- Title: VM-402
- Summary: MOVIETONEWS: THE BEGINNINGS OF WWII IN EUROPE.
- Description:00:01:09 - THE GERMAN ATTACK ON POLAND (SEPTEMBER 1939) BLITZKRIEG INVASION OF MASSED MECHANIZED MIGHT OF NAZI ARMY SWEEPING INTO POLAND. GERMAN WAR MACHINES AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE ARE POISED AT THE POLISH BORDER READY TO INVADE. GERMAN TANK MOVES TOWARD THE CAMERA, SMILING CREWMEN WAVE TO CAMERA, OVERHEAD VIEW. 00:01:33 - GERMAN OFFICER RAISES SEMAPHORE AT BORDER & OFFICERS RIDING ON HORSEBACK LEAD GERMAN GROUND FORCES ACROSS THE BORDER. SCOUTS ON HORSEBACK CHARGE ACROSS FRONTIER FOLLOWED BY FAST MOVING 3-MAN MOTORCYCLE UNITS WHO SET UP ADVANCED MACHINE GUN AND ARTILLERY POSITIONS FOR THE BLITZKREIG 00:02:26 - MECHANIZED UNITS ROLL INTO DANZIG, POLAND, ARE MET BY CHEERING GERMAN MINORITY OF POPULATION, PAN. JOYOUS GERMAN SOLDIERS WAVE BACK. 00:02:54 - GERMAN MOTORCYCLE UNITS SPEED THROUGH POLISH FARM VILLAGE, WAVING GERMAN MINORITIES GREET THEM. 00:03:20 - PAN OF DESTROYED POLISH LOCOMOTIVE LYING IN DITCH UNDER RAILROAD BRIDGE DESTROYED BY RETREATING POLISH SOLDIERS, BUT GERMAN SOLDIERS CROSS ON TEMPORARY BRIDGE BUILT BU ITS ENGINEERS. 00:04:10 - MONTAGE GERMAN MINORITIES, IN POLISH TOWNS, CHEER AS GERMAN UNITS SPEED BY. GERMAN SOLDIER PULLS POLISH EAGLE EMBLEM OFF WALL AND THROWS IT TO GROUND. VILLAGER WITH HANDLEBAR MUSTACHE, CHOPS POLISH STREET MARKER OFF WALL WITH HAMMER. YOUNG POLISH GIRLS, FEED MARCHING GERMAN TROOPS DRINKS AND SANDWICHES 00:04:46 - GERMAN STUKA DIVE BOMBERS LINED UP ON AIRFIELD, PAN. SHIRTLESS, MUSCLED, GERMAN GROUND CREWS IN SHORTS, LIFT LARGE BOMBS ON SHOULDERS AND MOUNT THEM ON UNDERBELLIES OF DIVE BOMBERS. AERIAL GERMAN BOMBADIER SITS IN SEAT, LOOKS DOWN ON POLISH LANDSCAPE. BOMBS DROP FROM PLANE. 00:05:29 - SEA ATTACK ON WESTERPLATTE. GERMAN WARSHIP CRUISER SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN SHOOTING BROADSIDE, PAN TO NEARBY SHORE & THE INCURRING EXPLOSIONS. GERMAN NAVAL OFFICER PEERS THROUGH BINOCULARS. CU GERMAN SAILOR PEERS THROUGH GUNSIGHT, TURNING WHEELS TO FINE TUNE SIGHT. HEAVY SMOKE. EXPLOSIONS ON SHORE. 00:06:25 - WAR ON THE EASTERN FRONT (OCTOBER 1939) ADOLPH HITLER STANDS ALONGSIDE ROAD IN POLAND & GREETS HIS SOLDIERS AS THEY MARCH ACROSS RIVER SAHN. MONTAGE HITLER IS MOBBED BY GERMAN SOLDIERS AS HIS OPEN CAR RIDES THROUGH TOWNS & ALONGSIDE COLUMNS OF TROOPS AND VEHICLES. 