Anzio, Changteh, and Makin Island – Turning Points in the 1944 Campaign
About This Footage
This United Newsreel issue from early 1944 captures pivotal moments of World War II as Allied forces advance on multiple fronts. The film chronicles the massive Allied landings at Anzio and Nettuno south of Rome, China’s fierce struggle to reclaim the city of Changteh from Japanese occupation, and the U.S. seizure of a key Pacific stronghold in the Marshall Islands. Each segment offers vivid wartime imagery and firsthand visual reporting from the global battlefields of the Second World War.
a) Allied Landings at Anzio and Nettuno, Italy
Allied troops mount a third major amphibious landing in Italy, joining the Fifth Army to flank German defenses south of Rome. British, American, and Canadian units embark aboard a massive invasion fleet, landing unopposed at Anzio and Nettuno. Tanks, artillery, and supplies pour ashore as the Allies establish a crucial beachhead behind enemy lines. Luftwaffe attacks fail to halt the buildup. German prisoners are taken as the offensive pushes inland toward Rome, marking a bold and decisive strike in the Italian campaign.
b) Chinese Retake Changteh from Japanese Forces
In China’s Hunan province, Nationalist troops reclaim the devastated city of Changteh (Changde) after six weeks of brutal fighting. Once captured by eight Japanese divisions, the city changes hands four times before the Chinese secure it for good. Japanese losses exceed 40,000, making it one of Japan’s costliest defeats. The footage shows captured weapons, Japanese prisoners, and civilians returning to ruins. Relief funds are distributed to survivors, a poignant testament to China’s resilience under relentless invasion.
c) Capture of Makin Island in the Marshall Islands
U.S. forces storm Makin Island—vital to Japan’s Pacific network of air and naval bases—advancing across jagged lava beaches under fire. Coordinated with simultaneous Pacific offensives, the surprise attack routs the defenders. Infantry call in tank and air support to destroy entrenched positions. Among the liberated are Korean laborers forced into service by Japan. Colonel James Roosevelt, who helped scout the island two years earlier, witnesses its final capture. The victory secures another strategic base in America’s island-hopping drive toward Japan.
United Newsreel 1944 Issue 5 documents three major Allied victories across Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. From Anzio’s daring landings to the liberation of Changteh and the conquest of Makin, this wartime footage reflects the momentum of a world turning decisively against Axis powers. Authentic, film-based documentation of strategy, sacrifice, and determination from the global front lines of World War II.