WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 166 [Main Title]

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  • Title: WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 166 [Main Title]
  • Film Number: WPN 166
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: An edition of the British official newsreel "War Pictorial News", produced by the Ministry of Information, Middle East.
  • Description: I. 'ON THREE FRONTS- FRANCE.' Allied naval shipping is shown at sea. King George VI wearing a life jacket, stands on the bridge of an unidentified Royal Navy ship (HMS Arethusa ?) on his way to visit the Allied beachheads in Normandy. On arrival at Graye-sur-Mer, the King is helped into a Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) DUKW 2.5-ton 6x6 amphibian vehicle. The DUKW drives up the beach at low tide, the King being met by General Bernard Law Montgomery (Commander 21st Army Group). King George the VI and General Montgomery are driven off in a Humber Snipe Tourer. Following a presentation ceremony at 21st Army Group headquarters (Creully), King George VI re-embarks onto a RASC DUKW amphibian for his return journey. Allied tank landing craft (TLC) N-106 disembarks Jeeps and soft-skins at an undisclosed location. TLC T-2331 manoeuvres to find a safe landing spot on an overcrowded stretch of beach. The commentary highlights the work of the supply chiefs and stresses that the Normandy beachheads continue to be consolidated. Two Allied M4 Sherman tanks "Crusader" and "Sfax" move along a country lane lined with hedgerows. Abandoned British Airspeed Horsa gliders lie in a field. Extended operational footage shows a raid by Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command Avro Lancaster aircraft on the German Kriegsmarine E-Boat facilities at Le Havre. II. 'BURMA.' An item outlining the Japanese attack on Kohima (Burma) and their subsequent defeat by elements of the British XXXIII Corps. Aerial footage shows the jungle canopy strewn with parachutes following an Allied supply drop to the besieged defenders of Kohima. British infantrymen crawl under fire to collect supply canisters. A British infantryman carries on his shoulders a wounded comrade, moving at speed to avoid Japanese sniper fire. British infantry move along a mountain road carrying Bren .303-inch light machine guns and Lee-Enfield .303-inch Mk III rifles. Bare-chested British gunners fire Ordnance QF 25-pounder howitzers at high elevation. British infantry (XXXIII Corps ?) move cautiously through the jungle during the advance to relieve Kohima. III. 'RUSSIA.' Scores of Russian 152mm Gaubitsa-Pushka (obr 1937g ?) field guns fire at high elevation. Russian T-34/76D tanks drive past the camera position. A knocked-out T-34/76 tank stands near shell damaged buildings in a Russian town (probably Minsk). The commentary outlines events leading to the Russian liberation of Minsk (July 4 1944) and describes it as an outstanding military feat. Russian heavy self-propelled guns (ISU-122 ?) move off with rain-caped infantry giving support. Russian infantry manhandle a dual-purpose 76.2mm anti-tank gun into position as a T-34/76 tank drives past. Russian infantry load and fire a large-calibre mortar (82mm BM-41 ?). Extended battle footage apparently shows the Russian offensive against German positions in Minsk. Russian infantry engage unseen targets from the cover of rubble using captured German 9mm MP40 sub-machine guns, 7.62mm Pistolet-Pulemyot Shpagina obr 1941g sub-machine guns and Karabin (obr 1938g ?) carbine rifles. A Russian infantryman clears a house with explosives, during house to house fighting in a Minsk street. Russian infantry move through devastated streets as civilians re-emerge from shelter after the battle.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: WPN 166
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944-07-10
  • 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: George VI, King (person) Montgomery, Bernard Law (person)
  • Keywords: operations, British military - movement (object name) combat, United States - air raid (object name) supplies, Allied, movement [FA] - misc (object name) combat, Russian (object name) destruction, Russian military - area (object name) Caen, Calvados, France (geography) Le Havre, Seine-Maritime, France (geography) Kohima, North East India, India (geography) Russia & Minsk (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: 924 ft; Running time: 10 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    WPN 166

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