Description
Object description
II. Force H manoeuvres in a body, MLS off starboard bow of Renown. LS as units of Force H turn to starboard from line ahead into line abreast - ahead of the cameraship are Renown, Nelson, Duke of York and Victorious. HA aft as a Martlet comes in too high and aborts, climbing away steeply. Various views of Force H in line ahead and line abreast - in one shot of Renown directly ahead of the cameraship it is noticeable that the portside HACS (high angle control system) is trained over the beam.
Object description
I. Reel One. Onboard HMS Formidable. HA aft from island to running range of Albacores from 820 Squadron - aircraft take off. 4.5-inch and 2-pounder AA fire off. CUs of four pilots standing on flight deck by Grumman Martlet. HA from the island as armourers load 250-pound bombs onto Albacore in preparation for a strike on the Algiers area. CU of two officers and a look out, all with binoculars. LA up side of the island to White Ensign fluttering in stiff breeze. Interior CU of pilots as they compare a 'Recognition Handbook of British Aircraft' with another presumably showing enemy aircraft. HA.LS aft as two Seafires land on. Reel Two. LS of HMS Duke of York as she fires secondary armament - the smoke drifts away in dense clouds, obscuring her upper works. Night firing by Formidable and her companions. Daylight - Martlet IVs of 893 Squadron are flown off. Seafire lands on. Pilot of 885 Squadron bends down to thrust maps into map pocket. XLS of submarine steaming on the surface in company with a Dance Class (?) naval trawler. Two Albacores go over, arrester hooks down. MSs as HMS Victorious turns into the wind to receive Albacores - one of the aircraft aborts its landing approach. A Fulmar of 809 Squadron goes past.
Object description
III. Air operations. HA aft to running range of Martlets and Seafires. Take off and landings. Aircraft are pushed or taxi forward to deck parks. A range of Albacores and Seafires is headed by a single Swordfish - the Seafires start up during the sequence. Dusk - HA onto crash landed Martlet with a pecked propeller - fire crew flood the deck with foam (to smother spilt fuel ?) - a second Martlet flies past at low level, its exhaust flaming prominently in the low light. Night-time - 20mm tracer is fired off. Daylight MCU of Gaumont British cameraman James Ewins in steel helmet and anti-flash posing with his Newman-Sinclair. Reel Three. LA.CUs of Landing Signals Officer as he directs landing Albacores. Two Martlets land on - one takes the first and the other the second wire. LS into flak-speckled sky - no enemy is evident. MCU of aircrewman on deck - he holds a pad and two Very cartridges. Murky LS of HMS Bermuda as she fires 4-inch AA. Night firing sequence - a few gun flashes and tracer. Sequence showing pilot briefing for an attack on the area of Algiers - the airmen look at a relief model of the coast from behind a screen, thus simulating an aerial viewpoint, while briefing officer points out features of interest. Aerial reconnaissance photographs are handed out to be compared to a map of Algiers - the map is titled in French ENVIRONS D'ALGERS. Cut to CU of man operating a signal searchlight. HMS Duke of York and Victorious put up flak. Invasion transports on the horizon. Albacores and Martlets take off and land on - Renown is in close company. HA to forward deck edge as aircraft of all types are moved to park forward to clear the deck for landings - one of the taxiing Seafires has had both cannon wing fairings removed. XLS to two destroyers of the screen and pan right to a carrier (Furious ?) signalling, escorts and convoy vessels - aircraft parked in the foreground obscures part of the view. LSs of Victorious and Duke of York framed between parked Seafires. CU of fuselage of Seafire MB.113 of 885 Squadron - ROYAL NAVY has been partially painted over to read US NAVY. A seaman paints the invasion star over the conventional FAA roundel on the underside of Seafire wing. Men change a starboard mainwheel. MS of Renown. Martlets are launched by catapult. HA to forward lift as Martlet comes up followed by an Albacore - a stiff breeze is blowing - the aircraft are pushed aft to join a mixed range of all aircraft types.
