ACT AND FACT D-DAY

Year Published: 1944

Format: 16mm

Description: This period newsfilm depicts the beach landings which took place on June 6th, 1944. This was the Allied invasion during WW2 and it was the largest seaborne invasion in history. It was released by British Information Services (:12) and opens with European citizens opening their windows and leaning out on the morning of D-Day (:31). Heads are titled to the skies as the drone of heavy-laden planes had been heard throughout the night (:34). An Evening Standard paper is seen with a headline reading ‘The Invasion of Europe Begins’ (:37). The Allied bombing forces dropped bombs with their new rocket bombing planes over coastal fortifications (1:04). A massive payload falls from one and mushroom cloud explosions are fed back into the sky (1:36). Inland targets include the enemy’s communication systems, canal transports, locomotives and enemy air power (1:48). Strafing along the countryside (2:17) and the canal follows (2:24). An airfield is then seen hit (2:45) as well as a German plane in the sky (3:14). General Eisenhower and his staff met at the Allied Operations headquarters (3:42). He is pictured with Admiral Bertram Ramsay (3:49). Transports and gliders await troops and the men prepared for the assault (4:00). The planes are seen painted with fresh zebra stripes (4:05). Troops collected emergency rations for two days (4:15) as once they were behind enemy lines they would be cut off from supplies until uniting with the beach forces. Transportation crafts are loaded up (4:42) and troops prepared a new type of grenade which was most likely the MK II model which was upgraded from the MK I model used in WW1 (4:30). Other preparations include the reading of machine guns (4:39) and the painting of faces for personal camouflage (4:43). The men then headed for the transport crafts in order to join the men already fighting on French soil. Airborne troops of the 9th Air Force head for take off (5:19). An aerial view is provided of some of the 4,000 ships and thousands of landing crafts which took part in the effort (6:10). Paratroopers jumped to reinforce the troops already established (6:34). Gunners stand at the ready (7:31) and a span of inside the communication rooms on one of the vessels follows (7:36). As the French coast was spotted (7:47), fleets began firing towards shoreline installations (7:51). A smoke screen was plumed out to cover the small landing crafts (8:21). Troops advanced slowly as some of the enemy installations still remained (8:29). Heavy artillery is moved up (8:45). Reinforcement waves stepped from amphibious landing crafts and had to wade the last few yards of water spotted with underwater mines (9:04). A transportation vessel is seen heavily loaded with troops (9:16) as more men and more equipment were moved in for further landings (9:22). Tankers rolled onto the sand and the beach is now seen laden with men and equipment (9:39). The Beach Master plants his marker (9:47) as a guide for others who were to follow General Bernard Law Montgomery (9:53).

Complete Record: This period newsfilm depicts the beach landings which took place on June 6th, 1944. This was the Allied invasion during WW2 and it was the largest seaborne invasion in history. It was released by British Information Services (:12) and opens with European citizens opening their windows and leaning out on the morning of D-Day (:31). Heads are titled to the skies as the drone of heavy-laden planes had been heard throughout the night (:34). An Evening Standard paper is seen with a headline reading ‘The Invasion of Europe Begins’ (:37). The Allied bombing forces dropped bombs with their new rocket bombing planes over coastal fortifications (1:04). A massive payload falls from one and mushroom cloud explosions are fed back into the sky (1:36). Inland targets include the enemy’s communication systems, canal transports, locomotives and enemy air power (1:48). Strafing along the countryside (2:17) and the canal follows (2:24). An airfield is then seen hit (2:45) as well as a German plane in the sky (3:14). General Eisenhower and his staff met at the Allied Operations headquarters (3:42). He is pictured with Admiral Bertram Ramsay (3:49). Transports and gliders await troops and the men prepared for the assault (4:00). The planes are seen painted with fresh zebra stripes (4:05). Troops collected emergency rations for two days (4:15) as once they were behind enemy lines they would be cut off from supplies until uniting with the beach forces. Transportation crafts are loaded up (4:42) and troops prepared a new type of grenade which was most likely the MK II model which was upgraded from the MK I model used in WW1 (4:30). Other preparations include the reading of machine guns (4:39) and the painting of faces for personal camouflage (4:43). The men then headed for the transport crafts in order to join the men already fighting on French soil. Airborne troops of the 9th Air Force head for take off (5:19). An aerial view is provided of some of the 4,000 ships and thousands of landing crafts which took part in the effort (6:10). Paratroopers jumped to reinforce the troops already established (6:34). Gunners stand at the ready (7:31) and a span of inside the communication rooms on one of the vessels follows (7:36). As the French coast was spotted (7:47), fleets began firing towards shoreline installations (7:51). A smoke screen was plumed out to cover the small landing crafts (8:21). Troops advanced slowly as some of the enemy installations still remained (8:29). Heavy artillery is moved up (8:45). Reinforcement waves stepped from amphibious landing crafts and had to wade the last few yards of water spotted with underwater mines (9:04). A transportation vessel is seen heavily loaded with troops (9:16) as more men and more equipment were moved in for further landings (9:22). Tankers rolled onto the sand and the beach is now seen laden with men and equipment (9:39). The Beach Master plants his marker (9:47) as a guide for others who were to follow General Bernard Law Montgomery (9:53).