Original, dramatic footage of the Normandy invasion which took place on June 6th, 1944. This footage follows the American soldiers as they begin the liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe.
The narrative takes us from the departure in England, the long wait crossing the channel to the actual invasion on Omaha Beach. The cost of war is also included as wounded soldiers are moved from the landing craft back into hospital ships.
We feel that a video has more value if you know what you are looking at so what follows are the original captions of what is you will see in the video:
- Invasion craft as seen through the porthole of a ship.
- FSV, various invasion craft with barrage ballons overhead.
- Dusk shot, soldier aboard ship dons helmet and stands guard.
- MCU, clock on wall points to 12 o’clock.
- Pan to naval officer synchronizing his watch with that of a clock.
- CUs, faces of soldier and Coast Guard officer.
- Pan from sailor looking up to the clock on the wall: 5:40.
- Various flashes, ships firing toward the coast. Included are scenes of multiple rocket launchers firing, landing craft underway, tracer fires from antiaircraft batteries, shells striking coastline.
- LS, multiple rocket launcher on invasion ship firing FSV to CUs, LCMs en route to the beach.
- CU, the ramp of LCM is lowered.
- Cut to FSV, soldiers hitting the beach. Short scene, US bombers in flight over the English Channel.
- FSV, rough channel waters.
- MS, men bailing water out of landing craft as it gets knocked about in the rough sea. VS, numerous types of landing craft en route on D-Day.
- LS, men wading through water to beach pass barriers.
- RVs, men disembarking from LCI through deep water. Men disembarking from smaller landing craft visible in the background.
- VS, bodies of drowned troops, floating in the channel; injured are cared for on the beach.
- MS, Coast Guard officer typing.
- MS, troops, debark at the beach; wrecked jeep in the foreground.
- LSs, vehicles on barges in the channel.
- MS, ambulance and trailer coming off landing craft.
- Short shot, wounded on litters on deck of LCI.
- Cut to a hospital ship at anchor.
- Overhead shots, wounded on litters on the deck of a ship.
- CU, wounded man on litter is carried past camera
- R-L. MLS to MS, men coming down landing nets into LSVP.
- Long silhouette shot, single line of men leaving landing craft and heading knee-deep for shore.
- VS, wounded are lifted onto a transport ship.
- Excellent scenes, unloading and beaching of cargo including ammo, trucks, trailers, DUKWs, etc.
- FSV, Nazi flag is lowered; US flag is raised.
- VS, vehicles pass a few civilians and into unidentified town.
- British MP is directing traffic through intersection, stops to give a US soldier a light. The lighter fails to work and the soldier finally gets a light from a woman standing on a corner.
- German prisoners get off of trucks and enter the compound. VS, heavy seas toss invasion fleet about.
- Cut to damage caused by high winds and flood waters; many vehicles are overturned in the channel.
- CU, damage to Coast Guard rescue cutter. MCU, same Coast Guard officer as in prior scenes seated at a desk, smoking pipe, and typing a V-Mail letter. After finishing the letter, he gets up, takes his crutches, and hobbles out of the scene.
- Pan to Purple Heart medal on desk.