Made for propaganda purposes during the war by the German newsreel company Degeto Weltspiegel and sold to the home market in Germany in department stores, this 16mm film is entitled “The Rhine Crossing and the Conquest of the Maginot Line.” This movie shows the early stage of the invasion of France in 1940 during the blitzkrieg. It starts with images of the Maginot Line, France’s huge, inter-connected string of fortifications, by German Dornier bombers. At :45, Stukas perform low-level attacks on French positions. German artillery are also shown engaging the enemy. At 1:20, German soldiers ford the Rhine in a rubber boat. On the far side they throw grenades and set up offensive positions. At 1:43, shells are dropped into a mortar. At 1:02, more troops advance carrying an assault boat which fords the river at 2:13 and then returns to pick up another load of soldiers. At 3:20 and following, German troops explore smashed remnants of the Maginot Line including pillboxes and gun positions. At 3:42, a large pontoon bridge has been built across the Rhine, allowing large numbers of troops to pour into France. A Bf-109 flies aircover above the pontoon bridge. At 3:50, German anti-aircraft gunners and the air patrol engage French planes that intend to destroy the bridge; a French aircraft is shot down and explodes as it impacts the ground 4:11.

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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 and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com