DIE DEUTSCHE WOCHENSCHAU NR 694 [Main Title]
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- Title: DIE DEUTSCHE WOCHENSCHAU NR 694 [Main Title]
- Film Number: GWY 195
- Other titles: DIE DEUTSCHE WOCHENSCHAU NR 1944/1 [Alternative Title]
- Summary:
- Description: I. German settlers in Rumania enlist in Waffen SS. In small town in German settlement area of Siebenbürgen young men (some wearing school graduation caps?) take leave of their womenfolk who have dressed specially in traditional costume in their honour. Youths are reportedly streaming from towns and villages inhabited by German settlers to join up as volunteers in the Waffen SS (7th SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Division Prinz Eugen ?). Still in civilian clothes but standing in ranks, boys are inspected by SS-Obergruppenführer Lorenz (Chief of Liaison Office for Ethnic Germans), against background of swastika and Rumanian flags. Honour formations from Rumanian and German Armies parade down main street and board cattle truck marked with SS runes and two posters, one titled 3 Months Ago showing boys at school and the other headed In 2 Weeks picturing them as uniformed recruits on parade. Boys wave as train pulls out. II. Goering visits fighter assembly factory. Reichsmarschall, flanked by company head and chief designer, stands on tarmac dotted with Messerschmitt Bf 109s and hears report from Luftwaffe pilot on handling qualities of (unidentified) new planes before inspecting cockpit canopy of Bf 109. Goering is warmly greeted by male and many female workers at assembly plant, with whom he chats easily and whom he thanks for their labour, then leaves in open top Mercedes Benz, with factory visible in background. III. Child evacuees from German cities prepare for Christmas. Children who have been evacuated from areas threatened by air attack are under care of their mothers and NSV sisters during their stay in Alpine village covered in snow. Children throw snowballs and make snowman while their elders prepare surprise presents for Christmas. IV. German servicemen and women celebrate Christmas. Festive occasion is enjoyed by children, who file into dark room to admire illuminated Christmas tree, as well as by members of Germany's armed services stationed throughout Europe. Even isolated soldier is remembered as train drops off small fir tree at snow-covered station. Wounded servicemen enjoy Christmas dinner at table laden with gifts from the German people; bed-ridden comrades receive presents from nurses. Girls of the Nachrichtenhilferin service on the Eastern Front are served fish (carp?) for Christmas. On English Channel coast Santa Claus arrives inside bunker with gifts and letters from home. On board M-1935 minesweepers (three in line astern) sailor dressed as Santa Claus amuses his colleagues. Crew of Focke-Wulf Fw 200-C Condor are greeted on landing with present of Martell Cognac from Santa Claus. Calendar indoors reads Friday 24 (ie Christmas Eve) as Luftwaffe man sits smoking pipe by decorated tree; commentary asserts that German people have indestructible faith in their own strength. V. Rommel inspects Atlantic Wall fortifications in Denmark. Danish sign forbids trespass on pain of death to area of fortifications on coast of Jutland. Generalfeldmarschall , placed in charge of construction and preparedness of Atlantic Coast defences, tours area and is briefed by General von Hanneken, commanding German forces in Denmark. Rommel then watches infantry exercise to fight off attempted landing by enemy. VI. Air supply drop to German forces on Eastern Front. Animated map of Vitebsk to Krivoi Rog. German defensive battles reportedly continue on Eastern Front, where soldier runs along zig-zag trench bordered by snow. Flare is fired in distance to mark dropping point for Junkers Ju 52/3m to deliver supplies and post for men in trenches. Field kitchen is reportedly replenished, as soldier dismembers carcass. (End of Reel 1) VII. German Army breaks Russian attack on Central Sector of Eastern Front. German reserves, including infantry and horse-drawn transport, trudge through deep sludge, forming later this year than usual. Snow falls as men and motorised transport make their way through morass. Soldiers are characterised as unflagging as they pass by, smiling at camera. Gebirgsjäger take up new positions in zig-zag trench; one wears armshield indicating he is Narvik veteran. VIII. Germans make planned withdrawal on Italian