Title:30TH CORPS ADVANCE EASTWARDS IN THE WAKE OF THE GERMAN RETREAT [Allocated Title]
Film Number:A70 129-1
Other titles:
Summary: As the German 5th Panzer Army and 7th Army attempt to extricate themselves from the Falaise pocket - while under constant pressure from the Canadians and Poles in the north and the Americans and French to the south - 30th Corps advances from the west but has difficulty in sustaining a rapid push eastwards in the face of blown-up bridges and other obstacles placed across its line of advance.
Description: 147th Field Regiment RA's 'Sexton' self-propelled guns, OP tanks and command half-tracks cross the Rouvre river over a Bailey bridge at Pont du Taillebois where the old bridge now lies on the river bed after its demolition by the retreating Germans. Queues of lorries form up on both sides of the river awaiting their turn to cross. On the way to Putanges, the 23rd Hussars' armour and the 8th Rifle Brigade's motorised infantry make detours across country to avoid mines and other obstacles laid on the road and overtake an abandoned 9th or 10th SS Panzer Division late-model Panther tank which indicates that the Germans have recently passed this way.
Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor)
Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company)
Parkinson (Sergeant) (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: German Army, Panzer Army 5 (regiment/service)
German Army, Army 7 (regiment/service)
British Army, Hussars, 23 (regiment/service)
British Army, Bde, Armoured, 29 Gp (regiment/service)
British Army, Div, Armoured, 11 (regiment/service)
British Army, Corps 30 (regiment/service)
British Army, Royal Artillery (regiment/service)
British Army, Bde, Armoured, 8 (regiment/service)
British Army, Rifle Brigade, 8th Battalion (regiment/service)
Keywords: armour, British - SPG: Sexton 25-pounder (object name)
engineering, military, British: Class 40 Bailey bridge (object name)
armour, United States - halftrack: M5 (object name)
armour, United States - tank: M4 Sherman & [British] (object name)
armour, United States - funnies: M4 Sherman ARV Mark I & [British] (object name)
armour, German - tank: Pzkpfw Ausf G (object name)
operations, British military - movement: road (object name)
demolition, German - denial: bridge (object name)
engineering, military, British: Bailey bridge (object name)
Pont de Taillebois, Orne, France (geography)
Orne (River), France (geography)
