Summary: French film of the early stages of the Second Battle of the Marne, mid-July 1918.
Description: In the Villers-Cotterêts sector French wounded and German prisoners filter back through the woods east of the village and the wagon lines. Horse-drawn supply columns make their way into Longpont. The abbey and the village are badly damaged. Men march down the tracks near Villers Hélon, past a stagnant pond, a military traffic jam and on through mud and shellholes towards the front. Transport moves up in the rear areas. Before Violaines soldiers dig foxholes and scrape-trenches. Batteries of 75mm guns emerge from the wood and onto the roads. German 77mm field guns have been abandoned next to the Infantry positions. Another 77mm battery has been captured in front of Chaudun. Other guns captured at Saint Pierre Aigle have been grouped together. German prisoners are in a holding camp just behind the lines. Prisoners from Lorraine are separated out and a small group is posed for the camera, still in German uniform but with their officer carrying a French flag - all are smiling but clearly nervous. The prisoners are then marched in road column to the rear. Some hide their faces from the camera, others give a salute. Back in the battle zone a Schneider CA1 tank leads a party of soldiers forwards, more troops follow through the woods and over the horizon carrying full equipment. A 75mm battery fires from the wood with horse-transport passing close by.
Production Details: Section Cinématographique de l'Armée Française (Production company)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: French Army (regiment/service)
Keywords: medical, French military - movement (object name)
prisoners of war, German - movement (object name)
supplies, French, movement [FA] - misc (object name)
destruction, French military - area: artillery bombardment (object name)
buildings, French - religious: abbey & [damaged] (object name)
operations, French military - movement: march (object name)
weapons, French - gun: 75mm field gun (object name)
weapons, German - gun: 77mm field gun & [captured] (object name)
spoils, French (object name)
prisoners of war, German - custody (object name)
armour, French - tank: Schneider CA1 (object name)
operations, French military - sortie (object name)
combat, French - artillery bombardment (object name)
01/3(4-15).91 [1918 Marne] (event)
Villers-Cotterêts, Aisne, France (geography)
Longpont, Aisne, France (geography)
Villers-Hélon, Aisne, France (geography)
Violaines, Pas-de-Calais, France (geography)
Chaudun, Aisne, France (geography)
Saint Pierre-Aigle, Aisne, France (geography)
mud (concept)
propaganda, French (concept)
camera (concept)
Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Silent
Soundtrack language: None
Title language: None
Subtitle language: French
Technical Details: Format: 35mm
Number of items/reels/tapes: 1
Footage: 754 ft; Running time: 13 mins
