- Title: VM-1208
- Summary: D-DAY: D-DAY PLANS - (OPERATION "OVERLORD")
- Description:00:43:12 - MS BRITISH OFFICER BACK TO CAMERA WALKS DOWN LONG CORRIDOR, TURNS TO, OPENS DOOR GUARDED BY SOLDIER. CO SIGN ON DOOR, "SUPREME COMMANDER, GENREAL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER" . CU BOOK MARKED "SECRET" WITH NOTE: "OUTLINE PLANES FOR INVASION OF N. W. EUROPE". HAND OPENS BOOK, PERUSES PAGES. VOICE OVER "THESE WERE THE D-DAY PLANS....."," THE OPERATIONS FOR "OVERLORD". 00:43:32 - BRITISH AIRMAN HELPS LOAD HUGE AERIAL CAMERA ONTO AIRPLANE. CU PROPELLER ON PLANE REVS UP, MS TWIN ENGINE PLANE TAKES OFF FOR RECONNAISSANCE MISSION. LS PLANE IN FLIGHT. 00:43:45 - TWO FRENCH FARMERS PLOWING FIELD WITH HORSE-DRAWN PLOW. "THE SOUND OF ALLIED AIRCRAFT IS GROWING MORE FAMILIAR". 00:44:00 - MS HITLER SITS AND PERUSES PLANES IN HIS OFFICE ON TRAIN. GERMAN GENERALS RELAX ON TRAIN. FRENCH FARMER ROLLS WHEEL BARROW TO STACK OF HAY, PITCHES HAY WITH PITCHFORK. 00:44:14 - MS BRITISH RECON PLANE IN FLIGHT. MS BRITISH OFFICER IN PLANE WEARING OXYGEN MASK, CHECKS OUT LANDSCAPE BELOW. AERIAL VIEW FARMLANDS. CU HAND OF BOMBARDIER MAKES ADJUSTMENTS TO CAMERA. LS AERIAL PHOTO OF ENEMY POSITIONS. LANDED RECON PLAN IS MET BY MOTORCYCLE COURIER WHO RUSHES PHOTOS TO CENTRAL COMMAND FOR PRINTING AND EXAMINATION. PLANE TAKES OFF FOR MORE RECON FLIGHTS. 00:45:02 - MS MEMBER OF FRENCH RESISTANCE HIDING IN BRUSH, CHECKS OUT GERMAN TROOP MOVEMENTS ON GROUND. SOON TO BE ASSISTED BY EQUIPMENT DROPPED FROM SKY. VARIOUS SHOTS BRITISH PLANE DROPPING SUPPLIES FROM SKY AY NIGHT, VIA PARACHUTE. VARIOUS SHOTS SUPPLIES LANDING AT NIGHT VIA PARACHUTES. FRENCH FIGHTERS RUN OUT TO PICK THEM UP. FRENCH LOAD SUPPLIES ON TRUCK. 00:46:00 - MS BRITISH AND AMERICAN OFFICERS SIT AT MEETING TABLE AS COMMANDER PLOTS ATTACK ON BIG WALL MAP. VARIOUS VIEWS ALLIED BOMBERS, FIGHTERS. CROSSING CHANNEL FOR ATTACK AMID FLAK FROM ENEMY GUNS. "BY APRIL THE AIR COMMANDER WAS OPERATING 700 BOMBERS AND 2000 FIGHTERS OVER FRANCE". MONTAGE VARIOUS AERIAL VIEWS BOMBS DROPPING FROM PLANES. AERIAL VIEWS BOMBS EXPLODING ON GROUND. MORE OF SAME. 00:47:37 - WOMEN WORKING IN LARGE HANGAR ON PARACHUTES, HANGING, FOLDING THEM, WRAPPING THEM. VARIOUS SHOTS WELDERS AT WORK, FLYING SPARKS., OTHER PROJECTS. LS LARGE LANDING CRAFT BEING LAUNCHED SIDEWAYS. TROOP SHIPS FROM AMERICA. VARIOUS SHOTS AMERICAN TROOPS DISEMBARK. 00:48:20 - PAN BRITISH FIELD MARSHAL MONTGOMERY, CHEDER (?) AND GENERAL EISENHOWER 00:48:23 - VARIOUS SHOTS LONG ROWS ARMY TANKS, TRUCKS, FIELD ARTILLERY AS FAR AS EYE CAN SEE, READIED FOR INVASION. "THEN ONE MORNING, EARLY IN JUNE, EVERYTHING STARTED MOVING" "....AND WE KNEW IT WAS THE BEGINNING". MONTAGE, TRUCKS, AMPHIBIANS, MOTORCYCLE TROOPS, TANKS ON THE MOVE THROUGH COUNTRYSIDE, TOWNS AND CITIES. TROOP TRAINS ON THE MOVE. MS HUGE LOCOMOTIVE COMING TO A STOP AT NIGHT. 