This black & white educational film is about the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir, a campaign early in the Korean War, part of the Chinese Second Offensive (November–December 1950) to drive the United Nations out of North Korea. This film has a 1951 copyright.
A foreword that explains what we about to see shows the US Marines in the bitter struggle from the Chosin Reservoir to Hungnam, Korea. Credits: US Navy presents ‘With the Marines – Chosin to Hungnam.’ (:07-1:11). The film is narrated by a Sergeant who was in the conflict. Korea, December 1950. Soldiers set up camp and are dealing with freezing temperatures. A soldier lays down as others warm near the fire. Shot of the Chosin Reservoir. Soldiers stand near the reservoir. Aerial shots of the reservoir. Airplanes swoop in fire upon enemy troops. US Marines are at the bottom of a hill and slowly make their way up the snowy hill. A Marine carries a bazooka. Marines go up the hill holding their rifles (1:12-3:15). Troops move through the snow while taking enemy fire. Marines are hunkered down in the snow. Marines Capture enemy Koreans (3:16-3:55). Marines take care of wounded enemy soldiers. Soldiers carry wounded comrades back to camp. Some of the dead are dragged back to camp. A soldier cleans a dish in a cold stream. One jeep pulls another through the snow. Soldiers brave a snowstorm. They march through the snow. A map of Korea is shown. It shows Chosin Reservoir to Hungnam. Another voice explains the US is in a trap as Korea has Chinese help (3:56-7:31). Marching onward through the snow covered land, the Marines move on. The Marines have to backtrack from the Chosin to Hungnam. Airforce drops bombs on the enemy. Explosions on the ground. Airforce planes fly off of a battleship. Aerial POV footage of an airplane firing down on the enemy. Cold snow whisps around the cold soldiers (7:32-10:01). Soldiers move across a ridge. Tanks and soldiers move as planes fly above. A bomb is dropped, thick black smoke plumes. Soldiers move on down a road, walking and in jeeps (10:02-11:30). Truck stops. Soldiers get to camp. Its warmer, 15 below zero. Planes drop supplies to the soldiers. A plane lands on an airstrip. The wounded are to be taken out in the planes. Wounded are loaded into planes and the planes take off down the runway. Strong winds whip the snow at the soldiers. Soldiers remove stakes and load up to move south. Tanks move as do soldiers (11:31-14:23). The Marines run into the Army. No one is sure as to what is going on. Soldiers are under fire. A map is shown that is explained. Battleships fire cannons. Navy soldiers work on the ship and fire artillery. Explosions at night are the results of the ships firing. Next morning, ships move. Soldiers on the ground fire. Planes drop bombs (14:24-16:58). Civilian Koreans on the move from the war area. Crying Korean child. Trucks move American soldiers. They come to a stop. US Navy is waiting to move the troops. Bombs are lifted, along with other supplies and trucks, onto the ship. Troops take a boat to the Navy ship. Wounded are lifted up as well, one at a time (16:59-19:58). A tank is backed onto the ship.Korean civilians are also assisted and brought aboard. The last of the army is getting ready to leave land and get on the ship. Troops are placing sandbags on shore. An officer raises his binoculars as a smokestack is blown to bits. The Navy demolition team helped do it (19:59-22:16). Amphibious crafts get the remaining soldiers out of the way. A huge explosion is detonated on land and observed from sea. This is the destruction of Hungnam’s port facilities.
About 91,000 South Koreans are moved to safety. Over 105,000 soldiers are aboard all of the ships. The battleships move on the sea
(22:17-24:02). End credits (24:03-24:14)
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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
