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Title:ARTILLERY IN ACTION WITH 1ST CORPS (PART 1) [Allocated Title]
Film Number:A70 49-6
Other titles:
Summary: Gunners serving with 4th Army Group Royal Artillery go into action on 1st Corps' front north of Caen.
Description: A six-man 5.5-inch gun detachment from 68th Medium Regiment RA's 233rd Battery guns is seen bombarding German gun positions outside Caen. A gun loader is seen placing the detonator into the nose of a 100 lb shell and then screwing the fuse cap on. The 5.5-inch gun fires three rounds from a gun emplacement lined with sandbags and covered by scrim netting. In between rounds, the breech and gun barrel are swabbed clean; visible in the background are two other gun positions. Nearby, an eight-man 155mm 'Long Tom' gun team belonging to the 51st Heavy Regiment RA's No 2 Battery is seen in action against a German OP in Caen. Two loaders adjust the fuse settings on the cones of several 95 lb shells for delayed burst. The gun layer brings the 'Long Tom' onto a new target bearing.
Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor)
Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company)
Walter, Ernest Henry1919Family origin: Barry, Glamorgan, South Wales (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Corps 1 (regiment/service)
British Army, Royal Artillery, Army Gp 4 (regiment/service)
British Army, Royal Artillery, Heavy Regiment 51, Bty 2 (regiment/service)
British Army, Royal Artillery, Medium Regiment 68, Bty 233 (regiment/service)
Keywords: combat, British - artillery bombardment (object name)
operations, British military - preparation: loading 155mm gun (object name)
operations, British military - preparation: loading 5.5-inch gun (object name)
weapons, British - gun: 155mm 'Long Tom' gun (object name)
weapons, British - gun: 5.5-inch gun (object name)
weapons, British - shell: 100-pound shell (object name)
weapons, British - shell: 95-pound shell (object name)
Caen, Calvados, France (geography)
Notes: Summary: see with A70 50-1 to 3 and refer generally to footage showing artillery in action in Normandy and to A70 72-1 and 2 which features an Army AOP flight in service with 1st Corps. 4th AGRA consisted of one 50th Field, 53rd, 65th, 68th, 79th Medium and 51st Heavy Regiments RA and 319th Artillery company RASC.
Remarks: good action footage. Best seen with the items of ciné material listed above, notably A70 50-1 which contains virtually identical complementary footage.
Documentation/associated material: for a bibliography, read L F Ellis' 'Victory in the West: Volume 1', 2nd Army HQ's 'An Account of the Operations of 2nd Army in Europe 1944-1945: Volume 1', 'An Administrative History of the 21st Army Group June 6th 1944 - May 8th 1945' by the Army Group HQ, 'Struggle for Europe' by Chester Wilmot etc. refer to the publications listed in A70 49-6.
