YANKS SMASH TRUK!
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Duration: 16-si-sd
Year Published: 1944'
Creator: Castle Films
Format: 16mm
Sound: Sound
Description: Subscribe and This WWII film, one of a series of newsreels produced by Castle Films, shows 1944's Operation Hailstone -- the U.S. Navy's assault on "Japan's Pearl Harbor" -- the naval base at Truk. Footage shows Task Force 58, which included the fleet carriers USS Yorktown, USS Essex, USS Intrepid, USS Bunker Hill, USS Enterprise, and the light carriers USS Belleau Wood, USS Cabot, USS Monterey, and USS Cowpens as they strike the Japanese base beginning in February of 1944. Extensive gun camera footage is seen in the film, as well as an astounding shot of a carrier plane making a perfect landing on one wheel. Japanese ships sunk during the Truk raid included the light cruisers Agano, Naka, Katori, and the destroyers Akikaze, Mutsukaze, Harusame, Maikaze, Nowaki, Oite, Sutsuki, Shigure, Tachize and Fumizuki. The film ends with footage of American planes returning to their carriers, including a plane landing on one wheel (8:30) and wounded aircrew receiving medical attention. The U.S. attack involved a combination of airstrikes, surface ship actions, and submarine attacks over two days and appeared to take the Japanese completely by surprise. Several daylight, along with nighttime, airstrikes employed fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo aircraft in attacks on Japanese airfields, aircraft, shore installations, and ships in and around the Truk anchorage. A force of U.S. surface ships and submarines guarded possible exit routes from the island's anchorage to attack any Japanese ships that tried to escape from the airstrikes. In total the attack sank three Japanese light cruisers (Agano, Katori, and Naka), four destroyers (Oite, Fumizuki, Maikaze, and Tachikaze), three auxiliary cruisers (Akagi Maru, Aikoku Maru, Kiyosumi Maru), two submarine tenders (Heian Maru, Rio de Janeiro Maru), three other smaller warships (including submarine chasers CH-24 and Shonan Maru 15), aircraft transport Fujikawa Maru, and 32 merchant ships. Some of the ships were destroyed in the anchorage and some in the area surrounding Truk lagoon. Many of the merchant ships were loaded with reinforcements and supplies for Japanese garrisons in the central Pacific area. Very few of the troops aboard the sunken ships survived and little of their cargoes were recovered.
Complete Record:
Transcription
the commentator is ly vanan the powerful Japanese Naval Base at troo bombers torpedo planes and Hellcat Fighters stand ready for the takeoff as their 2,000 horsepower engines warm up the fleet is close to the enemy's secret stronghold now and still undetected the first flight moves to the attack the exact number of carriers in this great Fleet is a closely guarded Naval secret but an overwhelming force of planes Roars into the sky the finest planes and the greatest flyers in the world there goes the spearhead of the [Music] attack the defending Japs are stunned by the suddenness of the first blow to deled with crushing force on the heart of the great Fortress in mid Pacific like Hitler's Europe Tojo just forgot to put a ceiling over troop and juvent navy cameramen take pictures to prove it drawing in from the sea Navy bombers blast [ __ ] planes before they can leave the ground and destroy their runways the main islands of the TR atall suffer a pulverizing blow before the surprise Japs can organize any defense har headquarters of the tro Naval Base is given a terrific pounding hellcats Avengers and dotless dive bombers sweep over in close [Music] formation Wheeling around over the main island Pilots continue the work of Destruction by bombing every important part of the Great base a base the Japs have been building up for over 20 years into a fortress considered impregnable ground installations oil and ammunition dumps Flying Fields all are hit again and again where reconnaissance has shown anything of value to the enemy Navy bombers Place their explosives where they'll do the most good every fortified island in the TR atall is given a thorough blasting by a sky Armada of overwhelming force that hits the Japs like a bolt from the [Music] blue [Music] a few [ __ ] planes escape from small dispersal fields and make a hopeless stab at ships of our task force expecting attack men and ships are [Music] ready the low flying [ __ ] torpedo plane meets a curtain of Steel from Cruisers and destroyers as it attempts to close in [Music] a [ __ ] dive bomber tries to break through the [Music] baron the sky is spotted with bursting shells from Mass anti-aircraft guns as they knock down the attacking plank a direct hit and a flaming end for another nipane [Music] Airman [Music] zomber PS of smoke rise from the sea to Mark the Doom of [ __ ] ples shot from the [Music] sky only slight damage is suffered by just one American ship in the [ __ ] suicidal defense the task force beats off every threat from the sky and boldly continues to steam close to the shore to await the return of its attacking Airmen over the tro Lagoon trigger happy Navy airmen have a field day few [ __ ] planes are left to annoy them as torpedo planes bombers and Fighters come in for the kill there's a large destroyer of perfect [Music] Target the Navy Hellcat me meets at [ __ ] zero this exciting story is repeated over and over the [ __ ] is outclass torn [Music] aunder out of the sky they Roar with wing Cannon blazing tearing into ships of every description ships that the hard pressed Japs can afford to lose 19 ships in all are positively sunk with additional ships probably sent to the [Music] [Music] bottom the desperate Japs even take a slow reconnaissance plane into combat it tries to hide in a cloud a zero Tangles with another Hellcat and this is how 200 [ __ ] planes are destroyed with only 17 planes lost by the yank slow moving freighter in the harbor of trer helpless faster vessels pour on the coal in feudal efforts to escape here's a [ __ ] Destroyer turning sharp at full speed to avoid a [Music] bomb up in the clouds another [ __ ] pilot seeks the Glory of giving his life for the emperor so the Navy accommodates [Music] [Music] him the camera plane drives on another vessel trying to get away ship after ship is pounded by explosive shells poured into them in fiery streams of Destruction a big [ __ ] Destroyer speeds across the Lagoon trying to reach the Open Sea a transport gets a direct [Music] hit the snake Trail below is another Destroyer right in a cone of fire from another heavily armed plane the doomed [ __ ] vessel takes it the last [ __ ] plane to stay in the air over Tru is looking for [Music] trouble our Intrepid Airmen continue the element of surprise and Advantage they deliver the Fatal knockout as the two-day assault on tro nears an [Music] end there's that zero again soon to be represented by another [ __ ] flag painted on the fuselage of a Navy [Music] Hellcat the historic raid on the [ __ ] Pearl Harbor rights finish to tro as a mid-pacific enemy base a crushing defeat so successful that high ranking [ __ ] officers are oued by the nepon high [Music] command [Music] the TR Lagoon cluttered with bombed and battered hooks is in itself full proof that never again can the [ __ ] Navy ride at anchor here in [Music] safety the order is heard return to carriers just average American boys taught to fly taught to fight taught to win one wheel missing but it's a perfect Landing the wounded are hurriedly taken to the Sick Bay below where they receive instant attention Heroes who will live to fight again other planes come through showing the scars of enemy Shire this great Victory is substantial payment on account for the [ __ ] sneak attack on Pearl Harbor the nation Thrills to the news that the Yanks smash [Music] Troke
Metadata Source:Educational Film Guide 1946
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