Official Films News Thrills of 1942 Vol 4 Op. Torch North Africa Russian Front (1942)

Synopsis

This film from 1942 depicts parts of the North Africa Campaign of WW2, as well as from the Allied forces' advance on New Guinea. It is presented by Official Films (:12) and opens with a promotion to buy more war bonds. (The US Treasury Department pushed for citizens to buy more bonds in order to finance WW2.) (:22). US forces are seen heading into Higgins boats for the landing on North Africa (:31) and British and US invasion fleets moved towards Africa from the British Isles (:49). This was the largest amphibious force in military history up to that time consisting of 850 ships (1:03). As the armada was about to hit the Strait of Gibraltar, a message from a Royal Navy destroyer (1:21) dictated the unit was to land on the Algerian coast west of Oran (1:30). Troops touching down on the shoreline completed the mission and quickly flanked Oran (1:07). The Allied powers now had control of the majority of the Mediterranean coast of Africa and headed towards Tunisia (2:00). In the summer of 1942, the Russian army moved in on the River Don to join Allied fighting forces (2:24). Soviet Infantrymen are seen rescuing their wounded under fire (3:11) as well as Russian snipers picking off Germans (3:29). The Red Army resistance made the defense of Stalingrad possible (3:43). For the advance on New Guinea, Allied forces moved in against Nippon armies (3:52). An aerial shot of the Owen Stanley Mountain range follows, which is where the Australian forces, under command of Douglas MacArthur…

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Details

Running time

12 minutes

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage