The Battle
The Battle
A Vietnam-era film produced by the United States Navy and Marine Corps, documenting Operation Piranha.
The Battle
MS of an American marine tossing a grenade into an underground Viet Cong bunker in the jungles of Vietnam. TLSs of naval cruiser cannons firing, the spent shells rolling about the deck; WLSs of explosions on shoreline in distance. MS/CUs of U.S. marines on deck of cruiser, boarding pontoons. Operation: Piranha (Sept 7, 1965, a 4 day search and destroy action by combined United States and South Vietnam military forces against a suspected stronghold of 2000 Viet Cong guerillas on the Twin Peninsulas of ??? MS/CUs of marines on river boats and pontoons sailing for coast. MSs of amphibious vehicles landing on beach, marines storming the beachhead. MS/TLSs of 3rd Battalion marines boarding helicopters, taking off for inland destination zones; great TLS of chopper landing, followed by MSs of soldiers deploying; LSs of the Marine UH-34D helicopters taking off again, in flight. MS/CUs officers working on tactical maps.
The Battle
TLS/MSs of U.S. Marines on patrol. MSs of marines searching through a village, inspecting thatched roofs of huts, pulling automatic rifles from hidden supply holes, questioning civilians, etc; MS Marine wearing flak jacket walking with Vietnamese man. MSs USMC and ARVN officers conferring on beach. TLS of a single engine plane flying over rice paddy, patrolling marines. MS of heavily armed tank on the move. TLS of a marine tossing a grenade in a field; explosion. Panning WLS of sunset over Gulf of Tonkin, several cruisers in silhouette. MSs of marines going into underground tunnels with flashlights and Colt .45 pistols at the ready. MSs of marines firing bazookas and mortars at a Viet Cong occupied hill.
The Battle
TLSs of American A-4 Skyhawk jet fighters taking off, in flight, engaging in an air strike mission (launching missiles, dropping bombs). Low angle TLSs of a C-130 Hercules transport plane in flight. MSs of marines wading through rivers, marching through jungle, engaging the Viet Cong in combat-- note that most Marines wear flak jackets; great shots of marines taking prisoners, leading captured VC from foxholes and underbrush in jungle. MS of Marine speaking into megaphone outside tunnel; MS Marine tossing grenade into tunnel. MS marines outside cave, pan down to dead VC at entrance. MS Marines outside large limestone cave entrance; MS dead VC; MSs seized cache of weapons on ground. MSs of captured VC being lead to a POW compound. CU sign: POW STOCKADE. MSs of Viet Cong POW's being led into area sectioned-off by barbed wire. MSs wounded marines being carted from rescue helicopter aboard naval carrier.
The Battle
Great TLS of several U.S. marines passing along golden-lit shore, a cruiser in the BG. MSs marines patrolling through a village, talking with S. Vietnamese (ARVN) soldiers. CU Marine talking on field telephone. CUs of marines listening to an officer giving orders. MSs Marines on patrol, fording rivers. Great air to air shots of a jet fighter in flight, making a stiff right angle. Aerial of a jet launching a missile into the jungle, making a spectacular hit (almost like a concussion bomb).