Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 753 - 5 March 1945

Die Deutsche Wochenschau is the title of the unified newsreel series released in the cinemas of Nazi Germany from June 1940 until the end of World War II, with the final edition issued on 22 March 1945. The co-ordinated newsreel production was set up as a vital instrument for the mass distribution of Nazi propaganda at war.

In this Die Deutsche Wochenschau video:

00:00 - Intro

00:22 - 80th birthday of Swedish explorer Sven Hedin, Stockholm, Sweden, 1945.
A great friend of the German people the Swedish explorer Sven Hedin, turned 80 years old. The German ambassador in Stockholm extend the congratulations of the German nation on behalf of the Führer and Reich Foreign Minister von Ribbentrop.

00:52 - "The German Newsreel" visits wounded Colonel Hans Ulrich Rudel in an air force hospital, German Reich, 1945.
"The German newsreel" reporter visits fighter pilot Colonel Hans Ulrich Rudel in a Luftwaffe hospital. A newsreel reporter conducts an interview with a wounded fighter pilot.

02:37 - German U-Boot with a snorkel/Naval war, 1945.
With the help of the snorkel, German submarine torpedoes have devastatingly hit over half a million tons of enemy supply ships in the last three months. Scenes show a view of a distant convoy from the periscope perspective. 

03:44 - Fighting on the Western Front, German Reich, 1945.
Report about fighting on the Western Front against a new major offensive conducted by the British, Canadians and Americans. German reserves are being thrown into battle on armored vehicles to seal off any possible breakthrough point. Scenes show the German positions on the Röhr River, which are at the center of the fighting. Mortars and gun emplacements have been set up behind the rubble of the houses. German intervention reserves are launching a counterattack at Jülich.

05:32 - German troops encircled in Budapest break through to the German lines, Eastern Front, 1945.
A first photographs of the Budapest warriors who fought their way through to the German lines in the west of the city. The exhausted soldiers are greeted by their comrades. Wounded soldiers are taken to the aid station. 

06:25 - In the Silesian battle zone, Eastern Front, German Reich, 1945.
Grenadiers equipped with a Panzerfausts are marching past the sign: "To Ratibor 6 km." The commander of the fortress of Breslau Karl Hanke with an anti-aircraft combat unit of the Reich Labor Service (RAD). In these towns recaptured by German troops every house bears the mark of the cruelties of the Soviet bands of soldiers. Scenes show the stolen clothing of German residents on Soviet vehicles. Corpses of killed civilians are covered with sheets. The destroyed bridge at Fürstenberg, which the pioneer Justus Jürgensen destroyed at the risk of his life. Scenes show the signal-communication woman auxiliary Erna Hirsekorn who receives the Iron Cross for saving an already abandoned German town.

08:45 - Frankfurt Battle Area/Oder Front, Eastern Front, German Reich, 1945.
Scene show the German positions on the Oder River. The Gauleiter of Berlin, Reich Minister Dr. Goebbels, gains a personal impression of the preparations for the defensive struggle.Goebbels in a conversation with a Knight's Cross recipient, General of the Infantry Busse. German soldiers firing from a machine gun emplacement. Trains carrying supplies, weapons, and men are rolling along the railway lines and roads leading to the front, day and night. German tanks and infantry units are deployed to counter a localized Soviet incursion which was carried out with strong tank support. Tanks and grenadiers advancing into battle. Heavy house-to-house and street fighting are raging around the towns in this area. Scenes show destroyed Soviet T-34 tanks. Waffen-SS soldiers smoking cigarettes after the battle.

11:20 - Outro


Source :
https://archive.org/details/die-deutsche-wochenschau-berita-mingguan-jerman-no.-753-5-maret-1945-teks-indonesia
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/5153
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GioJGXWpMs

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 677 - 25 August 1943

Die Deutsche Wochenschau is the title of the unified newsreel series released in the cinemas of Nazi Germany from June 1940 until the end of World War II, with the final edition issued on 22 March 1945. The co-ordinated newsreel production was set up as a vital instrument for the mass distribution of Nazi propaganda at war.

In this Die Deutsche Wochenschau video:

00:40 Before and during WWII, the SA organized nation-wide sport events for their members. Initially called “Sport Competition Dayw”, they were re-named “Military Competition Days” in 1938. The aim was to make sure that all SA members would be physically fit and ready for an eventual war mission. Of course, these events were also heavily accompanied and used by propaganda, with special posters, medals and badges made for competitors.

