U.S. Naval Task Force of warships bombarding Okinawa in World War 2. Light cruiser USS St. Louis, CL-49, in foreground in the background is the battleship USS Texas, BB-35 shelling Okinawa. Heavy cruiser USS Wichita, CA-45, using signal light communications. Foreground the stern of the USS St. Louis, USS Texas in background. LCI 370 (Landing Craft Infantry) approaches from the right with the USS Texas in the background. On right, the USS St. Louis has turned to port and is shelling Okinawa, a destroyer in the middle, and the USS Texas on left. Close up of the USS St. Louis's stern as she shells Okinawa. Close up of three gun turrent firing. USS Texas in close shelling a hillside Japanese strong point on Okinawa. Shell hits the top of a hill and beach. Explosions due to the shelling. Smoke rises from coastline of Okinawa. Smoke rises from hill on Okinawa and shells hit around base of hill.
Animation graphic describing how land sea and air information was coordinated to enable precise targeting of enemy positions by naval gunfire during the U.S. invasion of Okinawa, Japan in World War 2. U.S. minesweepers enable capital ships with heavy guns to safely operate close to enemy targets. Views of heavy naval gunfire. Advance of the Marine 3rd Amphibious Corps. U.S. troops, advancing slowly, routing out Japanese defenders dug in to caves and holes throughout Okinawa. Naval heavy guns were called upon to destroy these caves. Detailed live images include: Mine sweepers off Okinawa, sweeping for mines; heavy cruiser USS San Francisco, CA-38, under a head of steam and using signal lights; battleships fire at Okinawa; A bow view of a Tennessee Class battleship; battleship USS Nevada, BB-36, fires its main battery; closeup of a Cleveland Class light cruiser's main aft battery firing at Okinawa; stern view of the heavy cruiser USS Pensacola, CA-24, fires her aft main 8-inch/55 main battery; U.S. Marines on the march and blowing up caves; battleship USS New York, BB-34, fires her main battery; time 03:36 shows a Cleveland Class light cruiser firing its forward main 6-inch battery; time 03:30 shows the USS New York, BB-34, again; various naval guns fire and explosions on Okinawa are shown; time 04:08 shows the forward main deck, looking aft, of the USS Nevada, BB-36, with a Tennessee Class battleship in the background.
Aerial views of LVT (A) or Landing Vehicles Tracked (Armored), on a beach in Okinawa, Japan. Explosions and smoke columns during bombardment on Okinawa. Open terrain on Okinawa showing roads and fields. Scenes of city of Shuri, Okinawa, as bombs burst. Smoke columns rise. (World War II period).
Roles of U.S. Navy Task Force 58 and British Task Force 57 during the Battle of Okinawa in World War 2. An LCI (Landing Craft-Infantry) passes in front of the heavy cruiser USS Wichita (CA-45) as it fires its heavy guns. Explosions on Okinawa. Glimpse of Battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) in marine camouflage paint. Naval gun barrels firing and shells exploding on Okinawa. The USS LSM(R)-190, a Landing Ship Medium (Rocket) is seen firing barrages of rockets at Okinawa. Closeup of the rocket pods firing. At time 00:18-00:20 the U.S. heavy cruiser USS Minneapolis,CA-36 is seen firing her main battery. Numerous views of shells bursting on the ground. More views of rocket firing landing ships, with more closeups of the rocket pods firing. Change of scene to the south, where the battleship HMS King George V, flagship of Task Force 57, and battleship HMS Howe, are seen bombarding Japanese air installations on Formosa. British Navy Marlett fighter planes (equivalent to U.S. F4Fs) in formation flight. Anti-aircraft gunfire from British aircraft carriers and other warships. Closeup of British multiple Pom Pom gun batteries firing.