Front. Animated map of Italy. German defence of mountains and rivers is reportedly preventing enemy from hastening his advance. Aerial view of bitterly contested Sangro valley shows one such natural barrier. On ground 2cm Flakvierling opens fire against two flights (six planes each) of bombers overhead, which reportedly release their bombs over civilian buildings instead of military targets. Plane crashes into ground; close-up of wreckage shows USAAF markings. Trees are felled in order to provide open field of fire for German defenders, foxholes are dynamited out of rocky mountainside and barbed wire is unrolled by paratroopers to protect new hillside positions. Mud as on the Eastern Front hampers movement, so rocks are placed on path enabling mules to transport supplies up mountain. Soldiers receive mail. Enemy press has reportedly admitted that Anglo-American advance has been disappointment. Paratroopers demolish railway bridge with explosives (close-up of plunger being pressed) then proceed along road. IX. Seaplanes escort German convoy off Northern Norway. Blohm und Voss Bv 138s lie moored at base; one returns to land after completing 1500th flight and crew are congratulated by comrades with presentation of scarf inscribed with unit emblem (unidentified) and motto Das Auge klar, der Blick versonnen. Similar emblem adorns plane. Overnight snow is cleared next day from wings and fuselage of Bv 138 which is bombed up before taking off to escort convoy. Plane's arrival weaving over convoy is filmed from naval escort vessel. Winter conditions on board are very severe, as ship plunges through heavy seas within sight of steep coast. Snow is cleared from deck and anti-aircraft weapons of large vessel transporting twin-engined plane on deck, just in time to ward off attack from enemy plane, reportedly brought down by Flak. Convoy bringing supplies to far north reportedly reaches destination without loss.
- Alternative Title: DIE DEUTSCHE WOCHENSCHAU NR 1944/1 [Alternative Title]
- Colour: B&W
- Digitised:
- Object_Number: GWY 195
- Sound: Sound
- Access Conditions: IWM-GERMAN Attribution: IWM – GWY 195
- Featured Period: 1939-1945
- Production Date: 1943-12-22
- Production Country: Germany
- Production Details: UFA (Production company)
- Personalities, Units and Organisations: Lorenz, Werner (person) Göring, Hermann Wilhelm (person) Rommel, Erwin Johannes Eugen (person) Hanneken, Hermann von (person) German SS Freiwilligen Gebirgs Division 7 & Prinz Eugen (regiment/service) Romanian Army (regiment/service) Nationalsozialistiasche Volkswohlfahrt (regiment/service) German Air Force, Nachrichtenhilferin (regiment/service) German Army, Gebirgsjager & Narvik veteran (regiment/service) German Air Force, Paratroops (regiment/service)
- Keywords: recruitment, German-Rumanian (object name) society, Rumanian - ethnic: costume (object name) aircraft, German - combat: Messerschmitt Bf 109E (object name) society, German - precautionary: evacuees (object name) celebrations, German - popular: Christmas (object name) celebrations, German - popular: Christmas (object name) medical, German - hospital (object name) aircraft, German - combat: Focke-Wulf Fw 200-C Condor (object name) defences, Danish - emplacement: Atlantic Wall (object name) training, German - combat: anti-invasion (object name) aircraft, German - transport: Junkers Ju 52/3m (object name) operations, German air - sortie: supply drop (object name) society, German military - sustenance: food (object name) armour, German - SPG: Sdkfz 184 (object name) medical, German military - emergency (object name) weapons, German - gun: 15cm sIG 33 (object name) weapons, German - gun: 15cm sFH 18 (object name) armour, Russian - tank: T-34 & [wrecked] (object name) demolition, German - denial: Italy (object name) aircraft, German - seaplane: Blohm und Voss Bv 138 (object name) operations, German naval - sortie: convoy (object name) Rumania & Siebenburgen (geography) Russia & <Eastern Front> (geography) Denmark & Jutland (geography) Denmark & <Atlantic Wall> (geography) Russia & <Eastern Front, Central sector> (geography) Italy (geography) Norway & <northern Norway> (geography) Children (concept) snow (concept)
- Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: German Title language: German Subtitle language: None
- Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 2 Footage: 1735 ft; Running time: 19 mins
- HD Media:
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