Film begins with animated map depicting conquest of the Balkans by the German-Italian Axis powers. With Southern flank now protected, Germany begins Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, View of German troops goosestepping on parade in large formation. German troops being transported on parade in formation of wheeled open personnel carriers. Glimpse of upper part of Spasskaya Tower and clock overlooking Red Square in Moscow, Soviet Union. View of Soviet heavy industry complex with many smoke stacks. New farm tractors being moved on a railroad train. Scene segues into train carrying Soviet tanks, and then continues with scenes in a steel mill, a machine shop, a tank factory, and an artillery plant. Soviet troops parade bearing left shouldered rifles and singing as they march. Soviet civilian men are seen reporting for duty in the military and then training in hills overlooking a war plant complex. New Soviet recruits training with calisthenics and with small arms. A Soviet soldier speeds past the camera on a motorcycle and segues into a soldier on a horse jumping over a barrier, and then into several Soviet soldiers in uniforms, with rifles, diving into a swimming pool and swimming across it. Film ends showing Soviet troops in formation bringing their rifles from present arms position to pointing forward, as they march.
German forces overrunning Soviet cities and towns during Operation Barbarossa of World War II. View of the city, Pskov, on the Veilakaya river. A steel bridge is seen and city across it with smoke rising. German troops marching in loose formation over a bridge in Novogorod. Views of German armor and troops entering Soviet cities of Brest-litovsk, Minsk, Mogilev, and Vitebsk. View of German Panzer III tank heading toward the camera as it enters a narrow street in Smolensk. Animated map shows progress of these German advances and highlights German forces under German Field Marshal Gerd Von Runstedt attacking deep into the Ukraine. Headline on Chicago Daily News reads: "Nazis Claim Knock-out Victory" with subtitle line reading,"Moscow line cracks." Other newspapers reflect conviction that Soviet forces face imminent defeat by Germany. Slate shows communique issued by the German High Command, stating: "The issue in the East has already been settled. Smolensk is the last halt on the road to Moscow." More views of marching German troops. A battery of Soviet artillery firing from a snow-covered field. Animated map shows German forces movement close to Moscow and Foreign diplomatic representatives being moved from Moscow to city of Kuibyshev. Hitler speaking on October 3, 1941, saying "This enemy is broken and will never rise again." Animated map depicts 500 thousand square miles of Soviet territory occupied by December, 1941, and compares it to the entire west central United States encompassing the states of : South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Glimpse of fires raising much smoke in agricultural area of the Soviet Union, destroyed industrial plants, and huge numbers of Soviet citizens under German occupation. Destroyed Soviet armor, aircraft and artillery pieces. With winter coming on, views of German forces in rain gear moving slowly through cold rainy weather. Some walk beside horses and other ride on horse-drawn caissons along with artillery pieces. Segments of film show contrast between the German military strategies. The German forces would plunge deep into enemy territory and create an area of conquest. This is illustrated by a slate bearing Adolf Hitler's statement that, "A single blow must destroy the enemy, without regard for losses, a gigantic destroying blow." An animated map reminds the viewer of the success of this approach by the Germans in Poland, France, and the Balkans. German Generals seen planning the same "Blitz" approach against the Soviets. Film shifts to the Soviet strategy, showing their military planners idea of defense in depth, with multiple lines of successively stronger defense, taking advantage of the great size of their territory. Views of Soviet troops on the move. View of Shells knocking out a German tanks. Panzer III tanks advancing. Panzer VI tanks completely covered by German troops catching rides. Soviet field artillery and machine guns firing in cities, forcing German soldiers to leave their vehicles and seek them out. Soviet cities bombed out and burning, limiting the ability of armor to navigate in them. Montage of battle scenes cities of Rostov, Kharkov, Kiev, Kursk, Smolensk, standing in the way of the Nazi blitz into the Soviet Union. Battles being waged in cities. (World War II; WW II; World War 2; World War Two)
A film about Sir Ernest Shackleton's last expedition to Antarctica. Ship Quest reaches the southern most point of it's trip during their Antarctica expedition. Crew members dig and load blocks of ice in a container. The container being pulled aboard . The crew members dig at the snow covered ice and a dog is seen in the foreground. The ship is stopped, unable to get past the ice.
Film of the Quest's return journey, 8 months after the death of SIr Ernest Shackleton at South Georgia, Antarctica (on January 3, 1922). The expedition has stopped at Ascension Island en route to Antarctica. On 4th August, the expedition's naturalist George Hubert Wilkins, together with Major C. A. Tennyson (Commandant of the Ascension Island Garrison), explores a colony of sooty terns (also known as Wideawakes).
Allied campaign against Nazi Germany in 1944 during World War II. Tanks, artillery and supplies piled up in England for invasion of Europe. Allied soldiers from various Allied nations like Britain, America, New Zealand and South Africa gathered at docks. The soldiers loaded onto transport ships. Soldiers get into landing crafts. Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force General Dwight D. Eisenhower at a map in Headquarters as he plans the invasion of France. The Allied invasion fleet underway in the English Channel to invade France. A map shows the location of Caen, France. Allied aircraft in flight and view at aircraft door as line of paratroopers jump. Massive group of parachutes in the sky as paratroopers descend. Explosions occur at a coast. Landing crafts beached and soldiers come ashore amidst heavy firing. Rockets and artillery being fired. Vehicles on the beach. A truck burns. A map depicts the area under Nazi German occupation before World War II and the recapture of those areas by Allied armies in 1944.
A Junkers Ju-52 aircraft, carrying Adolf Hitler, lands in a grass airfield at Kalinovka, Ukraine, during Operation Barbarossa in World War 2. German soldiers and airmen rush to meet the aircraft, as it arrives. Closeup of Hitler as he steps from the airplane and returns a Nazi salute to officers greeting him. Closeup glimpse of swastika displayed on hood of Mercedes Benz G4 staff car as officer opens door for Hitler., who climbs aboard. View of the staff car driving across the field. German aircraft parked, casually, around its periphery in the background. Closeup of destroyed Soviet artillery tractor and field piece. Hitler's motorcade driving along a tree-lined dirt road. Closeups of destroyed Soviet tank parts along the roadside. German officers and German troops line the roadside and salute as Hitler passes. Hitler arriving and entering the Army Group South headquarters. Inside He is seen at a planning table pouring over a map with Field Marshal Fedor von Bock. Next, Hitler is seen leaving the headquarters building, surrounded by officers and soldiers rendering the Nazi salute. he shakes hands with several of the officers and is next seen boarding the Mercedes G4 staff car, encircled by enthusiastic soldiers. All salute again as the vehicle drives away. Location shifts to Italy, where civilian recruits march on their way to join the army. Helmeted army troops stand in formation on the platform as their train leaves the station. A contingent of Italian army soldiers heading to the Eastern front moves through cheering crowds. They are inspected by an Italian General and others, including a German officer, as they stand in formation on a train platform. Afterwards, some are presented flowers by loved ones. The platform is filled with well-wishers who wave as their train leaves the station. A contingent of Italian troops stands at attention as they prepare to depart to the Eastern front. they receive flowers as they board train and depart. The train station platform is filled with those waving goodbye.
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