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The following original pictures are public domain from archives NARA, BPR (Air Forces Group) and originate from various internet sources, pictures from the original movie by Bates and Rosenmann originate also from the version of the original movie on the DVD "1945 - Kriegsende in Köln" published by Hermann Rheindorf.
 
Looking for the single frames in the film around second 4 there were some indications that there's something wrong. I did some research and now I'm convinced there is a sequence of 2 or 3 seconds which was removed. There's an invisible cut in the movie. What are the indications ?

 


This is the sequence where I think they have removed 2 or 3 seconds from the movie. This are all single frames in this sequence where I think the cut was done. Sequence 1 before the assumed cut, number 2 is sort of transitional image and sequence 3 behind the assumed cut.

 

Indication 1 - the sharp image at the end of the pan
The camera view moves around the area, slowly to the right side. Then there's a sudden pan to the left. The next frame following this very severe pan is immediately very clear and sharp. It's non-obvious that the next frame following such a severe pan is as clear and sharp as we can see it here. Normally there should be one or two frames slightly blurred after such a pan. So the only obvious explanation for this effect is, that there is a invisible cut at this position in the movie and the sequence behind the cut starts with this clear and sharp single frame.

Here one can see that it was a very wide pan, too wide for having a sharp picture just after it under normal circumstances

Photo by Himes / NARA.

 

Indication 2 - the window frame
Bates position was within a building, he was filming the event through a window. Looking for the window frames - appearing as black shapes - one can see a change of the frame positions in the movie frames within a very short time - a few frames around the assumed cut. At the beginning the left frame is located next to the second window (coming from the house corner behind it) in the house one can see at the left side. There's no frame to see at the top of the frame but a piece of frame at the bottom. After the assumed cut one can see much more of the house at the left (frame moved to the left side) and at the top of the frame one can see a window frame now too. This change happens within only a few frames.

Pictures at top: before the cut, window frame at the left side (arrow), no window frame at the top but at the bottom. Pictures at the bottom: window frame now moved to the left side (arrow - the gray dotted line shows the old position) and window frame at the top (arrow).


This is what Bates probably saw when he was standing in the middle of the room at the beginning of the movie sequence. Because of the use of a zoom lens Bates was able to film through the window without having too much window frame visible in the picture. When he saw that the German commander was leaving the tank after the first hit he probaly thought it now was more secure than before and he went closer to the window to have a better position for filming everything.

 

Indication 3 - the growing smoke cloud
Just before the assumed cut one can see a gradual development of the smoke over the Panther tank. The size of the smoke cloud after the assumed cut is much bigger than it normally be could after this short time without a cut. This smoke cloud development is not normal within such a short time in case there was no cut.

There's an interval of about 1 second between each single frame I show here. Pictures 1 and 2 before the cut, Pictures 3 and 4 after the cut. The cloud in picture 3 is much bigger than it should be following the development from picture 1 to 2. The cloud in picture 4 is only marginally bigger than in picture 3, so one can say there's already a only slow growth at this time.

Video-Popup:
Movie sequence showing the smoke development.

 

Indication 4 - the quick exit
There are only 19 single frames in the published movie between the last sharp frame showing the commander in the turret and the frames showing the falling commandant. The commander is standing in the turret, only the torso is outside the turret. In addition the turret hatch is very small, nothing where you can jump out easily. So it is non-obvious that the commander was able to change it's position from his place in the turret into a falling position near tower and foredeck within fractions of one second. We can see the radio operator and the driver leaving comparable positions only within at least 2 seconds...

There are only 19 single frames (0,8 seconds) between this two frames.


Source: Deutsches Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archive), Bild 101I-478-2166-27 via Wikimedia
The turret hatch is very small. No way to start a quick and sloppy jump.

 

Indication 5 - the flames
The last frames before the cut one can see blazing flames behind the turret. Behind the cut there aren't any more flames. Of course other sequences show quick changing status of flames too. But it would be a very curious coincidence this just happened during this short film sequence around the cut during about 12 single frames / 0,5 seconds.

There are 12 single frames between the picture top right and the picture at the bottom. No more flames where they were blazing before.

 

Indication 6 - smoke over the foredeck
Within 4 single frames (0,17 seconds) there's smoke over the Panther's foredeck where one could not see any smoke before. This is definitely too short for a normal smoke development.

 

Indication 7 - smoke of the shooting Pershing
Within a short time you suddenly can see smoke in the foreground (from the first shoot of the Pershing). One cannot see the smoke oncoming.

Still frame before and behind the cut, the smoke seems to be there suddenly without any effect of oncoming ...

 

 
 
  Quintessence

There's only one conclusion. There's an invisible cut. It seems the pictures were removed (or Bates stopped filming) because he tried to go closer to the window. The visible window frames in the movie indicate there was a change in Bates's position (shortly before Bates changes his position once again from the left side to the right side behind the window). So in case he was still filming when he changes his position the first time the scene was probably very blurred and therefore this sequence was removed. In case he stopped filming for the time he went forward this caused the gap ...
But since the next frames start showing the house at the left side, not the Panther, it's more obvious Bates continued filming and removed the blurred frames during his change of position..
Video-Popup:
The sequence with the invisible cut in loop. The cut is at frames 13/14.

 

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