Standing in front of an F4F with its engine running and the plane captain in its cockpit, Lieutenant Commander John S. Thach, Commander of Navy Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3) discusses a planned flight with Lieutenant Edward "Butch" O'Hare, as they look over a map. (This sequence is repeated again for the camera.) LCDR Thach boards his aircraft, as plane captain steps out of cockpit and stows his map. Thach's plane has 3 Japanese victory flags painted below the cockpit. The Squadron's Felix-the-Cat logo is seen on the fuselage.The plane captain helps Thach get strapped in and settled in the cockpit. Thach gives a thumbs up indicating he is ready. Lt. O'Hare climbs aboard his F4F, which displays 5 Japanese victory flags. (O'Hare is the U.S. Navy's first air ace of World War 2.) His plane captain stows his map and O'Hare straps himself in and runs his cockpit checks. He gives a thumbs up indicating he is ready.
LCDR John S. Thach, Commander of Navy Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3) is seen flying his F4F (number: F-1) with his wingman, Lt. Edward O'Hare,who is flying F4F number F-13. They fly over Hawaii and environs, with their canopies open. Thach is seen clearly in his cockpit. A change of sequence suddenly shows O'hare flying lead, with Thach flying on his wing. There appear to be only 4 Japanese victory flags painted on O'Hare's airplane. (Note: Lt. O'Hare was the U.S. Navy's first ace, shooting down 5 Japanese aircraft, in World War 2, and was a Medal of Honor recipient.)
Lieutenant Edward O'Hare, the U.S. Navy's first ace fighter pilot of World War 2, is seen flying his F4F aircraft (number: F-13). Felix-the-Cat logo of the Navy Fighting Squadron Three (VF-3) is seen on his airplane, but only 4 Japanese victory flags are visible below his cockpit. Another F4F (number F-1) appears,flown by Lieutenant Commander John S. Thach, Commander of VF-3. Thach is flying with his canopy open. The VF-3 logo and 3 Japanese victory flags are painted on his airplane. With Thach in the lead, O'Hare maneuvers into the left wing position.
A prelude to the entry of United States in World War II, from the "Why We Fight" series. U.S. Army band marching along with the troops. The bombing of Pearl Harbor by Japanese during World War II. Night view of air raids in London and anti-aircraft fire amid British building silhouettes. British buildings collapsing and burning during blitz in Battle of Britain. Cavalry and tank battles in Russia against Nazi German forces. Montage of quick shots of German Panzer tank and German Luftwaffe aircraft operations in Western Europe. German troops marching through Paris at Arc de Triomphe. German heavy rail guns firing. Dead bodies of Japanese bombing victims lying on the street in China. German navy ships underway at sea. German army forces advancing in invasion of Czechoslovakia. Very low flying German trimotor bomber aircraft passing overhead over treeline. German invasion of Poland. German heavy artillery guns and railway guns firing. Fighter aircraft plunging toward ground and crashing. German paratroopers being dropped over Holland, Netherlands in invasion of Netherlands. Aerial views of German aircraft passing by Parthenon and ancient Greek monuments in Greece. More heavy rail gun shots. Germans invading Belgium, Albania, Yugoslavia.
Opening slate reads, “Sensational War Films YAMAMOTO SHOT DOWN! South Pacific”. Image of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the mastermind of the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941, in full navy regalia. Another image of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, in black navy uniform. United States soldiers riding a military jeep wave at the camera as their jeep drives in Guadalcanal Island during World War II. United States Army Air Force airmen are posing in front of a fighter for a camera. Airmen shake hands with each other. Airmen are talking to each other, with a fighter behind them. Three airmen laugh facing the camera. The camera pans to identify the airmen Lieutenant Besby Holmes, Captain Tom Lanphier and Lieutenant Rex T. Barber. A radio operator tapping out morse code on radio equipment. Japanese airmen receiving orders. A Japanese bomber with engines running. United States airmen run to their fighters. Airmen working on an engine and fueling aircraft to prepare for a mission. Airmen sitting on a bench listening to an officer pointing to a board. The officer, in sunglasses, points to a map titled “Target for Today”. Closeup of map, “Target for Today.” United States soldier smokes a cigarette.
Private Snafu Title Sequence. Cartoon animation “Private Snafu” depicts living conditions for soldiers posted in the Aleutian Islands during World War II. A view of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands. A Japanese soldier hops on the Aleutian Islands after emerging from the Pacific Ocean, only for a strong American soldier to stomp his feet when he opened “the backdoor to the United States”. Japanese soldier hops and dives back to the Pacific Ocean. View of Tokyo, Japan from the “Back door to the United States”. The cartoon depicts how harsh and challenging the environment in Aleutian Islands- having rain, snow, thunder and whirlwind gales. A seal resembling The Great Schnozzola (Jimmy Durante) replies with the Lower East Side accent, “Nevertheless, that’s the conditions that prevail.” View of a GI camp in the Aleutian Islands. Private Snafu sets out on an important mission, he changes his outfit according to weather. View of the vegetation of the Aleutian Islands, only grass in the tundra environment. After the narrator stated, “There are no trees”, a rabbit replied sarcastically “You’re telling me!”. United States Army Camp in Aleutian Islands covered in thick, gummy, mud. A serviceman is riding on two servicemen submerged in the mud. Inside a Quonset hut, American soldiers are playing dice. An earthquake rattles the Quonset hut and changes the position of the dice. Strong winds in the Aleutian Islands uproot Quonset huts, military installations and even the mountains. Soldiers struggle walking through a “Williwaw” (or strong winds in the Aleutian Islands) until it stopped, causing the soldiers to fall to the ground and the eggs a soldier was carrying to break. Private Snafu walks in the Aleutian Islands through different weather conditions in different outfits. Soldier drives a military jeep with skis in the snow. A cartoon B-17 covered in snow as it flies above the Aleutian Islands. An Eskimo sits around an ice fishing hole in the snow-covered B-17 wing. Private Snafu is wearing a steam whistle as he walks. Private Snafu changes his outfits according to weather condition while walking. Airmen run out of the Briefing Hut and dive in the watery air strip. Private Snafu dons a scuba diving suit to retrieve a B-17 submerged in the watery air strip. Private Snafu inside aircraft with fish. Private Snafu ejects the fish out of the aircraft. The fish activates a parachute to fall safely, only for it to drop into the gaping maw of the Schnozzola seal. The Schnozzola seal repeats his earlier dialogue to describe life in the Aleutian Islands.