"THE FIGHTING LADY In Technicolor" "A Drama of the Pacific" "U. S. Navall Communications" "U. S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION SERVICE" "This is an authentic record photographed in zones of combat by men of the United States Navy." "Photography Supervised by:" "Commander Edward J. Steichen US NR" "Lt. Comdr. R. L. Middleton USN Lt. Comdr. Dwright Long US NR" "Phillppe De Lacy" "Musical Direction:" "Alfred Newman Music:" "David Buttolph" "Maps by:" "Fred Sersen Film Editor:" "G. Leverettand R. Heman" "Narration Written By:" "Eugene Ling and John Stuart Martin" "The Narrator is:" "Lieut." "RobertTaylor US NR" "A Louis De Rochemont Production" "Faraloft, over the Atlantic seaboard, one fine morning in 1943 an Imposing force of American Navall air power proceeds to an Important rendezvous." "This force is the aircraft compliment of a new carrier." "Fighters... bombers ...torpedo bombers." "With the airgroup commander leading everyone they flying out to sea, tojoln the ship which will be their floating home and fighting base." "It's one of many carriers which the American people have bullts Ince Pearl Harbor." "To destroy the enemy in his own part of the world faraway." "And there now is our base." "Powerful and serene." "In honor of all American aircraft carriers let us call her The Fighting Lady." "Agalnst a good solid wind, with hertall hooks down our planes come Into the broad flightdeck oftheir new home." "In case the plane's hook falls to catch the arresting gear there s a series ofstout, wire barriers." "Numberone man on the flightdeck, just now, is the LSO the Landing Signal Oficer." "Always a flyerr himself." "Llke all aviators, he would much rather be flying." "Come on in and sitdown." "The plane is outofthe groove and he waves itoff." "Come around anothertime pilot and we will take you aboard." "When planes land, they taxi quickly forward, outofthe way." "Later, they will have to be shifted to the storn and rearranged for proper position fortake off." "This is called, re spotting the deck." "Here is ourskipper, Jocko." "Aveteran Navy. flyerr." "Annapolis 1917" "He is not Impressed by ourearnest efforts." "Northe flightdeck control oficers." "The skippercalls all hands together, and gives us a piece of his mind." "We will never be ready forcombat, unless you flightdeck crews learn right now to work as a team." "Don'tyou men realize that before long, we will be in dangerous waters?" "Thats too slowl Bare handsl" "Watch outl Keep thatwing clearl" "Get itoverto starboard, way overto starboard." "Come on, get the lead out of your pants." "Nowthis is the way yourdeck should look when you are ready foraction." "Our ship, Our Fighting Ladyis enormous, wonderful and strange to us." "From stom to storn, the entire ship is a honeycomb of water tight and flame proof compartments." "Far belowthe water line are engine rooms, fire rooms and fuel tanks with magazines packed with enough high explosives to blow us all to kingdom come." "The hangardeck is like a gigantic tunnel nearly two city blocks long and wide enough to house four freight trains abreast" "It will take us a week, month maybe, to learn ourway around." "These new surroundings are as mysterious to us as they are cold and Impersonal." "Our Fighting Lady is like a huge floating cave, noisy and uncomfortable." "Elevators as big as a tennis court carry us top side to the flightdeck." "The greatsuperstructure rising at mid ship, is called the island." "This is truly the ship's nerve cehter, it'sfighting brain." "85% of us, who make up The Fighting Lady's family are volunteers in thiswar and have never been to sea before." "We learned ourjobs theoretically in intensive training ashore." "Very shortwhlle ago, we were high school boys, and college kids or bank clerks, orfarm hands, orfactory workers." "Nowwe are Blue Jackets and Marines." "All members ofa Navall CombatTeam nearly 3000 strong." "In our multitude of newtasks and duties as a team." "We are very green, butcuriosity and comradeship and the Instinct of self preservation are great teachers." "Some of us have to masterthe delicate and complicated Instruments which control the fire of our five Inch batteries." "The guns that must defend The Fighting Lady when enemy dive bombers and torpedoes planes attack." "We train and train to learn ourstuff and earn our E forefficiency." "The Fighting Lady s destination is still a closely, guarded, secret." "No one can hide the fact that we are ehtering tropical waters." "Ourship seems more friendly and comfortable now." "We green hornsfeel a suntan will at least make us look like fighting sailors." "Even our mascotScrapy, has been atsea longerthan mostof us." "Some of the mystery, that has been hanging over us has been lifted when we ehterthe Panama Canal." "There's a lot of unprofessional