A glimpse of Navy gunners firing Bofors anti-aircraft guns from battle station on a U.S. aircraft carrier is how this film begins. Next, black flak clouds fill the sky and tracer rounds are seen in a nighttime battle as ships of U.S. Task Force 58 (TF-58) battles attacks from Japanese aircraft, including Kamikazes dispatched from Mainland Japan, during World War 2. View of Japanese attacking aircraft subject to relentless tracer bullet fire, until is is hit. It continues toward a target ship, but misses and crashes into the sea. A flaming Japanese aircraft moving overhead in daylight, amidst many black flak clouds. It crashes into the sea. Another nighttime scene shows numerous tracer rounds flashing through the darkness as hundreds of land--based Japanese warplanes attack ships of Task Force 58. Explosions are seen in the air as attacking planes are hit by anti-aircraft fire. View of a Japanese attacking aircraft diving from overcast skies, banking to its left and crashing into the water. Gun camera views from American aircraft shooting down a Japanese multi-engine bomber from the rear and one from another aircraft shooting a Japanese fighter head-on. It veers off in smoke as the American plane passes to its left. The Japanese plane crashes into the sea with a huge explosion and fireball. Another gun camera view of large Japanese aircraft being shot down from the rear. Scene shifts to column of 5 "old" U.S. battleships underway. Views of guns firing from newer battleships of the line. Glimpse of foreign correspondent Ernie Pyle aboard a warship. The battleship USS Pennsylvania (BB-38) seen silhouetted against moonlit sky. (She was damaged by hit from Japanese aerial torpedo, off Okinawa on April 12th, 1945.) Views of fast battleships and other ships of TF 58,firing their naval guns. View on Okinawa as their shells explode, supporting advance by U.S. Army and Marine advancing forces. The U.S. troops running across fields as they advance. Burning buildings on Okinawa. US troops advancing through rice paddies. A soldier calling for close air support on a field radio. View of two Escort carriers providing air support. View air control officers aboard the Command ship, heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35), as they order air strikes in support of the troops. F4F fighter planes carrying bombs take off from a carrier. Formations of U.S. aircraft in flight overhead. Their bombs exploding on Okinawa. frontal view of an F4F firing rockets. Wider views of F4Fs firing rockets.
Conclusion of U.S. Navy film: "The Fleet That Came To Stay." Role of U.S. Navy Task Force 58 during the Battle of Okinawa in World War 2. Opening scene shows ships of U.S. Task Force 58 sitting quietly in waters off the coast of Okinawa, at dawn on May 9, 1945 (VE Day, when Germany surrendered in World War 2). Navy gunners silhouetted against the dawning sky, with twin Bofors anti-aircraft guns. Silhouettes of sailors on early watch. Sailor walks on deck of an aircraft carrier, past parked aircraft with it's vertical stabilizer and rudder riddled to pieces by battle damage. An escort aircraft carrier and other warships are moving slowly past the camera ship. A Douglas Dauntless dive bomber, with only a pilot aboard, takes off from a carrier. Brief glimpse of aircraft taking off from a carrier. It carries a bomb underneath and displays the number 559 on its engine cowling. Numerous American aircraft in formation above the ships. A U.S. cruiser in the distance. Closeups of capital ships bombarding Okinawa with heavy guns and firing anti-aircraft guns at attacking Kamikaze aircraft. Black flak clouds and tracer bullets tracking a Japanese aircraft. Superimposed slate tallies Japanese aircraft shot down: "May 12th: 164; June 3rd: 45; June 6th: 67; June 8th: 30." A kamikaze plane crashes into the sea. Gunners aboard a ship work rapidly to reload their anti-aircraft guns. View of an Essex class aircraft carrier with black flak clouds overhead. Two explosions occur next to her hull. Gunners track a Japanese airplane flying low and close to the water. It passes a carrier and crashes into the sea. More views of sailors working at speed to reload anti-aircraft guns. A sailor firing an Oerlikon 20 mm cannon from gun position atop a ship. A Kamikaze plane crashes at starboard side of an Escort aircraft carrier underway. View of long line of anti-aircraft guns firing simultaneously from beside the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. Smoke rising from the firing and driven by the wind. Remains of a Kamikaze plane spin down amid black flak clouds, after being hit by gunfire. Slate reads "4232 (Japanese planes shot down). The spinning pieces of the Kamikaze plane crash well clear of a nearby Cleveland class light cruiser. Against background of flak filled sky, a Washington Post Newspaper headline is shown reading: "Navy Okinawa Casualties near 10,000 and 2 more ships hit."