Men and the sea.

Duration: 3:00

Year Published: 1942

Creator: Office for Emergency Management Film Unit

Format: 16mm

Color: B&W

Sound: sound

Description: How men who man the cargo ships carrying food, munitions, and supplies throughout the world are trained: seamanship, signaling, gunnery, radio operation, mechanical work, etc. Presented by the U.S. Maritime Commission. 32, 41

Complete Record: Presented by the War Shipping Administration and produced by the Office for Emergency Management Film Unit, “Men and the Sea” (c. early 1940s) is a black-and-white World War II-era film that showcases the basic sea and shipbuilding training provided to American merchant seamen by the United States Maritime Commission. The film focuses on wartime ship production and the training cadets underwent, featuring footage of trainees practicing Morse code and weapon handling. The United States Maritime Commission, an independent executive agency created in 1936, led the effort to build modern merchant cargo ships to replace the aging World War I-era vessels that made up the bulk of the U.S. fleet. This film highlights both the urgency of training a skilled workforce for the merchant navy and the technological advances in shipbuilding during the war. Film opens, title and credits (0:07). Scaffolding surrounds structures of cargo ships being constructed at shipyard in America (0:34). New group of cadets arrive at Hoffman Island U. S. Maritime Service Training Station, roll call (0:46). Group of cadets training in handling a lifeboat, rowing in New York Harbor (1:15). Cadets line up for target practice, shoot at paper targets using Colt M1911 handguns (1:49). Shooting practice with perhaps 5"/38 caliber naval gun, and 20 cm/12 short naval gun (2:00). Cadet puts on what appears to be U.S. MSA Burrell Kops-Type gas mask with respirator; Practices gas rescue work by carrying dummy out of bunker (2:20). Montage clips of men working on industrial machines in ship’s machine shop to learn how to make repairs while at sea, some use welding torch (2:39). Room of cadets at U. S. Maritime Service Radio Training Station at Gallups Island in Boston Harbor; Learn morse code using machines and typing on typewriters (2:53). United States Merchant Marine Cadet Corps navigation exercises, man in uniform steers wheel of ship (3:30). Close-up Gyrocompass (3:41). Cadets stand on bridge of ship and use sextants to navigate, pointing device towards sun to find ship’s position (3:45). Cadets lean over table, read charts and plot course along map (4:06). Use of Chadburn/ engine order telegraph (E.O.T) to communicate speed of ship between bridge and engine room (4:21). Engine room (4:40). U.S. Maritime Service Officers School at Fort Trumbull (New London, Connecticut) and U. S. Maritime Service Officer Training School on Government Island/ Coast Guard Island (San Francisco Bay): Older officers with sea experience go back to school for more thorough training; Lecture on mathematics for navigation (4:56). United States Maritime Commission training ships: American Seaman, sister ship American Sailor (5:25). Training using other Maritime Commission training ship, Liberty Ships, EC2 type ships designed and constructed during Word War II as part of Emergency Ship Building Program (5:42). Cadets line up for food at training ship’s canteen (6:14). Training on how to handle ropes, tie sailor’s knots (6:26). Signal flags hoisted up jack staff (6:45). Cadets on deck of ship raise and lower flags in their hands, signal practice (6:54). Cadets wash down deck of ship (6:58). Cadets observe how to light a new oil burner beneath a boiler (7:10). “Abandon ship boat drill” Cadets scramble to put on life vests, use davits (small cranes that extend over the side of a ship) to lower/ launch lifeboats (7:32). View of Liberty EC2 type ship at sea (8:24). Graduation ceremony for cadets after completing training program (8:50). Shots of American seaman on convoys headed to front line, narrator closing words (9:18). Perhaps Bell P-59 Airacomet flying in sky (10:13). Closing credits (10:22). Film ends (10:25).

Metadata Source:3434 U.S. Government Films