Photography Fights, “US Navy Presents”
Created for the U.S. Navy by the Treasury Dept. as part of the 6th War Loan drive, PHOTOGRAPHY FIGHTS is a docudrama that showcases the role of a naval photographic interpretation team in theater. The film begins and ends with a “typical” American couple who openly doubt the value of photography in the war, and then shows an interpretation team working on the front lines at Guadalcanal in the Pacific. An aerial photograph is analyzed to reveal that Japanese troops are constructing an air strip on an adjacent island at Munda. The film then suggests the destruction of the strip by showing scenes of aerial and naval bombardment. The film (according to a 1944 guide) “shows how under enemy action photographic crews work precious minutes getting and scanning pictures to search for signs of enemy emplacements and evidence of his movements. It shows what happens when well trained, discerning photographic interpreters can read from pictures shot by the crew.”
At the 9 minute mark, an attack is mounted on the new Japanese airstrip by carrier-launched airplanes.
The film ends with comments by Commander Robert S. Quackenbush, Jr., the Director of Photography of the U.S. Navy. Quackenbush was one of the top people responsible for the establishment of a Navy school for photographic interpretation, just before WWII, under Admiral Stark. He was inspired by a trip to England in 1941, where he observed how the British were using photographic reconnaissance to great effect. The first American school was at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Anacostia, D.C. Quackenbursh led US photographic reconnaisance operations throughout the war. During Operation Crossroads, he was attached, with the rank of Captain, to the staff of Vice Admiral Blandy as senior officer in charge of all photographic operations during the atomic bomb tests at Bikini in 1946. He retired in 1957 with the rank of Rear Admiral.
Make sure to check out the pin-up calendars and other girlie images in the background of the interpretation unit’s command post at the start of the film and at the 4:40 mark!
We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example like: “01:00:12:00 — President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.”
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
