Landing craft being readied, in England, for the Normandy Invasion in World War 2. Sailors filling water cask on emergency life raft. LCI(L),U.S. Landing craft Infantry, Large, number 87. A small boat leaves that craft and another passes the camera boat. LCI(L) number 325 is seen (and a barrage balloon in far background). Coast Guard crew at work cleaning rust from craft 325. One is painting the deck. View of two LCI(L)s underway in water.
Landing Ship Tank, LST-831, carrying elements of the 2nd Marine Division, in amphibious assault rehearsal training in Northern Mariana Islands during World War 2. She displays red flag with white stripe, as a secondary control ship for Red Beach. (Later, in the Battle of Okinawa, they would be part of a demonstration Tractor Group making diversionary attacks on the Southeastern coast). She arrives at beach with bow doors open, lowers her ramp, and a landing vehicle tracked (LVT) exits onto the beach. A bright orange flag flutters on beach in front of the camera, where it has been planted to guide boats during the exercise. LST-831 then backs away from the beach to allow LVTs to get experience operating in deep water. Remaining footage shows LVTs making their way through the water, loaded with Marines. Closeup of an LVT.
Officers inspect Thompson submachine gun aboard the USS Elizabeth C. Stanton, AP-69 during landing maneuvers exercises on the Chesapeake Bay, in World War 2. Soldiers crouched in a Landing Craft under way towards a beach. Landing craft from the USS Elizabeth C. Stanton, arriving at the shore. Soldiers on beach advance towards the woods. Soldiers take cover in prone positions and dry fire their weapons.
United States soldiers go through a bayonet drill. Two soldiers practice with each other as others look on. Soldiers charge at dummies with bayonets. An instructor shows men how to bayonet the dummy. An instructor supervises and demonstrates to soldiers during a firing drill at a firing range. Soldiers fire Springfield rifles from hip and prone positions. (World War II period).
Views of wrecked German Messerschmitt Me 323 Gigant airplane at El Aquina airfield in Tunis, Tunisia. An American airman climbs upon the framework of the huge airplane. The vertical stabilizer is partially intact and contains many bullet holes.
The United States Army Eighth Air Force 351st Bombardment Group shooting for the film 'Combat America' in England. A United States Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress parked on the strip. Captain Clark Gable talking to GI in overalls. Captain Gable turns toward camera, and talks to someone off screen. Captain Gable and crew member in overalls, standing close to the B-17. An officer walks into picture, salutes and shakes hands with the Captain and carries on conversation. The three men walk under a wing of B-17 where they make a check on the super-charger. They inspect the landing gear,propeller, and flap. Captain Gable holds the propeller. Wing surface and antenna of the plane. The men check guns on the lower turret of B-17, then move to tail section where they check horizontal and vertical surface of the plane and the machine gun. Tail gunner of the B-17 sticks head out of window and talks to someone off screen. Top turret gunner does the same. Captain Gable, the officer, and crew member enter side door of B-17. B-17 taxis on runway and takes off. Old insignia on plane. (World War II period).
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