UFA TONWOCHE NR 470 [Main Title]
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- Title: UFA TONWOCHE NR 470 [Main Title]
- Film Number: GWY 431
- Other titles: UFA TONWOCHE NR 1939/37 [Alternative Title]
- Summary: Immediate pre-war German newsreel, including material covering the early stages of the Nazi assault on Poland.
- Description: I. Germans flee from Polish repression in Danzig. Commentary describes over views of old city how German Danzig was cut off by Versailles Diktat from German motherland. British guarantee to Poland encouraged Polish repression so now Danziger Heimwehr is erecting barbed wire defences for self-protection. Funeral of one of many Germans killed by Poles, SA Mann Joseph Wessel, is attended by weeping widow and his SA comrades; wreath from Gauleiter of Danzig marks grave. Thousands of Volksdeutsche fleeing from Germany include many old people and children filmed in close-up; a blazing farm set alight by Poles, a dead cow and other burnt-out farm buildings suggest the terror from which they are escaping. II. Polish aggression in Beuthen. After reported attack on Gleiwitz transmitter (not seen) Poles reportedly shelled open town of Beuthen, damaging wall of building (not resembling effect of shellfire). Sign indicates that town lies between the border area. Poles in peacetime reportedly attacked houses with bombs and grenades; camera shows interior of wrecked building. III. Street-fighting in Danzig. Germans read wall proclamation addressed to population of Danzig and declaring the city's independence on 1 September. League of Nations Commissioner Professor Burckhardt quits his office and swastika flag flies over Danzig for first time. Poles inside the Post Office come under shell and smallarms fire from Danziger Heimwehr and SS forces, equipped with armoured car marked Sudetenland. Post Office is attacked at point blank range, starts to burn and is left a gutted shell. IV. Hitler announces outbreak of hostilities. Hitler arrives by car outside Kroll Oper in Berlin; inside the parliament building he reportedly declares that he has waited in vain for two days for a Polish intermediary and that German guns will now answer all Polish assaults. V. German forces enter Danzig. Danzig enthusiastically greets German troops entering city. VI. Air raid precautions and war measures in Germany. Precautions taken against bellicose threats by England and her vassals include painting pavement white for black-out, carrying gas-mask containers and sandbagging by members of the Hitler Youth of the sculptures in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Air Raid Protection personnel have been called up and 2cm Flak on top of building and overlooking post suggest vigilance. Called up reservists arrive in civilian clothes and carrying cases to register. Tracking shot inside armaments factory showing gun barrels and completed guns shows industry at work. VII. German land, air and sea forces attack Poland. Opening of German counterattack shows advance of cavalry and infantry and lifting of frontier barrier "which Versailles thought would be able to separate German from German". Polish eagle symbol is removed. Motorcycle combinations and infantry with 3.7cm gun rapidly deploy as if in combat. Armour including Pzkpfw IVs advances, filmed from high angle. Volksdeutsche wave at passing columns of cavalry. At fork in road where Polish sign points to PRU Bydgoszcz (Bromberg) German motorcyclists take both routes. After three days troops have advanced 100 kilometres; two Sdkfz 232 armoured cars with aerials pass by. Cyclist troops take cover (filmed from high angle in long shot). Meanwhile Luftwaffe attacks airfields and strategic junctions; bombs are unpacked and camera tracks past waiting Stukas. Crews of Heinkel He 111 bombers of Kampfgeschwader 1 are briefed on airfield before putting on flying kit and getting into planes. Engines are crank-started, He 111s taxi and Stukas take off. Aerial views of He 111s in flight and then bombing and strafing Westerplatte, also filmed from ground. Training ship Schleswig-Holstein, filmed from shore and from on board, opens up with full range of armament against nearby Polish fortifications at entrance to Danzig harbour. Kapitän zur See Kleikamp looks through binoculars and sailor's capband identifies his ship. Back on land German forces pass blazing houses of Volksdeutsche reportedly set alight by retreating Poles, who have also demolished bridge over river Vistula at Dirschau in attempt to delay German pursuit. German sappers repair bridge, soon crossed by troops. Armour including Pzkpfw IIs continues advance. Wrecked Polish railway engines litter siding. German troops receive rapturous welcome, and food and drink, from Volksdeutsche. (Soldier wears spectacles.) Polish street sign for Poland Street as well as Polish eagle symbol is torn down.
- Alternative Title: UFA TONWOCHE NR 1939/37 [Alternative Title]
- Colour: B&W
- Digitised:
- Object_Number: GWY 431
- Sound: Sound
- Access Conditions: IWM-GERMAN Attribution: IWM – GWY 431
- Featured Period: 1939-1945
- Production Date: 1939-09-07
- Production Country: Germany
- Production Details: UFA (Production company) Paramount Sound News (in association with) (Production company)
- Personalities, Units and Organisations: Wessel, Joseph (person) Burckhardt (Professor) (person) Hitler, Adolf (person) Kleikamp, Gustav (person) Danziger Heimwehr (regiment/service) DE.S (regiment/service) SA (regiment/service) Danziger Heimwehr (regiment/service) German Army (regiment/service) Hitler-jugend (regiment/service) Air Raid Protection, Germany (regiment/service) German Navy, Schleswig-Holstein (regiment/service) German Air Force, Kampfgeschwader 1 (regiment/service)
- Keywords: ceremonies, German - event-related: funeral of Joseph Wessel (object name) refugees, German - flight (object name) destruction, German military - area (?) (object name) armour, German - armoured car (object name) combat, German - irregular: street-fighting (object name) propaganda, German - inspirational (?) (object name) administration, German - occupation: Poland (object name) arts, German - fine arts: Pergamon Museum (object name) equipment, German civilian - personal: gas mask (object name) industry, German - guns (object name) recruitment, German: civilian call-up (object name) society, German - precautionary: air raid precautions (object name) aircraft, German - combat: Heinkel He 111 (object name) aircraft, German - combat: Junkers Ju 87 Stuka (object name) armour, German - armoured car: Sdkfz 232 (object name) armour, German - tank: Pzkpfw II (object name) armour, German - tank: Pzkpfw IV (object name) demolition German - symbolic (object name) demolition Polish - denial (object name) intelligence, military, German - briefing: bomber crew (object name) ships, German naval - battleship: Schleswig-Holstein (object name) society, German military - sustenance (object name) transport, German military - 2/3 wheel: motorcycle (object name) transport, Polish civilian - rail: locomotive & [wrecked] (object name) Gdańsk, Pomerania, Poland (geography) Bytom, Upper Silesia, Poland (geography) Germany & Berlin, Berlin <Krolloper> (geography) Germany & Berlin, Berlin <Pergamon Museum> (geography) Tczew, Pomerania, Poland (geography) Poland & Vistula (River) (geography) Westerplatte Peninsula, Gdańsk, Pomerania, Poland (geography) Nazi-Soviet Invasion of Poland, 1939 (theme) German-Russian Invasion of Poland 1939, Second World War (event)
- Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: German Title language: German Subtitle language: None
- Technical Details: Format: 16mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 754 ft; Running time: 19 mins
- HD Media:
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