Description: I. 'THE DRIVE TO THE RHINE.' British M4 Sherman Crab flail tanks sweep for mines in an open field area. A snow-camouflaged British Churchill Crocodile tank negotiates snow-covered ground. British infantry move through a snow-covered shallow trench system and across open land carrying PIAT anti-tank weapons and Lee-Enfield No.IV .303-inch rifles. A British Sherman Firefly tank fires its 17-pounder gun at unseen targets. A dead German soldier lies sprawled across the spade-leg of a 7.5cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun. British troops using Sten 9mm sub-machine guns clear houses of German snipers. Canadian infantry and soft-skinned vehicles move past shell-damaged buildings. Canadian troops walk past a parked Kangaroo armoured personnel carrier with "Frisky" painted on its hull. Operational Royal Air Force (RAF) footage shows a bombing attack on the German E-Boat pens at Yjmuiden. United States (US) Eighth Air Force camera gun footage shows interdiction attacks on German steam locomotives and air combat attacks on Luftwaffe aircraft (Messerschmitt Bf 109G and Focke-Wulf Fw 190A fighters). British anti-aircraft crews fire their 40mm Bofors guns (ground fire role) in support of the Canadian First Army's attack on Kleve. Canadian infantry move through a mined area following the track furrows of an M4 Sherman Crab flail tank. Canadian troops wearing leather artillery jerkins march German prisoners into captivity. Canadian Universal carriers towing 6-pounder anti-tank guns, drive in convoy along a road in the environs of Kleve. Canadian DUKW 2.5 ton 6x6 amphibians and LVT-2 amphibious load carriers, laden with infantry, negotiate flooded land. Canadian Churchill tanks move through the streets of Kleve. A Churchill tank, carrying extra track links on hull and turret, fires its hull and turret-mounted 7.92mm BESA machine guns at unseen targets. A Canadian sniper concealed in rubble fires a Lee-Enfield No.IV rifle with a telescopic sight. A Canadian Churchill tank moves into position to cover the emergence of surrendering German troops from a house. A Sherman Firefly tank supports Canadian infantry during street fighting in Kleve.
Production Details: Ministry of Information, Middle East (Production sponsor)
War Pictorial News (Production company)
Martin, Charles (Production individual)
Keating, Rex1910-02-142005-01British newsreel commentator, WW2 period (Production cast)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Canadian Army (regiment/service)
United States Army Air Force, 8th Air Force (regiment/service)
Keywords: combat, British (object name)
casualties, German dead - battlefield (object name)
prisoners of war, German - surrender (object name)
combat, United States - air strike (object name)
combat, Canadian (object name)
Germany & Kleve (geography)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Subtitle language: Arabic
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 926 ft; Running time: 10 mins