00:49:19 - VARIOUS SHOTS BRITISH GROUND CREWS ARMING FIGHTER PLANES WITH ROCKETS, PAINTING INSIGNIA ON PLANES. VARIOUS SHOTS ALLIED TROOPS BOARDING VARIETY CHIPS. VEHICLES, TANKS, HEAVY ARMOR, AND ARTILLERY, ROLLING ONTO LANDING CRAFT. PAN HARBOR CROWDED WITH SHIPS AND LANDING CRAFT ALL PROTECTED BY BARRAGE BALLOONS HOVERING OVERHEAD. THOUSANDS OF MILITARY MEN SIT IN CRAFTS WAITING FOR THE WORD TO GO. CU BRITISH SOLDIERS READING INFORMATORY PAMPHLET ABOUT FRANCE. 00:50:38 - GENERAL EISENHOWER AND BRITISH GENERAL ON INSPECTION TOUR. BRITISH BERET WEARING 6TH AIRBORNE DIVISION SIT ON GROUND AS THEY ARE BRIEFED BY OFFICER. CU FACE SHOTS. MS BRITISH SOLDIERS WITH CAMOUFLAGED HELMETS, BLACKENED FACES PREPARE THEIR KITS. CU HAND GRENADES BEING PLACED IN SOLDIER'S SIDE POUCH. CU LOADING AMMO INTO RIFLE CLIP; HONING DAGGER. CU DAGGER TARGET PRACTICE ON CARTOON PICTURE OF HITLER. 00:51:36 - BRITISH AIRBORNE TROOPS MARCH ONTO HUGE CARGO PLANES. CU AIRBORNE TROOPS HELP EACH OTHER WITH PARACHUTES. MS SHIRTLESS SOLDIER WITH MOHAWK HAIRCUT PAINTS COMRADES FACE WITH WAR PAINT. SOLDIERS SIT AROUND BLACKENING THEIR FACES WITH SHOE POLISH. CU SAME. PARATROOPS BOARD PLANES. VARIOUS SHOTS PLANES TAKING OFF AT NIGHT. VOICE OVER: "OPERATION OVERLORD HAS BEGUN". LS ARMADA PLANES IN FLIGHT. VARIOUS VIEWS ARMADA SHIPS CROSSING ENGLISH CHANNEL AT NIGHT. 00:51:40 - VARIOUS SHOTS PARATROOPS ON BOARD CARGO PLANES PREPARING TO JUMP. VARIOUS SHOTS PARATROOPS JUMPING FROM PLANES, FILLING SHY WITH PARACHUTES FLOATING SLOWLY TO GROUND. 00:53:25 - LS SKY FULL OF TIN FOIL DROPPED BY BRITISH PLANES ALL ALONG THE FRENCH COATS TO FOOL AND NEGATE NAZI RADAR FROM PICKING UP THE INVASION ACTIVITY. CU RADAR SCREEN SHOWS EFFECT OF THE TINFOIL. VARIOUS SHOTS NAZI RADAR ALONG CALAIS COAST WHICH RECORDED NOTHING. (NAZI DID NOT DISCOVER INVASION UNTIL THEY SAW IT IN THE MORNING. CU NAZI OFFICER PEERING THROUGH BINOCULARS. LS PAN ALLIED ARMADA ON HORIZON. VARIOUS SHOTS PLANES, WARSHIPS BOMBARDING GERMAN COASTAL POSITIONS. LANDING CRAFTS HEADED FOR SHORE. LOW FLYING FIGHTER PLANES DOING SAME. BOMB EXPLOSIONS ON BEACH AS SEEN FROM LANDING CRAFT HEADING TO BEACH. VARIOUS SHOTS SOLDIERS HUDDLED IN LANDING CRAFT READY TO STORM BEACH. MCU VIEW DOORS OPEN ON LANDING CRAFT, SOLDIERS BACK TO CAMERA STORM OUT. AS SOUNDS OF GERMAN MACHINE GUNS ARE HEARD. PAN CHAOS ON BEACH, SOLDIERS RUNNING IN ALL DIRECTIONS FOR COVER. MONTAGE BEACHHEAD SCENES. MEN WADING TO SHORE UNDER FIRE. 00:56:13 - GERMAN SOLDIERS SURRENDERING WITH