WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 128 [Main Title]

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  • Title: WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 128 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: WPN 128
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: An edition of the British official newsreel "War Pictorial News", produced by the Ministry of Information, Middle East.
  • Description: I. 'TANKS- AUSTRALIAN MADE.' Interior footage shows various stages in the production of Australian Sentinel AC I and III cruiser tanks. Male factory workers manhandle a castor mounted vat of molten steel to a casting furnace. Molten steel is poured into a tank hull casting mould. Male factory workers push a rough turret cast to cooling vats, later sanding off any traces of casting flash that remain. A female factory worker collects lights and electrical equipment from a large store room. Male factory workers are shown assembling interior fittings on a Sentinel AC I cruiser tank. A Cadillac V8 117hp (x3) engine unit is lowered by chain-hoist into the engine compartment of a waiting Sentinel (Cadillac triple engines of commercial origin were used as power plants for Sentinel cruiser tanks). A turret is lowered into position on a Sentinel III close-support tank (25-pounder howitzer in place of the 2-pounder mounted in the mark I). A newly completed Sentinel AC I tank is put through its paces at the factory proving ground. II. 'RAID ON BERLIN.' Royal Air Force (RAF) armourers attach fuses to incendiary marker bombs in preparation for a bombing raid over Germany. An RAF Avro Lancaster bomber runs up its engines at dusk (no squadron codes visible). Stock shot footage shows bombs impacting and exploding during an RAF night raid on Germany. III. 'ITALIAN FLEET AT MALTA.' "RN Italia" (ex "RN Littorio") and "RN Vittorio Veneto" of the Italian Navy (Regia Navale) are shown arriving at Malta on September 10 1943 where they will be surrendered under the terms of the Italian capitulation agreement of September 3 1943. Brief footage shows Regia Navale ratings on the decks of a surrendered Italian surface vessel (unidentified). Admiral Da Zara of the Italian Navy inspects a guard of honour drawn from Royal Navy (RN) ratings prior to conferring with British Admiral Sir Andrew B Cunningham. IV. 'SALERNO.' A Royal Navy (RN) Nelson Class battleship fires its 16-inch guns in support of the Allied landings at Salerno (Italy) on September 9 1943. Brief footage shows RN ratings wearing anti-flash hoods in the interior of a gun turret. Laden British Eighth Army personnel climb aboard landing craft. Allied tank (LST) landing ships make smoke as they approach the Salerno beachhead. DUKW 2.5-ton 6x6 amphibian "Blow It Out" drives ashore from a landing craft. An Eighth Army M4 Sherman tank wades ashore from an LCT (Landing Craft Tank). An Allied munitions ship explodes in the shallows.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: WPN 128
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1943-10-18
  • Production Country: GB
  • 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: Da Zara, Alberto (person) Cunningham, Andrew Browne (person) Royal Navy, Rodney (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: ships, Italian naval - battleship: Italia (object name) ships, Italian naval - battleship: Vittorio Veneto (object name) ships, Italian naval - cruiser (object name) industry, Australian - vehicles: tanks (object name) combat, British - air strike (object name) weapons, British air - bomb (object name) combat, British naval (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Rodney (object name) operations, Allied military - amphibious (object name) Operation Avalanche, landings at Salerno 1943, Italy, Second World War (event) Second World War, Mediterranean & Surrender of Italian Fleet & 10/9/1943 (event) Malta (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: 935 ft; Running time: 10 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    WPN 128

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    MGH 170 (A MEMENTO OF THE MEDITERRANEAN FOR ADMIRAL CUNNINGHAM [Main Title])
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