00:07:02 - HITLER TO SOLDIERS WAVES FROM INSIDE PLANE WINDOW. AERIAL BOMB CRATERS ON POLISH AIRFIELD AS SEEN BY HITLER. EXAMINES DAMAGE DONE TO POLAND BY GERMAN TROOPS. HITLER BENDS OVER TO LOOK OUTSIDE PLANE WINDOW. HITLER EXITS PLANE AND JOINS TROOPS TO OUTSIDE MEAL AS HE SEEKS TO IDENTIFY WITH THEM. HE EATS STANDING UP. 00:07:54 - CROWDS OF GERMAN TROOPS CROWD AROUND HITLER WHO SIGNS AUTOGRAPHS FOR THEM. OTHERS RUN TO GET GLIMPSE OF HIM. HITLER ABRUPTLY GESTURES, THAT'S ENOUGH. CELEBRITY STATUS. 00:08:17 - ENGLAND SPEEDS TROOPS TO FRONT (OCTOBER 1939) IN BRITAIN, KING & QUEEN BID FAREWELL TO SCOTTISH TROOPS BOUND FOR FRANCE. INSPECT LONG LINES OF SCOTTISH SOLDIERS IN KILTS. THE TROOPS WAVE THEIR HATS IN CHEER. 00:08:49 - BRITISH PILOTS GATHER AROUND AN OFFICER HOLDING MAP ALONGSIDE LONG COLUMN OF ROYAL AIR FORCE PLANES REVVING UP FOR TAKE-OFF TO SECRET BASES IN FRANCE. PILOTS MAN PLANES AND TAKE OFF. 00:09:15 - BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE EMBARK AT CHANNEL PORT FOR THE FRONT LINES OF FRANCE. COLUMNS OF BRITISH TROOPS MARCH TO PIER & BOARD TRANSPORT SHIP TO FRANCE. TROOPS EAT AS THEY LAND AT FRENCH PIER. 00:10:16 - THE PARTITION OF POLAND (OCOTBER 1939) GERMAN & SOVIET TROOPS MEET AT THE FAMOUS BREST-LITOVSK FORTRESS TO ISSUE A PROCLAMATION OF PARTITION. SALUTE EACH OTHER IN POLAND. FORMULATE AN AGREEMENT IN WRITING SHARING POLAND BETWEEN THEM. TO AMAZEMENT OF WORLD SOVIET ARMY WATCHES GERMAN MECHANIZED UNITS SPEED BY. SOVIET TANK ALSO GOES BY. JOINT MILITARY ACTION & OCCUPATION WIPES OUT POLAND. 00:11:00 - CHANCELLOR HITLER MOTORCADE IS CHEERED WILDLY BY PEOPLE OF DANZIG, PROBABLY ITS GERMAN POPULATION. 00:11:13 - CAPTURE OF WARSAW (OCTOBER 1939) GERMAN TROOPS WATCH ARTILLERY BOMBARDMENT OF WARSAW, IN DISTANCE, FROM DITCH ALONGSIDE ROAD. BURNING RAILROAD TRAIN ON TRACKS IN BKGD. AERIAL SMOKING WARSAW. 00:12:00 - CHANCELLOR HITLER VISITS TROOPS ON OUTSKIRTS OF WARSAW. PEERS THROUGH BINOCULARS AT BURNING CITY. POLISH GENERAL MEETS WITH GERMAN GENERAL BLASKOWITZ, SIGNS SURRENDER OF WARSAW IN A BUS. HISTORIC WARSAW CATHEDRAL OVERSHADOWS MARCHING INVADERS. 00:13:08 - POLISH WOMEN PEASANTS SADLY WATCH LONG COLUMN OF POLISH PRISONERS-OF-WAR MARCH DOWN ROAD. 00:13:36 - PRESIDENT FDR SIGNS NEUTRALITY LAW LIFTING EMBARGO (NOVEMBER 1939) SECRETARY OF STATE CORDELL HULL & MEMBERS OF CONGRESS (CONGRESSMAN BLOOM, THE BILL'S SPONSOR; SENATOR PITMAN; SPEAKER BANKHEAD; VICE PRESIDENT GARNER; SENATOR BARKLEY) LOOK ON AS FDR SIGNS HISTORIC DOCUMENT WHICH REPEALS THE ARMS EMBARGO & PUTS SALES ON A CASH-AND-CARRY BASIS. 