Heligoland Goes Up: Destroying Hitler’s Sea Base (1947) | British Pathé

In this explosive footage from 1947, we see the British Royal Navy surround the once German held island of Heligoland with the express purpose of blowing it up. In World War II, this island served as Hitler’s base of operations for the battle of the Atlantic. For Archive Licensing Enquiries Visit: Explore Our Online Channel For FULL Documentaries, Fascinating Interviews & Classic Movies: #BritishPathé #History #WWII #War #Germany #Britain #Allies #Axis Subscribe to the British Pathé YT Channel: (FILM ID:) Full title reads: “Heligoland Goes Up“. Heligoland, off Germany. The U. Boat pens, gun emplacements and defences on the German island of Heligoland are blown up by the British Navy. LS View of Heligoland from the sea before the explosions. CU exterior and interior views of U Boat submarine pens and gun emplacements. CU Lieutenant Commander Frank Graves presses the button setting off the fuses, on the 4th pip of the BBC 1 o’clock time signal. LS CU The explosion from sea level. CU a pilot in a plane flying overhead signals OK. LS Aerial view of the explosion. Smoke rises. BRITISH PATHÉ’S STORY Before television, people came to movie theatres to watch the news. British Pathé was at the forefront of cinematic journalism, blending information with entertainment to popular effect. Over the course of a century, it documented everything from major armed conflicts and seismic political crises to the curious hobbies and eccentric lives of ordinary people. If it happened, British Pathé filmed it. Now considered to be the finest newsreel archive in the world, British Pathé is a treasure trove of 85,000 films unrivalled in their historical and cultural significance. British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website.