BOMBARDMENT OF BARDIA [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: BOMBARDMENT OF BARDIA [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: ADM 424
  • Other titles: BRITISH PARAMOUNT NEWS (14 OCTOBER 1940) [Alternative Title]
  • Summary: Newsreel item showing Operation MB.2, the bombardment of Bardia and Fort Capuzzo by elements of the Mediterranean Fleet, 17 August, 1940. The bombardment lasted from 0658 to 0720. Bardia escaped serious damage owing to the cliffs masking the town.
  • Description: I. Sequence showing a refuelling at sea. LS of Colony Class cruiser replenishing from an oiler (one of the British Tanker ships, possibly Olcades). Cameraship, an Arethusa Class cruiser, closes on the tanker and fuels astern. II. "Bombardment of Bardia". LS across fleet anchorage in Alexandria - French Duquesne Class cruiser and French destroyers are present. MS of two Australian destroyers HMAS Waterhen (D.22) and HMAS Vendetta (D.69) led by HMS Diamond (H.22). MS off the starboard quarter of anchored HMS Ramillies. Onboard Ramillies as she weighs anchor, the cable party wash and scrub mud off the cable as it comes in and hose down the anchor. MSs of Warspite and Malaya as they pass Ramillies to form line ahead. As Ramillies leaves the harbour a leadsman takes soundings. Various shots of the force in quarter line, Malaya leading Ramillies, with Warspite in the van. CU of Navigational Officer at work. MS off starboard beam of HMS Kent. Sequence showing Italian air attack - a lookout scans the sky and aircraft formations are seen high overhead. One of Ramillies' twin 4-inch AA trains round. Kent fires 4-inch AA. A stick of bombs explodes in the sea. The line turns to starboard. More bombs fall - regular lines of explosions in the sea indicating not very accurate high level attacks. The force nears the coastal cliffs near Bardia - officers and men regard the land through binoculars and telescopes. Forward turrets and optical rangefinder in the foretop gunnery control position train round to bear on the target. HMS Malaya, in line ahead of cameraship, opens fire - Ramillies follows suit. Explosions are visible ashore and Bardia is veiled by dust and smoke. Final XLS of a destroyer silhouetted on a patch of sunlit sea. III. Miscellaneous. Aerial CU of a Lysander flying left to right, and LS of the same aircraft over sea with the French battleship Provence steaming in the background. Camera-aircraft then passes low along the starboard side of Provence. Aerial LS of the French battleship. Cut to HA.CU from off the starboard bow of HMS Royal Sovereign. Film then reverts to episode II with final LS in low sun conditions of Malaya and Warspite steaming in line ahead.
  • Alternative Title: BRITISH PARAMOUNT NEWS (14 OCTOBER 1940) [Alternative Title]
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: ADM 424
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1940-10
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Admiralty (Production sponsor) British Paramount News (Production company)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Navy, Ramillies (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Royal Sovereign (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Warspite (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Malaya (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Kent (regiment/service) Royal Navy, DIAMOND (HMS), destroyer (1950) (regiment/service) Royal Australian Navy, WATERHEN (HMAS), destroyer (regiment/service) Royal Australian Navy, VENDETTA (HMAS), destroyer (regiment/service) French Navy, Provence (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: ships, British naval - battleship: Ramillies (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Royal Sovereign (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Warspite (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Malaya (object name) ships, British naval - cruiser: Kent (object name) ships, British naval - destroyer: Diamond (H.22) (object name) ships, Australian naval - destroyer: Waterhen (D.22) (object name) ships, Australian naval - destroyer: Vendetta (D.69) (object name) ships, French naval - battleship: Provence (object name) aircraft, British - combat: Westland Lysander (object name) operations, British naval - routine: replenishment at sea (object name) combat, British naval - anti-aircraft (object name) combat, British naval - bombardment (object name) Second World War & Operation MB.2 & 17/8/1940 (event) Egypt & Alexandria (geography) Libya & Bardia (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: English Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 546 ft; Running time: 6 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    ADM 424

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