nervousness about whetheror not we too big to get through the locks." "By using lines, Instead offenders, we do get through as the Navall constructors knew all along, we would." "Come on, hop aboard, we re going places." "For 2 cents I would." "Know anybody who wants to swap?" "Now we stand out in the Pacific." "Life aboard settles down Into monotony." "Here are ouralrcraft pilots, officers all." "Ship's company call themThe Glamour Boys." "They are the men who fly and fightour planes." "All the efforts ofall the rest of us are concentrated on putting these people in the air and getting them back again." "Mostof us are hiding a certain amountof nervousness and anxiety for many of us are Johnny Come Lately" "Reserve Officerswho only recently learned to fly atCorpus Christi in Jacksonville." "Others among us are speoialists who trained at Quonset Polnt, Rhode Island." "Reserves are called by the regulars, In a friendly way, 90 Day Wonders." "In return, theAnnapolis regulars are called The Trade School Boys." "In return, the Annapolis regulars are called The Trade School Boys." "ButwhetherQuonsetorAnnapolis, all are bound in a fraternity a close fellowship, of Navy. men." "Among the ships non commissioned personnel almost3000 Blue Jackets and 100 Marines the hottest shots are the aircrewmen." "Ariel gunners and radio men." "The boys and the plane captains are the partners of the Glamour Boys in the air" "By non flying Blue Jackets, they are called zoom pigeons orAlredales." "And because they receive 50% extra pay forflying they are sometimes referred to as the bank roll boys." "Everybody aboard ship backs up the flying group." "This requires the efforts ofall mannerof people." "Many ofthejobs are farfrom glamorous." "All the little tasks and services you find along Maln Street must be preformed by some members ofourcarriers crew" "ForthoughThe Fighting Lady is a powerful ship ofwar she is also a sizeable American community." "It's population must be supplied with all the necessities and some of the comforts of home." "Sorensen, the pharmacist's mate, isjust like a village druggist." "Nextdoor is our hospital, called sickbay." "Itonly has a few patients now, but soon it is be filled with ourwounded." "Men like these, who perform the humblejobs that make life aboard a fighting carrier more boarable the barbors and the cobblers are seldom mentioned in communiqués they all have a place In ourfighting team." "Weeks pass." "Nowwe are farout in the Pacific which is a very considerable body ofwater." "Monotony shuts down on us between ourduties guessing where we're bound is still ourchief pastime." "Will we pull Into Pearl?" "Are we going to Iron Bottom Bay?" "Or maybe even to theAleutians." "All such gossip and rumorare called scuttie buttordrlnking fountain conversation." "Throughoutthe ship, men gettogether in little groups... to take refuge from the heavy burden ofwaiting forsomething to happen." "And then one day, outof nowhere, comes a fastfleettanker and we refueled atsea." "This tells us something." "This tells us that we are notgoing to Pearl orany other land base fora long, long time." "Besides ourskipper, we have an Admlral aboard." "Asea dog who has been a Navall flyerr for nearly 20 years." "Until now, only these officers have known where we are to go." "But nowJocko, ourcaptaln, conferswith the air-group commanderand reveals the plan." "The Fighting Lady has been ordered to make a strike." "She will pass through waters, where no carriertask force has ventured since the bloody battle of Midway." "Rememberthis is 1943, long before we took the Marshall Islands." "Weatherstudies are made, and though this is a daily routine somehowthe whole ship senses, something is aboutto happen." "Even before the news is broadcastto all of us there is a new tension and atmosphere expectancy" "And then we are told we have traveled more than 7000 mllesfrom Panama so thattomorrow, August30, 1943 we can strike the Jap base at Marcus Island deep within the enemies ring ofdefenses." "The evening before ourfirststrike the airgroup commander briefs all his pilots with maps and the model ofourtarget." "We are sticking outour necks, to within a thousands miles of Tokyo... to divert the Japs attention from to her American activities farsouth and eastof Marcus." "Those of us, who have never before been in battle... that is mostof us, ask a lotof questions to those who have seen action." "Don't break off until you are practically on the same course righta storn of the enemy." "Then push overfast." "Outwardly, we try to seem composed and cheerful." "A lots going on Inside our minds." "We question our most Innerselves." "Whatwill it be like?" "Howwill we take it?" "Will we do all right?" "This is the nightwhen a lotof the boys write one more letter home." "Among those playingAchy Duchy