This black & white U.S. military film is about part of the January/February 1944 battle for Kwajalein, known as Operation Flintlock. This section shows the U.S. seizure of the islands of Roi and Namur as part of Operation Burlesque-Camouflage. This battle resulted in the U.S. seizing the southern portion of the Marshall Islands group. This film dates to mid-1944 and was originally restricted, and no wonder — the film presents a brutal, unflinching look at island combat.

Opening: U.S. troops on patrol, taking fire, explosions. Smoke and gunfire all around, dead bodies everywhere. A hangar’s sheet metal is all that remains after being bombed. Operation Burlesque-Camouflage was the US seizure of the islands of Roi and Namur in the Kwajalein atoll of the Marshall islands group (:07-1:41). Smoke plumes, artillery is fired. Amphibious crafts bring soldiers to an island. Soldiers on the shore (1:42-3:17). U.S. troops crawl along the beach and move inland. They landed at the southern shore of Namur (which was Green 1 to the west of Yokohama Pier and Green 2, which was to the east of this pier). Soldiers move as do tanks (3:18-5:14). Soldiers carry light machine guns. Troops take cover. A big explosion followed by cover fire. A map is shown with the troop line advancing, this is explained. Troops take cover in the sand. Planes fly over the troops (5:15-7:19). General Schmidt. An enemy ammunition explosion occurs. Tanks on the beach as the Fourth Marine Division moves. Trenches the enemy used (7:20-8:44). The Allies controlled three quarters of the island but the remaining Japanese resistance was heavy. U.S. troops advance with medium tanks. Planes fly over. Thick black smoke and fire. Marines surround resistance and fire at them (8:45-11:00). Tank drives through a wooded area. The island is finally taken as a whole by the Allies. U.S. troops rest. Some troops remove Japanese bombs from a storage area. 40 Japanese troops take shelter under the storage, smoke bombs are used to get them out, 7 give up, the rest commit suicide (11:01-12:26). A map explains the next target, what islands were taken and what remained. Burlesque Island had a fire. Bombed out island. U.S. troops stand around. 165 Koreans, 99 Japanese taken prisoner. American dead are wrapped in ponchos, sprayed with sodium arsenate and buried (12:27-15:12). American dead is fingerprinted before burial for proper identification. Bombed out hangar. Troops look around the island. Large artillery is found on the island of Burlesque (15:13-16:47). On Burlesque were found five German type block houses with thick concrete. Plans for making one of these block houses. Bombed out ruins (16:48-18:08). Air raid shelters. U.S. troops walk around near the shelters. A tank ditch was found on Camouflage (18:09-19:24). Interrogation of Japanese POWs. POWs drink water. Nude POW walked by troops along the beach. Prisoners are put onto a boat and then a ship. A native of the island on the ship (19:25-21:11). Guns and tanks on Burlesque. U.S. troops wear helmets, walk around. American rides a bike. Troops set up on the beach (21:12-23:12). Rockets and bombs are rounded up by the troops, a pile on the beach. Map shows Burlesque and Camouflage Islands. The plan of attack is explained and shown with arrows. Islands have an American flag background (23:13-24:59). Marshall Islands on a map. Operation Flintlock is explained (25:00-26:51). End credits (26:52-26:58).

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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