This black and white newsreel produced for the United States Armed Forces Screen Magazine covers the Cuban Missile Crisis of Oct 16 – Oct 28, 1962 and the U.S. response to Soviet armament during the Cold War. In an extended sequence, intelligence officer John T. Hughes presents aerial reconnaissance photography showing the extent of the Soviet threat, arguing that the procurement of the photos acted as a deterrent against further aggression (TRT: 21:27).
President John F. Kennedy speaks on October 22nd, 1962 (0:07). A map zooms in on Cuba. Title overlay: “Crisis” (0:50). The United States Capitol at night. The offices of the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff, Chief Naval Officer, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Men answer telephones (1:02). A map shows lines emanating from the U.S., Air Force pilots in a briefing room. A Polaris submarine surfaces (1:21). An airfield filled with fighter and troop carrier aircraft. JFK takes a meeting (1:36). The entrance of the Norfolk, Virginia U.S. Naval Base. Admiral Robert L. Dennison. Ships and carriers at sea. The USS Enterprise (CVN-65) (2:02). Women and children are evacuated from Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (2:34). Pilots review a bulletin. A map illustrates signal relays in the Atlantic (2:57). Large format reconnaissance photos are examined (3:09). Armed forces rush to trucks from their barracks. Marines deplane at Guantanamo. Airborne forces put on flight suits (3:18). A tank prepares for airdrop. A Florida “tent city.” Plans are reviewed on a map in sand. Trucks and anti-aircraft artillery arrive in Florida (4:25). Homestead Air Force Base near Miami. Hawk and Hercules ground to air missiles (5:04). A Lockheed Constellation in flight. Men of the air defense sector. A F-84F “Super Hog.” The 138th Fighter Wing arms themselves with weapons, ammunition (5:49). Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar roop carriers (6:17). Inside a Polaris sub (6:39). Title: “October 28.” A bombing test run. Parachuters in airborne maneuvers (6:54). Armored continuous track vehicles in Florida (7:18). JFK visits Florida in a motorcade, greets troops (7:38). Air reconnaissance planes fly in formation (8:01). John T. Hughes of the Defense Intelligence Agency speaks (8:15). A card lists “Soviet Offensive Systems Deployed in Cuba, Medium Range Ballistic Missiles, Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles, and IL-28 Jet Bombers Beagle.” Only the MRBMs reached operational capability (9:37). The slide changes to a map, which shows the locations of Cuban MRBM and IRBM sites on either side of Havana (10:35). Aerial photos of San Cristobal MRBM Site 1 show missile erectors and fuel tank trailers (11:14). A reconnaissance photo of an anti-aircraft site east of San Cristobal shows a rangefinder (13:09). A map with concentric circles shows the potential range of the Cuban missiles, covering most of the U.S. and Mesoamerica (14:00). A photo of Soviet MRBM Launch Site 2 (15:19). A photo of the Soviet ship Kurchatov at Casilda Port shows 6 missile transporters, the shadow of a McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo (16:04). A list of “Other Soviet Weapon Systems Deployed in Cuba” lists SA-2 missiles, MIG-21 interceptor fighters, cruise missiles, patrol boats, and ground forces (16:56). A photo of an “Operational SAM Site” at Bahia Honda shows net covered launchers (17:33). “Siguanea Cruise Missile Site” shows an uncovered launcher (18:04). A photo of the Soviet ship Kronshtadt and Komar missile patrol boats. Hughes states his belief that these weapons have been removed from Cuba (19:07). Montage of U.S. weapons and forces at the ready. U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara speaks in voice over (20:28). “The End, Armed Forces Screen Magazine Special” (21:12).
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