This Cold War-era propaganda film titled “Man And The FBM” was made by the US Navy Photographic Center in 1960. Narrated by American TV host and personality John Daly, highlights the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarines as well as the UGM-27 Polaris nuclear warhead missiles that were launched from them. In more technical terms, a ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. The United States Navy’s hull classification symbols for ballistic missile submarines are SSB and SSBN – the SS denotes submarine, the B denotes ballistic missile, and the N denotes that the submarine is nuclear powered. These submarines became a major weapon system in the Cold War because of their nuclear deterrence capability. The film coined the endeavor a “new conquest of inner space – the sea” where the new naval weapon linked the inner space of the sea with outer space. Throughout the 27 minute film, all elements of the new weapons program are discussed from inception to manufacture to testing and from recruitment to training to active duty for the volunteer servicemen. According to the film, which underscored the men that serviced these submarines, the FBM project required “a new kind of Navy man pioneering a new concept of sea power in the age of space.”
Opening credits (0:09). Opening remarks by John Daly (0:34). UGM-27 Polaris missile launches from the sea (0:47). Fleet ballistic missile (FBM) submarine (1:17). Electronic computers in charge of launch (1:51). Underwater navigation devices (2:03). Men who work on the US Navy’s FBM (2:17). Close-up of Submarine Warfare insignia pin (2:50). Training of submariners (2:57). Nuclear training at the Nuclear Power School in New London, Connecticut (3:35). Image of naval nuclear reactor near Arco, Idaho constructed by the Navy and the Atomic Energy Commission (4:04). Submarine exploration voyage in the North Pole (5:09). Books relating to nuclear science and engineering i.e. Radiation Dosimetry by Hine Brownell etc. (6:03). Another FBM training center focused on navigating the FBM submarine (6:44). U.S. Naval abbreviations for underwater navigation (7:02). Servicemen uses periscope at the FBM navigation center to contract stars (7:20). Servicemen board the U.S.S. Compass Island for testing navigation equipment (8:06). Navy’s Guided Missile School of Dam Neck, Virginia (8:42). Animation of UGM-27 Polaris missile launching from submarine (9:11). Key weapons personnel visit production factory in California (9:41). Specialists trained in how to handle and load Polaris (10:30). Test of Polaris rocket motor (11:26). Study of FBM guidance system (11:48). Ultra clean room of assembly line (12:07). Close-up of U.S. Navy Fire Control Technician badge (12:49). Training of fire control technicians (12:51). Model of FBM interior that shows how Polaris is ejected (13:40). Operation Skycatch (14:20). Road sign for Cape Canaveral, Florida – HQ of US Ballistic Missile Programs i.e. Atlas, Thor, and Jupiter Missiles as well as Redstone and Titan rocket families (14:36). Polaris rocket launch (15:18). Ship motion simulator (16:01). Test launch of Polaris from USS Observation Island (16:38-17:33). Underwater test launch beneath water off of San Clemente Island, California (17:42). Shipyards on the East and West coasts work on the Navy’s top priority weapons program (18:30). Launch ceremony of freshly minted FBM submarine U.S.S. Patrick Henry (18:51). Naval ceremony marking U.S.S. George Washington’s beginning of active service (20:21). More training and testing (21:27). FBM system deployed on patrol (22:55). Food prepared on board (23:42). Onboard activities to
entertain servicemen (24:01). Servicemen on leave enjoying time with family (24:48-25:52). Women working on Polaris assembly line (25:55). Submarines of the patriotic class: U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Ethan Allen (26:25).
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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 and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