In the ward room is a chubby 23 yearold from Eureka Springs, Arkansas." "Lt. E.T. Stover" "Nicknamed, Smokey." "That's he, sitting on the far right." "Having flown 50 missions atGuadalcanal..." "Smokey has been ordered to take a rest." "He'd much rather be flying." "Before dark, on the eve of the battle, our planes are loaded with bombs and gas." "So thateach plane will be in its precious position fora speedy take off we spotand re spotourdeck." "Now all is perfect..." "We will strike at dawn." "And now G. Q. General Quarters." "Every man on the ship goes to his battle station." "His speoial place on the fighting team." "George, the barbor, will pass ammunition." "Leo, the baker, will be a sky look out." "Frank, the tailor, is assigned to a firstaid station." "Pilots are in their ready rooms." "Each squadron, fighter, bomber, torpedo bomber assembly separately." "Flyerrs get Into theirflightgearand receive last minute data and Instructions." "On the flightdeck, ourfirst battle dawn awaits us." "Ourwhole ship is on halrtrigger." "The Fighting Lady is hardly 100 miles ofthe firsttarget in hercareer." "These lastfew minutes before the orderforourfirstaction are the toughesttime ofall." "Awise man once said:" ""War is mostly waiting"." "We learn now, whatthatcan mean." "At lastthe word comes." "Pilots, man your planes." "Ready room three, Roger." "Pilots, man your planes." "The fighters take offfirst, to form coverforthe othersquadrons." "Then the bombers... heavy laden with destruction." "The sun has risen now, and ourescorts are alertforenemy submarines." "ButThe Fighting Lady boldly steams toward ourtarget." "To lessen the distance forour planeswhen they return." "The radio plotting room is the electric eye and ear by whichthe Fighting Lady detects and keeps tab on all planes and ship for miles around us." "Smokey, the fighting ace fromArkansas has been put in charge ofthis room forour big day." "Hunched among his assistants, Smokey is like a superquarter back on a superfootball team." "He is in constanttouch with ourentire airgroup." "As ourfirstfighters race In towards Marcus Island, they stay low hoping to escape detection by the enemy's radar" "Then they climb suddenly and dive a surprise strafing attack on the enemy's airstrips." "These red balls, floating up at us to lazily are anti aircraftfire." "There is 3 times as much of it coming up at us aswe can see." "Because only one shell In three is a tracer" "What looked like firry pulley woks are tracersfrom ourown wing guns." "The acted is much heavier than expected butthrough itwe go to knock out enemy bombers on the ground." "All through these battle pictures, realize we are looking straightdown ourgun barrels." "These pictures are taken aautomatically by the same mechanism thatoperates the guns." "Pictures even shake, with the guns recoil." "Our eye is now the very eye of our fighting airplane." "The enemy's picket boats and supply ships ofshore are thoroughly scraped." "No longerwill these bring crafts brings rice and sake and munitions to Marcus." "Our bombers, flying higher, see the island beginning to burn." "Amomentago, it looked like a little jade trinket, in cobaltsea." "As the fighters and bombers swing victoriously away from Marcus island towering columns ofsmoke show the thorough job our boys have done." "Back aboard the ship, Smokey is tracking the flyerrswith care, to make sure none is missing and that no enemy planes are trying to follow them outto our Fighting Lady" "As our planes come aboard, there begins an operation almost exciting as the attack itself." "A ballet after battle." "With the plane directors as dancing masters." "The whirling propellers fill this scene with danger but now our crews are trained and adept." "The landing signal oficer, performs an elegant adagio on The Fighting Lady's storn." "Awarning to the rest of the cast, to stay offstage until the limping member can be lead out of the way" "The pilots go below, to report to their combat intelligent oficers." "They have hot news." "Good news." "They tell whatthey saw and did." "How many rounds of monition they fired." "How many bombs they dropped." "What they hit." "What they noticed at the target that was new or different or that may need hitting again." "As the reports are added up, and our combat photographs develop their pictures the story becomes better and better" "Every single Jap bomber on Marcus, has been destroyed." "80% of the shore Installations blasted or set at fire." "Hangars, radio stations, gas dumps, and munitions dumps." "Marcus is now a lovely mess." "In the radio hut, Smokey sworried." "There are planes still up there and he swondering about them." "They are ours though, delayed by battle damage." "Landing a shot up plane on the carrier is a crucial testas to howwell trained, how alert and steady a