WORLD PICTORIAL NEWS NO 246 [Main Title]

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  • Title: WORLD PICTORIAL NEWS NO 246 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: WPN 246
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: An edition of the British official newsreel "World Pictorial News", produced by the Ministry of Information, Middle East.
  • Description: I. 'INDIA.' Panoramic footage shows the rugged terrain of the Kashmir Valley. River traffic threads its way past moored houseboats in the Indian holiday resort of Srinagar. A houseboat has a sign reading "Dental Surgeon" attached to it. A Srinagar local rows a boat carrying a mobile advertising hoarding that reads "Sam's Hotel Gagribal Point- Dancing and Cabaret Nightly." Riverside footage of Srinagar shows that all the local shops have rear access for customers arriving by boat. Kashmiri craftsmen make traditional pots out of papier maché, which are later hand-painted in a leaf design. II. 'NEWS FROM ENGLAND.' A prototype de Havilland Sea Vampire (F20 ?) is brought to the flightdeck of HMS Ocean by central lift. Sea Vampire LZ 551/G takes off from HMS Ocean, its jetwash lifting a section of metal walkway from the deck. The Sea Vampire is shown trapping back onto the flightdeck as firecrews stand ready. Large crowds watch an ice hockey match at the Empire Pool in Wembley, Middlesex. Extracts are shown from the match between the Wembley Lions and a team from Canada. Daphne Walker gives a skating exhibition, followed by the European champion, Cecilia Colledge. the ice-skating gala concludes with a drunken clown act on the ice by two "gentlemen about town." III. 'JAPAN.' Panoramic film footage shows large numbers of wrecked Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force aircraft at an airfield on Sasebo (Kyushu). Aircraft fuselage sections (including a Mitsubishi F1M observation seaplane) are stacked in a large pile. United States (US) M4 POA-CWS 75-HI Sherman flame-throwing tanks set the large pile of aircraft debris alight. IV. 'VIENNA TODAY.' An item that outlines events leading to the Russian capture of Vienna. Panoramic footage shows damaged buildings in Vienna. Viennese civilians clear rubble near the Cathedral of St Stephen. War-damaged civic buildings are shown that include the Opera House, City Hall, Urania Education Centre, Volkstheater, Schönbrunn Palace and wrecked bridges across the Danube. A knocked out German Sturmgeschütz III assault gun stands in a Vienna street. Russian infantry attempt to construct a bridge over the Danube under German artillery fire. A wall plaque reads "Diese Stadt ist in meinen Augen eine Perle! Ich werde sie in jene Fassung bringen, die dieser Perle würdig ist- Adolf Hitler am 9 April 1938." Hitler's quotation "Vienna will be a bulwark" is shown on the screen. A Russian SU-100 tank destroyer fires its 100mm gun at an unseen target. Goebbels' quotation "Vienna will be defended to the last" is shown on screen as German troops take cover in rubble and fire MG 34 and MG 42 7.92mm machine guns at unseen targets. A German soldier fires a 3cm rifle grenade from a Kar 98K 7.92mm rifle with Schiessbecher attachment. Sepp Dietrich's quotation "Vienna will be defended by my SS" is shown on screen. A Russian SU-76 assault gun is shown in operation against sniper positions in a Vienna building. Russian T-34/85 tanks operate against pockets of German resistance near the Cathedral of St Stephen. Russian infantry run along a street armed with 7.62mm Pistolet-Pulemyot Sudaeva obr 1943g (PPS 43) sub-machine guns. German infantry are marched from buildings by Russian infantry armed with PPS 43 7.62mm sub-machine guns and 7.62mm Samozaryadny Pistolet Tula-Tokareva obr 1930g automatic pistols. Viennese civilians clear rubble from damaged buildings.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: WPN 246
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1946-1975
  • Production Date: 1946-01-21
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Ministry of Information, Middle East (Production sponsor) World Pictorial News (Production company) Martin, Charles (Production individual) Noble, Robert (Production cast)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Colledge, Cecilia (person) Walker, Daphne (person) Renner, Karl (person) Royal Navy, Ocean (regiment/service) German Army (regiment/service) Red Army (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: industry, Indian - craft (object name) ships, British naval - aircraft carrier, fleet: Ocean (object name) recreation, British civilian - sport: ice hockey (object name) recreation, British civilian - sport: ice skating (object name) administration, United States - occupation (object name) reconstruction, Austrian (object name) prisoners of war, German - surrender (object name) prisoners of war, German - movement (object name) combat, German (object name) destruction, Austrian military - area (object name) India & Srinagar (geography) GB, England & London, NW <Empire Pool, Wembley> (geography) Japan (geography) Austria & Danube (River) (geography) Austria & Vienna, Vienna <City Hall> (geography) Austria & Vienna, Vienna <Opera House> (geography) Austria & Vienna, Vienna <St Stephen's Cathedral> (geography) Austria & Vienna, Vienna <Schönbrunn Palace> (geography) Austria & Vienna, Vienna <Urania Education Centre> (geography) Austria & Vienna, Vienna <Volkstheater> (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: 881 ft; Running time: 10 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    WPN 246

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