Shot by a member of combat camera named Edwin C. Udey who was tasked with making a documentary about the field treatment of wounded, this silent footage was taken during the Battle of Saipan in 1944. Unlike most of the censored footage you will see from WWII, this material from the combat zone is quite raw. It is hard to watch without becoming emotional, seeing so many brave, young men who have been subjected to the horrors of battle.
At :28 a Marine examines a Japanese emplacement or hole and then fires his weapon into it. At :47 mortars are fired into Japanese positions. At :59 Marines rest near an armored vehicle. At 1:09 a wide shot shows likely naval gunfire or air strikes into the interior. At 1:26 the landing beach is shown with amtracks and other vehicles in the surf. At 2:24 a Marine handles what appears to be a landmine or Claymore. At 2:30 a Claymore is rigged. At 2:57 what appears to be a booby trap is shown. At 3:00 troops move through a fire zone. At 6:00 a KIA Japanese soldier is shown. At 6:10 an explosion rips through the hillside, possibly detonation of a Japanese emplacement. At 6:52 a tank moves into a position. At 7:00 American troops move through jungle foliage. At 7:52 burned bodies of KIA Japanese are shown. At 8:31, the beach area is shown at dusk. At 10:07, shot from the heights, the U.S. Navy can be seen with cruisers and battleships shelling the island. At 10:47 wrecked buildings are shown. At 12:17 a Japanese prisoner holds up his hands in surrender. At 12:43 Japanese prisoners including women and children sit and smoke cigarettes. Their war is over.
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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
