One of a series of survival training films made by the U.S. Army, this one dates to the 1980s and shows troops in forest terrain similar to what might be encountered in continental Europe.

At mark 01:00, a platoon of soldiers is caught in an enemy attack, and their armored personnel carrier destroyed. Separated from their unit, they must now survive in the field with limited equipment — and survival is a matter of life over death.

At mark 3:11, we have the troops planning their survival with the little they have and travelling at night through the woods. At mark 5:50, the sergeant records the identity of those killed and missing in his team for the unit leader with their coordinates. This is also done for forced burial. A compass is not always available during survival situation; hence, sun can always be used on a stick about 3ft long to cast a shadow as seen at mark 06:25. The shadow is then marked and lines are drawn. This method is most accurate method used for direction finding. Another is with a watch at mark 7:05. Shadow is cast on the hour hand and by this; the south direction is taken which is used for North Temperate Zone only. To determine direction in the South Temperate Zone, 12’oclock is pointed toward the sun. The half way between is the North and south line. Another way is at night with the North Star at mark 7:50. Cassiopeia is a way of determining the North Star. Also we have Southern Cross. At mark 9:20, the wounded soldier is been carried and plans to carry him was made. All area should be approached with caution, we have at mark 11:55, the troops making a reconnaissance research.

In a survival situation, water is a primary requirement even than food. Water is a little hard to find here so any source is considered. At mark 12:28, we have water collected from concave dry river or stream bed. Another source is also rainfall which can be collected on trees, even the early dew is a source of water at mark 12:44. At mark 14:00, they made a stop for the night and planned on their survival, food and shelter. At mark 15:45, they went in search of edible plants for food, also for water. Each plants has its attribute and advantage with different nutrient – vitamins and minerals. At mark 19:00, the squad leader and his other man continued with the reconnaissance. At mark 21:40, they attempt to start a fire to help them in their survival. Fire is essential for survival and this can be made in different form as seen at mark 23:20.

All the troops meet back at the base with different supplies at mark 21:00. At mark 25:30, they set their camp for the night. Adequate shelter is important for survival as we see tents and coverings made at mark 26:30. At mark 28:00, the sergeant sets the snare for protection and helps in animal intrusion. At mark 29:42, we see the snare construction. Here we see the different kinds of snares there are with their triggers which consist of three stakes. At mark 32:02, we have part of the troop in the stream site making a fish trap for his fishing. The trap is made in form of a funnel and stakes are also used to support the trap. We also have the arrow head fish trap at mark 33:40. Fresh water fish should always be boiled before eating as we have at mark 34:11 because of parasite. However when food is scarce, nothing should be subjected to much heat so it does not lose its value.

At mark 34:25, the sergeant is training his underling on using the signal mirror when visibility is poor and when it’s alright. At mark 35:45, the serge tends to his wounded soldier helping him with his food and medication. Body cleanliness the first defense against diseases is highly essential. At mark 37:05, troops went to a nearby stream to clean up their body and also the under clothing which should be kept as clean and dry as possible. Socks should also be kept clean. In the morning, the fish specialist went for his fishing leaving fingerlings in the trap. At mark 38:17, we see the snare which had caught a game overnight and its blood is drained by cutting his throat first. Blood when boiled is a valuable source of nutrient. At mark 39:00, the game is been skinned and all the inner part is been removed. This is then boiled for preservation. It can also be preserved by sun drying and smoking. At night, they moved out mark 42:15. At mark 43:15, they were spotted by their base troop and are welcomed back to the camp.

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