Normandy - The Airborne Invasion Of Fortress Europe

National Archives and Records Administration

NORMANDY, THE AIRBORNE INVASION OF FORTRESS EUROPE

Department of Defense. Department of the Air Force. (09/26/1947 - )

ARC Identifier 65988 / Local Identifier 342-USAF-19674. Summary: World War II scenes starting out with CU of Army Field Order No. 1, IX Troop Carrier Command, then shifts to a group of high ranking officers looking at Mosaic of Europe. Shows the joint chiefs of Staff at Shape Headquarters sitting around a long table talking. Shows paratroopers loading jeeps and small armament into gliders and cargo planes pulling gliders loaded with men and equipment. Also shows mass parachute drops, mass glider flight, and glider takeoffs and landing. Shows Gen Eisenhower talking with enlisted personnel. (USAF By Army Air Force Combat Film Service, WWII). Reel 1: HEADQUARTERS, ATS COMMAND, WRIGHT FIELD, OHIO. 1) CU Air Force general seated at desk-sign below same "Lt Gen William S. Knudsen." 2) CU General Knudson delivering intrduction speech about film to be presented. THE AIRBORNE INVASION OF FORTRESS EUROPE. FROM THE ARMY AIR FORCES COMBAT FILM SERVICE PICTURE, D Z NORMANDY. 3) CU Field Order No. 1, 9th Troop Carrier Command. 4) CU page of Field Order No. 1. Par. 2-"9th Troop Carrier Command will transport and resupply parachute glider elements of the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division and will be prepared to transport elements of the British 1st Airborne Division as directed. 5) CS man stamping Field Order, "Top secret". 6) CS Capt. of the 82nd Airborne Division briefing men using mosaic showing terrain. 7) CS animation of location or principle cities in Europe: London, Berlin, Talais, Paris, LeHavre. 8) Animation of coastal defenses on European continent. 9) PS giant concrete coastal gun emplacement. 10) PS large German railroad coastal gun being moved up out of the concrete shelter, German gun troops preparing to fire same. 11) Several quick scenes of various coastal gun defenses showing concrete structures, sandbag structures, and shots of a concrete base gun turret revolving. 12) CS huge coastal guns protruding from concrete gun emplacement. 13) PS huge steel and concrete tank barriers stretched across land. 14) PS large concrete and steel structure built along coast preventing assault craft from landing. 15) CS interior staff officer planning level, United Nations, representatives at table. 16) MS chiefs of staff of the United Nations conferring at large table. Marshall and Arnold sit near head of table.