This Cold War era training film from 1958, “Launch All Aircraft” was one of a series first released in 1958, to showcase to the public the Navy’s role in maintaining national security. The film shows a hypothetical war scenario or “Condition One” situation in the Mediterranean Sea.

The film opens with scenes from the USS Forrestal (CVA-59), a supercarrier named after the first United States Secretary of Defense James Forrestal (:21) as a McDonnell F4H Phantom moves off for takeoff (:25). The Phantom runs off the aircraft carrier (:31). Navy sailors are pictured in the wheelhouse (:50). The captain addresses the crew, informing the men an enemy attack hit NATO Allies (:54). Sailors aboard the vessel listen to the captain’s address (1:07). Condition One is called for all carriers of the task force (1:12) as pilots scramble. Condition One means an attack is imminent or present. Fighter crafts of the combat air patrol scream through the sky (1:17). A Republic F-84F appears (1:24). The signal is waved for takeoff (1:27). The F-84F zooms off (1:29). The North American B-45 Torpedo Strategic Bomber is pictured (1:44). The flag is lowered and it takes off (1:56). Grumman S2F-1 (2:03) follows. Radar screens pick up enemy long range heavy bombers (2:22). Bombers are vectored out to intercept the bogeys (2:55). A shot from a distance captures the aircrafts running off the carrier (2:57). Vessels in the water are ordered to change their position (3:16). A pilot squeezes off rounds (3:30). A craft erupts in flames (3:40) shooting for the ground. A great shot shows a guided missile ship firing off an AA missile (3:56). The camera follows the missile in the sky (4:09). Sea to air combat follows as the ships of the task force unload (4:23). Anti-aircraft guns blow (4:27). Black explosion clouds pop in the sky (4:34). The film mentions the difficulty of air to sea combat (4:52). An animation shows a bomber unloading a single bomb (5:09). Actual footage follows of a mushroom cloud exploding on the water from a nuclear bomb (5:23). A wash-down procedure is enacted after a destroyer receives radioactive fallout from the explosion (5:44). An interceptor fires guided missiles (5:52). One of the bombers is hit (5:55). Point of view footage follows of the interceptors returning to the aircraft carrier (6:04). Reports on the early morning strikes are pictured (6:21). A cartoon shows the damage from the attack (6:36). The Captain reads a false report written by the Communists (6:43). He checks photographs received by Naval Reconnaissance planes (6:56) verifying the report was phony. Heavy attack groups launch from the aircraft carrier (7:27). The F9F sits on the carrier deck (7:33). Planes run off the carrier to support Allied counter attacks (7:39). Homing torpedoes are dropped from a North American AJ (8:03). The submarine explodes (8:14). The Martin P6M SeaMaster (8:20) carries out a search and reconnaissance mission as the task force heads north (8:29). Bombers and fighter crafts continue to launch (8:40) for softening up attacks. Rounds explode from enemy aircrafts (9:09). “Communist bombers” continue to attack (9:34). Surface to air guided missiles (9:46). A group of dive bombers (9:52). A suicide plane hit this ship (9:57). Diagrams depict the night movements of the task force (10:18). The Boeing B-25 (10:46) flies in the air; these were used on standby in the US as deterrents. The coastline of New York City appears (10:51). CIC (11:10) reports an incoming enemy craft. A nuclear explosion is pictured (11:20). The enemy fleet unit is located (11:40). Guidance planes are launched (11:51). An explosion erupts on the water (12:24). Invasion beaches are hit by carrier planes (12:49). Naval guns blast from cruisers and destroyers (12:59). Carrier air crafts hit enemy supply bases (13:10). The Sikorsky HRS-1 (13:22) lifts off for a vertical envelopment. Aerial footage show landing crafts moving for the beach (13:31). Marine aircraft zoom off for close air support (13:38). Allied landing crafts head for the beach (13:49). The film concludes with a note reminding viewers the situations displayed in the film were fictitious (14:18). The End (14:40).

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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, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com