents including Bill Stringer seated and walking on the street. They visit the monastery and take pictures. Civilians on the streets. Tall sticks in sand placed by German forces around the island to prevent Allied planes from landing at low tide. Three war orphan brothers whose parents were killed at the battle of St Lo, play on the beach as their grandmother looks on. Views of the island and patterns on the sand around the island from the receding waters of low tide. St. Malo, Brittany: Field near Saint Malo. American soldiers bathe and swim in a lake. They fool around in the water, taking a break from battle.
The life of General Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur on captured islands in the Pacific theater. Gen. Douglas confers and walks with other commanders. Animated map shows Allied advance from New Guinea Islands towards the Philippine Islands. General Douglas in conference with President Roosevelt, and Admiral Nimitz. MacArthur points at a map and explains his plan of action. In accordance to the plan the Allied convoy sails towards Leyte Islands. Fighting and combat at the Philippine Islands. Behind naval bombardment the allied troops land on the island. MacArthur's face is iluminated by intermittent light from Naval Gunfire at night as he watches the landing from a battleship. In daylight, MacArthur on deck with with a three-star general, as he smokes his corn cob pipe. Allied troops establish a beachead on Leyte. General MacArthur gets off an Landing ship and wades ashore. Allied troops move towards Manila. Block-by-block fighting on streets of Manila against Japanese forces. American paratroopers jump and land on Corregidor; scenes of parachutes descending and landing. MacArthur and his staff stroll down a street in Manila. He visits the prison camps and speaks with joyful, liberated, former prisoners of the Japanese. MacArthur salutes as the American Flag is raised in a ceremony over Corregidor. Image of atomic bomb explosion. MacArthur gets off a plane wearing 5 stars. Scenes of Japanese surrender ceremony aboard the Battleship Missouri at end of World War 2 in 1945. MacArthur gives an address to conclude the proceedings. (World War II period).
Battle of Corregidor in the Pacific Campaign of World War 2 in Philippines. U.S. Light Cruisers bombarding Corregidor Island. Smoke rising from numerous shell strikes. U.S. aircraft flying overhead toward the island. Bombs exploding in upper parts of hill on island. Smoke rising all along the shoreline. U.S. light cruisers bombarding the island, from close in. Closeup of St. Louis Class light cruiser firing on the island. A Cleveland Class light cruiser (with single stack) firing at the island.
Animated map shows U.S. forces extending control in the Pacific to the Mariana Islands islands in the Pacific during World War 2. It shows chain of airfields linking island of Truk to homeland, Japan. Map focuses on island of Truk, in Micronesia, showing concentration of Japanese aircraft, ships, and troops there. Paths of U.S. air and naval attacks on Truk are shown. Map shows Japanese fleet withdrawing and U.S. forces by-passing Truk to concentrate on the Mariana islands. U.S. naval task force is seen off the island of Saipan on June 11, 1944. Two U.S. battleships are followed by two escort aircraft carriers/ Barrels of battleship triple guns firing at Saipan. Landing Craft Tank: Rocket LCT(R) firing salvos of rockets. Glimpse from aircraft, overhead, of landing craft leaving white wakes during amphibious assault. Closeups of U.S. troops in landing craft. View from shore of American troops storming ashore through surf, from landing craft, under heavy enemy fire. Closeup of soldier hunkered down in sand. Soldier dropping down from side of beached landing vehicle tracked (LVT). A dead U.S. soldier floating in the water. Troops firing from their LVTs. Shells striking on sandy shore. Marines running with stretcher over their shoulders Fletcher class destroyer firing her guns to port. Brooklyn class light cruiser firing guns to port. View from ships flying Japanese flags, of Japanese warships headed to engage U.S. fleet. Japanese aircraft carriers and Aichi Kokuki KK dive bomber (Val) taking off from a carrier. Aerial closeup of Japanese Val aircraft in flight, with pilot clearly visible before he banks his plane to the left. Formations of Japanese Val aircraft in flight. Formation of American Grumman TBF Avenger aircraft engaging the Japanese. Gun camera film showing Japanese aircraft being shot down. A Japanese aircraft crashing into the sea. Sailors of U.S. ship firing batteries of Bofors 40mm anti aircraft guns. and 20mm anti aircraft guns. Black flak clouds in the sky. A Japanese plane crashing into the sea. Aerial view of formation of Japanese Val aircraft in flight. Closeup of a Japanese Kawasaki Ki-61 (Hien) aircraft maneuvering to attack. More views of Japanese Val aircraft in formation. American dive bombers dropping bombs on, Japanese held, Orote airfield. View from the air of bombs striking and smoke clouds. Fires burning on the airfield. An American navy F6F hellcat plane diving. Gun camera film showing Japanese aircraft being downed. A plane director on deck of U.S. aircraft carrier. Two Grumman TBF aircraft taking off from a carrier. View toward tail of one taking off. U.S. aircraft in formation overhead, and then peeling off in trail formation to attack a target. Japanese ships being strafed. U.S. infantry continuing heavy fighting on Saipan.
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