Filmed in the aftermath of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima by U.S. Army Air Force’s Strategic Bombing Survey team, this heart-wrenching film shows the devastated city and populace. Most of it was filmed in late March of 1946 — about six months after the bomb was dropped. The production team was led by Lt. Col. Daniel A. McGovern with cameraman Harry Mimura (a Japanese cinematographer who worked in Hollywood). The film begins with footage of a concrete building that has been blown off its foundation. At :48 a railroad style clock stopped at 8:13 is shown in the rubble.At :51 a large concrete building is shown, possibly the Honkawa Elementary School. At 1:51 the inner courtyard of the school is seen. At 3:03 are shots from the roof of the building. At 3:42 a concrete and brick wall is shown with blast damage. At 4:55, a sweeping pan of the destroyed city. At 5:04, a large concrete block building is shown, it is fairly intact. At 6:05 a streetcar moves past a shattered building. At 8:32, a smokestack. At 8:37 a shot shows how bricks were torn off the side of a building by the shockwave. More shots of blast damage follow including a steel building structure at 9:04 that is entirely deformed. At 9:14 is a wider shot of same. At 13:44 a wooden roof, all that remains of a structure, is seen on the ground. At 14:00 a denuded factory is shown. At 16:10 what appears to be a crushed and burned out bus or motor coach is shown in the rubble.
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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
