Title:ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS GO INTO ACTION ON 30TH CORPS' FRONT [Allocated Title]
Film Number:A70 124-5
Other titles:
Summary: Having served in the Battle of Britain four years earlier, the 90th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment RA now participate in the battle for Normandy as field artillery during 30th Corps' drive on Condé-sur-Noireau.
Description: One of 285 Battery's eight 3.7 inch AA guns is seen under camouflage netting at the edge of a field near St Pierre le Vielle. Its crew attends to various tasks such as cleaning the gun-sights, the trunnions, the breech and recoil-spring and stacking and fusing high-explosive shells before being called to action stations. The detachment fires several air-burst rounds under the supervision of the gun sergeant who receives orders via a loudspeaker linked to the battery HQ. There, RA personnel plot firing ranges on receipt of 'phone messages from the battery's FDP. Earlier, the sergeant helps the gun-layer to bring the gun onto its target bearing, taking as his guide his troop commander who determines the alignment between the gun and its target with a target director. Two 3.7 inch AA guns at high elevation kick up dust each time they fire a round. A gun crew works hard to keep their gun in action.
Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations, War Office (Production sponsor)
Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company)
Leatherbarrow, RichardPrior to the Second World War Leatherbarrow was a portrait photographer. During the Second World War he joined the Royal Armoured Corps, transferring to the Army Film and Photographic Unit in 1943, when he received training at Pinewood. He was one of the cameramen on Juno Beach during the D-Day Landings. (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: British Army, Royal Artillery (regiment/service)
British Army, Corps 30 (regiment/service)
Keywords: weapons, British - gun [AA]: 3.7-inch gun & [camouflaged] (object name)
combat, British - artillery bombardment (object name)
Operation Bluecoat, Mont Pinçon 1944, North West Europe, Second World War (event)
Normandy, France (geography)
