This stunning color film of the PACIFIC ISLANDS OF WWII features footage shot during the post-war Thaw Expedition to the South Pacific. The film starts in Pearl Harbor at 1:07, with the Pacific Fleet shown at anchor. At 1:37 footage of December 7th is shown, and then at 1:48 the work of welders, crane operators, and other ship builders are seen. At 2:16, fighting men are seen at the Outrigger Canoe Club and surfing at 2:40 off Waikiki. At 3:06 Diamond Head is seen. At 3:26, signs of war are shown in Hawaii including a plaque honoring those lost aboard USS Arizona. the entrance to Hickham Field at 3:45. At 4;08 the Battle of New Guinea is seen with troops battling the dust, mud, and water in the jungle. At 4:49 combat footage is seen with American tanks, artillery and infantry on Guadalcanal. At 5:28 the jungle is creeping back over a wrecked plane, and at 5:51. Tanks are shown at 6:00, artillery at 6:06. At 6:35, wrecked ships are seen jutting out of Guadalcanal’s lagoon.
At 7:00, islanders are seen dancing. At 7:23, the film looks at the Battle for the Marshall Islands, including at 7:50 the attack on Tarawa, with battleships and cruisers bombarding enemy positions. At 8:40 troops hit the beach aboard amphibious landing craft. At 10:30 a headquarters is shown at Kwajalein, as well as many other parts of the vast base at Kwaj. At 11:43, wrecked landing craft and planes are shown on the beaches. At 12:18 a Japanese pillbox is shown, and at 12:27 a plaque. At 12:35, the Marshallese are seen converting wrecked boats into fishing vessels.
At 13:00 the assault on Guam is shown. At 14:00, supplies are moved inland on Guam. At 14;17, buildings are demolished and new ones are built in their place. At 14:35 rows of aircraft engines are shown at Guam, which was used as a repair base during the war. At 14:50 a new hospital is shown. At 15:40, the shoreline is seen dotted with wrecked invasion craft. At 16:22 the vast Guam base is shown with its rows of barracks and Quonset huts. At 16:44, Guam residents are shown celebrating Catholic mass.
At 17:00 the film moves to 1945, and the invasion of Iwo Jima including footage of the famous flag raising at 18:40. At 19:00, wreckage is shown at Blue Beach with the beach strewn with shell fragments. At 19:24 the central airport is shown on Iwo. A radio station is shown at 19:47 with the sign “Iwo Jima Power & Light” out front. At 20:40 are views of Mt. Suribachi from the air. At 20:55, the film shifts to D-day on Okinawa. At 22:27, wrecked ships are seen at Okinawa on the beach, along with other debris. At 23:07 a U.S. Army Sherman tank is shown rusting away. At 23:30, a swimming are is seen on Okinawa.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