Full description
I. Reel One. Onboard HMS Formidable. HA aft from island to running range of Albacores from 820 Squadron - aircraft take off. 4.5-inch and 2-pounder AA fire off. CUs of four pilots standing on flight deck by Grumman Martlet. HA from the island as armourers load 250-pound bombs onto Albacore in preparation for a strike on the Algiers area. CU of two officers and a look out, all with binoculars. LA up side of the island to White Ensign fluttering in stiff breeze. Interior CU of pilots as they compare a 'Recognition Handbook of British Aircraft' with another presumably showing enemy aircraft. HA.LS aft as two Seafires land on. Reel Two. LS of HMS Duke of York as she fires secondary armament - the smoke drifts away in dense clouds, obscuring her upper works. Night firing by Formidable and her companions. Daylight - Martlet IVs of 893 Squadron are flown off. Seafire lands on. Pilot of 885 Squadron bends down to thrust maps into map pocket. XLS of submarine steaming on the surface in company with a Dance Class (?) naval trawler. Two Albacores go over, arrester hooks down. MSs as HMS Victorious turns into the wind to receive Albacores - one of the aircraft aborts its landing approach. A Fulmar of 809 Squadron goes past.
Full description
II. Force H manoeuvres in a body, MLS off starboard bow of Renown. LS as units of Force H turn to starboard from line ahead into line abreast - ahead of the cameraship are Renown, Nelson, Duke of York and Victorious. HA aft as a Martlet comes in too high and aborts, climbing away steeply. Various views of Force H in line ahead and line abreast - in one shot of Renown directly ahead of the cameraship it is noticeable that the portside HACS (high angle control system) is trained over the beam.
Full description
III. Air operations. HA aft to running range of Martlets and Seafires. Take off and landings. Aircraft are pushed or taxi forward to deck parks. A range of Albacores and Seafires is headed by a single Swordfish - the Seafires start up during the sequence. Dusk - HA onto crash landed Martlet with a pecked propeller - fire crew flood the deck with foam (to smother spilt fuel ?) - a second Martlet flies past at low level, its exhaust flaming prominently in the low light. Night-time - 20mm tracer is fired off. Daylight MCU of Gaumont British cameraman James Ewins in steel helmet and anti-flash posing with his Newman-Sinclair. Reel Three. LA.CUs of Landing Signals Officer as he directs landing Albacores. Two Martlets land on - one takes the first and the other the second wire. LS into flak-speckled sky - no enemy is evident. MCU of aircrewman on deck - he holds a pad and two Very cartridges. Murky LS of HMS Bermuda as she fires 4-inch AA. Night firing sequence - a few gun flashes and tracer. Sequence showing pilot briefing for an attack on the area of Algiers - the airmen look at a relief model of the coast from behind a screen, thus simulating an aerial viewpoint, while briefing officer points out features of interest. Aerial reconnaissance photographs are handed out to be compared to a map of Algiers - the map is titled in French ENVIRONS D'ALGERS. Cut to CU of man operating a signal searchlight. HMS Duke of York and Victorious put up flak. Invasion transports on the horizon. Albacores and Martlets take off and land on - Renown is in close company. HA to forward deck edge as aircraft of all types are moved to park forward to clear the deck for landings - one of the taxiing Seafires has had both cannon wing fairings removed. XLS to two destroyers of the screen and pan right to a carrier (Furious ?) signalling, escorts and convoy vessels - aircraft parked in the foreground obscures part of the view. LSs of Victorious and Duke of York framed between parked Seafires. CU of fuselage of Seafire MB.113 of 885 Squadron - ROYAL NAVY has been partially painted over to read US NAVY. A seaman paints the invasion star over the conventional FAA roundel on the underside of Seafire wing. Men change a starboard mainwheel. MS of Renown. Martlets are launched by catapult. HA to forward lift as Martlet comes up followed by an Albacore - a stiff breeze is blowing - the aircraft are pushed aft to join a mixed range of all aircraft types.
Physical description
35mm
