The ‘Corinth Canal’ is a short film produced in Europe as a testimony of US involvement in the European Recovery Program during the years of the Marshall Plan. The film was made specifically to highlight the important work of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in restoring the canal to operational capacity, after it was seriously damaged by German forces retreating from Greece as part of "scorched earth" operations. German forces used explosives to set off landslides to block the canal, destroyed the bridges and dumped locomotives, bridge wreckage and other infrastructure into the canal to hinder repair work. The United States Army Corps of Engineers began work to clear the canal in 1947 and reopened it in 1948.
The Corinth Canal connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland, arguably making the peninsula an island. The builders dug the canal through the Isthmus at sea level; no locks are employed. It is 6.4 kilometres (4 mi) in length and only 21.4 metres (70 ft) wide at its base, making it impassable for most modern ships. It now has little economic importance.
The canal was initially proposed in classical times and a failed effort was made to build it in the 1st century CE. Construction started in 1881 but was hampered by geological and financial problems that bankrupted the original builders. It was completed in 1893 but, due to the canal's narrowness, navigational problems and periodic closures to repair landslides from its steep walls, it failed to attract the level of traffic expected by its operators. The canal is now used mainly for tourist traffic.
The film begins this way: Corinth is a staple of Greek history and had been one of the richest cities, although after the war, little remained save for rubble and fragments of stone (1:06). Families from farms nearby, work on the land and cultivate vineyards (1:38). Construction for the Corinth Canal had commenced more than 1,500 years ago by the Romans and then was completed sixty years ago by the Greeks (2:04). As the country's people rely heavily on the sea for trade and livelihood, the canal's operation was vital. The canal benefitted travel as it cut through the four mile long isthmus that had once connected northern Greece with the Peloponnesian peninsula (2:26). The canal's office resides on the Aegean end in the village of Isthmia (3:17). Here, passage must be granted for all ships attempting to cross beforehand (3:29). The largest port in Athens, is Piraeus and was very busy due to shipments of goods consigned to Greece by way of the Marshall Plan (3:52). A sugar delivery is transported to a smaller ship and will reach it's destination through the canal (4:28). The captain must get his clearance papers stamped at the harbor master's office (4:28). Port authority in Piraeus inform cannal authorities of each ship's coming and going (5:42). This ship (6:48), prior to the war, had made a dozen trips annually through the canal. Remains of locomotives and railroad cars exist as a reminder of the war (6:53). In 1944, Germans dumped these into the canal to block Allied ships (7:07). Marks of occupation remain on the inside of the canal and explosions had blown mountains of earth into it (9:01). It would require thirteen months to restore and clear the canal (9:08). By November of 1948, the job was completed and canal was once again open, allowing sea born commerce to flow freely (9:46). And as a mark of peacetime, fisherman move from sea to sea and nights are quiet (10:41).
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com