Film opens with animated map showing Japan and its nearby Asian mainland neighbors. Arrows from Japan point to areas and islands that Japan considers part of the Japanese empire. In addition to Pacific islands, they include Asian mainland places, Manchuria, and the Sakhalin Islands. The map shows the Northern limit of Japan's territorial reach with a line drawn on the map at about 47 degrees North latitude. The map shows the reach of Japan's empire extending South to include all of Manchuria and in the Pacific to encompass all the scattered islands in the Pacific accessible to Japan. The map begins drawing a circular boundary to the East encompassing all these areas of the Japanese Empire. Film shifts to Japanese navy warships patrolling the Eastern Pacific boundaries of the Empire, and bi-wing aircraft flying in formation overhead. Rising sun symbol seen on underwings of biplanes. Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō who was later Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Japanese Fleet during the Russo-Japanese War is seen seen as a young Admiral in 1895. Next, he is seen in 1934 at the age of 86, coming out of a barn and walking toward the camera. He is bent over and walks slowly, dressed in woolens and wearing thick eye glasses. (He died on May 30, 1934.)
Officers aboard U.S. Navy's first aircraft carrier, USS Langley (CV-1). View of the Langley passing through the Gaillard Cut in the Panama Canal, her deck filled with airplanes, en route to join the Pacific Fleet. Activities aboard the Langley as U.S. Navy works to refine carrier operations. Numerous views of Landing mishaps, including landing hook problems, nose-overs, wings striking deck, power-on stalls, and even a VE-7 ditching in water between the Langley and a U.S. Destroyer.
"Crossing the Line" initiation ceremony on a cruise ship. Shipboard ceremony marking the equator crossing. Passengers who have never crossed the equator before are "pollywogs" and initiated into the Kingdom of Neptune, by being messed up and tossed into the ship's pool, by members of "Neptune's Court" who wear masks and costumes and make fun of the whole event. A woman and a man are seen being dunked in the pool. Men play instruments.
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).
CRITICALPAST.COM: About Us | Contact Us | FAQs - How to Order | License Agreement | My Account | My Lightboxes | Shopping Cart | Advanced Search | Featured Collections | Website Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Links ©2024 CriticalPast LLC.
License Agreement |
Terms & Conditions |
Privacy Policy
©2024 CriticalPast LLC.