Title:EXPLOSIVES, STORAGE AND TRANSPORT COMMITTEE TEST EXPLOSIONS, SOLTAU 1946, HELIGOLAND AND DUNE 1947 [Main Title]
Film Number:AMY 188
Other titles:
Summary: RAF record film of large scale explosive tests at Soltau 1946, and on Heligoland (Helgoland) and Dune 1947, Germany.
Description: The introductory captions note " Large scale controlled explosions to obtain data for Safety Distance Tables. The Soltau explosions were limited, owing to the presence of building, to 90,000lb HE (sic. High Explosives). Heligoland and Dune have no habitable buildings or residents but sea communications suffered from adverse weather conditions." The film continues with line maps of the two test areas followed by film of 21 explosive tests using large quantities of munitions (bombs, mines, cordite and TNT), each preceded by a caption detailing the nature of the test. The footage includes film of the layout (test area with piled munitions), slow motion film of the explosions and, in some cases, still photographs. Many of the explosions are massive and fill the screen, (there is no note of the distance of the cameraman from the test site). The film also includes two long distance shots of the resulting smoke formations filmed for meteorological purposes. The film ends with a caption noting that on Soltau the road were closed prior to the tests (film of a road side notice board in English and in German with the date of 29 August) and that on Heligoland the harbour was cleared of shipping.
