Tin Cans, Cruisers, Battle Wagons &
Flat Tops: The US Navy in Action. 10 films with more than two and a half hours of exciting video
* Your Job in the Navy; Aviation
Ratings. (1944,Color,30:00)This series of five color films is an
amazing look behind the scenes showing what \made the US Navy's Air
Arm tick during World War 2.Not only will you see ratings going about
their highly specialized duties, you'll get up close looks at
aircraft like the SBD Dauntless dive bomber, Vought OS2U Kingfisher
catapult scout plane, four engined Consolidated PB4Ys &PB2Ys,
Avengers, Hellcats.& more.
Aviation Machinist Mate –
You'll see Prop Mechanics, Carburetor Mechanics, Instrument
Specialists and Flight Engineers at work, repairing & servicing a wide variety of aircraft.
Aviation Metal Smiths
produce a replacement engine cowling from scratch in the field,
including producing a mold and casting, for a PBY Catalina and repairing a
PB4-Y (the Navy's B-24) with a new nose turret.
Aviation Armaments Ordnancemen bore
sight the guns on a F6F Hellcat, arm and mount 1,000 pound bombs on
an SBD and load a wing mounted torpedo on a Coronado amphibious
bomber.
Aviation Radiomen handle
communications & repair aboard a Jeep carrier, on a long range
bomber and in the back seat of a Dauntless Dive Bomber, where they
doubled as an observer, navigator and rear gunner.
Aerographers Mates were the
Navy's Weathermen. See them take readings aboard ship, launch &
monitor radiosonde balloons and analyze and graphically represent
data for crucial forecasts.
* Destroyers Greyhounds of the Seas.
(1956, B&W, 30:00)
Narrated by the legendary actor & ex Marine Corps DI, Jack Webb,
This fascinating documentary covers the history of “Tin Cans”
from the US Navy's first “Torpedo Boat Destroyer,” the U.S.S
Bainbridge (DD-1) in1903 to modern guided missile and ASW Destroyers
operating in Hunter/Killer groups in concert with Aircraft Carriers.
Excellent archival footage from World Wars I & 2 along with
captured films from inside U-Boats. Particularly interesting are the
differing roles played by Destroyers in the Atlantic and Pacific
Theaters in World War 2. Another highlight is the heroic attack of
Destroyer Squadron Des Ron 106 against the battleships Japanese fleet
in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.
* Floating Fortress
(1952,B&W,15:00) This is a unique look inside an Iowa class
battleship, the U.S.S. Wisconsin, during the Korean Conflict.
Essentially unchanged from World War 2, the Wisconsin provided fire
support for amphibious landings and inland battles, hurling 16 inch
shells 20 miles. The Wisconsin was a floating city at work. You'll
see all aspects of daily operations including inside the gun turret
in action, on the bridge, the fire control center, messes, bakeries,
butcher shops, the PX, print shop, the engine room and much more.
(And incidentally, the ship is commanded by highly decorated Capt.
Thomas Burrowes, leader of Destroyer Squadron Des Ron 106 attack
against the Japanese in Leyte Gulf.)
* Battle Ship
(1988,Color,25:00)This film was produced as part of the ceremony
commemorating the recommissioning of The Battle Ship Missouri in
1986. You see a history of the Iowa class Battleships, from launching
during World War 2 through Korea & Vietnam to extensive
refitting with modern electronics & Tomahawk cruise missiles
before the 1st Gulf War.
* Surface Strike Vietnam.
(1976,Color,20:00)This classified US Navy report tells the
fascinating, and now largely forgotten story of 7th Fleet
hit run surface strikes conducted by destroyers and cruisers, close
to the shores of North Vietnam in support of Operations Line Backer 1
& 2 starting in April 1972 through January 1973. The overall
objective was to to disrupt enemy lines of communication in support
of ongoing air strikes. In addition to interdicting supply ships,
Navy Task Forces of up to 14 ships conducted high speed gunfire
attacks, often at night, against troop concentrations, AAA & Sam
missile sites, supply depots, command & control centers,
munitions factories and more, all North of the DMZ and within range
of NVA artillery and Migs, who scored hits on US ships. The films
examines specific tactics employed for different kinds of operations,
supplemented by color film and detailed graphics. You'll see a number
of ships in action, including the cruisers Newport News, Oklahoma
City and Providence along with many destroyers identified by name and
number. The film concludes with a frank discussion of the overall
effectiveness of the operation, including the recommendation that
“pilotless aircraft” (drones) be developed to assess damage on
enemy targets.
* The Attack Carrier. From U.S.S
Langely CV1 to U.S.S. Enterprise CVAN 65 (1969, Color and
B&W,30:00) This is a concise history of US Navy Attack Carriers
from the US Langley in 1921 (CV-1) through the deployment of the
first Nuclear powered aircraft carrier, the USS:Enterprise (CVN 65).
You'll learn about the theory and practice of Carrier based warfare,
including dive bombing and torpedoes from its earliest days,
supplemented with extensive archival footage, and the development of
the ships themselves, including catapults, elevators, slant decks,
“Super Carriers” and the right aircraft to do the job. You'll see
how visionary Admirals King and Halsey developed and shaped doctrine
that was put to good use in World War 2 and beyond.