Made for the home market in the USA, this 16mm newsreel from Official Films begins with footage of the German invasion of Norway. At 1:08, the American Ambassador Mrs. J. Borden Harriman escapes to Sweden in a diplomatic car. At 1:42 Namsos, a North Sea port city, is bombed by the Luftwaffe. At 2:50, Allied Expeditionary Force ships withdraw from Norway. At 4:30, Royal Navy planes arrive to cover the withdrawal and prevent enemy U-boat attacks. At 5:43 the German Blitzkrieg begins as Adolf Hitler’s forces invade the Netherlands and the lowlands of Europe. German Heinkel bombers and Stuka dive bombers are seen making attack runs. At 6;14 Holland opens up its dikes to stem the invasion but to no avail. At 6:28 Royal Air Force planes are seen taking off, and British troops are seen moving near the Maginot Line. At 7:20, King Leopold takes to the battlefield with his men. At 7:45 French troops are seen joining the defense of western Europe. At 8:00 the Germans strike Belgium and throngs of refugees are seen on the roads. A blind WWI vet wandering a destroyed French town, praying against all hope for victory. At 9:00, Chamberlain resigns as Prime Minister and Winston Churchill takes his place. He speaks on camera about the crisis and offers a plea to the USA to support democracy.

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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