HAND UP. ALLIED SOLDIERS IN TOWN RAILROAD STATION. LS ALLIED SHIP ON FIRE. 00:56:26 - VARIOUS VIEWS LONDON ON FOGGY DAY. DOUBLE DECKER BUS AND ARMY TANKS PASSING IN STREETS. VARIOUS VIEWS STATUE OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN IN SQUARE, OTHER STREET SCENES. AS VOICE OVER RADIO ANNOUNCER "THIS IS LONDON CALLING........", "SUPREME HEADQUARTERS, ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, HAVE JUST ISSUED COMMUNIQUE NUMBER ONE AND IN A FEW SECONDS I WILL READ IT TO YOU". "COMMUNIQUE NUMBER ONE, "UNDER THE COMMAND OF GENERAL EISENHOWER, ALLIED NAVAL FORCES SUPPORTED BY STRONG AIR FORCES, BEGAN LANDING ALLIED ARMIES THIS MORNING ON NORTHERN COAST OF FRANCE....". 00:57:22 - VARIOUS VIEWS BRITISH AIRBORNE SOLDIERS CLIMBING INTO HUGE GLIDERS. CU SIGN ON GLIDER "NOW IT'S OUR TURN.......". MONTAGE VARIOUS VIEWS ALLIED CARGO PLANES TAKING OFF TOWING LARGE GLIDERS ON CABLES. VARIOUS VIEWS SAME IN FLIGHT, ESCORTED BY FIGHTER PLANES. 00:58:22 - LS GLIDERS BEING RELEASED FROM THEIR MOTHER SHIP AND GLIDING FREELY TO GROUND. VARIOUS VIEWS GLIDERS MAKING ROUGH LANDINGS ON GROUND, SOLDIERS SCAMPERING OUT, UNDER FIRE FROM GERMANS PANZER DIVISION. LS GERMAN MECHANIZED UNITS IN FIELD, TANKS FIRING. BRITISH SOLDIERS ON MOVE THROUGH TOWNS AND FIELDS. ABANDONED GLIDERS, VACATED BY TROOPS. LAY IN FRENCH FARM FIELDS BY THE DOZENS. SOME SMASHED. 00:59:13 - PAN ARMY TRUCKS AND VEHICLES ON MAN MADE PORT AND LONG PONTOON BRIDGE TO SHORE A LONG WAY OFF. 00:59:23 - PRIME MINISTER WINSTON CHURCHILL, SMALL CIGAR IN MOUTH, IS HELPED OFF PLANE Y SOLDIERS, FIELDS MARSHAL MONTGOMERY AND OTHERS, TO SEE FOR HIMSELF THE RESULTS OF YEARS OF EFFORT. MS SALUTING MONTGOMERY WALKS BY, SOLDIERS CARRYING LADDERS IN B/G. MS KING GEORGE VI OF ENGLAND ARRIVES ON D-DAY PLUS 10, IS GREETED BY MONTGOMERY. 00:59:56 - VARIOUS VIEWS BASES BEING BUILT. MS STEAM SHOVEL POURS BUCKET OF DIRT ONTO PILE AS BASES HAD TO BE BUILT FOR THE WHOLE TACTICAL AIR FORCE, BEFORE THE CAMPAIGN OF FRANCE COULD ROLL FORWARD. 01:00:04 - VARIOUS VIEWS THE "LORRAINE SQUADRON" OF THE FIGHTING FRENCH, MAKING PLANS, PREPARING LIVING QUARTERS IN BARRACKS. "FOR 4 YEARS WE HAVE SERVED IN EXILE...........". "NOW WE ARE GOING HOME". PAN BOMBERS ON AIRFIELD TO CROSS OF LORRAINE INSIGNIA ON FUSELAGE, FRENCH PILOTS CLIMB INTO BOMBERS. BOMBERS TAKING OFF AND IN FLIGHT. AERIAL VIEW TWIN ENGINE CASTING SHADOW AS IT FLIES LOW OVER ENGLAND. AND WATERS OF ENGLISH CHANNEL AS THEY FLY BOMBING MISSION. 01:00:59 - HUGE SPOOL OF FLOATING FLEXIBLE PIPE LINE (BEING PULLED ALONG BY UNSEEN BOAT (?), LAYS OIL PIPELINE ACROSS BOTTOM OF ENGLISH CHANNEL TO FRANCE BEACHHEAD TO SUPPLY FUEL FOR ALLIED VEHICLES. oddity. 