This color educational/training film is about the new generation of U.S. Army missiles and rockets . This features reporter Chet Huntley and was made in 1962 — just five years after Sputnik shocked the world and left the U.S. struggling to develop viable rockets and missiles of its own. The film’s confident tone, and presentation of a wide array of systems, shows part of the nation’s response to the Soviet challenge.

Opening: Commanders review maps and paperwork in a war room. The decision is made to strike the enemy. Title: The Solid Punch (:06-1:24). Reporter Chet Huntley stands in front of a solid fueled rocket. A clenched fist which propels a solid punch. Rockets and missiles are introduced: Lacrosse, a guided missile, points skyward. Honest John is a free range rocket. Sergeant is a surface to surface missile. Pershing, a guided ballistic missile (1:25-3:29). Hawk, an anti-aircraft system. Nike Hercules is a high level missile, Nike Zeus defends against long range ballistic missiles. Corporal and Redstone, liquid fuel missile systems. Soldiers move forward and do a combat exercise. Explosions around them (3:30-5:02). The 105 mm and 155 mm howitzers are shown, both are artillery pieces developed and used by the United States. The new 175 mm self propelled gun. A concept of a new missile on the wall. An officer explains about missiles (5:03-6:56). A rocket is fired. In 1949, the launching of the WAC Corporal missile was the first to reach outer space. Corporal and Redstone, liquid fuel missile systems. Jupiter-C missile system is launched which put into the orbit Explorer 1 (6:57-8:34). Men attach hoses, set up a fuel system. A rocket sits on a launchpad. Sign for the U.S. Army Picatinny Arsenal. Men work inside. Jet propulsion laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. Rocket fuel is experimented with. Solid fuel in a mixer. Army’s Redstone Arsenal. In 1948, engineers came up with new motor (8:35-10:19). Planes fire falcon missiles. Dr. Harold W. Ritchie, VP in charge of Rocket Operations, explains propellant in a missile. He points out the combustion chamber in a missile. Explains how the system works (10:20-12:23). Dr. Ritchie keeps explaining aspects of missiles. He has models of missiles on his desk (12:24-13:23). The Lacrosse missile is fired. An explosion on the ground. The Hawk missile is fired. An explosion in the sky. Nike Hercules missile is fired, it shoots down a small plane (13:24-14:38). A motor fires propellent. A new motor is carried by a tractor trailer. It is tested and it fires out propellent. The Sergeant missile is being assembled. Trucks bring the missile out in the field. The missile system is assembled by army men. The Sergeant missile has an erector launcher. The men piece the system together (14:39-17:16). The Sergeant missile is shown during another test, it is fired into the sky. An explosion on the ground a distance away. Army men on the phone and using computers. The Lockheed X-17 was a three-stage solid-fuel research rocket to test the effects of high mach missile. Air Force Minuteman missile is fired. Nuclear submarine at sea. Men work inside the submarine. Polaris missile is fired from a submerged submarine (17:17-19:47). The Army’s Pershing Missile system is shown being transported through rugged terrain. It is field worthy and more accurate. It is shown being set up in the field. Pershing propulsion system is being tested at night, how the missile would work through stages is explained (19:48-22:20). Helicopters land and soldiers exit and start running. A helicopter comes in for a landing. One of them carries a missile. Planes fly and men parachute downward. Nike Zeus missile, the Corporal missile is fired. A Nike Hercules is then fired (22:21-23:48). Stop motion captures the Nike Hercules anti-aircraft missile intercepting the Corporal missile in the sky. Nike Zeus undergoes a test. The booster separates and the second stage ignites. A Nike Zeus underground system is ready to belfried, the missile launches. A soldier fires an M-14 rifle. Soldiers advance and fire rifles. A missile is launched (23:49-25:33). Chet Huntley wraps up the film (25:34-26:10). End credits (26:11-26:30).

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