keywords: first cavalry division, 41st infantry division, wwii, world war ii, south pacific war
Synopsis: Tthe history of the famed Hell For Leather U.S. Army 1st Cavalry Division and the 41st Infantry Division. These two Infantry Divisions fought their way across the South Pacific during WWII from the landing on Leyte and entrance into Tokyo... (read more)
Flashback scenes depicting one of the Regiments of the 1st Cavalry Div. fighting in the Civil War and later fighting Indians out west.
Stock footage clips:
12-second clip depicting horseback mounted Union Solders with bugle blowing and flag waving charging into battle during the Civil War.
20-second clip of the 7th Regiment fighting Indians out west including General Custer and the 7th Regiment at the Battle of The Little Big Horn.
Infantry training in preparation for the 1st Cavalry landing on Los Negros Island in the Admiralty Islands in February 1944. Shows jungle fighting using rifles, machine guns, mortars, and artillery. American wounded and dead Japanese soldiers. General Douglas MacArthur arrives and congratulates the soldiers (12-second clip). Shows soldiers on LVT Alligator and Buffalo Amphibious Landing Craft and LCVP (Higgins Boats) Landing Craft invasion of Leyte. Shows troops entering Tacloban and being greeted by the Native people. Troops of the 1st Cavalry enters Manila and later Tokyo. Shows a sign which reads 1st Cav. Div. First In Tokyo.
History of The 41st Division nicknamed The Sunset Division. Shows the training that made the 41st an effective fighting Div. Follow the fighting and battles of the 41st Infantry Division starting on the North Coast of New Guinea in the Buna Gona area. Shows fighting along the Sanananda Trail in the Buna-Gona area. The WWII activities of the 41st Div is graphically told with battles in and around New Guinea where the Japanese were threating Australia. Invasion of Wakde Island. More jungle combat and dead Japanese. Invasion of Biak Island. Shows use of flame throwers to route the Japanese from the caves. Landing on Mindanao in the Philippines. After the surrender of Japan the 41st pulled occupation duty (no footage shown) and then was deactivated as a division on 31 December 1945.
