First lady of United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, visits U.S. Base Hospitals in South Pacific areas including Australia and New Zealand during World War 2. Base hospital's wards are seen including some in thatched huts. Mrs. Roosevelt wearing Red Cross uniform. A soldier seen in a wheel chair. Mrs. Roosevelt waves goodbye to United States soldiers.
A film titled 'Pacific Milk Run' . Formations of U.S. B-25 bombers, TBF torpedo bombers,and F4U Corsair fighters, in flight. U.S. Marines flying Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft. A map shows the Japanese-held Gilbert, Marshall, Marianas, Caroline, and Solomon Islands in the Pacific. Marine Corps SBDs taking off and landing on a coral runway. Marine aircrews at breakfast mess. Intelligence officer confers with Marine Major General. Marine aircrews being briefed about a mission. Pilot and rear gunner board an SBD and take off on a mission with other SBDs as well as F4U Corsairs, and B-25 Mitchell bombers. SBDs peel off to attack Japanese targets. View from cockpit of a B-25 in formation with others. B-25s dropping bombs. Japanese aircraft rise to defend against the U.S. aircraft, including Zekes (Mitsubishi A6M Zeros); Nates (Nakajima Ki-27s) and Tonys ( Kawasaki Ki-61 aircraft). U.S. Corsairs engage the Japanese aircraft in dogfights. Marine SBD bombs a Japanese transport ship. U.S. aircraft formations returning from mission. An SBD lands and parks. Crew chief is briefed by pilot and begins repairs of battle damage. Marine aircrews play baseball and later drink beer.
Admiral Halsey seated at desk in a conference in South Pacific port. Staff is seated in room. Admiral Halsey at desk looking at papers. Staff is at far end of the room. Staff officers with Admiral Halsey seated in middle pose for a photograph.
Crew of destroyer lined up for presentation of Navy Crosses by Admiral Halsey in South Pacific port. Line of sailors and officers at attention. Crew of ship cheering. Admiral Halsey speaking aboard ship. Admiral Halsey pinning Navy Cross on Commander Arnold Ellsworth True, Commander of the Destroyer USS Hammond. Presentation of Navy Cross to Commander Wallace Frederick Peterson. Presentation of Silver Star to Seaman 1st class O S Downey. Admiral Halsey leaving ship. Halsey ascending ship gangway to dock.
Convoy of Japanese supply ships in the Southwest Pacific during World War 2. Mysteriously, two explode. One sinks and one is left burning. Narrator describes similar losses of Japanese cargo vessels and Japanese reports attributing the losses to new superior American aircraft. View of Japanese Military High Command buildings in Tokyo, Japan. An Imperial Japanese Navy Night Fighter (QHAFMFA6) seen taking off. Japanese admiral boards warship to plan Imperial Navy strategy and tactics. Attacking aircraft is shown as a U.S. Navy PBY Catalina Flying Boat. Several views of Catalina flying boats in flight, painted black for night flying (called "Black Cats"). Aerial view of islands with small harbors where a PBY can hide during daylight. Base personnel gather at a catalina base awaiting an overdue returning PBY. She appears and buzzes base to announce successful mission. The PBY then lands in nearby harbor, taxis toward shore and is met by sailors in boats who attach a tow line to winch the PBY ashore, tail first. Squadron Commander meets the plane as the crew disembarks. Commodore Thomas S. Combs, Commander Aircraft 7th Fleet, arrives by jeep with Group Commander, Captain Peck. Crew gives quick accounting of mission. Corpsmen take wounded combat cameraman from the PBY on a stretcher. Tow pulls the PBY to area of ramp for servicing and repairs. Maintenance personnel note crew report of problems and begin corrective actions. They count 8 bullet holes in starboard wing.They find hole in fuselage from shrapnel that wounded the cameraman, and repair it. They repair a gas tank leak and refuel the PBY. View of 525lb and 1000lb bombs in Squadron dump. Armorers assemble belts of 50cal machine gun ammunition.They rearm the PBY with bombs under one wing and a torpedo under the other, and machine gun ammunition. They remove two black cats (animals) from inside the airplane. PBY crew plays water polo with a coconut. View of officer's quarters. Pilots prepare for next mission and go to intelligence briefing
U.S. Navy Aircraft Seventh Fleet PBY Catalina operations in Southwest Pacific during World War 2. Pilots and navigators of six PBY Catalina crews are seen planning the night's operations at a table in a flight planning hut. (These Catalinas are called "Black Cats" because they were painted black for night operations.) The Black Cat mission is to interdict Japanese supply ships at sea. Intelligence officer is seen briefing about locations of Japanese convoys and cautions that Japanese night fighters are stationed only 60 miles away.The pilots look at pictures of the type of warships that might accompany the Japanese convoys.They are briefed on Japanese antiaircraft batteries near harbor where convoy ships might anchor.And they are briefed on the weather. Ground crew pass a large box of foods to a PBY crewman.The aircraft taxis into the water. The weather is getting stormy.Ground crew remove landing gear. The PBY takes off. Views from inside the aircraft as it leaves the water and becomes airborne. Views from inside a PBY as lightning strikes outside in a storm. Crew members in their positions.Approaching the harbor where Japanese vessels may be anchored. Navigator plots position with dividers and calculates course using E-6B computer. Waist gunners ready at their stations. Crew member is posted as a lookout at an open bay in the PBY nose. There are no Japanese ships seen in the harbor. But the PBY is sighted by Japanese antiaircraft batteries that begin firing. They are also being hunted by Japanese night fighters. The pilot dives low towards the water to hide. Japanese fighter plane passes overhead. They resume search for convoy and lookout spots it. Radio operator informs other Black Cats via CW signal. As the Catalinas converge on the convoy, Japanese warships open fire on them.The "Cats" attack and hit a Japanese Cruiser, 2 freighters, and a tanker. One of the Catalinas is destroyed during its bomb run.
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