MINESWEEPING (RUSHES) [Allocated Title]

Miscellaneous naval material, including Ton Class minesweepers exercising, HMS Dainty on sea trials after being broken out from the reserve fleet, and a catapult test onboard HMS Ark Royal.

I. Coastal and inshore minesweepers on exercise. (i) MS off port bow of HMS Hickleton (M.1131) underway on a calm sea with port sweeping balls hoisted. Cut to MS of three Ton Class coastal minesweepers leaving port in line ahead - the lead ship, HMS Invermoriston (M.1150), passes right to left through frame. (ii) HMS Kemerton (M.1156). MCU as acoustic displacer is hoisted out and lowered from upper deck - camera pans down as displacer submerges. MCU of the stern from a position fine on the port quarter - the minesweeper recovers sweep wire and kite. MS of winch and crewmen paying out sweep wire. (iii) LS off the port bow of two Ham Class inshore minesweepers in a slight sea with Oropesa sweeps streamed. Cut to MS broad on the starboard bow of HMS Ledsham (M.2706), and pan left to a second Ham and four Ton Class minesweepers in quarter line.

II. Aerial shots of HMS Birmingham steaming at sea.

III. Cocooned warships secured alongside - HMS Dainty, Weapon Class radar picket, and HMS Loch Gorm (F.620). Sequence showing the cocooning on Dainty - forward 4.5 in, Squid ATW, 5 x 21 in TT (torpedo tubes). CUs as men strip covering from TT (torpedo tubes), twin 40mm, and DCT. Shots of sea trials (note cracked name board, missing a wing nut): A and B fire air bursts. Firefly Mk 4/6s pass overhead - presumably target drones. Bofors fires off. Dainty runs at speed.

IV. Sequence, including aerial shots, showing Ton Class minesweepers underway at sea with sweeps streamed - HMS Ilmington, Invermoriston, Hickleton, etc.

V. HA.MS from island as a Sea Hornet is launched without engine power from port catapult, HMS Ark Royal. The aircraft immediately falls away into the sea.

VI. Aerial shots of HMS Ark Royal underway at sea - AEW Skyraiders and Sea Hawks parked on deck.

35mm