Air Army Invades Germany, 1945/04/05 (1945)
This newsreel contains a variety of clips - including: (1)
"When the entire Rhine front explodes into action the
First Allied Airborne Army takes flight for the Westphalian
plains. From an observation post Gen. Eisenhower and Prime
Minister Churchill watch the sky trains roar by overhead.
The drop area reached, thousands of chutes float to the ground
from twin side-door C-46 carriers, while giant C-47 tow planes
release their gliders. Despite damaging resistance the gliders
land with their jeeps and other materiel. Shortly, Nazi troops
are marched in as captives, and this airborne invasion becomes
one of the most successful in the history of warfare. Flail
Tanks - The Canadian First Army uses huge tanks with heavy
rotating chain beaters in front of them which explode any
and all buried Nazi road mines." scenes of 1500 planes
and gliders join in major invasion across Rhine in north,
Churchill and Ike observe, parachutes from C-46 filling the
sky with billowing parachutes, gliders land, plane crashes,
artillery, 4000 prisoners taken. (2) Coblenz Key to Saar Captured
- "With tanks leading the way, units of Gen. Patton's
U.S. 3rd Army advance on Coblenz, the thousand-year-old transportation
center. Repeated air bombings and heavy artillery fire have
reduced the city to ruins, from which the Nazis offer scattered
resistance. Tom Priestley, Universal cameraman, covers the
entire action. Soldier dead litter the ground. A loud speaker
is used to demand and direct surrender and several thousand
Nazi prisoners are collared. White flags flutter from the
few remaining ancient homes. Ancient Ehrenbrightstein Castle,
used by the Germans as a fortress, is a battered pile of ruins.
American tanks rumble through the narrow streets, and head
eastward, deeper into Germany." scenes of Universal's
Tom Priestley operating camera to make films, soldiers fighting
street by street in the town, Germans surrender to Patton's
3rd Army (3) New French Sky Giant - "Secretly built during
Nazi occupation, a gigantic 6 motor French flying boat is
now unveiled. It takes off and flies as gracefully as anything
in the air." (4) Airborne Division Decorated - "In
a stirring speech, Gen. Eisenhower awards the Presidential
Citation to the famous 101st Airborne Division for its heroic
defense of Bastogne. Steel-helmeted Marlene Dietrich joins
the entire reviewing party in saluting the 101st." scenes
of Eisenhower honors Screaming Eagles, Ike speaks on 1st time
decoration given to an entire division, Marlene Dietrich salutes.
Production Company: Universal Studios
Audio/Visual: sound, b&w
Run time: 6:52
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