USS Essex (CV-9) underway in Manila Bay, Philippines during World War 2. F6F Hellcat of VF-9 flies past the Essex at low altitude for a gear check. Its landing gear is malfunctioning and can't be extended. The pilot is cleared to make a gear-up landing on the carrier. Next he is seen making a well-controlled touchdown near the beginning of the flight deck. Then the aircraft slides along the deck almost halfway, veering slightly to the right as it comes to a halt. It appears relatively undamaged except for a bent prop (and surely some underside damage). Deck crewmen rush to assist the pilot and bring fire extinguishers to bear on areas around the hot engine. An F4F, taking off during the emergency, veers off the side of the flight deck, but manages to continue safely. Meanwhile, deck crews continue to assist the pilot and safely secure the accident site.The pilot, apparently unhurt, is escorted as he walks away from the airplane.
The U.S. 96th Aero Squadron at the First Air Depot in Colombey-les-Belles, France during World War 1. Chief of Air Service, American Expeditionary Forbce, Brigadier General Benjamin D. Foulois and other officers look over De Havilland DH-4 biplane bombers parked at the air base. Their tails are painted in the French scheme, with blue-white-red vertical stripes. Brigadier General Foulois gets into the cockpit of one of the aircraft. He poses for the camera, beside an airplane, smoking his pipe. He and his staff stroll across the grassy field past parked airplanes.
Reminders of World War 2, in France, 1945. A high bridge of about eight masonry arches with two bombed out, in mountainous region of France. Camera pans right, showing a number of substantial homes scattered across the valley, with tall mountains behind. Scene shifts to a different, flatter landscape, where about a dozen U.S. Waco CG-4A gliders are seen abandoned in a field, in various states of disrepair. Writing in chalk on the side of one glider reads, "Whispering Yoddles, Fort Worth Texas, Little One Alice". There are no D-day stripes on these gliders, indicating they were probably used subsequent to the Normandy invasion, in other operations such as "Bluebird & Dove" in the South of France, in August, 1944.
View from the U.S. Navy Zeppelin, USS Akron (ZRS-4) as Sailor Charles (Bud) Cowart secures his position, suspended on a cable from the airship, 2000 feet above the ground following a cable ring failure that left three sailors dangling beneath the Akron, at Camp Kearny, San Diego, California.(The other two fell to their deaths.) Large group of sailors stand on ground below, watching. Crew of the Akron reel in the cable carrying Cowart and pull him aboard. View of Cowart, inside the Akron, calmly speaking of his experience.
The U.S. submarine AL-11 getting underway in the Atlantic ( possibly Bantry Bay Ireland) in World War 1. As the conning tower fairwater comes into view the short "post" seen in front of it is actually the 3"/23 caliber deck gun in its retracted position Activities of crewmen as they stow lines aboard the submarine. A gun mounted on the submarine. The deck of the submarine. The captain in the conning tower of the submarine. Another U.S. submarine displaying 'AL-10' on its conning tower. The submarine submerges under water. Yet, another U.S. submarine, the AL-4, moving on the surface. (Note: American "L" class submarines in British waters had to paint an "A" in front of their names so as not to be confused with the British "L" class submarines.)
Activities of U.S. Army 4th Armored Division in the damaged city of Worms in Germany during World War II. U.S. infantrymen climb over a wall as they advance in the damaged town. Bomb damage seen as U.S. soldiers move along the streets. Damaged buildings and houses. The soldiers move through debris.
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