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Yanks Invade Marshall Islands! (1944)

1944 · Short film · 13 min

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Synopsis

Released in 1944 for the home market by Castle Films, "Yanks Invade Marshall Islands!" is a silent newsreel showing attacks on Roi and Namur in the Marshalls chain as part of the Battle of Kwajalein. At 1:03, raids by B-24 Liberators are made on Japanese airfields and other strongholds. At 1:59, battleships and cruisers deliver a barrage against shore positions. At 2:54, D-Day on Kwajalein, as the Marines head into landing craft and onto the beach. At 4:02, a huge cloud of smoke billows from a American ship that has taken a direct hit. At 5:14, a radioman sends reports from the beach back to commanders aboard ship, possibly directly artillery strikes. At 5:30, a huge column of smoke looms over the beachhead. At 5:30, Marines take cover in a trench. At 5:44, a Japanese sniper is hunted by Marines. At 6:19, Japanese who are attempting to escape the onslaught by swimming across a lagoon, are shot by Marine snipers. At 7:27, Japanese blockhouses and other emplacements are destroyed with TNT. At 7:38 a combat cameraman with a 16mm Filmo is seen shooting battle scenes. Tanks (8:00) are shown as well as flamethrowers (8:20). At 8:45 the mangled body of a Japanese soldier is shown in tangled wreckage and rebar. At 8:50, mortars are fired. At 9:30, a few Japanese are taken prisoner; they are the exception to the rule. At 9:35, a loudspeaker is visible, apparently being used to broadcast an announcement in Japanese, encouraging enemy soldiers to surrender. At 10:04, Japanese prisoners…

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Details

Running time
13 minutes
Collection
Ephemeral Films

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