Movietone’s War Time News - Reported by Leslie Mitchell: Steady Progress on the Second Front
Series
- Series Name
- British Movietone News
Issue
Story
- Story No. within this Issue
- 2 / 2
- Section Title
- Movietone’s War Time News - Reported by Leslie Mitchell
- Summary
- MOVIETONE CARD TITLE: Steady Progress on Second Front. DESCRIPTION: New despatches from Normandy show the reduction of Fort Central at Cherbourg. The Germans had already put the port out of action, the city itself had come through the battle remarkably well. On the Normandy front the village of Jouaye Mondaye had been heavily bombed and shelled during the advance of our troops. Now, the RE’s are clearing it up. The air war continues as these combat pictures of the US 8th Fighter Command show, their Mustangs, Thunderbolts and Lightnings have destroyed 261 enemy planes in the air. SHOTLIST: Cut story - KS Elevated shot of Cherbourg Harbour. American soldier in fore, background harbour, shows Fort Central. Firing artillery in Cherbourg area. Naval look-out uses field glasses, background Fort Central. Various shots of bombardment of Fort Central, all angles. Formation of Thunderbolts. Same dive bombing. Forts & explosions caused by same. White flag flies over German pillbox. Various shots of ruins, skeletons on buildings in Cherbourg area, pan scuttled ship in harbour. Elevated shot of part of Cherbourg undamaged. German cemetery, French girls walk through, no flowers can be seen on their graves, pass on to Allied graves, which are completely covered with flowers, French girls place more flowers on graves. AFU - Fade to village of Jouaye Mondaye, transport through ruins. Engineers demolish buildings by means of bulldozers etc., pulling down buildings. Excavators at work clear rubble. Convoy through town of Bretteville (carries bridge sections). Various damaged houses as convoy passes through. Sherman tanks across cornfield & along country road, troops dig trenches, soldiers in trenches sleeping. Snipers platform built in trees. Shermans stationary & crews resting by same. Panning shot of camouflaged Shermans & artillery by side of road. Dempsey & Monty walk into camera SCU of both. Aerial combat, shooting up planes, transport on roads, railway trucks, aerodromes, hangars, etc. Marauders (aerial shot) over coast of Cap de la Hague, bombing & hits registering. Formation of Havocs & bombs falling direct hits on bridges & mass explosions.
- Keywords
- Buildings and structures; Ships and boats; Entertainment and leisure; Vehicles; Health and medicine; Women; Environment; Weapons; Aviation; Railways; Death; Communications; Ceremonies; War damage; Propaganda; Occupied territories; Navy; Engineering; Military
- Locations
- Cherbourg
- Footage sources
- APS
Army Film Unit
Canadian Film Unit
Pathe
United States Navy
United States Army Air Force [USAAF]
- Card file number
- 44944
- Credits:
-
- Commentator
- Leslie Mitchell
- Length of story (in feet)
- 450
-
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How to cite this record
'Movietone’s War Time News - Reported by Leslie Mitchell: Steady Progress on the Second Front', British Movietone News Issue No. 788, 10 Jul 1944. https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/newsonscreen/search/index.php/story/13158 (Accessed 19 Feb 2026)