00:45 The RAD (Reichsarbeitsdienst, “Reich Labor Service“ was a German paramilitary organization, which was used to build infrastructure and buildings. During the war, the RAD was used to construct field positions, fortifications, trenches etc, and more and more RAD personnel were used as frontline troops. In late March/early April 1945, RAD-Infantry divisions were formed.  

00:53 The SA-Standarte Feldherrenhalle was an armed unit of the SA; basically the equivalent of the SS-Verfügungstruppen. Formed in 1934, it received the honorary name “Feldherrenhalle” (the place of the failed Nazi Coup in 1923) in September 1936. In January 1937, the unit was put under Herman Görings control. During the war, parts of the unit were drafted to the Air Force, other to the Army.  In Prague, a Feldherrenhalle Standarte, No. V., was formed in 1939. 

03:10 In addition to the normal Hitler Youth, there were two specialized Hitler Youth Organizations, the Navy Hitler Youth and the Air Force Hitler Youth. As the name implies, these were made specifically to train young boys to become future officers for the Navy/Air Force. At the Air Force Hitler Youth, glider training was a central part of the curriculum, so that the young boys could be trained into future fighter pilots.

03:56 Adolf Galland (1912-1996) was a German Fighter ace and Air Force General during WWII. In February 1932, he got his civilian pilot license, and in 1933, received fighter pilot training in Italy. Germany was not allowed to have an air force according to the Versailles treaty, so this was kept a secret. He joined the German Army in February 1934 as an infantry officer. In March 1935, he officially joined the German Air Force. He fought in the Spanish Civil War in the German Legion Condor. During WWII, he took part in the Invasion of France and the Battle of Britain, where he became quite famous. In November 1941, he was made “General of the Fighter Planes”, which wasn’t a rank, but a position in which he was responsible for the training and equipment of all German fighter pilots. He was promoted to Generalmajor (Brigadier General) in November 1942 at age 30, making him the youngest Wehrmacht General. In late January 1945, Galland and Göring had an argument over the course of the war, especially the failed defense against the Allied bombing raids, during which Göring removed him from his position. After that, he was allowed, by direct orders of Hitler, to put together Fighter Squadron 44, the world’s first jet-fighter unit. In total, Galland achieved 104 kills. After the war, Galland went to Argentina and advised the Argentina air force but returned back to Germany in the 1950s and worked in the civil aviation industry.

04:47 Alfred Keller (1882-1974) was a German Air Force General during WWII. In August 1940, he became chief of Air Fleet 1, with which he supported Army Group North. He was replaced in Summer 1943 and was made commander of the Nazi Party Flying Corps, effectively ending his military career. 

05:28 During WWII, POWs were supplied by Red Cross parcels, which contained food, cigarettes, but also things like books and even instruments. They were sent to neutral countries (usually Switzerland or Sweden), and then they were handed over to the other side and distributed among POWs. In general, the western Allies and the Germans made sure these packages were distributed, in order to ensure that their own POWs would also receive their packages.

05:36 Otto Kretschmer (1912-1998) was a German navy officer. Joining the Navy in April 1930, he was posted to the U-Boat branch in 1936; in October 1937, he became commander of U-23. With U-23, and later U-99, he was able to sink 46 ships, totaling over 270,000 tons of enemy shipping. On his last mission in March 1941, his boat was heavily damaged by depth charges and had to submerge; he became a POW and was sent to Canada in 1942. He was released in 1947 and joined the post-war German Navy in 1955, retiring in 1970. 

05:41 Victor Mölders (1914-2010) was the younger brother of the famous German fighter ace Werner Mölders (1913-1941). He was also a fighter pilot and was shot down during a mission providing cover for a German bomber unit attacking London on October 7th, 1940. He managed to bail out and was taken prisoner; he was released in November 1946. In total, he shot down nine enemy planes. 

06:57 As these packages had to take a long, indirect route over neutral countries like Sweden and Switzerland, it sometimes indeed took a few months for a package to arrive at a POW camp, especially if it was far away from Europe, like in Canada or Australia.

07:14 During WWII, German troops encountered Malaria for the first time during the Balkan campaign in 1941. Later, they were also confronted with it in hot and swampy areas of the Soviet Union, like the Pripyat Marshes. As Malaria was not a common disease in Germany, doctors that knew how to treat it were incredibly rare. As Malaria obviously massively affected the soldiers, programs to develop new drugs and measures against it were given high priority by the Wehrmacht.

07:17 The Miliary Medical Academy in Berlin was the central training complex for Wehrmacht medical officers and doctors. Originally founded as the Pepiniere in 1795, in 1934, it was re-named Miliary Medical Academy.

Source :
https://archive.org/details/die-deutsche-wochenschau-berita-mingguan-jerman-no.-677-25-agustus-1943-teks-indonesia
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/5123
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naBddSFWGm8

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 608 - 29 April 1942

Die Deutsche Wochenschau is the title of the unified newsreel series released in the cinemas of Nazi Germany from June 1940 until the end of World War II, with the final edition issued on 22 March 1945. The co-ordinated newsreel production was set up as a vital instrument for the mass distribution of Nazi propaganda at war.

In this Die Deutsche Wochenschau video:

00:00 - Intro
Narration: Harry Giese

00:57 - The congress of the "Union of National Journalists' Associations", Venice, Italy, 1942.
Participants of the congress on the way to the Doge's Palace, in the center, Reich Press Chief Otto Dietrich, and to his right the Italian Minister of Popular Culture Pavolini. Representatives of 13 European nations participated in this congress. The climax of the congress was the speeches by Minister Pavolini and Reich Press Chief Dr. Dietrich.

01:58 - Opening of the European Students and Frontline Soldiers Meeting, Dresden/Berlin, 1942.
The Gauleiter of Salzburg, Reich Student Leader, Reich Governor Dr. Scheel, welcome the student representatives from 16 nations. Reich Minister Rust and Reich Governor Mutschmann, attended the meeting. In Berlin, participants of the meeting currently serving on the Eastern Front as soldiers in foreign volunteer units, were received by Reich Minister Dr. Goebbels.

02:57 - Reichstag session in Berlin, German Reich, 1942.
A Waffen SS honor guard greets the Führer upon his arrival. Adolf Hitler at the lectern gives a speech. 

05:51 - At the Führer's headquarters, Wolf's Lair near Rastenburg, Görlitz, East Prussia, 1942.
Army officers who distinguished themselves during the fighting on the Eastern Front through outstanding leadership of their units and personal dedication will receive the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross from the Führer's hands.

06:40 - Visitation of the U-boot bunkers built by the "Todt Organization", St. Nazaire, France, 1942.
Grand Admiral Raeder inspects submarine bunkers build by the "OT" in France. Soldiers who distinguished themselves in the successful repulsion of the British landing attempt at St. Nazaire received the Iron Cross from the Grand Admiral.

07:20 - Finnish Army on the Svir Front, Finland/Soviet Union, 1942.
According to the Wehrmacht report Finnish troops on the Svir Front repelled 150 Soviet attacks within 10 days. Finnish infantry advances to counterattack to clear the area of any remaining resistance. Finnish tanks (Soviet-made T-26) begin the attack. The enemy is being thrown back to its initial position.

09:36 - Volunteers of the Norwegian Legion are being sworn in, northern sector of the Eastern Front, 1942.
New volunteers of the Norwegian Legion deployed on the northern sector of the Eastern Front are being sworn in.

10:06 - Battle in the Valday Region, south of Lake Ilmen, Soviet Union, 1942.
Tanks and assault guns advance. Artillery take the Soviet assembly area under fire. Tankers and infantry are attacking the enemy by surprise in the flank. The enemy has been driven back before he could reach German lines. Captured Soviet soldiers, mostly members of the Far Eastern Army. The loot is being collected and sorted. Sappers blast the ice jammed on a bridge.

13:52 - Eastern Front, Soviet Union, 1942.
German vehicles move through muddy, softened ground roads. Captured Soviets are demolishing the walls of destroyed houses. The gravel thus obtained is used to make groundless roads passable again. Light and heavy anti-aircraft guns are mounted on railway wagons and deployed to combat strong Soviet gangs, disrupting supply lines behind the front. Men of the Reich Labor Service build a new railway line.

21:33 - Marshal Antonescu inspects Romanian units, Crimea, Soviet Union, 1942.
Deserving awards are presented to Romanian and German soldiers who distinguished themselves during the defensive fighting in Crimea. Antonescu inspects coastal fortifications of Yevpatoria. Arrival of the supply train with tanks (Panzer 38(t)).

24:03 - Air raid on Malta, Sicily, Italy, 1942.
Ju-88 fighter planes are loaded with bombs on their wings, and are being prepared for a takeoff. A briefing at a heavy fighter squadron that is to secure the approach of the battle group. Bf 110s and Ju 88s in flight. Bombing of the port of Valletta. Air combat between German fighters and enemy aircrafts.

28:55 - Outro

Source :
https://archive.org/details/eng-sub-die-deutsche-wochenschau-nr.-608-hd-april-29-1942-finnish-army-valday-region-air-war
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/5936/714478
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCDZRtKL4nw

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 512 - 26 June 1940

Die Deutsche Wochenschau is the title of the unified newsreel series released in the cinemas of Nazi Germany from June 1940 until the end of World War II, with the final edition issued on 22 March 1945. The co-ordinated newsreel production was set up as a vital instrument for the mass distribution of Nazi propaganda at war.

In this Die Deutsche Wochenschau video:

00:50 The Gneisenau and Scharnhorst were the two ships of the Scharnhorst-class battleship, built between 1935 and 1939. At 32,600 tons, they were small but fast battleships, with nine 28cm guns as main armament. The Scharnhorst was sunk in December 1943, the Gneisenau sunk by its crew as a blockship in Gotenhafen in March 1945.

00:53 Wilhelm Marschall (1886-1976) was a German admiral of WWII, commanding the Gneisenau in 1939-1940, and later served in staff positions in France. 

00:58 This is referring to Operation Juno, a German patrol mission in the Norwegian Sea in June 1940, whose mission it was to intercept Allied convoys returning British troops from Norway.  During these patrols, Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, plus the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper and four destroyers, destroyed a British aircraft carrier, its two accompanying destroyer and a few other minor ships. However, the Scharnhorst was also damaged by a British torpedo, forcing it to spend the rest of the year in repairs.

01:42 By the time of this Newsreel, in June 1940, the two Bismarck-class battleships, who were larger than the Scharnhorst-class, were not yet commissioned. (The Bismarck would be commissioned in August 1940, the Tirpitz in February 1941) 

02:12 This is an Arado Ar-196, the standard observation floatplane of the German Navy during WWII. 541 built between 1938 and 1944.

02:34 The heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, together with one destroyer, was sent to Trondheim during this mission, leaving the flotilla.

02:53 The HMS Glorious was the British aircraft carrier sunk during Operation Juno. Originally a Courageous-class battlecruiser, commissioned in January 1917, it was converted into an aircraft carrier between 1924 and 1930. On June 8th 1940, the Glorious had no aircraft in the sky and didn’t spot the German battleships, resulting in them being able to get into firing range and destroying it within two hours.

04:04 The Glorious was only armed with 120mm guns, which had a maximum firing range of around 14km. The German ships, however, opened fire over a very long distance, up to 24km, leaving the Glorious no chance of firing back. 

04:57 The two destroyers sunk were the HMS Acasta and HMS Ardent, A-class destroyers built in the late 1920s.

07:24 The Orama was a civilian passenger ship, commissioned by the Orient Steam Navigation Company in 1924 and used for passenger and post service between the UK and Australia. In early 1940, the ship was taken over by the Royal Navy. During Operation Juno, it was on its way to Harstad to pick up British troops there, when it was intercepted and quickly sunk by the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper.

08:25 Indeed, Operation Juno was a victory for the Germans, however, it didn’t reach its main goal. No British returning convoys were intercepted, the only troop transporter sunk was empty, and the Scharnhorst was damaged by a torpedo launched from one of the destroyers. Actually, the German Naval Command was very angry with how Admiral Marschall led the operation, as he had specific orders to intercept British convoys and not attack capital ships, and he did exactly the opposite. Plus, while the loss of the Glorious was indeed a heavy blow to the Royal Navy, it was an older carrier, converted from a WWI era battlecruiser, so the loss was not too heavy. 

08:39 Paris was occupied by German troops on June 14th, 1940.

08:46 The Maginot-Line, the famous French defensive system on the French-German border, was frontally attacked by German troops of the 1st Army after the breakthrough in the Ardennes and the capture of Paris on June 14th, 1940. 

09:11 This is a He-111 medium bomber, the standard tactical bomber of the Wehrmacht during WWII. 6,508 made between 1935 and 1944.

09:34 These are Ju-87 dive bombers.

09:46 This is a 21cm Mörser 18, a heavy artillery piece used by the Wehrmacht. 739 manufactured between 1939 and 1945. 

09:57 These are 15cm sFH 18, the standard heavy artillery gun of the Wehrmacht. 6,756 made between 1933 and 1945.

10:01 These are 7,5cm leiG 18, the standard German infantry gun of WWII. Roughly 12,000 made between 1932 and 1945.

10:22 These are probably troops from the 7th Army, which crossed the Rhine on June 15th, penetrating French defenses and captured the cities of Colmar and Strassburg.

13:10 Unlike the impression created here, there was not a lot of fighting at the Maginot Line. The German attack began, as stated above, on June 14th, two days before the French asked for an armistice, and 7 days before the armistice began. Therefore, not a lot of fighting happened, and while the Germans managed to take out some of the smaller bunkers, especially the larger bunkers withhold German attacks, many of them in a position to withstand German attacks for weeks or even months.  

13:39 This is a 2cm FlaK 30 AA-gun.

13:46 This is a Bf-109 Fighter plane.

14:33 Straßburg, in Alsacce, was part of Germany from 1871-1914, and came back to France after WWI, and then back to Germany from 1940 to 1944, before being again part of France since the end of WWII.

14:52 This is an Sd. Kfz. 222 scout car, armed with a 2cm autocannon. 990 built between 1935 and 1943.

15:00 These are light Panzer II tanks, armed with a 2cm autocannon. 

15:05 The “G” on the back of the turret indicates that this tank belonged to the Tank Group Guderian, a tank unit formed on June 5th, advancing through the Ardennes to the coast, and then later took part in cutting off the Maginot Line from the rest of the French troops.

15:13 The Vogesen are a low mountain range near the French/German border.

15:24 This is a Panzer III Ausf. E, the first Panzer III variant built in somewhat larger numbers, with 96 manufactured between 1938 and 1939.

18:23 Unlike in WWI, there was no bigger fighting around Verdun during WWII. Only a few French troops were stationed as vanguard there, and some of the old, WWI-era guns fired a few shots at advancing German troops, but this was  only to slow them down, there was no serious fighting around Verdun in WWII.

19:16 This is a French monument erected to commemorate the fighting around Verdun in 1916. 

20:20 Ernst Busch (1885-1945) was a German General, later Field Marshall of WWII. During the invasion of France, he commanded the 16th Army, which covered the left flank of Guderians Tank Corps. 

20:44 As the armistice was sign on June 22nd, this was also the day the French Army surrendered in the Maginot Line. 

20:53 Technically, large parts of the Maginot Line were still intact and prepared to hold out, but they surrendered accordingly. 

20:57 This is most likely referring to the French 4th, 5th and 8th Army, which were stationed at the Maginot-Line, and their respective commanders (Generals Requin, Bourret and Garchery).

21:30 The usage of African colonial troops by the French was often targeted by Nazi propaganda; the black soldiers were racially insulted and humiliated in Nazi propaganda.

22:13 The first tank here is an early production model Panzer IV, followed by two early Panzer III and then a few Panzer II.

22:31 This is an Sd. Kfz. 232, an eight-wheel radio car with a large frame aerial, produced from 1938 to 1943.

22:39 These are again Sd. Kfz. 222  

22:50 These are all kinds of different tanks, Panzer I, II, III, IV etc.

23:37 This is a StuG III. Ausf A, the first production variant of the StuG III. These were still quite rare in the Battle of France, only 36 were produced between January and May 1940.  

23:50 This is again a Panzer III Ausf. E.

24:32 Again a StuG III. Ausf A, the short-barrel 7,5cm StuK 37 is visible.

25:06 The tank in the middle and on the right are Char B1, a heavy tank produced by France between 1935 and 1940. It had a 47mm gun in the turret and a 75mm howitzer in the chassis. With a frontal armor of 40, later 60mm, it was basically impenetrable for most German tanks. 405 build, and a lot of these used by the Germans later on, who also rebuild them into flamethrower tanks and SPGs. The tank on the left is a WWI era Renault FT, the worlds first tank with a movable turret. Despite being clearly outdated in 1940, France still had 504 of these in service, and were used during WWII.

25:14 This is a Somua S-35 medium tank, armed with a 47mm gun and up to 47mm of armor. Around 440 were built between 1935 and June 1940, many of these were later re-used by the Germans.

25:27 The tank on the right here is a Hotchkiss H-35, a small French cavalry tank build between September 1936 and June 1940. It had strong armor for a light tank (40mm on the turret and 34mm on the hull) and a 37mm gun. 1200 were made, making it the most built French tank of the interwar period. About 550 H-35 were captured by the Germans and used for fight against partisans and the chassis were converted into a variety of TDs and SPGs.

25:47 This is again a Panzer II light tank.

27:29 Alfred Jodl (1890-1946) was a German General who was Chief of the Operations Staff of the Wehrmacht from September 1939 to May 1945, Walther von Brauchitsch (1881-1948) was Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht from February 1938 to December 1941, and Wilhelm Keitel (1882-1946) was Chief of the OKW from February 1938 to May 1945.

Source :
https://archive.org/details/die-deutsche-wochenschau-no.-512
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/8924
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Pi8reTezU

Panzerfaust Training (1945)

In Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 755, one of the striking segments depicted the urgent training of Volkssturm and Hitlerjugend units in the use of the Panzerfaust, Germany’s last-ditch anti-tank weapon. Filmed amid the ruins of German cities in early 1945, the footage showed young boys and aging men receiving rapid instruction from Wehrmacht veterans on how to aim and fire the single-shot launcher against approaching Soviet and Allied armor. The commentary described these “defenders of the homeland” as embodying unbreakable resolve, even as the war neared its catastrophic end. Demonstrations of Panzerfaust firing drills—complete with explosions against mock tank targets—were used to project an image of confidence and resistance. Yet behind the propagandistic tone lay a grim reality: the Reich was training children and civilians for street combat in a hopeless defense. This Wochenschau episode thus captured both the desperation and the propaganda theater of Nazi Germany’s final months, where heroism was manufactured amid inevitable defeat.

Source :
Die Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 755 - 22 March 1945

Evacuation of German Civilian from East Prussia (1945)

In Die Deutsche Wochenschau No. 755, released in the final weeks of the war in early 1945, German audiences witnessed harrowing scenes of the evacuation of civilians from East Prussia as the Red Army advanced westward. The newsreel showed endless columns of refugees—women, children, and the elderly—struggling through snow-covered roads with carts, sleds, and the few possessions they could carry, while smoke from burning villages rose behind them. The voice-over sought to portray the exodus as an orderly and heroic “Volkswanderung,” emphasizing the endurance of the German people under Soviet assault, yet the images betrayed desperation and chaos. German troops were shown assisting the refugees, forming protective convoys, and loading civilians onto ships bound for the Reich’s western territories, including the ill-fated evacuation across the Baltic. Wochenschau No. 755 thus stands as both propaganda and tragic documentation—a final attempt by the Nazi regime to glorify suffering as sacrifice while the East Prussian homeland was consumed by war’s end.

Source :
Die Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 755 - 22 March 1945

Hitler's Last Award Ceremony

On 20 March 1945, as the Third Reich teetered on the brink of collapse, Adolf Hitler held his final award ceremony in the garden of the Reich Chancellery in Berlin. It was a grim and surreal spectacle, filmed by the Propaganda Ministry to project an illusion of steadfastness amid ruin. Before the Führer stood rows of young boys from the Hitlerjugend, many barely in their teens, decorated with the Iron Cross for their supposed bravery in the defense of the Reich. Their faces reflected exhaustion, fear, and misplaced pride as Hitler, gaunt and trembling from illness, moved slowly down the line to shake their hands. This brief ceremony—recorded in black-and-white and later colorized—became one of the most haunting images of Nazi Germany’s final days: the dying leader of a doomed empire entrusting its fate to children. It was not a celebration of victory, but a somber symbol of desperation and the human cost of fanatical devotion.

Source :
Die Deutsche Wochenschau Nr. 755 - 22 March 1945

Ufa Tonwoche (Ufa Sound Week) Nr. 502 - 17 April 1940

Ufa Tonwoche was a German weekly newsreel program that ran from September 1925 until July 1940. It was created by Universum Film AG after the merger of the Decla and Messter newsreels in September 1925. In 1927 the German industrialist, financier, and politician Alfred Hugenberg bought Ufa, saving it from bankruptcy. Hugenberg used the newsreel to foster support for Adolf Hitler. In 1930 the first edition of Ufa Tonwoche with sound was created, and by 1933 most Ufa Tonwoche newsreels featured sound. In 1937, Cautio Treuhandsgesellschaft, a German government front-company, bought a controlling stake (72.6%) of Ufa in a deal negotiated by Max Winkler, bringing the newsreel under government control. In July 1940 the four major German newsreel programs, of which Ufa Tonwoche was one (together with the Tobis-Wochenschau, Deulig-Wochenschau, and Twentieth Century Fox), were consolidated into a single newsreel program, Die Deutsche Wochenschau, by Joseph Goebbels.

In this Ufa Tonwoche video, which is entirely about Unternehmen Weserübung (Operation Weser Exercise), the German invasion of Norway and Denmark:

00:24 - German ships depart for Denmark and Norway.
00:54 - German troops land in Copenhagen.
02:20 - German Ambassador Cecil von Renthe-Fink and General Kurt Himer from the OKW.
02:37 - Copenhagen police regain their weapons after having been disarmed.
02:51 - Arrest of British Embassy staff.
03:02 - The center of Copenhagen begins to fill with people.
03:27 - The King of Denmark rides through the city on horseback.
05:11 - Supplies and ammunition arrive at the Danish port.
06:15 - German troops invade Norway.
06:53 - German planes land at occupied Norwegian airfields.
08:07 - Bombing operation against Norwegian defense pockets that refuse to surrender.
09:45 - German troops land in the fjords of Norway's west coast.
13:37 - Unloading of war supplies at occupied ports.
14:50 - German troops move into the Norwegian interior.
14:58 - German troops march into the capital Oslo accompanied by the Music Corps.
16:23 - Concert for local residents by the Wehrmacht Music Corps.


Source :
https://archive.org/details/ufa-tonwoche-suara-ufa-mingguan-no.-502-17-april-1940-teks-indonesia
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/125888
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kio8G8j8tAA

"Seite an Seite", Propaganda Film about Wehrmacht Medics during the Battle of Crete (1941)

The German invasion of Crete, officialy named "Operation Merkur", is perhaps one of the most famous campaigns of WWII, as it was the first time in history where the initial stage of an invasion was complelty carried out by paratroopers.

On the morning of May 20th, 1941, thousands of German paratroopers were dropped over the island, which was defended by, in total, 42,500 Greek, British, Australian and New Zealand troops.

The Germans did manage to land succesfully and capture the island within 14 days, but they also suffered heavy losses, with around 3,700 German soldiers dead and 270 Ju-52 transport planes lost.

Especially the losses in paratroopers were high, and the bulk of the fighting after the inital drop was carried out by Mountain Infantry of the 5th Mountain Infantry Division brought to the island; some Italian troops were also landed. 
The British also suffered heavy losses, with over 10,000 British soldiers becoming POWs, and several British warships being sunk, including three cruisers and six destroyers. 

This film, called "Side by Side" is a propaganda film created by the Wehrmachts Military Medical Academy, focusing on the work of medics during the battle.
It includes footage of medics rendering first aid, operating dressing stations, flying out wounded soldiers back to the Greek mainland and footage from field hospitals in Athens, treating wounded from the fighting.

Source :
https://archive.org/details/side-by-side_202510
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQwhkxfP1bM

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 714 - 10 May 1944

Die Deutsche Wochenschau is the title of the unified newsreel series released in the cinemas of Nazi Germany from June 1940 until the end of World War II, with the final edition issued on 22 March 1945. The co-ordinated newsreel production was set up as a vital instrument for the mass distribution of Nazi propaganda at war.

In this Die Deutsche Wochenschau video:

00:44 -  Presentation of certificates of the National War Skills Competition, Dresden, German Reich, 1944.
Reich Youth Leader Axmann addressed the winners of the National War Skills Competition. Reich Minister Backe presented the certificates to the winners. Gauleiter Martin Mutschmann in conversation with Artur Axmann. Young boys and girls in the uniforms receive their certificates. 

01:24 - "War Model Companies" award ceremony, German Reich, 1944.
A number of German companies were declared "War Model Companies", for outstanding production performance and exemplary social conduct. Reich Organization Leader Dr. Ley gives a speech. Reich Minister Walther Funk presented the certificates.

02:25 -  Clothing show in an armaments factory, German Reich, 1944.
Theme of the clothing show is "From Old to New", and shows women the practical and attractive ways to refashion used clothing.

03:44 - Cycling competition, Berlin, German Reich, 1944.
Berlin's cyclists opened the outdoor season with a road race that attracted large crowds. Scenes show race footage from various points along the course.

04:50 - Pre-military training of "Reich Labor Service" (Reichsarbeitsdienst), 1944.
Oak Leaf recipient, Lieutenant General Specht, the Inspector General for Army Leadership Training, inspects officer candidates in the "Reich Labor Service." In addition to the rigorous military exercises sports are given a significant place in the duty roster. Soldiers practicing shooting on a firing range. Scenes show various sports exercises performed by recruits.

06:18 - The Führer and the Duche on a meeting, German Reich, 1944.
Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini enter the room. Marshal Graziani in conversation with Field Marshal Keitel. The discussions reaffirmed the resolve to continue the fight side by side until final victory. Mussolini inspected Italian divisions being deployed at a military training area. 

07:15 - Kriegsmarine/Naval War, Atlantic, 1944.
Paul Hellmann, commander of the blockade runner "Osorno," was the first merchant ship captain to receive the Knight's Cross. The convoy sets sail, protected by naval escort vessels. The merchant ships have deployed barrage balloons against low-level air attacks. A reconnaissance aircraft (He-115) has reported the approach of several enemy planes. AA-guns in combat against enemy airplanes. 

10:27 - Luftwaffe Battle Squadron "Immelmann", Eastern Front, 1944.
At an airfield in the East, the "Immelmann" Battle Squadron has gathered to celebrate its 100,000th combat mission.  Members of the fighter-bomber squadron are lined up for inspection, including Knight's Cross with Diamonds recipient, Major Hans-Ulrich Rudel. The commander of the Air Fleet 4, Colonel General Otto Deßloch, is inspecting the assembled crews, accompanied by the squadron commander, Oak Leaves recipient, Colonel Hans-Karl Stepp. Two pilots of the "Immelmann" squadron are awarded the Knight's Cross.

11:17 - Battle on the Narva Sector/Latvian Waffen-SS, Eastern Front, Soviet Union, 1944.
Report about grenadier and volunteer units of the Latvian Waffen-SS that repelled all Soviet attempts to break through in the Narva sector and launched successful counter-attacks. Defence battle against Soviet attack aircraft. German artillery opens fire to support a counterattack. Rocket launchers target the Soviet positions. Infantrymen and Waffen-SS soldiers emerge from a trenches. Tanks advance in support of the counterattack. German infantry and Waffen-SS break through the Soviet wire entanglements. Soldiers smoking cigarettes after the battle. Grenadiers and Latvian Waffen-SS volunteers receive the Iron Cross in the front-line trench.


Source :
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/3985
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlQaL9gQWuY

Die Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly News) Nr. 657 - 7 April 1943

Die Deutsche Wochenschau is the title of the unified newsreel series released in the cinemas of Nazi Germany from June 1940 until the end of World War II, with the final edition issued on 22 March 1945. The co-ordinated newsreel production was set up as a vital instrument for the mass distribution of Nazi propaganda at war.

In this Die Deutsche Wochenschau video:

00:04 - Hermann Göring Division, the Luftwaffe's only armored unit.
03:34 - State funeral for diplomat Hans-Adolf von Moltke.
04:47 - State funeral for Reichssportführer Hans von Tschammer und Osten.
06:16 - German U-boat activity.
06:31 - Knight's Cross recipient Lieutenant Commander (Ing.) Gerhard Bielig.
08:46 - Knight's Cross award ceremony by Hitler for Italian General Italo Gariboldi.
09:11 - Visit of King Boris of Bulgaria to Berghof Obersalzberg.
10:43 - Current situation in the northern sector of the Eastern Front, between Lake Ladoga and Lake Ilmen.
10:50 - Knight's Cross recipient Lieutenant General Johann Sinnhuber on an inspection visit.


Source :
https://archive.org/details/die-deutsche-wochenschau-berita-mingguan-jerman-no.-657-7-april-1943-teks-indonesia
https://digitaler-lesesaal.bundesarchiv.de/en/video/5090
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaxjUXrVWEo