This 1942 film edition of the The Bluejacket’s Manual is “designed to familiarize the student with the general characteristics of U.S. Navy ships” and shows several examples of each classification. Individual vessels that can be identified in the film include PT-9, PT-11, PT-13, PT-10, PT-18, USS Fanning (DD-385), USS McDougal (DD-358), USS Phelps (DD-360), USS Porter (DD-356), submarine S-45 (one of the S-42 class boats), and submarine N-2 (SS-54). The film opens with a panoramic shot of a U.S. Navy fleet just off the coast of what may be a Caribbean island (00:40). Officers stand on deck of a ship (02:00). An anchor is hoisted up. A plane is lowered onto the deck of a ship via crane. A naval submarine cruises along the surface of the ocean (02:53). The film shows men loading a torpedo onto a submarine (03:25). An auxiliary ship is docked and men load supplies onto it (04:10). Hoses pump oil into a tanker (04:50). A sea bomber comes in for a landing in front of a cruiser (05:02). A crane hoists a PBY Catalina patrol bomber above the water. The film shows a minesweeper, a net tender, a Coast Guard cutter, and a PT boat (05:50). Footage shows the fleet sailing at sea. A U.S. Navy battleship sails (06:12); the film then uses an illustration of the ship to show the various levels, decks, and weapons of the vessel. Next is a cruiser (07:25), and an illustration of the ship shows viewers its hanger and batteries. A cruiser sails past battleships as it patrols the perimeter of the fleet (08:33). There is a good shot of a cruiser’s artillery guns (09:01). The film then shows a destroyer (09:13), using an illustration to show its torpedo tubes, guns, and depth charges. A destroyer cruises out ahead of the fleet. The film then shows the layout of an aircraft carrier (10:44). A carrier sits alone at sea; footage shows four carriers sailing together. A submarine surfaces (11:53); an illustration gives the layout of the submarine. Several submarines cruise along the surface. A ship passes through a lock (12:45). The film then shows a battleship (13:10) and an aircraft carrier as they pass through the Panama Canal. At sea and off in the distance, a ship signals a call to battle to a carrier (15:03). Squadrons of Grumman F4F Wildcats and Douglas SBD Dauntlesses take off from a carrier deck. A repair ship follows behind several destroyers (15:53); cruisers and air craft carriers follow behind. A seaplane takes off from a cruiser (16:46). The film shows more shots of the various ships at sea and their respective guns moving on deck, concluding the film.
The Bluejacket’s Manual is the basic handbook for United States Navy personnel. First issued in 1902 to teach new recruits about naval procedures and life and offer a reference for active sailors, it has become the “bible” for Navy personnel, providing information about a wide range of Navy topics.
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