Presented by the United States Navy, this “unclassified” circa 1953 black-and-white film, titled “Carrier Action Off Korea,” opens with US Army General Douglas McArthur (mark 00:37) in Panmunjom, North Korea, to sign the armistice agreement formally ending the Korean War. Hostilities continued for another 12 hours resulting in more loss of life, and at mark 01:40 scenes of devastation are revealed “as an unnatural silence crosses the front.” The film begins a reflection of Naval operations during the war, including an image of the USS Valley Forge (CV-45), from which the first air strike of the Korean War was launched on July 3, 1950. We see aerial attack footage of various locations in North Korea followed by a recap of the Battle of Inchon starting at mar 03:33. The amphibious invasion resulted in a decisive victory for United Nations forces. Further land and air operation are discussed as troops fight their way through mud while receiving air support, including attacks on bridges across the Yalu River (mark 04:15) in the north. Navy F9F Panther jets, shown launching at mark 04:42, tangle Soviet-made MIG fighters in the North Korean sky, and soldiers eventually are forced to battle reinforcements from China (mark 05:00). Vice Admiral C. Turner Joy, Commander Naval Forces, Far East, is shown planning strategies at mark 05:15 and we learn how in early 1951, 8th US Army forces slowed Communist advances. General Mathew Ridgway, eventually the commander of all UN forces in Korea, is shown starting at mark 05:50 ordering the commencement of Operation Killer — the destruction of enemy forces wherever found. The film continues with additional footage of fighter jets launching from aircraft carriers and attacking enemy targets. “Make life miserable for the communists,” says the narrator at mark 07:20. Carrier planes and US Marine Corps pilots team up starting at mark 09:35 to attack North Korean power plants in 1952, as the narrator then explains how carrier aviation also included spotting missions and photo reconnaissance missions. At mark 12:17, the narrator offers a recap of what Navy aviators accomplished during the Korean War. “Today these veteran carriers … stand ready to help,” the narrator says as the films draws to a close.
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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
