DIE DEUTSCHE WOCHENSCHAU NR 750 [Main Title]

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  • Title: DIE DEUTSCHE WOCHENSCHAU NR 750 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: GWY 247
  • Other titles: DIE DEUTSCHE WOCHENSCHAU NR 1945/5 [Alternative Title]
  • Summary:
  • Description: I. German war wounded ski. Over film of one-legged skiers descending mountainside commentary reflects that greater even than the destructive force of war is man's will to live. II. Volkssturm prepares for close combat with Russians. Mass attack by Bolsheviks in east means hour of reckoning has come; uniforms and weapons are distributed from arsenals and men in Volkssturm dress practise handling close combat anti-tank weapons: sticking 3 kg magnetic charge onto Sdkfz 251/1 troop carrier, Panzerschreck, flamethrower, Panzerfaust at close range against stationary Matilda tank, which explodes in flames, and 7.5cm Pak 40 firing. III. German explosive motorboats demolish Dutch bridge. Kapitänleutnant wearing German Cross in Gold oversees final preparations of his four one-man crews wearing paratroop helmets before they speed up wide river in their craft ringed by detonating bars. Sailors head their boats at distant girder bridge before throwing themselves off their craft moments before bridge explodes. IV. Underground shelter existence in Western German town. Inextinguishable will to survive and conquer is demonstrated by existence inside Gemeinschaftsbunker: NSV women prepare food in giant cauldrons, archival documents (drawer marked Landes Musikschule) and valuable items are stored in safety, Mayor and town administration offices carry on functioning minus waiting rooms, printing presses roll, power is generated by underground installation and barber pursues his trade. Citizens who may sometimes feel tired (in these difficult times) are urged to look at the expressions of faith and confidence on grimy faces of miners between shifts. V. German forces hold Anglo-Americans in Ardennes. Animated map from Amsterdam to Belfort. Germans reportedly hold initiative, as forces secure control again of snow-covered town; soldier helps elderly woman from shelter and camera passes burning US vehicle. Trilingual American poster warns "Civilian travel beyond this point is forbidden". Reported capture of many villages in south is backed by film of British prisoners and Moroccans ("the soldiers of De Gaulle's Army"); vehicle bears Croix de Lorraine marking. Looted interior of German home is said to be work of Americans. Bergepanther tows Jagdpanzer IV through snowy village, barging farmcart from its path. White horse lies dead in street; its living relatives tow 10.5cm le FH 18 gun train along road. VI. German armour and grenadiers withstand great Soviet offensive begun on 13 January. Animated map from Danzig to Cracow. First pictures of the attack by massed armour, aircraft and over one hundred infantry divisions show Stormovik overhead, 8.8cm Flak firing in ground role, T-34/76 with flamethrower in action, 8cm Granatwerfer firing repeatedly, stationary T-34/85 and firing of Panzerschreck. Enemy has reportedly lost over one thousand tanks in first five days of fighting. Nebelwerfers fire in distance and two Pzkpfw Vs moving forward with infantry suggest start of counterattack. Enemy comes under fire at close range in village from Marder and on edge of wood from Pzkpfw V. Grenadiers advance across snow past leafless birches, with signal flare fired overhead; Pzkpfw IV Ausf J fires in snow and wounded German soldier is carried on shoulders. Aerial film records Junkers Ju 87 attacks against Russian tanks outlined against snow, and Bf 109s and Fw 190s fly overhead. Battle on ground continues unrelentingly, as Pzkpfw V fires.
  • Alternative Title: DIE DEUTSCHE WOCHENSCHAU NR 1945/5 [Alternative Title]
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: No
  • Object_Number: GWY 247
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM-GERMAN Attribution: IWM – GWY 247
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1945-01-25
  • Production Country: Germany
  • Production Details: UFA (Production company) Anhoeck (Production individual) Aschenbrenner (Production individual) Aubele (Production individual) Burkhardt (Production individual) Heubeck (Production individual) Hirt-Reger (Production individual) Hörburger (Production individual) Nath (Production individual) Piotrowski, von (Production individual) Rothfuss (Production individual) Zeiss (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Volkssturm (regiment/service) German Navy, Midget Weapons Unit (regiment/service) Nationalsozialistiasche Volkswohlfahrt (regiment/service) French Army, Free French (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: medical, German military - long term: convalescence (object name) recreation, German military - sport: skiing (object name) weapons, German - CBW: flamethrower (object name) armour, British - tank: Matilda & [captured] & [wrecked] (object name) weapons, German - gun: 7.5cm Pak 40 (object name) weapons, German - passive: Haft-Hohlladung (object name) training, German military - specialist: close combat (object name) ships, German naval - special operations: explosive motorboat (object name) society, German - precautionary: air raid shelter existence (object name) society, German - sustenance: underground food preparation (object name) industry, German - primary: mining (object name) prisoners of war, British - movement (object name) prisoners of war, Moroccan - movement (object name) prisoners of war, French - movement (object name) armour, German - funnies: Sdkfz 179 Bergepanther (object name) armour, German - SPG: Jagdpanzer IV (object name) armour, Russian - tank: T-34/85 (object name) armour, Russian - funnies: T-34/76 flamethrower (object name) armour, German - tank: Pzkpfw V (object name) weapons, German - mortar: 8cm GrW (object name) armour, German - tank: Pzkpfw IV Ausf J (object name) aircraft, German - combat: Junkers Ju 87 Stuka (object name) casualties, German wounded - battlefield (object name) weapons, German - rocket [AT]: Panzerschreck (object name) weapons, German - gun: 8.8cm Flak [AT] (object name) Germany & Alps (geography) Germany & <western Germany> (geography) Ardennes, Luxemburg, Belgium (geography) Russia & <Eastern Front> (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: German Title language: German Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 957 ft; Running time: 10 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    GWY 247

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