This film from 1942 depicts parts of the North Africa Campaign of WW2, as well as from the Allied forces’ advance on New Guinea. It is presented by Official Films (:12) and opens with a promotion to buy more war bonds. (The US Treasury Department pushed for citizens to buy more bonds in order to finance WW2.) (:22). US forces are seen heading into Higgins boats for the landing on North Africa (:31) and British and US invasion fleets moved towards Africa from the British Isles (:49). This was the largest amphibious force in military history up to that time consisting of 850 ships (1:03). As the armada was about to hit the Strait of Gibraltar, a message from a Royal Navy destroyer (1:21) dictated the unit was to land on the Algerian coast west of Oran (1:30). Troops touching down on the shoreline completed the mission and quickly flanked Oran (1:07). The Allied powers now had control of the majority of the Mediterranean coast of Africa and headed towards Tunisia (2:00).
In the summer of 1942, the Russian army moved in on the River Don to join Allied fighting forces (2:24). Soviet Infantrymen are seen rescuing their wounded under fire (3:11) as well as Russian snipers picking off Germans (3:29). The Red Army resistance made the defense of Stalingrad possible (3:43).
For the advance on New Guinea, Allied forces moved in against Nippon armies (3:52). An aerial shot of the Owen Stanley Mountain range follows, which is where the Australian forces, under command of Douglas MacArthur and General Sir Thomas Blaney, were fighting Japanese forces at (4:00). Allied forces were able to push the Japanese from their main base of Kokoda (4:36). Australian forces are seen moving up through the jungle and breaking out into combat (5:19). New Guinea was the Australians first line of defense as it was only 100 miles across the water from Australia (6:07). New Guinea, once captured would become part of a vital anchor including the Solomon Islands guarding Australian and UN supply lines (6:12) and all of the UN’s fighting forces took part in this movement to rout the Japanese from the South Pacific.
British Airmen targeted German positions in Libya (6:37) and the 8th Army’s mechanized units consisting of swift gun armored cars and modern tanks are seen moving forward as Nazi’s retreat (7:03). The British advance covered ground at a rapid rate of 35 miles daily (7:38) as they closed in on General Erwin Rommel and his forces (7:38).
The final section of the film shows an unnamed American aircraft carrier USS Yorktown getting hit in the Battle of the Coral Sea (8:01). Gunners aboard the ship are seen targeting flying Japanese fighters (8:09). A blow hits the stern of the craft opening a wide hole (8:50). Troops worked to patch the hole and continue fighting simultaneously (9:22).
The film concludes with a final war bond promotion (9:32) “Hang the Axis” showing a drawing of the leaders of the Axis powers — Hitler, Tojo and Mussolini — being hanged at a gallows.
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