This film, "The Story of Big Ben", is part of the industrial incentive Naval Workers Digest series. These films were made to encourage workers in their efforts to win the war on the home front. The film shows the arrival of the battered aircraft carrier USS Franklin from the Pacific, and its restoration to fighting condition. The craft; nicknamed ‘Big Ben’ was one of 24 Essex Class aircraft carriers built during the Second World War. It was originally commissioned in 1944. In the Pacific Theater this vessel took severe hits by Japanese dive bombers. The attack resulted in the loss of the ship’s crew; over 800. It was also one of the most damaged vessels to survive the war. However, despite the work done on the Essex class carrier, Franklin (as well as the USS Bunker Hill which was damaged by two kamikazes) did not see active service as carriers after World War II. The Franklin was sold for scrap in 1966.
Main titles (:13). The Vought F4U Corsair opens its wings (:21). It was produced for the Bureau of Aeronautics Production Division by Pathe News Inc. (:40). It is dedicated to industry workers (:45). The skyline of New York appears (:52). Big Ben was taken to the East Coast for repairs as the repair ship yards on the West Coast had their plates full with damaged ships by the Japanese kamikaze fighters. The Franklin triumphantly arrives at New York (1:04). Shipyard employees watch as crates are unloaded from the flight deck of the USS Franklin aka the Big Ben (1:22). A sailor named Nicholai points to where the gallery deck was torn by bombs (2:00). The worker called Pat Marin is pointed out as the films narrator (2:09). The location where the first bomb had hit the deck follows (2:16). Footage follows of the explosion on March 19th (2:27). Massive smoke clouds envelop the craft (2:40). Men work to put the flames out with fire hoses (2:48). This attack set off the ships on explosive weapons (3:09). Sailors and ship yard employees peek into the forward elevator pit (3:41). The film notes the employment of the sailors prior to joining the war (3:57). The elevator pit is shown to be smoking as the film switches back to the event of the attack (4:05). A triage of F4U Corsairs fly by Big Ben (4:19). Japanese dive bombers are hit in the air (4:31). The Santé Fe arrives to help fight the fires (5:31). Medics service the wounded (5:46). The Chaplain delivers the Last Rights to a soldier who ends up living and returning to the ship for duty (6:03). Men share scar stories at the fantail (6:22). One of the auxiliary rooms is viewed which was cut off from workers for 14 hours though it was able to keep running (6:32). Brands of equipment here include Ex-Cell-o (6:54), Warren (7:05) and GE (7:07). The Destroyer Hickox (7:35) moves under the fantail (7:39) as a rescue litter swings between the two vessels (7:41). Many jumped from the USS Franklin and drowned (7:50). On March 20th, the boat was headed for Pearl Harbor (8:19) and from there it made it to Panama (8:31) and then the Brooklyn Navy Yard (8:48). An awards ceremony for the men of this ship concludes the film (9:16).
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFi...
Негізгі бет “THE STORY OF BIG BEN” 1945 U.S. NAVAL WORKERS DIGEST AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS FRANKLIN 22634
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