01:01:06 - LOW FLYING SQUADRONS BRITISH BOMBERS ON BOMBING RUNS CROSS CHANNEL, JUST FEET ABOVE SEA. PLANE CAMERA SHOTS SHOW PLANES SPEEDING LOW OVER CLIFFS OF SHORE OF FRANCE AND INLAND FARMLANDS. VARIOUS SHOTS ALLIED TANKS AND TROOPS ADVANCING, PASSING DESTROYED GERMAN ARMOR. TROOPS RUNNING BEHIND ADVANCING TANKS, ACROSS RAILROAD TRACKS 01:02:00 - VARIOUS GERMAN FILM SHOTS SHOW GERMAN HIDDEN TROOPS FIRING AT ALLIED TANKS AS THEY PASS. MS GERMAN FIRES BAZOOKA, HITS AMERICAN TANK. CU GERMAN SOLDIER, HELMET CAMOUFLAGED WITH BRANCHES, CRAWLS FORWARD ON GROUND, FACE BLACKENED. GERMAN RUNS ACROSS DESTROYED AMERICAN TANK. ALLIED SOLDIERS FIRING MORTARS, AMERICAN TANKS FIRING AS ALLIED TROOPS GET BOGGED DOWN IN THE FRENCH HEDGE GROVES. VARIOUS GERMAN AND ALLIED FILM SHOTS SHOW BOTH SIDES IN RAGING BATTLE. POOR VISIBILITY HELD DOWN ALLIED AIR ATTACKS. BRITISH FIGHTER SQUADRONS TAKING OFF AND IN FLIGHT ON GOOD VISIBILITY DAY. "ALLIED AIR SUPREMACY WAS COMPLETE, AND WAS USED TO THE FULL". 01:03:30 - VARIOUS GERMAN FILMS SHOW GERMAN TROOPS COWER UNDER ALLIED AIR ATTACKS. AERIAL VIEW ALLIED PLANE STRAFING AND BOMBING ROADS AND BRIDGES POV PLANE CAMERA. 01:03:52 - MONTAGE VARIOUS SHOTS ARTILLERY OF ALL SIZE AND KINDS FIRING BOMBARDMENTS. MORE OF DESTRUCTION ALL ALONG THE FRONT. 01:04:10 - MS GROUP GERMAN SOLDIERS WITH HANDS ON HEADS, SURRENDERING. VARIOUS SHOTS DESTROYED VEHICLES, ARMOR, BOMBED OUT TOWNS, FACTORIES, CITIES IN RUIN. 01:04:51 - GROUP ALLIED SOLDIERS STAND OVER DEAD GERMAN SOLDIERS TILT DOWN TO DEAD SOLDIERS (GRAPHIC). CROSSES ON GRAVE. 01:05:00 - VARIOUS VIEWS FRENCH CITIZENS HANGING FRENCH RESISTANCE FLAG. FROM WINDOWS. ABOVE VIEW FRENCH MEN, WOMEN, CHILDREN RUNNING THROUGH NARROW COBBLESTONE STREET IN VILLAGE. GROUND LEVEL VIEW SAME. MS FRENCH HERO, GENERAL DEGAUL WALKS THROUGH VILLAGE STREETS WITH FREEDOM FIGHTERS AND TROOPS, IS GREETED BY ADORING CROWDS. CROWD FOLLOW HIM THROUGH STREETS. CU GRAVE WITH GERMAN HELMET ON CROSS ALONGSIDE AIRFIELD, TILT UP FIGHTER PLANE TAKING OFF. 01:05:50 - MS SHIRTLESS BRITISH SOLDIER WASHES SHIRT, HANGS IT ON OUTDOOR LINE. MCU GROUND CREWMEN WORKING ON FIGHTER PLANE ENGINE. SOLDIERS SEATED ON GROUND HAVING DRINKS, CHATTING. SOLDIER PLAYS WITH CHILD SEATED ON FRENCH WOMAN'S LAP. TWO BRITISH OFFICERS SIPPING BEER, CHATTING. CU ROCKET MOUNTED ON WING OF IDLE FIGHTER PLANE. VARIOUS VIEWS DAMAGES GLIDERS IN FIELD. LS BEACHES QUIET. VOICE OVER "BEACHES ARE CLEAR AS OPERATION OVERLORD IS DONE, FOR IT IS D-DAY PLUS A MONTH. AND HISTORY IS TURNING INTO MEMORY". 01:06:36 - END.
- Collection: Historic Films
- Producer:Historic Films
- Transmission Date:01/01/1944
- Rights:On request
- Decade: 1940s
- File Name: VM-1208