SEA POWER: LAUNCH ALL AIRCRAFT

Year Published: 1958

Description: This Cold War era training film from 1958, "Launch All Aircraft" was one of a series first released in 1958, to showcase to the public the Navy's role in maintaining national security. The film shows a hypothetical war scenario or "Condition One" situation in the Mediterranean Sea. The film opens with scenes from the USS Forrestal (CVA-59), a supercarrier named after the first United States Secretary of Defense James Forrestal (:21) as a McDonnell F4H Phantom moves off for takeoff (:25). The Phantom runs off the aircraft carrier (:31). Navy sailors are pictured in the wheelhouse (:50). The captain addresses the crew, informing the men an enemy attack hit NATO Allies (:54). Sailors aboard the vessel listen to the captain’s address (1:07). Condition One is called for all carriers of the task force (1:12) as pilots scramble. Condition One means an attack is imminent or present. Fighter crafts of the combat air patrol scream through the sky (1:17). A Republic F-84F appears (1:24). The signal is waved for takeoff (1:27). The F-84F zooms off (1:29). The North American B-45 Torpedo Strategic Bomber is pictured (1:44). The flag is lowered and it takes off (1:56). Grumman S2F-1 (2:03) follows. Radar screens pick up enemy long range heavy bombers (2:22). Bombers are vectored out to intercept the bogeys (2:55). A shot from a distance captures the aircrafts running off the carrier (2:57). Vessels in the water are ordered to change their position (3:16). A pilot squeezes off rounds (3:30). A craft erupts in flames (3:40) shooting for the ground. A great shot shows a guided missile ship firing off an AA missile (3:56). The camera follows the missile in the sky (4:09). Sea to air combat follows as the ships of the task force unload (4:23). Anti-aircraft guns blow (4:27). Black explosion clouds pop in the sky (4:34). The film mentions the difficulty of air to sea combat (4:52). An animation shows a bomber unloading a single bomb (5:09). Actual footage follows of a mushroom cloud exploding on the water from a nuclear bomb (5:23). A wash-down procedure is enacted after a destroyer receives radioactive fallout from the explosion (5:44). An interceptor fires guided missiles (5:52). One of the bombers is hit (5:55). Point of view footage follows of the interceptors returning to the aircraft carrier (6:04). Reports on the early morning strikes are pictured (6:21). A cartoon shows the damage from the attack (6:36). The Captain reads a false report written by the Communists (6:43). He checks photographs received by Naval Reconnaissance planes (6:56) verifying the report was phony. Heavy attack groups launch from the aircraft carrier (7:27). The F9F sits on the carrier deck (7:33). Planes run off the carrier to support Allied counter attacks (7:39). Homing torpedoes are dropped from a North American AJ (8:03). The submarine explodes (8:14). The Martin P6M SeaMaster (8:20) carries out a search and reconnaissance mission as the task force heads north (8:29). Bombers and fighter crafts continue to launch (8:40) for softening up attacks. Rounds explode from enemy aircrafts (9:09). "Communist bombers" continue to attack (9:34). Surface to air guided missiles (9:46). A group of dive bombers (9:52). A suicide plane hit this ship (9:57). Diagrams depict the night movements of the task force (10:18). The Boeing B-25 (10:46) flies in the air; these were used on standby in the US as deterrents. The coastline of New York City appears (10:51). CIC (11:10) reports an incoming enemy craft. A nuclear explosion is pictured (11:20). The enemy fleet unit is located (11:40). Guidance planes are launched (11:51). An explosion erupts on the water (12:24). Invasion beaches are hit by carrier planes (12:49). Naval guns blast from cruisers and destroyers (12:59). Carrier air crafts hit enemy supply bases (13:10). The Sikorsky HRS-1 (13:22) lifts off for a vertical envelopment. Aerial footage show landing crafts moving for the beach (13:31). Marine aircraft zoom off for close air support (13:38). Allied landing crafts head for the beach (13:49). The film concludes with a note reminding viewers the situations displayed in the film were fictitious (14:18). The End (14:40).

