An “unclassified” color film “Look Down, Too” is a Bureau of Ships Technical Report produced by the US Navy during the 1960s, and is meant to show how researchers are working toward creating more blast-resistant surface ships and submarines. Although current defense efforts focus skyward on aircraft, missiles, and “outer space,” the film encourages the viewer to “Look Down, Too” as the title card flashes on the screen at mark 01:03. There are scenes of submarines and destroyers as the narrator explains how the US Navy is a vital part of defense systems. But if a submarine or cargo ship is sunk? Protecting against such a catastrophic event is the job of the Underwater Explosions Research Division at the David Taylor Model Basin — a test facilities for the development of ship design in Maryland (mark 02:22). Engineers, physicists, mathematicians, and architects are shown hunched over plans as they conduct analyses of underwater explosions and experiments. As the film progresses, it details five areas of investigation: what happens in the water during an underwater explosion, the response of submarine hulls, the machinery onboard submarines, the machinery on surface ships, and structural response of surface ships to a blast. First, the film visits the Underwater Explosions Barge, or UEB-1 (mark 04:10), a civilian-operated station. The camera offers viewers a look inside the barge with an explanation of some of the equipment and facilities. At mark 05:54 there is a explanation of the various instrumentation used on targets and at mark 07:11 begins an explanation of “underwater explosion phenomena” featuring images of both the surface effects and “an actual underwater explosion” (mark 07:26). There are scenes testing a submarine hull beginning at mark 08:03 as the vessel is shown lowered beneath the water and then raised and examined following an explosion, followed by a look at a sub’s machinery and images of how various pieces of equipment withstand blasts. Machinery on surface ships is looked at starting at mark 10:42 as pieces are rocked by explosions, with a look at hull breaches coming at mark 13:22 as obsolete ships are used for target practice. Damage is examined and photographed for use in further tests. As the film nears its close, project engineers are shown starting at mark 17:50 examine the data.
The David Taylor Model Basin (DTMB) is one of the largest ship model basins—test facilities for the development of ship design—in the world. DTMB is a field activity of the Carderock Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center.
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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
