William 'Red' Hill rides the Niagara Falls in Canada. Hill and other men look at a barrel. Hill seated on the ground and pets a dog. People stand nearby. The barrel is towed down to the river. Hill in the barrel underway toward Niagara Falls. The barrel underway in the river. The barrel moves down into the water and Hill dies in the accident going over the falls. Hill's family members cry.
United States naval proving grounds in Dahlgren, Virginia. Flak burst as anti aircraft guns are fired. Explosions occur in water. A building at the proving grounds in Dahlgren, Virginia. Men inside the building make preparations to fire a 5 inch projectile in a pit having a diameter of 25 feet. A man places a projectile in a box and after the detonation wires are checked the pit is filled with sawdust. Sawdust is dampened with water. Saw dust being detonated. Saw dust pass through various machines as fragments are recovered. A magnetic roller being used to recover fragments. Fragments being weighed and sorted. Men work on machines as they sort out fragments. Fragments being arranged and photographs taken to keep a record.
United States naval proving grounds in Dahlgren, Virginia. A ship with snow on its deck underway at sea. A man works on controls at the naval proving grounds in Dahlgren, Virginia as he tries to maintain temperature and altitude. Men in the cool chamber as they work on a machine gun.
United States naval proving grounds in Dahlgren, Virginia. Photography being used to determine the rate of spin of a projectile. A man works on a micro flash camera and light flashes. As the projectile is fired two flash lights being used to take a picture. A photograph of the projectile after firing. Difference in position of projectile from one photo to another helps to establish the rate of spin.
United States naval proving grounds in Dahlgren, Virginia. Different artillery being fired under adverse conditions to test them. Smoke rises due to fire. 55 rounds being fired per minute from a 3 inch artillery gun to test its life expectancy and erosion pattern.
United States naval proving grounds in Dahlgren, Virginia. Armor and Projectile laboratory building at the naval proving grounds. A sign on the building reads 'Armor and Projectile Laboratory' Men at the laboratory work on instruments and machines to determine the hardness pattern of projectiles, to fabricate small number of projectiles and develop new inert loading for rocket heads.