Japanese battleships and aircraft carriers including Kaga (ahead) and Zuikaku (trailing to port) underway in the Pacific Ocean towards Pearl Harbor. Japanese planes line up on aircraft carrier. Japanese pilots briefed. Japanese pilots run for their planes, board and take off from carrier. Two Nakajima B5N (Kate) Dive bombers taking off, in succession, from aircraft carrier deck. A Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" taking off. A formation, of B5N aircraft , in flight, carrying torpedoes underneath. View from Japanese attacking airplanes as they bomb the Naval Air Station on Ford Island. Heavy black smoke rising from the ground. Next bombers attack the capital ships on Battleship Row. Burning U.S. battleships. Still photographs annotated (in Japanese) point to the various ships targeted, including the USS California, USS Arizona, USS Maryland, USS Utah, and USS West Virginia.
Japanese air attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States during World War II. An animated map of the Pacific Ocean shows places. Ships underway at sea. Japanese sailors and officers aboard a ship. A sailor watches a target area through binoculars. They discuss amongst themselves. Japanese pilots are briefed by an officer aboard the ship. Japanese bomber planes parked on the flight deck of the ship. The pilots embark the airplanes and take off. The airplanes fly in formation. They attack and bomb U.S. Pacific fleet. An aerial view of the target area. Smoke rises from the bombardment. Battleships underway at sea fire guns at the target.
Aerial view looking down at the U.S. Aircraft Carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) underway below, just before America's entry into World War 2. Her deck is filled with aircraft. Camera view from on the flight deck shows it filled with Grumman F4F Wildcat planes. Pilots are scrambling to some of the planes. Two deck crew sit at the wheels of an 4F4 (as if ready to pull chocks). The engine starts and runs. Several F4Fs have engines running and begin to taxi. One is given clearance to take off and commences its roll with considerable wing flap extension (short takeoff technique). The aircraft takes off and banks right as it clears the carrier deck. Next, two F4Fs are seen in flight above some clouds. Next, a large formation is seen, and individual planes bank and dive from it. Back on the carrier deck, more F4Fs have their engines running. A gunner is seen setting his machine gun into the rear cockpit position of a plane, the narrator calls a versatile scout-bomber. Closeup of the aircraft (a Douglas SBD Dauntless) as engine starts, deck crew pull chocks, and the pilot gets clearance to take off. Next, camera shoots from rear cockpit, with the plane's tail in center of the images. Views cover the complete takeoff and flight away from the carrier. Next an SBD is seen in flight with both front and rear cockpits open. A flight of three SBDs in formation. Closeup of two SBDs in formation. Extreme closeup of SBD with pilot and gunner both clearly visible in open cockpits. The gunner is maneuvering his machine gun. Two SBDs demonstrate rapid descents as in dive bombing. Back on the carrier, an SBD, with wings folded, is maneuvered by sailors, on the hangar deck. Next sailors accompany a Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bomber on an elevator up to the flight deck. With its wings still folded, they maneuver it into position on the flight deck. An armorer, using a dolly, rolls a bomb to a TBD where two others secure it in a bomb rack under the center of the aircraft. Other armorers distribute machine guns and ammunition to gunners in cockpits of aircraft on the deck. Several TBDs begin taking off. View from hangar deck, of one airborne and departing. A formation of 9 TBDs in flight. (Note: This clip was probably shot in November 1941, based on the aircraft markings in use at the time. Life magazine did a series of stills, and these clips look like they came from that photo session. Enterprise wears Measure 1 camouflage, which she wore from mid-1941 to a month or two into 1942. The flying units aboard are all designated "6" the same as their carrier, CV-6. Thus they are VF-6; VB-6; VT-6, etc.)
Wide-ranging review of U.S. Navy aircraft operational in 1941. Formation of U.S. Navy Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft in flight. One enters shallow dive and emits smoke as a screen for warships during training exercise. Nine U.S. Navy Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo bombers peel off from echelon formation and dive toward the sea, as the Douglas SBD Dauntless emitting smoke skims over the water. A glimpse of the Aircraft Carrier, USS Enterprise (CV-6) is seen in the background. The TBDs launch their attack under cover of the smoke screen. They drop their torpedoes low over the water and climb out past the USS Enterprise. Her deck is empty. Large formations of U.S. Navy SBD and TBD aircraft fly overhead. TBD and SBD aircraft are seen landing on the Enterprise. Deck crews and signal officers, with paddles, are seen at work. An F4F lands on the flight deck. Deck crews position the aircraft, after landing, and chock their wheels. Plane captains attend to their aircraft, including refueling them. Scene shifts to land base, where mechanics work on various aircraft, including a PBM Mariner flying boat. At TC: 03:13, a U.S. Navy JRS-1 flying boat is seen in flight. (This is a Sikorsky S-43, Baby Clipper. The Navy had about 15, or so, of these, just prior to World War 2.) A mechanic is sitting on the nose of this aircraft performing some task, while in flight. (Clearly, the aircraft is capable of very slow flight.) Next seen is a Navy N3N trainer plane; an SNJ (North American T-6 Texan); Several Consolidated PB2 Coronados; PBY amphibian; Vought Kingfisher;Grumman F4F Wildcat;formation of Douglas TBD Devastators;formation of Douglas SBD Dauntless; and closeup of SBD with canopies open and pilot and rear gunner visible. Brief view of Lexington-class aircraft carrier.
Japanese Imperial Navy exercises and operations in World War 2. View, from Japanese battleship, of a Destroyer underway ahead. Momentary glimpse of Landing party of Japanese Marines in battle gear massed in section of a ship. One holds the Japanese rising sun Marine ensign. A Kako class heavy cruiser underway. Battleship elevates guns in her turrets. Shipboard torpedo tubes are shown. Momentary view of another battleship. A Tone class light cruiser to starboard, and a battleship astern. Light signals flash from the ship. The formation of warships circles to port. The photo ship drops depth charges, and two battleships astern fire their heavy guns. A different film shows two Japanese carriers underway,in rough weather. The carrier, Kaga, is closer in, and the Zuikaku trailing. In another change of sequence, A succession of Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero (Zeke) airplanes take off from carrier flight deck. They form up and proceed overhead. A scout observer plane takes off. Scene shows task force of warships moving through heavy seas.
U.S. Army troops departing San Francisco, California for the Philippines, aboard the USAT Etolin, before World War II, in the Pacific. The Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay as seen from the ship passing under the bridge. Passengers seen in life jackets during mandatory first emergency ship drill. Ship flags and a smoke stack. A man reads a book while relaxing on a sun lounger. Views from ship as it arrives in port of Honolulu. View of the Aloha Clock Tower on Pier 9 at Honolulu Harbor. Lifeboat suspended from davits. Soldiers sunbathing on the deck. Army officers conversing with the ship's Captain.