Opening scene shows U.S. Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser, demonstrating, on a scale model, how prefabricated parts are assembled into a Liberty Ship, in World war 2. Closeup shows each section of ship labeled by number and name, such as, “Transverse Bulkhead, number 44.” Scene shifts to Permanente Metals Corporation No. 2 shipyard in Richmond, California, where Liberty ships are seen in various stages of construction. Views of keels being laid, superstructures being raised into position, View from interior as skeleton of a ship is being completed. Sign atop the Liberty Ship, Robert E. Peary, as it is being launched, announces that it was completed from keel laying, to launch, in 4 days, 15 hours and 29 minutes. (This was a record for shortest time.) Camera view of the Robert E. Peary, from across the yard area where she was built. A brief view of shipyard activity at night, followed by camera panning over shipyard in daytime. Change of scene to an aircraft factory where B-17 bomber aircraft are being built. Women are seen riveting inside a plane’s fuselage. Other women work on a vertical stabilizer and still others work inside airplane structural members Men assemble an aircraft engine. Women fasten parts of engines together. Engines move through the plant on overhead cranes. An engine and propeller being placed into position on a wing with use of a crane. A right wing with two engines installed is moved into position for installation on a B-17 aircraft. Scene shifts to other aircraft factories building Martin Marauder B-26 aircraft; P-47 fighter aircraft;Navy Catalina aircraft; Douglas A-20 fighter bomber aircraft; and more B-17 bomber aircraft.
A new U.S. Essex class Aircraft Carrier is docked during World War 2. Her crew of more than two thousand Navy personnel are seen boarding with all their gear. Next the entire ship’s company is seen on deck for her commissioning ceremony. A large American flag flies over the assembly. The carrier moves away from the dock, and is then seen out in the water, as some sailors on the dock wave their hats. Scene shifts to the USS Alabama (BB-60) at sea in her final sea trials. View from her bridge overlooking her triple 16-inch guns. Another look at the guns from portside forward deck. Sailors on deck in cold weather gear, perform lookout duties with binoculars. Another glimpse of the 16-inch guns. View of bow wave and wake at the stern
Aerial view of U.S. Army B-17 bomber aircraft flying in formation. Crew working and looking at charts inside a bomber aircraft. Vought OS2U Kingfisher taking off from deck of aircraft carrier. Military vehicles cross pontoon bridge. Gun crew beside a gun. Men operate artillery. Graduation at Annapolis in Maryland. Various colleges across United States, including view of Dartmouth Hall at Darthmouth College; Andrew Dickson White seated statue at Cornell University, from behind, with McGraw Tower in background; view of traffic on streets of University of Texas campus with the UT Tower in the background; an unidentified college building. President of Purdue University, Edward C Elliott at desk gives a speech. Airplanes parked at Purdue University Airport. Instructor talks with college students in civilian clothing who are learning to fly. Tuskegee school students before war. Fliers operate planes at Tuskegee airfield in Alabama. Men attend ground crew classes. Pilots outside laboratory to learn meteorology. At the University of Virginia, in the aeronautical department, students are seen learning principles of aircraft design use of wind tunnels. Mechanical Engineering college students work with equipment. Student work with communication devices. Medical college trains doctors and nurses. View of the University of Virginia School of Medicine building facing University Avenue. Men and women students in laboratory with test tubes and various tests underway. Another scenes shows a student working in a blood bank. Military messages and various diplomatic terms are taught to students by instructors. Students in Chinese and Japanese library at Harvard University learn Asian relations. Scientists work with selected students. U.S. Navy sailors in uniform work at Purdue University. Some are seen training as electricians. Other training classes are seen at Cornell Universtiy. At a Law school lecture auditorium of the University of Virginia law school, high ranking officers learn how to control occupied territory. At Tulane Medical school, officers learn how to fight tropical diseases. Army medical officers look through microscopes in a Tulane laboratory. Cadets at Quartermaster School at the Harvard School of Business are seen receiving instruction in how to manage army camps. They learn how to supervise camp kitchens. Students at Cornell University in a nutrition department laboratory are working to create vitamin rich, compact foods to be condensed in small blocks and carried in aviator kits. At a University of California laboratory, a students works to dehydrate foods to one fifth of their former size. Dehydrated fruits and vegetables are shown being weighed. African American students are trained at Hampton Institute. They are seen in the classroom, in a science laboratory, and working in a machine shop turning out war materiel. African American students learn welding in a shop classroom, and then some are shown working at shipyards. Men work with field equipment. Training of ROTC cadets is given at many schools including Perdue University. Cadets handle modern rifles, military vehicles, and learn artillery skills. Cadets beside a stadium at Texas A&M University put on gas masks and are trained for gas-raids. Cadets learn to thrown hand grenades. Navy ROTC students at Georgia Tech learn naval tactics. A groups of California students study a torpedo. Tulane University Navy ROTC students learn ship gun skills. Navy ROTC students in Virginia board a ship to learn practical sea skills. At University of North Carolina, students in the Naval pre-flight program attend fitness classes, do formation calisthenic exercises, learn boxing, and hand-to-hand combat. Navy cadets at a swimming pool practice swimming and diving skills, including fully clothed diving and swimming, and swimming under simulated burning oil.
United States fuel and energy production during World War II to support the United States war effort. Oil storage tanks, factories and smoking chimneys and stacks. Pollution and industrial scenes during boom of production to support war effort. Several views of oil storage tanks and natural gas storage. Oil wells oil drilling derricks and rigs are seen covering a vast expanse of land. Oil shoots up or gushes up through a well. Stills graphic explains oil refining procedure. Wash tanks where treated oil has most of its impurities removed. Several towers and an Oil refinery.
Ration stamps issued in ration office during World War II in the United States. Interiors of office. Ration stamps issued in ration office. Two men at desk stamping. Woman buys meat in butcher shop. Butcher behind counter weighing meat and accepting ration stamps. Checking chart for points required. Stamp is removed from book by customer.
Helicopter sprays insecticides on crops being produced during World War 2 in the United States. Crowd watches an early Bell 30 helicopter taking off. It bears label "Experimental Agricultural Field Service." Bell 30 helicopter with registration NX92844 in flight. Helicopter sprays area with insecticides.