Combat footage edited from several editions of the Deutsche Wochenschau newsreel.
German combat cameramen were able to film the activity on SWORD Beach from the eastern side of the Orne estuary for several weeks after D-Day. At least one PK cameraman was on the scene on D-Day itself to film the rush by units of the 21. Panzer Division to defend the city of Caen from British and Canadian troops advancing inland from SWORD and JUNO Beaches and to reach German troops still defending sections of the Calvados coast between these two Allied beachheads. Caen itself came under attack from the air by Martin Marauder B-26 bombers of the 9th US Air Force during the afternoon of D-Day, as recorded by some of shots in this clip .
From D -Day plus One to mid-July, 1944, 21. Panzer Division held the line north of Caen and on the east bank of the Orne opposite the bridgehead won by the British 1st Corps in the first days of the campaign in Normandy. During these weeks, a team of PK cameramen recorded on film and photographs the efforts by Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment -125 to pin the British down in the Orne bridgehead, supported by one company of Panzer IVs from Panzer-Regiment-22 and self-propelled artillery of Sturngeschutz-Abteilung-200.
Detachments of this unit which was mainly equipped with German artillery pieces fitted to specially-adapted French tank chassis are seen in action in this footage.
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