Visions of War: Operation Plunder - The Rhine Crossing

General J. Lawton Collins tells of the fight to take the Siegfried line in World War II, and of the campaign to cross onto the soil of Germany.

British planes bomb Brunswick, Germany, and British and Canadian soldiers fight in Holland. Part 2 shows how harbor facilities made in England were used in the Normandy invasion. A storm damages the harbor but unloading continues. Part 3, Aachen, Germany, is taken by U.S. troops after a heavy artillery barrage. German citizens are removed from the battle areas.

Events surrounding capture of bridge at Remagen by American troops, March 7th 1945, giving U.S. Forces the first bridgehead on the Rhine.

As Allied air fleets converge on German cities we get visual evidence of their vital contributions to victory. A fleet of Flying Fortresses reaches Ansbach and utterly ruins the large rail yards there, with tons of accurately placed bombs. US fighter planes swoop down on German airfields, where they leave every Nazi plane in flames.

Shows land and air operations against Germany in March, 1945. American airplanes conduct daytime and nighttime bombings. Royal Air Force gliders and troop carriers take off from England with airborne troops. Shows elements of the 9th Army crossing the Rhine River. Prime minister Churchill and Field Marshall Montgomery cross the Rhine and are shown with Gen. Eisenhower.

The Capture of Cologne - Tank units of the onrushing U.S. 1st Army rumble into Cologne's suburbs, with all guns blazing at heavy pockets of Nazi resistance. Stalled street cars are hauled out of the way. Cologne lays in absolute ruin, after having been a 'saturation attack' target for allied bombers for three years. In sharp contrast, the Cathedral stands almost undamaged.

Part 1 shows fighting in Leipzig, Nuremberg, and Braunschweig. Includes shots of German prisoners and civilians. Shows Adolf Hitler speaking at Nuremberg in 1932. Part 2, Gen. Patton inspects troops. Shows the raising of the first official American flag to fly over Germany. Part 3 shows bodies of persons killed in German concentration camps and devices used for killing and torture.

This program covers the growth of German aggression, 1934-1940. Contains many animated maps explaining German tactics and many views of Adolf Hitler making speeches and in conferences. Shows a large Nazi rally and Axis-inspired riots in Belgium and France. Also shows a Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden. Included is footage of Joachim von Ribbentrop and Fritz Kuhn.

Historical record of the 281 days of the 3rd army offensive through France, Belgium and Germany, with air support from the 19th tactical air command.

The Fight for the Sky: Our fighter pilots versus the Luftwaffe in Western Europe, 1945. On the activities of the 8th Air Force Fighter Command in Europe. Shows a base near East Anglia, England. German pilots rush to intercept U.S. planes. U.S. bombers and many German fighters are downed. Shows Gen. Kepner. Fighters destroy enemy planes, transportation and communication.

Activities of the 9th army from Aachen to the Roer River.