WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 42 - SPECIAL [Main Title]

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  • Title: WAR PICTORIAL NEWS NO 42 - SPECIAL [Main Title]
  • Film Number: WPN 42
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: Soviet Offensive.
  • Description: I. 'SOVIET OFFENSIVE.' Russian Deputy People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs, Andrei Vyshinsky and Polish Ambassador to Russia, Kotz wait at a Moscow air field to meet General Wladyslaw Sikorski (Premier of the Polish government-in-exile and C-in-C Free Polish Forces) who arrives by Russian Air Force Douglas C-47 Skytrain (Dakota) transport aircraft. General Sikorski arrives in Moscow and enters a government building for talks with M I Kalinin, President of the Supreme Soviet. Later, General Sikorski visits a unit of the Polish Army based in and equipped by Russia. Sikorski watches a march past by infantry and cavalry units of the Polish Army. A 76.2mm Pushka obr 1939g dual purpose field gun is towed past the reviewing stand. Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots of 151 Wing consult maps prior to a sortie from their airfield at Vaenga in northern Russia. RAF armourers load 303-inch ammunition belts into the box-feed system mounted in the wings of a Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB fighter (81 Squadron ?). Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB fighter aircraft taxi across the snow-covered runway at Vaenga. Brief close-up footage shows an RAF pilot sitting in a Hurricane cockpit prior to take off (Wing-Commander H N G Ramsbottom-Isherwood of 81 Squadron ?). Elsewhere, Russian ski-troops on patrol traverse a snow covered valley. Russian infantry and civilians dig trenches. A Russian infantryman armed with a 7.62mm Samozaryadnaya Vintovka Tokareva obr 1940g self-loading rifle stands alertly in a trench system. A map shows the extent of the German advance in the environs of Moscow. Panoramic footage shows Government buildings in the main square of Tula. Russian militia patrol the streets of Tula in an old civilian soft-skinned vehicle. Interior footage taken in a Tula munitions factory show women factory workers machining shells for anti-tank guns (45mm PTP shells ?). A newly completed Russian armoured train is rolled out of its construction shed as workers look on. Interior footage of a factory shows a male factory worker using a moulding machine to shape wooden skis, other workers stack completed skis against a wall. Brief footage shows male factory operatives working on the final assembly of 7.62mm Pistolet-Pulemyot Shpagina obr 1941g sub-machine guns. Elsewhere at a Russian tank factory, T-34/76B medium tanks are shown in varying stages of construction. Russian Air Force groundcrew fuel a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber aircraft from a nearby bowser and load the aircraft's underwing racks with 220-lb(?) bombs. A Petlyakov taxies across a snow covered airfield. Brief footage shows a Petlyakov pilot at his controls (affording good views of his flying clothing). A flight of Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers overfly snow-covered terrain prior to dropping their bombs on enemy positions. Bombs impact on snow covered terrain. Stock shots show Russian cavalry attacking a hamlet with drawn sabres. Russian infantry inspect captured German weapons and equipment which include ammunition pouches, 7.92mm Kar 98k rifles and an MG 34 machine gun. Wrecked German Army (Heer) soft-skins are shown. German Army prisoners are escorted across snow covered terrain. Stock shot footage shows a Russian artillery barrage (122mm howitzers, 137mm Zenitnaya Pushka obr 1939g anti-aircraft gun, 85mm ZP anti-aircraft gun and BT-7 light tank). Russian T-34/76B medium tanks advance across snow covered terrain.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised: Yes
  • Object_Number: WPN 42
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1942-02-16
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Ministry of Information, Middle East (Production sponsor) War Pictorial News (Production company) Martin, Charles (Production individual) Keating, Rex1910-02-142005-01British newsreel commentator, WW2 period (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Vyshinsky, Andrey (person) Kotz (Mr) (person) Sikorski, Władysław (person) Red Army, cavalry (regiment/service) Polish Army, Home Army (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: delegations, Polish [Home Army] international - military (object name) delegations, Polish international - political (object name) industry, Russian - guns (object name) industry, Russian - munitions (object name) combat [simulated], Russian - air strike (object name) prisoners of war, German - surrender (object name) combat [simulated], Russian (object name) Russia & Tula (geography) Russia & Moscow (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English Subtitle language: French & Arabic
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 825 ft; Running time: 9 mins
  • HD Media:Yes
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    WPN 42

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