Complete Record: This Cold War era training film from 1958, "Launch All Aircraft" was one of a series first released in 1958, to showcase to the public the Navy's role in maintaining national security. The film shows a hypothetical war scenario or "Condition One" situation in the Mediterranean Sea. The film opens with scenes from the USS Forrestal (CVA-59), a supercarrier named after the first United States Secretary of Defense James Forrestal (:21) as a McDonnell F4H Phantom moves off for takeoff (:25). The Phantom runs off the aircraft carrier (:31). Navy sailors are pictured in the wheelhouse (:50). The captain addresses the crew, informing the men an enemy attack hit NATO Allies (:54). Sailors aboard the vessel listen to the captain’s address (1:07). Condition One is called for all carriers of the task force (1:12) as pilots scramble. Condition One means an attack is imminent or present. Fighter crafts of the combat air patrol scream through the sky (1:17). A Republic F-84F appears (1:24). The signal is waved for takeoff (1:27). The F-84F zooms off (1:29). The North American B-45 Torpedo Strategic Bomber is pictured (1:44). The flag is lowered and it takes off (1:56). Grumman S2F-1 (2:03) follows. Radar screens pick up enemy long range heavy bombers (2:22). Bombers are vectored out to intercept the bogeys (2:55). A shot from a distance captures the aircrafts running off the carrier (2:57). Vessels in the water are ordered to change their position (3:16). A pilot squeezes off rounds (3:30). A craft erupts in flames (3:40) shooting for the ground. A great shot shows a guided missile ship firing off an AA missile (3:56). The camera follows the missile in the sky (4:09). Sea to air combat follows as the ships of the task force unload (4:23). Anti-aircraft guns blow (4:27). Black explosion clouds pop in the sky (4:34). The film mentions the difficulty of air to sea combat (4:52). An animation shows a bomber unloading a single bomb (5:09). Actual footage follows of a mushroom cloud exploding on the water from a nuclear bomb (5:23). A wash-down procedure is enacted after a destroyer receives radioactive fallout from the explosion (5:44). An interceptor fires guided missiles (5:52). One of the bombers is hit (5:55). Point of view footage follows of the interceptors returning to the aircraft carrier (6:04). Reports on the early morning strikes are pictured (6:21). A cartoon shows the damage from the attack (6:36). The Captain reads a false report written by the Communists (6:43). He checks photographs received by Naval Reconnaissance planes (6:56) verifying the report was phony. Heavy attack groups launch from the aircraft carrier (7:27). The F9F sits on the carrier deck (7:33). Planes run off the carrier to support Allied counter attacks (7:39). Homing torpedoes are dropped from a North American AJ (8:03). The submarine explodes (8:14). The Martin P6M SeaMaster (8:20) carries out a search and reconnaissance mission as the task force heads north (8:29). Bombers and fighter crafts continue to launch (8:40) for softening up attacks. Rounds explode from enemy aircrafts (9:09). "Communist bombers" continue to attack (9:34). Surface to air guided missiles (9:46). A group of dive bombers (9:52). A suicide plane hit this ship (9:57). Diagrams depict the night movements of the task force (10:18). The Boeing B-25 (10:46) flies in the air; these were used on standby in the US as deterrents. The coastline of New York City appears (10:51). CIC (11:10) reports an incoming enemy craft. A nuclear explosion is pictured (11:20). The enemy fleet unit is located (11:40). Guidance planes are launched (11:51). An explosion erupts on the water (12:24). Invasion beaches are hit by carrier planes (12:49). Naval guns blast from cruisers and destroyers (12:59). Carrier air crafts hit enemy supply bases (13:10). The Sikorsky HRS-1 (13:22) lifts off for a vertical envelopment. Aerial footage show landing crafts moving for the beach (13:31). Marine aircraft zoom off for close air support (13:38). Allied landing crafts head for the beach (13:49). The film concludes with a note reminding viewers the situations displayed in the film were fictitious (14:18). The End (14:40).

