USS Burton Island sails in McClure Strait, direct sea route across the top of the continent. Ice on surface as seen from deck of ship. Three men at bow of the ship. Crew disembarks from ship on ice. Tog team to pull sleds.
A naval-air battle in the Strait of Sicily during World War II. Animated map shows the route of a British convoy from Gibraltar to Malta. Bombing of the British convoy by Axis aircraft is depicted by the animated map.
German troops in Sicily, Italy during World War II. A map of Italy. German ships at a coast. Allied aircraft in flight as a German convoy moves across the Strait of Messina. An aircraft drops bombs at the convoy and explosions occur at sea. Landing crafts in water. German troops aboard an aircraft. German anti aircraft guns fire at the Allied aircraft. Smoke rises as an aircraft is shot down. German crafts are anchored at a beach and equipment being unloaded. Troops disembark from vessels. A soldier smokes a cigarette. A damaged U.S. Army Air Forces aircraft after it was shot down. German General Hans Hube being congratulated for successful withdrawal.
A television program 'Longines Chronoscope'. News correspondents Larry Leseur and Bill Costello talk with Senator Mike Mansfield, from Montana. Senator Mansfield talks in regard to Foreign Policy in the Pacific and Formosa (Taiwan).
View out window of a railroad train moving through countryside in Formosa (present day Taiwan), during Japanese colonial rule. Two adults and a group of children stand on embankment and wave as the train passes just before it enters a tunnel. View from moving train toward rear of train, as it rounds a bend over a wooden trestle, shows that the steam locomotive is pushing the train, backwards, rather than pulling it. Mountains are covered in trees and other foliage. Vertical sign post written in Chinese. More bucolic scenery until the train approaches a large group of people with luggage and belongings, waiting beside the track, as if planning to board. A sign identifies the location as “Fun kiko” (Chinese characters read as “hu qi fen”). The train is stopped, and passengers have boarded. One woman is placing baggage in a lower compartment accessible by door in exterior of train. Underway, again, view from end car of train (front, since it is moving backwards) as switchman actuates control and train moves onto a parallel track, while another stopped oncoming locomotive waits for it to clear. The train returns to the main line again, having circled the stopped locomotive. Cargo of heavy timbers and similar things being moved on another train.
America's first satellite, the Explorer I. It is seen on the launch pad atop the Redstone Juno I rocket that will carry it into orbit on January 31, 1958. The rocket engine fires and the Juno I speeds upward. Next an American Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile is seen being launched 0n 18 December 1958, to steer itself into orbit as a satellite, orbiting the Earth.