STUKAS [Main Title]
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- Title: STUKAS [Main Title]
- Film Number: GWY 518
- Other titles:
- Summary: Fictional film set during the 1940 campaign in France celebrates the operational life and camaraderie of a Stuka Gruppe.
- Description: Reel 1: After returning from raid near start of campaign in France, men of Stuka Gruppe relax in open-air mess beside airfield. Stukas are serviced and bombed up for next raid and men briefed by Hauptmann, who also asks Gruppe doctor for a piano. Reel 2: Stukas take off and attack Maginot Line, then all return safely, even though one plane has damage to wing. Intelligence officer's report that one plane attacked wrong target is not pursued. Men all relax in open by new piano which Hauptmann and Doctor play together until signal for another attack is received. Reel 3: After Stukas take off message comes that enemy fighters are about to attack. Stukas repel attack, although victory celebration that evening with music and dancing is interrupted by news that Johann ("the best fighter") has been killed. Next morning alarm sounds at Panzer Forward HQ which has no tanks to mount counteroffensive against the French. Stukas take their place. Reel 4: French tanks (models and film) attack German positions until they are bombed by Stukas. Commander's plane is shot down, but he survives and tends his wounded gunner. Another Stuka lands and rescues them, but on arriving back at base, where anxiety has mounted, the death of another crew is announced. Reel 5: Gravity of war begins to be felt. After night bombardment by enemy, Stukas take off to attack English at Dunkirk (models and film) and shipping off coast. Car pulls up at French hotel (new Gruppe HQ) with wounded airman, inspected by Doctor. Reel 6: Airmen relax inside hotel and are about to celebrate birthday when Gruppe is called out again, this time to attack French artillery positions. One Stuka is forced to crash-land and then two other Stukas which land to rescue crew are caught by French tank. Reel 7: Tank surrounds Germans who are forced to drop weapons. Meanwhile Hauptmann and Doctor wait anxiously, although the Doctor's attempt to play piano in these circumstances is frowned upon. Behind French lines, three German airmen who have now escaped from their captors are stealing chickens from French farm when they are disturbed by farmer's wife who assumes they are English. Back at airfield Stukas are bombed up and Hauptmann takes off with Doctor as his gunner. Reel 8: Three escapees look up to see their comrades intercepted by the enemy fighters. Doctor manages to shoot down one attacker, but another Stuka is shot down after pilot bails out, leaving his gunner to crash. Remaining Stukas dive through flak to bomb bridge. Escapees meanwhile meet Frenchwoman who promises to fetch her doctor father to treat wounded airman (thinking they are English). Their comrade, still with his French captors, shelters during Stuka attack on a (largely military) column in retreat, and persuades the Frenchmen that further resistance is pointless, adding that their government is bad and a pawn of the English. Stukas dive again, but one is hit and injured pilot orders his gunner to parachute to safety. Reel 9: Back at airfield Doctor announces that Pétain has asked for armistice. Injured pilot (from reel 8) manages to crash land his Stuka and is dragged clear of blazing wreckage; his gunner arrives unharmed. Captive of French is simultaneously freed by German armoured column. That night Doctor and Hauptmann sit hoping that the injured pilot will survive while reflecting on some words written by the dead Johann's mother: "one no longer thinks about their having died, but only about for what they died," and quoting Hölderlin. In hospital the injured pilot is recovering his health but not his spirits, despite encouragement from his pretty nurse. His doctor considers his depression may stem from the absence of his old comrades who meanwhile are celebrating the award to their commander of the Knights Cross. Reel 10: Hauptmann replies to toast, saying award is an honour for everyone in the group, living, dead or recovering their health. In hospital Hans (the injured pilot) remains unresponsive, even to the visit of a fellow pilot returning to the Gruppe. Doctor reluctantly agrees to Ulla's (the nurse) suggestion that Hans must have a wonderful experience and that noone can come away from the Bayreuth Festival without being deeply stirred. Scene fades to (actuality film of) a wartime audience of soldiers and nurses outside the Festspielhaus, (then studio film of ) Ulla trying to cheer Hans before the performance begins. First notes of Wagner take Hans back to his Gruppe HQ and his commander and doctor playing the same music; he is overwhelmed by the orchestral music from "Siegfried" and emerges from the performance saying "Now I know where I belong". Leaving Ulla he rushes back to his Gruppe HQ to a great welcome and the immediate task of attacking England.
- Alternative Title:
- Colour: B&W
- Digitised:
- Object_Number: GWY 518
- Sound: Sound
- Access Conditions: IWM-GERMAN Attribution: IWM – GWY 518
- Featured Period: 1939-1945
- Production Date: 1941-06-27
- Production Country: Germany
- Production Details: UFA (Production company) Ritter, Karl (Production individual) Ritter, Karl (Production individual) Lützkendorf, Felix (Production individual) Windt, Herbert (Production individual) Ritter, Heinz (Production individual) Meyer, Walter (Production individual) Rosskopf, Walter (Production individual) Kaweczynski, Hugo von (Production individual) Raddatz, Carl (Production cast) Hasse, O E (Production cast) Hehn, Albert (Production cast)
- Personalities, Units and Organisations:
- Keywords:
- Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: German Title language: German
- Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 10 Footage: 8803 ft; Running time: 97 mins
- HD Media:
- Link to IWM Collections page:
- Related IWM Collections Objects: