The World at War (1942) Reel 5

Reel 5 of the landmark 1942 U.S. government documentary captures the rapid collapse of Belgium and the dramatic evacuation of Allied forces from Dunkirk in May–June 1940. From burning oil tanks in Antwerp to fierce Spitfire vs. Luftwaffe dogfights over the English Channel, this reel contains some of the most iconic and haunting combat footage of the early war years, culminating in the beaches of Dunkirk strewn with abandoned equipment — a testament to both defeat and the “Miracle of Dunkirk.”

• Belgian civilians fleeing advancing German forces
• Burning oil tanks and smoke over Antwerp harbor
• Brussels declared an open city – aerial views
• Allied troops retreating toward the coast
• Dunkirk beaches packed with British and French soldiers
• Spitfires engaging Luftwaffe Ju-87 Stukas and Heinkel bombers
• Planes crashing into the Channel and exploding on land
• German bombs striking evacuation ships and docks
• Little ships and destroyers taking troops aboard under fire
• Abandoned tanks, trucks, and artillery littering the beaches
• Final shots of the deserted Dunkirk shoreline