THE DESTRUCTION OF A FOKKER : our mobile anti-aircraft guns in action [Main Title]

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  • Title: THE DESTRUCTION OF A FOKKER : our mobile anti-aircraft guns in action [Main Title]
  • Film Number: IWM 470
  • Other titles: OFFICIAL PICTURES OF THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE - FIFTH SERIES [Series Title]
  • Summary: British 13-pounder anti-aircraft mobile batteries shoot down a German aircraft, Western Front, January 1916.
  • Description: The film includes some fakes and a large number of stockshots. It concerns a battery of two 13-pounder Mark III anti-aircraft guns mounted on Thorneycroft lorries by Mark I lorry mounts, together with their fire control. The captain in charge sights an enemy aircraft (never actually seen) through his telescope, the details are set out on the ranging board and the men of the battery called out. The guns open fire, and as the target aircraft moves past them the lorries drive in pursuit to a new site where they again deploy and open fire. Fire control keeps track with telescopes and rangefinders. A second battery, with 13-pounder 9cwt anti-aircraft guns, joins in. The men cheer as the enemy aircraft plunges out of the sky. It is seen falling, burning while balancing on its nose, then burning on the ground (this last sequence is clearly a fake, and not recognisably a Fokker aircraft).
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1914-1918
  • Production Date: 1916-06-19
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: War Office (Production sponsor) British Topical Committee for War Films (Production company) Malins, Geoffrey H (Production individual) Tong, Edward G (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Royal Artillery, Royal Field Artillery (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: weapons, British - gun [AA]: 13-pounder & [+] (object name) combat, British - anti-aircraft (object name) equipment, British - fire control: telescope (object name) equipment, British - fire control: rangefinder (object name) 01/3(4-15).5 (event) France (geography) Belgium (geography) propaganda, British (concept)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: English Subtitle language: English
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 382 ft; Running time: 6 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Notes: Cameraman: this was either Malins or Tong, or both Remarks: it is interesting that the German aircraft should be described specifically as a Fokker. This may be intended as a kind of ritual exorcism - showing the vulnerability of a currently legendary enemy - but then again it may just reflect that 'Fokker' (with its convenient hint of double-entendre) is a useful shorthand for 'enemy combat aircraft'
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    IWM 470

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    IWM 298 (ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS - FRANCE [Main Title])
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