Transcription

from the wheelhouse of one of the large carriers the captain was about to address the crew this is the captain speaking earlier this morning the enemy attacked our NATO allies our country condition1 has been put into effect on all carriers of the task force 24 fighters of the combat air patrol have been over the force since first light 48 planes make up the first Strike Group their mission is to help our allies stop the Communist advance in the battle area the second strike group is made up of heavy attack aircraft carrying nuclear weapons and conventional bombs their objectives our enemy airfields reserve and supply areas communication and transportation facilities they have sufficient range to reach inside enemy-held territory since first light anti-submarine aircraft have been airborne the effectiveness of their search plus the high speed of the task force make enemy submarines a secondary threat about mid morning radar picked up the first bogeys the range was 125 miles angels 30 the course of this group indicated that they had not spotted us or else they were headed for another target from the size of some of the pips CIC evaluated the bogeys to be long-range heavy bombers with fighter escort was it possible that the enemy intended to use horizontal bombers against naval units the 24 fighters of the sea ap were vectored out to intercept the bogeys while each carrier launched all available aircraft the formations were changed slightly to put the guided missile ships in a better position to use their AAA missiles should some of the enemy bombers slip through the c.a.p and try to attack the carrier's fast force fighters Talley horde with a bandits at 110 miles [Music] [Music] although 80% of the enemy aircraft were destroyed by task force fighters a few bombers slip through the guided missile ships launch their deadly AAA missiles [Music] [Music] they score on to enemy bombers the other three continue closing the task force the pursuing fighters are ordered to abort their attack the ships of the task force open up with every piece of anti-aircraft defense equipment they have [Music] one bomber is destroyed although controversies still rage over the vulnerability of surface ships to air attacks hitting a manoeuvring target moving through the water at better than 3000 feet for a minute from a horizontal bomber six miles above it moving at 40,000 feet per minute is highly improbable each enemy farmer dropped one bomb even with the best bomb sight in the world an expert crew cannot consistently place a bomb closer than 3,000 feet to a stationary target both bombs produced nuclear explosions well astern of the formation one destroyer received some radioactive fallout wash down procedures flushed the radioactive particles into the sea while the ship steamed out of the fallout area guided missiles from an interceptor destroyed one of the two bombers the other flew into the past of a Carrier Strike Group returning from a raid on enemy airfields with the return of the interceptors involved in repelling the enemy air attack recovery began of some of the 250 airborne aircraft by 1300 reports on the results of early morning strikes began coming in in the battle area air supremacy achieved by versatile carrier-based aircraft had succeeded in stalling the Communist land attack one result of carrier strikes on airfield inside enemy territory was a faulty announcement that US farmers that dropped nuclear super bombs on civilian populations over 1 million non-combatants including women and children according to the Communists had been photographs by naval reconnaissance planes proved this report another bold-faced lie only military targets had been devastated by nuclear bombs precision dropped by carrier-based aircraft after 24 hours of war United States intercontinental bombers carrying nuclear super bombs were still airborne over friendly territory that afternoon additional carrier faced heavy attack groups were launched to hit other enemy airfields and military installations strike groups for around-the-clock close support of Allied counter-attacks in the battle area were launched until well over 200 aircraft were in position to put decisive pressure on enemy defences all pilots were warned to watch for friendly submarines late in the afternoon a carrier-based anti-submarine plane made contact with an enemy submarine and attacked with homing torpedoes US Navy sea planes were carrying out search and reconnaissance mission eight hours later task force in a northerly direction at flank speed in addition to launching aircraft for strikes on targets inside enemy territory more than 150 bombers and fighters were launched to soften up the invasion beaches for amphibious landings at dawn on the third day enemy air raids increased in intensity throughout the day [Applause] [Music] in spite of the failure of their first attack the Communists continue to use horizontal farmers in each successive attack they came in at lower altitudes to increase their bombing accuracy this tactic also increased the accuracy of surface-to-air guided missiles and AAA guns later in the day small groups of dive bombers began attacking three ships were hit one by a suicide plane carrying a conventional bomb throughout all operations the ships remain sufficiently dispersed to make the use of high-yield nuclear bombs impractical increasing pressure on the enemy could bring about such an attack during the night the task force turned East hoping to find a few hours respite from the terrific activity of the past two days night fighters were on station to intercept any enemy snoopers up orders for the third day included a warning to all carrier pilots engaged in long-range strikes to expect US intercontinental bombers to be over military targets with conventional and small yield nuclear bombs some intercontinental bombers loaded with nuclear super bombs were kept on standby in the United States to act as continuing deterrents in preventing the aggressors and thus ourselves from attempting mass annihilation others were deployed to European airfields to be used as practicable to the war effort at all 4:30 on the third day CIC reported a single bogey at a range of 200 miles speed 1,100 knots shortly thereafter a moderate nuclear explosion occurred 20 miles away from the task force based partly on previous long-range jet seaplane sightings of Soviet cruisers the bogey was evaluated as a fleet launched guided missile no decision was made as to its intended target what the missile did do was locate enemy fleet units a decision was made to launch the guided missiles carried on our cruisers guidance planes were launched immediately to accompany the missiles the cruisers launched their missiles at close intervals each guidance plane controlled one missile changing its course by radio signals the guidance plane gained altitude 10 miles from land for enemy cruisers were spotted the leading guidance pilot put his missile in a dive corrections in dive angle and course were made as necessary the first missile scored a direct hit the second missile also scored a hit results of the third and fourth missiles could not be observed on the third day carrier plane strikes on the invasion beaches reached full intensity cruisers and destroyers shell the area with hundreds of rounds of ammunition carrier aircraft kept up continuous attacks on enemy supply and communication facilities the amphibious assault ships arrived on schedule at zero hour the helicopters cleared the assault ship decks to carry out a vertical envelopment the landing trap started for the beach marine squadron aircraft man by pilots well-trained and precise close air support of marine operation took stations to be available for immediate use at the beginning of the third day of war allied authorities felt that the prompt application of naval power spearheaded and implemented by the world's most flexible and mobile air power would prove decisive in saving the Middle East and the Mediterranean from communist domination no other type of military force could have been brought to bear on the enemy so decisively in such a short time [Music]

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