Sailors stripped to the waist, working in a triple 8 inch 55 caliber gun turret of the American Cruiser USS Chicago (CA-29) in the Southwest Pacific, during World War 2. They bring up and load 8-inch shell followed by gunpowder charges, for one of the three guns in the turret. After firing, they repeat the process. Closeup as they open the gun breech, insert a metal chute to guide the shell and follow it with two propellant charges. Interesting view looking upward from below the gun as the sailors repeat the process. They step back briefly, as the gun fires. Next, sailors are seen below deck, partially rolling shells into a lift and sending up to the gunners.
Activity aboard USS Chicago in Southwest Pacific. United States sailors operate machinery in the engine room of the ship. A sailor looks into periscope eye and turns a wheel. Another crew man wearing headphones checks equipment and speaks over a mouthpiece. A group of sailors lifts a lid and takes out shells from it.
Activity aboard USS Chicago in Southwest Pacific. United States sailors aboard USS Chicago look through binoculars. A sailor rotates turret of a 20mm gun and fires. Crew members load shells on the shell board of the gun. (World War II period).
A Grumman F4F, Wildcat, from the U.S. Navy Squadron, VF-5, lands on the flight deck of the USS Saratoga (CV-3) and runs off the end of the flight deck, crashing into a parked airplane and falling into the sea, during operations against the Japanese in the Pacific.
U.S. Navy bombing campaign against Japanese-held Gilbert and Marshall Islands during World War II. This film taken aboard the heavy crusier, USS Northampton, CA-26. Captain William Dwight Chandler, Jr. (1890-1977) looks out at the sea with binoculars. Officer, helmsman and another sailor on bridge of the ship (interior). Officer, wearing older-style steel helmet, looks out to sea with binoculars. Gunnery officer wearing headphones. A Curtiss SOC Seagull seaplane is seen on catapult, behind him. Carrier at some distance, as seen through railings.
Battle of Santa Cruz Islands in the Pacific during World War 2. Survivors from the abandoned aircraft carrier USS Hornet, CV-8, are being transferred, from the port side of the USS Russell, DD-414 (one of the destroyers that rescued them) to the starboard side of the cruiser USS Northampton (CL-26), by means of lines and breeches buoy. After several are transferred, this way, some wounded on litters are also transferred. Initial views are toward the Russell's stern, from the deck of the Northampton, where sailors are handling lines. Camera pans as survivors move across the space between the ships and are lowered to the Northampton deck. View from Northampton toward bow of Russell, showing two of her single turret 8-inch guns (one pointed up) as a litter passes between the ships. (Camera changes viewpoint occasionally.) An officer transfers on a bosun chair, followed by a sailor. In the final seconds, the USS Salt Lake City (CV-25) is seen in the background.