Film opens showing a flightline of parked Polikarpov Po-2 training biplanes. Soviet military student pilots, dressed in flying suits, with helmets and goggles, . are standing in front of them. Some student pilots being addressed by instructors. Closeup of a student and instructor standing beside a Po-2 plane. Extreme closeup of student. The student climbing into the rear cockpit of the airplane, which appears to be fully instrumented. The instructor follows and climbs into the forward cockpit. Next, a Po-2 airplane is seen on takeoff from a large dirt field. Only one pilot is aboard, in the rear cockpit. Student pilots on the ground look skyward at the airborne plane. Aerial view, from another plane of the Po-2 inflight. Another view of students on the ground watching it. Aerial view from below, as the Po-2 begins some aerobatics. It rolls over and dives down into a spin. Glimpse of part of camera plane, also a Po-2, as camera focuses on the other plane recovering from the spin. Another view of students on the ground watching the demonstration. Another brief view of the aerobatic plane entering another spin and students watching from the ground. Aerial view of the plane in normal flight. View from the camera plane of the airfield below and then of the aerobatic plane in normal flight.
A soviet army officer is shown speaking directly to the Soviet citizenry about defending against German aggression. As he speaks, the film shows brief glimpses of Soviet military preparedness. A group of Soviet BT tanks charges across an open field. These are followed by a group of T-26 tanks. Polikarpov I-16 aircraft are seen high overhead in formations. After more views of the army officer speaking, the film shows Soviet BT-5 fast tanks moving across a field. Then a cavalry charge demonstration is shown. That is followed by a glimpse of several Soviet torpedo boats racing through the water in side-by-side formation. Several unidentified Soviet tanks on a field. After more views of the army speaker, more views of cavalry charge and formations of Polikarpov I-16 aircraft in formation flight. A number of Soviet BT-7 tanks advancing toward the camera across a field.
Film starts showing Soviet infantry walking across an open field, during World War 2. . Heavy artillery firing from camouflaged positions in woods. Soviet soldier loading shell into a 120 mm mortar PM-38. Shells bursting near low structures. Soviet infantry moving quickly but cautiously across the area. Sounds of machine gun and smalls arms fire is heard. The Soviet troops enter area of several buildings. Change of scene shows Soviet woman soldier dressing and bandaging the wound of another soldier. Both are in battle gear including steel helmets. Closeup of the soldiers bandaged arm. More views of artillery firing from woods. Soviet soldiers processing a captured German soldier prisoner of war. Soviet soldiers enjoy reading a Russian newspaper. Soviet soldiers scanning skies for aircraft, through binoculars and telescope. Two German aircraft are seen flying low over the area. Soviet soldier signals for anti aircraft artillery to fire. A plane is seen diving toward the ground. Still image of black cloud from the ground is shown as narrator comments.
Film opens showing a woman working alone in a Soviet machine shop. Closeup of a milling machine in operation being cooled by a continuous flow of liquid over the surfaces. Closeup of the woman machinist. She moves a tool holder close to a machine. Another woman is seen in the background. Closeup of milling machine in operation with steel chips accumulating from the milling.
Film begins showing an armed member of Soviet home guard standing in a wheat field during World War 2.. Nearby a tractor is pulling a harvesting combine machine across part of the wheat field. The harvester is being operated by a woman. A man stands by her side. Closeup of that man and then of him and the woman operating the harvester. Many children are seen bent over gleaning remains in the wake of the harvester. They bring their findings to a boy who empties them into a large sack. Another girl empties a bucket of gleanings into the boy's sack. View of two men standing on platform of the harvester, where they are filling sacks with harvested wheat and depositing them on the ground as the harvester moves along. Closeup of the man and woman atop the harvester. Closeup of the reaper blades cutting the wheat. Camera pans to edge of the wheat field, where civilians are busy building defenses. Camera moves closer and shows the worker in deep ravine to serve as a tank barrier. This group are mostly men. The next scene shows women and girls shoveling earth. Scene shifts to men cutting a new tank trap. Others are burying wood obstacles into the ground. A woman is seen preparing food in a large kettle over a fire. She uses a large ladle to sample the food. Women and girls are working on the defense works in the background.Change of scene shows men placing large logs into the edge of a deep multi-level tank trap. Men and women shovel earth to the top of a log fortification.
United States Coast Guard C-3 Cargo Passenger Vessel African Comet at Ingalls Shipbuilding port. (Ship later renamed the USS Arthur Middleton, AP-55, APA-25). Sailors on deck. Workers working at the vessel. Wooden planks being lifted at the dry dock after launch.