Title:ACTIVITIES IN THE ORNE BRIDGEHEAD, JUNE 1944 (PART 11) [Allocated Title]
Film Number:A70 57-5
Other titles:
Summary: Armour goes into action as German defences in the Orne bridgehead come under naval bombardment.
Description: I. Filming from the 5th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders' lines at Sainte-Honorine-la-Chardonne, the cameraman observes a troop of M10 Wolverines from the 61st Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery moving up to defend 152nd Brigade's front from counter-attacks by 21st Panzer Division units and coming under mortar bombardment. A motorcyclist despatch rider follows an ambulance along a road running alongside the Canal de Caen de la Mer; a column of smoke rises beyond a spur overlooking the canal.
II. Filming in Ouistreham near a lighthouse at the mouth of the Canal de Caen, the cameraman surveys smoke caused by naval bombardment rising from the east bank of the Orne estuary. From the lighthouse used by a Royal Navy Combined Operations Bombardment Unit as a forward observation post, the camera surveys the effects of the naval shelling on Franceville-Plage, the location of a German 105mm gun battery threatening 'Sword' Beach.
III. Filming from the naval FOP at Ouistreham, the cameraman observes shells bursting on the east bank of the Orne estuary during the bombardment aimed at neutralising the gun battery.
Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor)
Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company)
Leeson, W J (Production individual)
Gross, A C (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Seaforth Highlanders, 5th Battalion (regiment/service)
British Army, Royal Artillery, AT Regiment 61 (regiment/service)
Royal Navy (regiment/service)
Keywords: armour, United States - SPG: M10 Wolverine & [British] (object name)
operations, British military - movement: road (object name)
transport, British military - ambulance (object name)
communications, British military - message: motorcycle despatch rider (object name)
combat, British - mortar bombardment [I] (object name)
combat, British - naval bombardment (object name)
buildings, French - maritime: lighthouse (object name)
Second World War, North West Europe & Operation Overlord & 23/6/1944 (event)
Sainte-Honorine-la-Chardonne, Orne, France (geography)
Ouistreham, Calvados, France (geography)
Franceville-Plage, Calvados, France (geography)
