Planning of bombing raids on Emden, Germany by U.S. 56th Fighter Group in England during World War II. Presentation of awards to pilots including the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) to United States Army Air Forces Captain Gerald W. Johnson after the mission. Past events show an officer at a desk talking over a telephone. Officers marking bomber route and locations of AAA (Anti-Aircraft Artillery) on a wall map. Major General William Kepner pointing to the map. Teletype operators sending and receiving message. Personnel reading messages, marking routes on a wall map, setting up a room for briefing and making phone calls. Pilots relaxing, gathering around a blackboard as orders of flight are assigned.
Franklin D. Roosevelt begins his election campaign in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He delivers a speech at the convention hall. He addresses the prospect of war (early in World War 2) saying, "We are arming ourselves not for any foreign war. We are arming ourselves not for any purpose of conquest or intervention in foreign disputes. I repeat again that I stand on the Platform of our Party: 'We will not participate in foreign wars and we will not send our army, naval or air forces to fight in foreign lands outside of the Americas except in case of attack.'"
United States Army soldiers in a market area in India during World War 2. American soldiers move about the market place in India, shop for items, and watch a snake charmer at work. Allied war equipment unloaded at a port and carried away on camel carts into Burma. American tanks being unloaded and transported by rail. Camel caravans hauling boxes of rifles and ammunition. Camels pulling wagons filled with armament. Supplies being loaded into U.S. Army aircraft for delivery to the battle front. British Indian troops move up the jungle terrain in Burma and fight against Japanese troops in World War II. British troops guarding a border railroad. Some British soldiers pop out from a hidden trench at a railroad line with rifles ready (likely training operation). View of an Indian river that narrator says is mined. Indian sappers wire wooden rafts with explosives to float out. American airmen on airfield with Indian temple in background are seen briefing Chinese pilots in training at the airbase. Closeup views of faces of Chinese pilots. Fighter aircraft and bomber aircraft taking off to hold open the Burma road from the air. Aerial view of aircraft propeller spinning on airborne aircraft with Indian city in background. Allied aircraft bombing Japanese positions.
A U.S. Tactical Air Command C-13OE plane lands and raises considerable dust as it fully reverses all four engines to stop on the short dirt runway at Paulis, Republic of Congo, for evacuation to Leopoldville. Belgian soldiers direct the former hostages to board the aircraft. They do so carrying personal luggage. Several of the freed hostages appear to be clergymen.
View, from Japanese Seaplane tender/troop carrier, Kamikawa Maru, of several gunboats following behind her during approach to Hong Kong in World War 2. Aichi E13A Japanese float plane (Jake) is partially visible on ship's catapult. Japanese troops assemble on deck of ship and are inspected by officers. A float plane is catapulted. The Japanese troops enter assault boat, carrying rising sun naval ensigns. The float plane taxis past troops in their boat. The troops wave to their shipmates who wave back from the Kamikawa Maru. Assault boats underway with gunboats following. Naval guns firing from twin turret aboard Japanese warship. Heavy guns firing from battleship. Aichi E13A plane overhead. Japanese warships in bay below. Aerial view of smoke rising in Hong Kong from naval barrage and bombing. Japanese troops taking fortified positions, running past barbed wire obstacles, and climbing a steel crane at the port with a sign reading "Babcox and Wilcox Ltd, 5 tons at 30 ft and 2- 1/2 tons at 45 ft ." Smoke billowing in the air as Japanese troops run along a rooftop.Smoke rising from a virtual sea of flames. Scene shifts to later after fires have been extinguished. Senior Japanese officers inspect the state of the port and facilities. Sunken British ship, at pier, in camouflage paint. Surrendered British sailors, and some soldiers, held in a large open square.
Opening scene shows large stores of military supplies needed to support invasion forces in various areas during World War 2. An American C-47 transport airplane taking off from a field in a desert area. Local people with a donkey and cart in foreground. View from within a formation of U.S. B-17 flying fortress bombers flying above clouds. View shifts to the bombers silhouetted against clouds below. Complete change of scene to amphibious forces in action. Two American Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft fly just above the water at high speed to attack enemy shore positions in the Pacific. Close-up of one as it appears above the camera. Sections of a city separated by a body of water, somewhere in Europe. Huge quantities of war materiel stored on a beach in Italy, with mountains in background. Truck convoys transporting supplies away from the area. Landing Ships Tank (LSTs) sit at water’s edge with their bow doors open. One is American LST-350. Large mountain in background. Small multi-masted boats without sails, at an inlet in background. Soldiers are busy unloading equipment and supplies from the LSTs. View from above of cranes on barges loading landing craft with supplies at an established pier. Close-ups of LSTs being offloaded by American soldiers. Troops look out portholes of a transport ship. A number of Higgins Boats pulled up to the shore where trucks are lined up. Solders on a DUKW (amphibious truck 6x6) equipped with an A-frame crane. More views of the port showing a caterpillar bulldozer pulling trailers of supplies, and trucks. A large transport ship tied up at an established port, where it unloads a British Crusader tank. View into the hold of the ship where a number of Crusader tanks are stowed next to one another. Ships of an invasion task off Italy, silhouetted against a sunrise (or sunset). Views from a ship, of Allied minesweepers at work, in the flotilla. A twin funnel P2-SE2-R1 class troop transport ship is seen in the background. A formation of landing craft approaching the beach. Close-up view from beach of one beaching through surf and soldiers charging ashore. A U.S. Navy Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft flying low over the landing craft. Another landing craft (Higgins boat) hitting the beach and soldiers charging ashore. Next, several USAAF Curtiss P-40 aircraft fly low over the beach. A dog accompanying troops leaving a Higgins boat, has trouble walking across the cross-hatched ramp on the boat. More views of loaded landing craft speeding toward the beach and soldiers running ashore. Soldiers digging foxholes in sandy soil of an orchard of trees. At one point, they all take cover in their foxholes as air attack threatens. Glimpse of troops crouched in a ditch as explosion occurs nearby. (Note: Some of the later scenes in this film show troops in training exercises.) (World War II; WW II; World War 2; World War Two)
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