Navall flyerr is." "The Fighting Lady has now met her enemy." "In the ward room, the pilots who this morning, felt new and nervous now talk like veterans." "We have been baptized by fire, and have survived nicely." "We ofthe Fighting Lady are growing up." "The Admlral of our task force knows the overall strategy of the Pacific campaign." "To smash straight through Japan's outer network of islands." "To recapture the Philippines and land on the mainland ofasia." "Thuswe will deny Japan supplies from ally in the Dautoh East Indies and leave herfarflung garrisons marooned." "Then we will reach out and really help ourally Chlna." "Months after Marcus, this campaign iswell started." "Our carrier task forces have been In many battles." "And now, early in 1944," "The Fighting Lady s target is Kwajaleln, the Marshall Islands." "These are Jap Zeros." "Fighter screens being pierced by our planes and planes from either other carriers... preparatory to scraping Kwajaleln and bombing it apart." "The fighter pilots have Improved with practice." "With the confidence that comes from experience." "They estimate their range, by watching their tracers." "They hold theirfire, until their wing gunned bullets can verge at 300 yards." "They shoot in bursts Instead of steady streams which heat up the guns and spend ammunition." "They soon have Kwajalein burning, very satisfactorily." "After our bombing attacks, and heavy shelling by our surface ships assaultcrafts filled with Marines and Army hit the beaches." "And very soon after that, Kwajaleln is ours." "Right after Kwajaleln, word comes to ourAdmlral, thataTruk" "Japan's huge and secret Navall fortress 1400 miles to the west there are apparently some heavy units of the Japanese battle fleet." "Perhaps we can surprise them." "Again The Fighting Lady's squadron and squadrons from other carriers take off for combat." "A lot of miles are dry at the though to four target is mightyTruk" "The rearseat gunners, look back at The Fighting Lady wondering when and if they will ever return to her." "All that we know about Truk, we know by a few photographs taken by some nervy Marines on reconnaissance just 18 days ago." "And here there is a complex of heavily fortified islands surrounded by airstrips." "With Navall anchorages on certain spots among the islands." "For the next two days, more than 1000 ofourcarrier-base planes... are going to sweep In on Truk in relays." "The planes appear to float gently of four bow." "Actually their air speed is a good 70 knots." "Diving in onTruk, we again turn on our guns and their synchronized cameras." "Truk's defenders are aloftand we smack them hard." "The hearts thatwere in men's mouths before this strike began now settle back Into place and are singing once more." "There's something really grand, something historic about diving in here on this place which Japan has been building and guarding jealously from all the Japanese eyes for 20 years." "We dive right in low and take a good look." "At fighter strips, bomber bases and seaplane ramps." "In an almost vertical dive the pilot may black outorgo blind fora moment when he pulls up and out of the bottom." "But the camera won't black out." "Itcan not see the landing of our own bomb, forwe will be up and away before that reaches the target." "But it records the hits of the other planes ahead of us." "We had hoped to find the Jap fleet here, but most of it is gone." "Some lingering ships, Including some of their fast fleet tankers we find hiding in sheltered coves." "The vessels we are now strafing are other fleet auxiliary." "Rice boats, transports, ammunition ships." "With bursts of 50 caliber Incendiaries and armor piercing slugs we setthem on fire, rip them open, often wide enough to sink." "Strafing ships filled with TNT is not very healthy for pilots who dive too low." "But it's hard to tell who is carrying what, until the big bang comes." "Returning to the deck at 130 miles per hour, with a flap shot away all a pilot can hope to save is his own skin." "Here comes our new airgroup commander he's had a bit of trouble." "His wind shield is blotted with blood and he has to feel hisway aboard." "Strafing at low altitude, he took a 40 mm anti aircraft burst, right in the face." "More than 200wounds..." "and his plane, a sieve." "But he will live to fly again." "But he will live to fly again." "Some planes will not return but others come back and land some how, anyhow." "Considering the toughness of Truk, our losses are astonishingly light." "No time is lostgetting casualties below." "Its a long way from Truk to our secret rendezvous in the Marshall Islands someday it can be told just where this is." "Actually, it is a magnificent fleet anchorage, an advanced Navall Base which we have taken from the Japs and made secure." "Now for the first time, we, who