U.S. efforts to inhibit German U-boat activity near its waters early in World War 2. American patrol boats dropping depth charges off the U.S. Atlantic coast. A U.S. Navy blimp on the lookout for submarines. View inside gondola of the blimp. Bomb being loaded on a U.S. Navy patrol bomber. Catalina flying boat enters water, takes off, and flies low over an Allied ship at sea. View inside Catalina Flying Boat aircraft. Navigator aboard the Catalina measures on chart with pair of dividers. An American flag hangs over his work station. Pilot in the cockpit. Aerial view of Catalina Flyling Boat in flight. Pilot and copilot look out cockpit window. A U-boat on the surface of the water. The Catalina dives down towards the enemy sub. Inserted sequence shows bow of German submarine plowing ahead, followed by scenes below deck where German crewman hurry to their stations and the U-boat submerges. U.S. Navy Catalina flying boat flies low over water and drops two depth charges, that explode. Inserted view of a large depth charge explosion. Pilot and copilot looking out cockpit window act as if they had just sunk a submarine. View of Catalina flying boat on return flight.
Animated map shows Japanese massing for attacks against Australia, Midway Island, and the Aleutians in World War 2. U.S. naval forces prepare for the battles of Coral Sea and Midway. U.S. warships seen underway in the Pacific Ocean. Crewmen on the aircraft carrier, USS Yorktown (CV-5) push a Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft with folded wings. Senior officer on the carrier looking through binoculars. Ship's flight operations personnel are alerted by bugle over intercom to report to their stations. flight deck operational crews assemble on deck. Aviators assemble in ready rooms. They are told a Japanese carrier has been sighted and they are to attack its aircraft. Ready rooms are notified of enemy contact at 125 miles. The pilots scramble up stairs to the flight deck and their airplanes. They climb into cockpits Douglas SBD Dauntless planes, start engines, taxi, and take off one at a time. They form up in flights of 3 aircraft each and fly overhead. View of the Island on the Yorktown, as they wait for aircraft to return. Antiaircraft gunners wait in readiness for possible Japanese attack. A formation of Japanese Aichi D3A (Val) aircraft is sighted. They dive at the Yorktown, as her gunners fire away at them. Black flak clouds fill the sky. An explosion as a bomb strikes the Yorktown. She lists and burns and is wracked by another explosion. An SBD dauntless rocks loose near the end of flight deck. USS Yorktown along with other ships in the task force battling Japanese aircraft. A Japanese torpedo plane is downed on the surface of the sea. Flames and smoke at forward port area of Yorktown's flight deck. Gunners hit wings of attacking airplane. Firefighters on Yorktown set up hoses on her deck. More U.S. aircraft airborne to attack Japanese force only 15 miles away. U.S. dive bomber dropping a bomb. An SBD dauntless lands on a carrier deck. Navy aviators pose on deck. Closeup of a Dauntless landing. "Scorecard" compares U.S. and Japanese losses in the two engagements.
A U.S. Army Air Forces C-47 airplane carrying movies among its cargo bound from New Caledonia to troops stationed at Bougainville, Solomon Islands, during World War 2. Views inside the airplane cabin, where troops sit alongside the cargo. Glimpse from cockpit of aircraft on final approach to land on the airfield. Troops unloading canisters of movie films from the C-47. (Handing the movie reels out of the C-47 is Russ Laming of the 13th Troop Carrier Squadron, a.k.a the Thirsty 13th.) Army truck carrying mail bags and movie films driving away from the airfield. U.S. soldiers walk to their makeshift movie tent from foxholes and fortified positions. Sign on the tent reads: "Bougainville Roxy, Tonights feature." Movie projector seen inside the tent, as soldiers enter. Views of movie theaters made out of logs and other available materials at various locations in the Pacific theater of operations. They range from simple and rugged to more elaborate, at rear locations, away from the front lines. U.S. servicemen racing to get the best seats in a theater, as the doors open for a movie. Servicemen walking into an open air theater. They are called to attention as the unit commander arrives and takes his seat. View of wounded soldiers recuperating in a hospital,where a movie camera is being set up in the ward. They are tended by a French nurse wearing a "flying nun" hat (possibly North Africa). Servicemen and women being seated in an outdoor theater, and other places, waiting to watch movies. Allied troops join Americans to watch U.S. movies. A theater sign announcing the week's movie program at a Royal New Zealand Air Force post in the jungles. Courier carrying film canister from a jeep into a jungle theater. Soldier mounting the film on projector. U.S. troops watching a movie outdoors, during rain storm.
Introduction to Midway Island and the Battle of Midway. Scenes of U.S. Navy and Marines on Midway Island during World War 2. Map of the Pacific locates Midway and other places. U.S. Navy PBY Catalina patrol planes in flight. Pilot in the cockpit of a patrol plane. View from the sea of Midway Island. U.S. Navy PT boats in the harbor. A Catalina just landed is recovered by sailors, in swim suits,who pull it ashore on a ramp. A U.S. Marine Corps honor guard carrying Marine Corps and American flag, leads a contingent of Marines marching across a pier. Sea birds in flight and Gooney birds on the ground, on Midway Island. U.S. military personnel relaxing at sunset. One plays the song,"Red River Valley," on an accordian. Others smoke and converse. Thunder is heard from isolated storm clouds in the distance.
U.S. training film 'The Recon Marine' shows United States Marine Corps undergoing training in the United States. Glimpse of a U.S. Marine Corps M48 Patton tank moving past camera. A Landing Vehicle Tracked, LVT(A)1, armed with machine gun and fitted with the turret of a 75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8. It is moving through surf, away from shore. Fleeting glimpse of U.S. marine Corps jet fighter aircraft in flight. Major Richard S Stark ,U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, talks about the aspects of Marines training program. The American flag in the background. Battle scenes of Marines advancing amidst heavy firing. Marines in training, using ropes to cross a a concrete pool filled with water. (One falls into the pool.) Marines training in unarmed hand-to-hand combat and running an obstacle course. Marines marching in formation.
USS Ticonderoga in the Gulf of Tonkin. A U.S. Navy A-3B Skywarrior aircraft lands on the flight deck of the carrier ship. A U.S. Navy E-1B Tracer aircraft lands and taxis forward to right. A U.S. Navy F-8E Crusader aircraft lands on the deck. A U.S. Navy A-4E Skyhawk aircraft lands and taxis forward. The A-4E aircraft takes wave off over the deck of the ship. A U.S. F-8E aircraft lands on the deck. The A-4E lands on the flight deck of the carrier ship. (Vietnam War period.)
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