00:14:02 - WARPLANES BEING ASSEMBLED AT WEST COAST CALIFORNIA PLANT. PLANES BEING LOADED ON SHIP IN NEW YORK, FOR DELIVERY TO ENGLAND AS RESULT OF BILL SIGNING. 00:14:41 - FREIGHTER "CITY OF FLINT" RELEASED IN NORWAY. SAILS INTO NEW YORK HARBOR AFTER BEING SEIZED BY GERMAN POCKET BATTLESHIP AND RELEASED TO NORWAY. U.S. MINISTER TO NORWAY, MRS. J. BORDEN HARRIMAN POSES WITH HER SHEPPARD DOG AS SHE TELLS OF RELEASE 00:15:19 - SOVIET BOMBS HIT BUILDINGS IN HELSINKI (DECEMBER 1939) CAPITAL CITY OF FINLAND BOMBED PRIOR TO PEACE AGREEMENT. MONTAGE RESCUE WORKERS SIFT THROUGH SMOLDERING DEBRIS OF BUILDING IN SEARCH OF SURVIVORS. COFFINS OF VICTIMS ARE ROLLED ON CARRIAGE-TYPE WHEELS IN PROCESSION TO CEMETERY 00:16:03 - GENEVA: LEAGUE OF NATIONS DELEGATES MEET TO CONSIDER FATE OF FINLAND. WITH WORLD-WIDE SYMPATHY FOR FINLAND, NEWSPAPER REPORTERS FROM ALL OVER WORLD GATHER AT MEETING PLACE. SOVIETS ARE EXPELLED FROM LEAGUE OF NATIONS. 00:16:31 - ENGLAND RUSHES EMPIRE DEFENSE AT HONG KONG (FEBRUARY 1940) BRITAIN PREPARES FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE ISLAND STRONGHOLD IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA. VINTAGE BI-WING SEAPLANE FLYS AREA OF HONG KONG AT BASE OF PICTURESQUE MOUNTAIN RANGE. MONTAGE NATIVE CHINESE WORKERS DIG GUN EMPLACEMENT OUT OF ROCKY MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN OVERLOOKING HARBOR. FORTIFICATIONS BEING BUILT, GUN EMPLACEMENTS CONSTRUCTED. 00:17:19 - AS ONE WORKER HOLDS CHISEL ANOTHER POUNDS IT WITH HEAVY SLEDGEHAMMER. DYNAMITE IS PLACED IN RESULTING HOLE. THE ROCK IS BLASTED. 00:17:35 - FAMILY, INCLUDING MOTHER AND 3 SMALL CHILDREN, WORK WITH HAMMERS, BREAKING LARGE STONES INTO LITTLE ONES FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL. 00:18:00 - BRITISH PT BOATS SPEED BY CHINESE JUNKS IN HARBOR. TORPEDO IS FIRED BY PT BOAT IN TRAINING RUN. SUBMARINE NETS, SMALL TORPEDO BOATS ON GUARD. CANNONS ARE FIRED FROM BUILT-IN MOUNTAIN FORTIFICATION. 00:18:32 - NEW HAMPSHIRE (MARCH 1940) ADDITIONAL AMERICAN SEA STRENGTH UNDER THE NAVAL EXPANSION PROGRAM. 1500 TON SUB TRITON LAUNCHED AT PORTSMOUTH. PARTIALLY BUILT SHIP LIES IN DRYDOCK AT SHIPYARD. NEW SUBMARINE SITS ON LAUNCHING CRADLE IN SHIPYARD. WORKERS USE BATTERING RAMS TO DRIVE WEDGES THAT LIFT SUB FROM CRADLE. SUB SLIDES GRACEFULLY DOWN WEIGHS. 