This unique restored couplet of two original World War II movies show us what life was like in England and London during the time of the massive air campaigns by Adolf Hitler's Luftwaffe during the long year when Britain stood alone being pounded by Germany.
If you are a WW2 aviation buff you will find the gun camera action by British Spitfire and German Messerschmitts to be riveting and rare and not often seen. Other aircraft like the Vickers Wellington bomber, Heinkel 111, Junkers JU 87 Stuka dive-bombers are shown in action as well. Unlike a fictional Hollywood creation, this DVD is packed full of real movies, of real events and of the real people who were there.
If you want to feel what it was like to be under siege in London and Britain during the beginning of WWII then this is a must have DVD that should have a place in your military collection.
This DVD contains two movies.
This 1941 film contains many real life scenes of the day and is a fantastic glimpse back to what was faced by the residents of London during World War II. The film includes many shots of sites around London. London Bridge, 10 Downing Street and other important locations are shown.
We see how citizens and troops examine the sky night after night looking for enemy planes and the inevitable attack. Excellent segments of Spitfires in action are shown. Incendiary fires along the waterfront make the night as bright as day. We see the damaged St. Paul?s and brave firefighters beating back damaging fires. The following day Londoners are seen heading off to work on double-decker busses and bicycles.
A Messerschmitt 109 is a sight to see by residents since it came to rest in their neighborhood. Bomb squads defuse bombs as firefighters continue to work to save buildings. Actual aerial battle scenes between Spitfires, ME 109s and other craft are seen.
Barrage balloons are lowered for battle damage examination. We see Heinkel 111s that were damaged in the attack and crashed near London. Many HE 111s are said to have been brought down. We go down to the home of the homeless, the underground, and see the mass of people that are sleeping.
Runtime: 15 minutes
Movie opens with Adolf Hitler in foreground with Eiffel Tower in background. German troops are shown moving through Paris, Dunkirk and Calais. Hitler is seen looking through binoculars at the chalky cliffs of Britain rising shear and white out of the choppy waters.
August 8th, 1940 the battle for Britain is on. Troops and citizens man battle stations against German fighter planes including Messerschmitt 109s and Junker JU 87 Stuka dive bombers. HE 111s are shown attacking shipping in the channel. A lot of aerial action and combat are shown with many real gun camera clips from both RAF and Luftwaffe gun cameras. In the first four days the RAF brought down 182 planes. The aerial attacks continued. The actual footage of those attacks included in this film is incredible.
The Luftwaffe attacked Southampton and Plymouth but the squadrons of Spitfires beat back the Luftwaffe against huge odds. Several RAF pilots are shown being rescued by boat and aircraft after ditching into the English Channel. On August 30th, 1940 all-out attacks by the Luftwaffe are ordered in an attempt to knockout the RAF. Advanced outposts alert Spitfire squadrons of approaching enemy aircraft and they launch to meet the attack. The Dover area of England became knows as Hell?s Corner because of the battles that raged high overhead for days.
For the next 28 days the attack on London continued but so did life around London. Lots of actual footage from the attacks and the aftermath. Also footage of the Luftwaffe as they prepare and begin their attack are included. Two hundred dogfights took place during the first 30 minutes of the raid on September 15, 1940. The battles in the skies were intense and thick with lead.
Bremen submarine and ship building yards are shown being attacked with British RAF Vickers Wellington bombers in a night raid similar to those the Luftwaffe had been inflicting on England. On November 14, 1940 the Luftwaffe retaliated by delivering a million pounds of explosives on Coventry that leveled the city. The images in this film are from the actual events including the mass burial of dead from the Coventry raid.
Runtime: 53 minutes
In NTSC DVD format and region-free with a total run time of 68 minutes. Please note that because of the age and rarity of these films, quality can vary. Packaged in a clear plastic C-Shell case without paper graphics.
