[World War II color footage--Destruction in Bastogne; Aerial footage; Paratroopers take off in planes] /
Stevens, George, 1904-1975.
United States. Army. Signal Corps. Special Coverage Unit.
moving image
Unedited footage. lcgft
Nonfiction films. lcgft
[1944-1945]
zxx
The Special Coverage Unit films scenes of heavy destruction in Bastogne, Belgium. The film includes aerial footage of bomb craters, damaged buildings in another town, and a river flowing through a large city. At an unidentified location, American soldiers work on artillery equipment. American paratroopers receive their orders and are loaded into planes. DC-3 planes take off with gliders in tow and loaded with paratroopers.
Scenes depicted are not in chronological order.
Scenes of heavy destruction in Bastogne, Belgium -- Stevens gives a gift to a young Belgian girl -- American MPs load an injured man into a truck -- At an unidentified location, shots of a destroyed German plane -- SPECOU members unload camera equipment and film supplies from a DC-3 -- Aerial footage of numerous bomb craters, bombed out buildings in a town, green open fields, a river flowing through a large city -- American soliders work on artillery equipment -- American paratroopers receive orders and are loaded into planes -- DC-3 planes take off with gliders in tow and loaded with paratroopers.
During World War II, film director George Stevens was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army Signal Corps. In late 1943, he was directed to organize a Special Coverage Unit (SPECOU) of cameramen and sound recorders to photograph the Americans landing in Europe on D-Day. The unit was embedded with American and Allied troops as they moved through France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany.
Sources used: Five came back by Mark Harris; "Lt. Col. George C. Stevens, World War II color film" document in M/B/RS acquisition file, ACQ: Stevens, George (Jr.).
Stevens, George, 1904-1975.
United States. Army. Signal Corps. Special Coverage Unit.
World War, 1939-1945--Destruction and pillage--Belgium--Bastogne.
World War, 1939-1945--Europe.
United States--Armed Forces--Parachute troops.
Airplanes, Military.
Military gliders (Aeronautics)
Douglas DC-3 (Transport plane)
Europe--Aerial film and video footage.
World War II color footage--Destruction in Bastogne; Aerial footage; Paratroopers take off in planes
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mbrsmi/ntscrm.02531054