UNITED NEWS [Series Title]

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  • Title: UNITED NEWS [Series Title]
  • Film Number: UNY 96
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: Edition of US-produced wartime newsreel featuring American advances in the South Pacific, the use of air supply to support jungle outposts in Burma and the Solomon Islands, a visit by Princess Juliana of the Netherlands to the Dutch colony of Curacoa in South America, and Allied air attacks against industrial targets in France and the Netherlands.
  • Description: I. ‘Americans Win New Airbases in South Pacific’ Part 1: 'Americans win new airbases in south Pacific'; an A-20 Havoc light bomber named 'Pappy's Joy' in flight. Dropping bombs at low altitude over woodland. Looking aft from an aircraft at low altitude as bombs explode; they throw off white pressure waves. Smoke drifting. An oblique globe drawing marked with 'Asia', a Japanese flag, Paramushiru, the Aleutian Islands, and an American flag on the horizon, with Tokyo, Philippines, Saipan, Truk, Rabaul, Marshall Islands, Gilbert Islands and Pearl Harbor marked; an arrow highlights the Admiralty Islands. Dissolve to a drawing of the Admiralty Islands with Manus named; an arrow moves from an American flag to Los Negros Island. Naval bombardment. Beached LCTs (Landing Craft Tank). American cavalrymen (probably 5th Cavalry Regiment) come ashore. Advancing through undergrowth. Throwing grenades. A battery of light pack howitzers in action. Mortars and anti-tank guns in action. Anti-aircraft guns in action. Stretcherbearers pass with a casualty. Riflemen in trenches. Advancing cautiously towards a high earth bank. A mass of dead Japanese (caught by shelling?). Japanese corpses. American troops rush over open ground at Momote airfield. A partly camouflaged Japanese fighter aircraft. A bulldozer fells a tree and levels the ground. Aerial view of the island. The airstrip with a parked B-25 Mitchell medium bomber. B-25 taxiing. II. ‘Jungle Outposts Get Supplies by Parachute’ General Stilwell at field hospital in Burmese jungle. Wounded are brought in by stretcher. Lieutenant Colonel Gordon Seagrave (‘The Burma Surgeon’) and Burmese nurses attend to patients. Scenes shot from air: supply plane over jungle terrain. Shots inside hull as crew drop parachutes into a treeless ridge (commentary identifies locations as Naga Hills). Map of Solomon Islands, Bougainville highlighted. Fijian signalman taps out morse code. Fijian troops in jungle camp elated as supply plane passes overhead, dropping supplies by parachute. III. ‘Princess Juliana Visits South American Colony’ Royal convoy. Shots of the Princess Juliana of the Netherlands inspecting troops and viewing a military parade on Curacao (commentary: ‘Here, many miles from home, Juliana walks again on free Dutch soil’). Part 4: 'Allies bomb Nazi targets in France and Netherlands'; stylised map of Europe showing the continent surrounded by a fortress-like wall. Aircrew board their B-26 Marauder bombers. A B-26 named 'Bitter' taxis away. Aircraft take off (possibly DR squadron code signifying 452nd Bombardment Squadron, 322 Bomb Group). Aerial footage; a gun turret traverses. Pilot at controls donning a helmet. The coast below. Formation of bombers with anti-aircraft fire. A bombardier with back to the camera (helmet marked J L Toth). Dropping bombs. Bombs explode on an airfield below. Bomber formation (YU code; 455th Bombardment Squadron, 323 Bomb Group). Back at base a waiting ambulance. A bomber comes in to land. A bomber, its undercarriage collapsed, scraping along the ground. The bomber having come to a halt. Line of bombers (SS code; 451st Bombardment Squadron, 322 Bomb Group) being bombed up and fuelled. Aircrew eating sandwiches near their aircraft. Fuelling. An aircraft named Pappy's Pram (450th Bombardment Squadron, 322nd Bomb Group). Bombers taxi out. B-26 PN:A (449 Bomb Squadron, 322 Bomb Group) takes off, followed by SS:H, DR:U, and PN:L. Aerial footage; formation of bombers. Aircraft interiors. Bomb bay interior; bombs falling away. More shots of bombs falling. PN with bombs falling. Bomb impacts below.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: UNY 96
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944-03-24
  • Production Country: United States of America
  • Production Details: Office of War Information (Sponsor) United Newsreel Corporation (Production company)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: United States Army, 5th Cavalry Regiment (regiment/service) United States Navy (regiment/service) Seagrave, Gordon Stiffler (person) Stilwell, Joseph Warren (person) Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands (person) United States Army Air Force, 452nd Bombardment Squadron (regiment/service) United States Army Air Force, 322nd Bombardment Group (regiment/service) United States Army Air Force, 455th Bombardment Squadron (regiment/service) United States Army Air Force, 323rd Bombardment Group (regiment/service) United States Army Air Force, 450th Bombardment Squadron (regiment/service) United States Army Air Force, 451st Bombardment Squadron (regiment/service) United States Army Air Force, 449th Bombardment Squadron (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: Curaçao (geography) Andrews Field, Essex, England, UK (geography) Naga Hills, Burma (geography) Admiralty Islands 1944, New Guinea, Pacific War 1941-1945, Second World War (event) Bougainville, Solomon Islands (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 796 ft; Running time: approx 10 mins
  • HD Media:
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    UNY 96

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