This black-and-white film titled “The Cobra Strikes” is an episode in the U.S. Army documentary series “The Big Picture” and first aired in 1965. The series, which aired from 1951-65, consisted of documentary films produced by the United States Army Signal Corps Army Pictorial Service. This episode is part of a sub-series called “The Army in Action” and features the events of the Battle of Osan, the Battle of Inchon, Operation Big Switch, and more.

A spinning globe (00:07). “The Big Picture” title banner (00:13). “Amy in Action, Episode X” title banner (00:32). “The Cobra Strikes” title banner (00:38). The episode is introduced (00:48). Mountain tops (02:02). Agriculture scenes in South Korea (02:06). Children attend outdoor school, learning English (02:24). They play (02:34). Explosions (02:39). Burning houses (02:48). Locals walking (02:55). Soldiers running across a battlefield while bombs drop (03:03). Mortar artillery firing (03:14). Former President Harry S. Truman (03:26). United Nations Secretariat Building (03:34). Former United States delegate Warren Austin speaks to congress (03:36). Flags (04:04). The Japanese General Government Building, Seoul (04:07). Views of fires in the city of Seoul (04:09). Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota (RAF designation) military transport aircraft (04:13). Soldiers marching (04:23). Crowds of clapping locals greet the soldiers (04:24). Map zooming in on Osan, a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea (04:31). Footage of soldiers during the Battle of Osan in 1950 (04:37). Soldiers arm 2.36-inch bazooka (04:45). Soldiers sit in an M24 Chaffee light tank (04:59). Army training (05:03). Additional American and British troops arrive in South Korea (05:06). Soldiers set up camp (05:18). Map of South Korea highlighting the Nakdong River (05:26). Anti-tank artillery is fired, including the M101 howitzer anti-tank gun and The M16 was a 4.5-inch spin-stabilized unguided rocket (05:39). Map of Pusan (Busan today) (06:07). Artillery and other army supplies arrive at Pusan (Busan) Port (06:13). Map of the border to North Korea (06:24). Heavy artillery explosions and weapons firing as part of the Battle of Inchon, September 1950, led by General Douglas MacArthur (06:31). General Douglas MacArthur (06:57). US troops invade the land (07:06). The enemy is surrendering (07:19). They invade Inchon (07:27). The enemy is surrendering (07:39). Additional troops arrive in Inchon (07:44). Map displaying the Battle of the Pusan Perimeter (07:52). Views of the US army offensive (07:59). Map of Inchon and Soul (08:05). The Second Battle of Seoul (08:15). Map of Kaesong (09:06). The US Army invades Kaesong (09:11), then Wonsan (09:18), then Pyongyang, capital of North Korea (09:33). The Douglas C-47 Skytrain military transport aircraft (09:52). Troops give loudspeaker messages (10:01) and hand out safe-conduct passes (10:06). Masses of enemy soldiers arrive at a prisoner of war (POW) camp (10:31). Map displaying US troops pushing towards the Yalu River (10:48). Troops hike towards the river (10:55). They pass the first group of Chinese Communists Captured by the Republic of Korea Army during the Korean War, December 1950 (11:07). Views of other units’ camps in the south (11:38). They relocate and initiate Operation Killer against the Chinese Communist People’s Volunteer Army (PVA) and the North Korean Army (KPA) (11:58). M26 Pershing heavy tank/medium tank (12:45). Operation Ripper (Fourth Battle of Seoul) (13:06). Possibly M-42 light semi-automatic anti-tank gun firing (13:24). M30 107 mm mortar fired (13:28). Battle scenes (13:42). Yakov Malik, former Soviet ambassador (14:27). Truce talks held in Kaesong (14:37) and Panmunjom (15:12). Battle scenes (15:24). Landmill of empty artillery casings (15:34). Supplies arrive by Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw helicopters (15:52). M26 Pershing tanks firing (16:41). News spread of Joseph Stalin’s death in 1953 (17:11). Operation Little Switch prisoner exchange (17:34). General Mark W. Clark signs a ceasefire agreement in 1953 (18:02). Operation Big Switch, exchange of remaining prisoners (18:22). Credits (19:08).

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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