In this second reel of the 1944 U.S. Navy training film This Is It (MN 84J), viewers watch the unfolding of the incidents that the commander is telling the new pilots about in the first reel of the film. The second reel opens with shots of Douglas SBD pilots in their cockpits talking to each other; one pilot is flying in cloud cover and unsure of his location. The film then cuts to the command room (01:00) where the commander is monitoring the progress of the planes. As news of the Japanese fleet comes in, the Navy pilots run from their quarters to man their planes (03:26). Grumman F6F Hellcats start up their engines and take off from the aircraft carrier (03:40). There is a good shot from another ship’s point of view of the planes taking off. Hellcats fly in formation (04:30) on their way to attack the enemy fleet. There is a shot of pilots in their cockpits from the perspective of outside the plane. A Hellcat breaks from the fighter escort and is shot down (05:48). Planes maneuver into attack formations (08:44). Grumman TBFs drop torpedoes while other planes fire on a Japanese cruiser. There is an aerial shot of a U.S. battleship (11:51); the ship uses signal code to communicate with a pilot. Two planes (a Douglas SBD and what appears to be a Hellcat) fly side-by-side (14:58). Planes land on the carrier (17:08). The film then cuts back to the commander in the briefing room addressing the new pilots about the importance of operational training (20:20).
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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