00:19:32 - FINLAND. FINNISH SOLDIERS GUARD OVER CAPTURED SOVIET VEHICLES LAYING ON SNOW BOUND ROADSIDE. WOMAN WALKS DOWN SNOWY ROAD WITH 3 CHILDREN, ONE CHILD IS BUNDLED UP IN CARRIAGE. LIMPING SOLDIER IS HELPED WALK BY 2 COMRADES 00:19:49 - FINLAND (APRIL 1940) OFFICIAL END TO THE NORTHERN STRUGGLE. IN HELSINKI, FORMER FINNISH FOREIGN MINISTER TANNER ANNOUNCES TERMS OF SOVIET PEACE AGREEMENT TO REPORTERS. EXPLAINS COUNTRY'S ACCEPTANCE OF RUSSIAN PEACE TERMS. NEWSPAPER MAN SELLS NEWS PAMPHLETS TO PEOPLE. MONTAGE PEOPLE READ SAD NEWS 00:20:22 - FOREIGN MINISTER TANNER EXPLAINS TERMS OF "SEVERE" PEACE AGREEMENT. 00:21:21 - PARIS: NEW FRENCH CABINET HEADED BY PREMIER PAUL REYNAUD POSES FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS ON STEPS OF PARLIAMENT BUILDING. DEFENSE MINISTER DALADIER PRESENT. "TOTAL WAR" PROGRAM 00:22:07 - FINLAND (APRIL 1940) EXODUS OF THE NORTH. LONG COLUMN OF REFUGEES ARE AMONG TO 400,000 FINNS WHO ABANDONED THEIR HOMES AFTER SOVIETS SEIZED THEIR HOMES & LAND. REFUGEES ALL BUNDLED UP RIDE IN HORSE-DRAWN SLEDS, CARRYING WORLDLY POSSESSIONS, INCLUDING 2 COWS 00:22:39 - PORT TOWNS SEIZED BY SOVIETS. 00:23:15 - BATTLE FOR NORWAY (MAY 1940) SUDDEN INVASION BY GERMANY. GERMAN SOLDIERS LOUNGE ON CONVOYED TROOP WARSHIP SPEEDING ACROSS THE SKAGERRAK TOWARDS OSLO, NORWAY. AERIAL BRITISH AIRLPANES ATTACK GERMAN WARSHIPS. WARSHIPS STEAM INTO FJORD OF OSLO. NAZI VINTAGE SEAPLANE TAKES OFF FROM PICTURESQUE OSLO HARBOR, PAN. GERMAN TROOPS WALK DOWN GANGPLANK AT OSLO PIER. TANK IS LOWERED ONTO PIER. UNLOADING SOLDIERS SUPPLIES, TANKS & BIG GUNS. 00:25:26 - HEADED BY REGIMENTAL BAND, THE NAZI TROOPS GOOSE-STEP INTO OSLO. 00:26:12 - LONG LINE OF NAZI SHIPS RIDE THE SKAGERRAK IN NORTH SEA ON WAY TO NORWAY. WAVES FLOW OVER HULL OF WARSHIPS AS THEY RIDE ALONG ON ROUGH SEAS. 00:26:35 - MONTAGE DEPTH CHARGES EXPLODE AS NAZI SHIPS HUNT FOR BRITISH SUBMARINES TRYING TO DETER INVASION FORCE. NAZI FIGHTER PLANES FLY OVER SEAPLANE BASE IN NORWAY NOW IN GERMAN HANDS. AERIAL NAZI SEAPLANES SIT IN HARBOR. 00:26:59 - GOOD SHOT OF GERMAN BOMBER FLYING JUST ABOVE TREE TOPS TOWARDS CAMERA AS IT COMES IN FOR LANDING NAZI 3-PROP TRANSPORT PLANES LAND AT AIRPORT IN NORWAY. THOUSANDS OF GERMAN TROOPS, JUST FLOWN IN, MARCH OFF FIELD. 00:27:46 - LONG LINE OF NAZI TANKS WITH ONE SOLDIER STANDING AT ATTENTION FROM EACH HATCH MAKE IMPRESSIVE VIEW AS THEY ROLL DOWN CITY STREET. 00:28:19 - MONTAGE BRITISH DESTROYER SHIP DARINGLY ENTER HARBOR OF NARVIK, NORWAY & BLAST NAZI WARSHIPS & MERCHANT CRAFT LEAVING LITTER OF SINKING SHIPS.
- Collection: Historic Films
- Producer:Historic Films
- Transmission Date:01/01/1939
- Rights:On request
- Decade: 1930s
- File Name: VM-402