One of several films which came back to the United States in the rucksack of an American G.I., this silent 16mm home movie begins with footage of German troops in forest camouflage going on patrol. It’s believed that this material is from occupied France sometime after August, 1942. Later on in the film, you will see footage from the Luftwaffe, and of Dieppe after the August raid (see below).

At the 2:51 mark, troops are shown conducting combat drills and getting a bit of exercise, moving across exposed terrain and at the 4:43 mark, they are shown prepping a machine gun tripod.

At 10:30, some good natured nurses are shown playing croquet with the men.

At 11:05, a solemn funeral service is held for fallen comrades, with many officers in attendance. At 11:55, a grave marker of Rudolf Planz is seen with the year 1942 visible on it. We believe this is Rudolf Pflanz (1 July 1914 – 31 July 1942), a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot and recipient of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. Pflanz claimed 52 aerial victories, all of them over the Western Front.

At 12:10, what appears to be a French town is seen.

At 12:30, the scene switches to a German air base where a number of fighter aircraft are seen dispersed on the field. The man sticking out his tongue at 15:48 is Josef Wurmheller 9/JG2 Richthofen. At 16:45, a game of cards is played by the pilots while waiting for a mission to develop.

At 17:11, some good natured socializing with some women is seen, followed by some push ups.

At 18:00, a smashed town is seen, probably Dieppe in the aftermath of the Canadian raid. A British tank is seen on the waterfront with its tread blown off, and lots of equipment strewn on the beach including helmets. More tanks are seen on the beach at the 19 minute mark and following.

The Dieppe Raid, also known as the Battle of Dieppe, Operation Rutter, and by its official code-name Operation Jubilee, was an Allied attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe on 19 August 1942. The assault began at 5:00 a.m., and by 10:50 a.m. the Allied commanders were forced to call a retreat. Over 6,000 infantrymen, predominantly Canadian, were supported by The Calgary Regiment of the 1st Canadian Tank Brigade and a strong force of Royal Navy and smaller Royal Air Force landing contingents.

Objectives included seizing and holding a major port for a short period, both to prove that it was possible and to gather intelligence. Upon retreat, the Allies also wanted to destroy coastal defenses, port structures and all strategic buildings. The raid had the added objectives of boosting morale and demonstrating the firm commitment of the United Kingdom to open a western front in Europe.

Virtually none of these objectives were met. Allied fire support was grossly inadequate and the raiding force was largely trapped on the beach by obstacles and German fire. Less than 10 hours after the first landings, the last Allied troops had all been either killed, evacuated, or left behind to be captured by the Germans. The bloody fiasco showed the world that the Allies could not hope to invade France for a long time.

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