ACTIVITIES OF THE JAPANESE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN SIBERIA [Main Title]

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  • Title: ACTIVITIES OF THE JAPANESE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN SIBERIA [Main Title]
  • Film Number: MGH 165
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: Edited silent film with English intertitles, showing Japanese, American, Russian and Chinese forces in Vladivostok and elsewhere during the Japanese intervention in Siberia during the Russian Civil War in 1918.
  • Description: Main title: 'Activities of the Japanese Expeditionary Force in Siberia' against a graphic of a rising sun with stars and with the 'KN' logo of the 'Japan Cinematography Co. Ltd'. Intertitle: 'Part 1'. A warship with three funnels crosses shot left-to-right with the sun shining on the water, possibly a Royal Navy Monmouth Class cruiser (if so, probably HMS Suffolk). Intertitle: 'The unloading of the SS Niitakamaru in Vladivostok harbour'. A horse is lowered on a sling towards the quayside with legs flailing. A cargo net is lowered down and soldiers unload it. Officers disembark down a staircase. Another net is lowered. A human chain unloads boxes and cargo nets are set down; there is a sense of bustle and the side of the ship is marked 'Ni-i-ta-ka' in hiragana script. More unloading. A Japanese sentry stands by. Intertitle: 'The street traffic in front of the headquarters of Japanese Expeditionary Force in Siberia'. Officers on a balcony with troops (not necessarily Japanese) marching right-to-left across foreground. Civilians pass, as does an officer wearing a foreign (western?) uniform. Intertitle: 'General Otani Commander-in-chief [sic] of the Allied[..]'. Intertitle: '[...]Expeditionary Force in Siberia coming out of his quarters'. Otani leaves his quarters and sentries present arms. He gets into a car. Car drives away. Intertitle: 'General Otani's arrival at the head quarters [sic] in Vladivostok'. Car with Japanese flag badge on its grille draws up. Otani gets out. He climbs some steps to the entrance of his headquarters. Otani at his desk. Intertitle: 'Admiral Knight of the US Navy visits Otani's head quarters'. Car pulls up and Knight, accompanied by an aide, comes up the same flight of steps. Intertitle: 'General Otani in Bragoenchensk'. People disembark from a train. Otani poses with a White Russian (?) dignitary; Cyrillic script can be seen on the carriage. View of troops in column; smoke blows from the train. Japanese and Russians exchange handshakes. At a station officers stand on parade; some are noticeably well decorated. Line of Japanese mounted troops. A car parked outside a building; Russian officers come out, followed by Japanese; the Japanese sentries do not present arms to the Russians. A detachment of horsemen lead a motorcar, followed by a number of horse-drawn traps. Another detachment of horsemen with a trap passing on the inside. Intertitle: 'The military review of the Allied troops in Habarovsk to celebrate H.M the Emperor's birthday'. Horsemen pass; a shop behind is possibly a tobacconists ('Tabac Magazin'). Intertitle: 'Japanese troops'. Wide and high shot looking towards an approaching column of troops with mounted troops passing. Horsemen; some pull off the road and take positions at the roadside while others pass out of shot. Looking down on a group (of officers?) apparently introducing themselves to each other. Mounted men watching; a man in the crowd appears to be wearing an American hat. Street level view down road with band approaching. Infantry passing. Light horse-drawn artillery passing (infantry guns?). More bodies of troops. Troops carrying long bundles (?). Field artillery pieces passing; they are drawn by teams of eight horses, with crews riding on the limbers. More field artillery passes. Cavalry passing raising dust. Intertitle 'American troops'. Mounted men pass. Band marching and countermarching. Infantry pass. Light artillery (infantry guns?) passing. Band follows. Intertitle: 'Russian troops'. Band leads. Infantry pass. Lancers pass. High wide and oblique shot of the parade with light artillery passing. Band passing. Intertitle: 'Chinese troops'. Mounted troops pass. Crowd milling. Wide shot over the crowd; a young boy, held up by a soldier, is introduced to a mounted (senior?) officer. Crowd milling with horses walking on the road. Band passes through the crowd.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: MGH 165
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM (MGH 165)
  • Featured Period:
  • Production Date: 1918
  • Production Country:
  • Production Details:
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Imperial Japanese Army, Japanese Expeditionary Force (regiment/service) Imperial Japanese Navy, NIITAKA, cruiser (regiment/service) Royal Navy, SUFFOLK (HMS), cruiser (regiment/service) United States Navy (regiment/service) Imperial Russian Army (regiment/service) Chinese Army (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai, Russia (geography) Bragoveshchensk, Siberia, Russia (geography) Khabarovsk, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 1266 ft; Running time: 21 mins (16fps)
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    MGH 165

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