Part of a series of films made for the home market in Germany during WWII, this silent newsreel was sold in department stores for civilians with 16mm and 8mm movie projectors. This particular film “North to Belgium” begins with images of German troops clearing a mountain roadblock so that halftracks and armor can continue their advance. At :38, horses draw a series of supply wagons as the Germans move onward, followed by panzers. At :50, German soldiers with their rifles board a Junkers trimotor on their way to a front line airport. At 1:02 a Stuka dive bomber is loaded with a large bomb and made ready for flight, and at 1:31 tangled wreckage shows the results of their work. At 1:39 a wrecked bridge is shown, with what appears to be engineers working to repair it. At 1:47, a Panzer moves by in close to camera. At 1:55, German flak guns are shown in action. At 2:14, Stukas fly over the trees as they perform bombing missions. At 2:30 an aerial of Fort Eben-Emael is shown, and heavy artillery bombardment from all sides is shown. A sign proclaims the close proximity of the French border at 3:30. At 3:48 a massive railway gun, probably the Schwerer Gustav, opens up on enemy positions. The film ends with a montage of tanks, aircraft, infantry with a flamethrower, and explosions from artillery as the Wehrmacht presses the assault.

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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