have been operating a separate, relatively, small task forces see assembled the enormous mass of Navall power." "Over 1 million tons of American fighting steel." "New carries..." "new battleships..." "New cruisers and fleet auxiliaries in an amount which Japan could never conceive." "Letal one produce." "That we are able to maintain supply lines over the vast distances of the Pacific is one of the miracles of this war." "In the comforting presence of so much power, we relax and refresh our battle strained nerves." "Our ship's post office now does really big business." "Letters for us at last from home." "Letters from us to friends and family." "Our sensors know our collective mood." "Our central hopos and thoughts." "The stuff is really getting out here now" "I can'ttell you much about it, butoooooh boy" "And the more we get, well the sooner I will be seeing you." "All hands are called together." "Our old skipper Jocko has been promoted Admlral." "Our new ones name is Dixie." "Men, as soon as I finish talking, we are getting underway." "Our Fighting Lady is now partof what is designated task force 58." "As you know, our final destination is a place called, Tokyo." "We will have to fight hard to getthere, but when we drop our hook at Yokohama I m going to throw a party." "All hands are cordially Invited." "Our task forces are built compactly now around carriers like ourselves with speedy new battle wagons by ourside." "A carrier's skipper never leaves the bridge atsea because carriers and their planes are first to strike the enemy or to be struck by him." "Our aircraft pilots are constantly on call." "For despite the massive power spread out around us these are still dangerous waters." "Our pilots knowthis all to well, but itdoesn'tworry them now for they're seasoned." "They know how." "There are a lot of new aces among us, but these men too have been in action." "At places like Hollandia, Mell, Jolllet," "Halau, Rabaul and Wake, Maloelap." "Our rear seat gunners and radio men are old hands now" "Some of their faces are different too, because there have been replacements." "A lost of them have been made commissioned officers." "There s a saying in the Navy, that you never getto love a carrier, until she gets hurt." "Well perhaps we don't really love our Fighting Lady, but we have become mighty fond of her." "And almost comfortable, almost at home." "Occasionally ourship board movies bring us that one thing we crave the mostl one touch ofsomething uttorly American." "One deep breath of home." "Llke Jocko, our new skipper Dixie is an old hell diving Navy. pilot." "In our battle camps, he and Admlral Mitscher look like big league baseball managers." "Northwest we steam and never before In history has an ocean born the weight ofsuch Navall power." "Not at Jutlan, not at Japan's proud boast Tsushlma ...was there anywhere near the force which we now assert that this is our ocean." "This is our air." "And we're seeking the Japanese battle fleet to prove it." "With our cruisers and our biggest new battle wagons present we are strong enough to hope, really to hope that we may proveke the Japanese fleet Into accepting a fight." "We are joined by plotting coastguards and navy transports." "The Marines again." "So, another amphibious assault is cooking." "Oh oh!" "Our patrols have spotted an enemy search plane and are after her." "She's a big bird." "A 20 ton four motor Kawanishl sea plane." "The kind we call Emlly's." "This Emlly is a tough old girl." "Right now she's screaming for help and telling Tokyo by radio where we are." "Hellcats are closing in on it." "So long Emlly." "Now that the enemy knows where we are, and we know he knows." "Our brass hats get together for final arrangements for what may turn Into another Midway." "Our objective, first of many in our drive through the Philippines and China will be the Marianas." "In battles just a head of us, we are to make good use of a multitude of weapons, special devices and techniques which have been evolved through the 30 years since the U. S. Navy... first took to the air." "Not only did our Navall flyerrs create the aircraftcarrier itself, ...but it was they who devised the torpedo plane and Invented and perfected dive bombing." "Disposed abou tour flight decks, so that the planes can be quickly armed are all manner of depth dealing objects." "500, 1000, and 2000 pound bombs." "We have torpedoes and Incendiaries." "And the kind of anti personnel bombs we call Daisy Cuttors." "Some ofour bombs are amour piercing." "Some for fragmentation." "Others have delayed action fuses to prolong the effect o four bombardment for hours after we have delivered it." "Here are the new rockets, that pack the same wallop as a 3 Inch shell." "They weigh little, and because there isn't much recoil they can be fired from planes." "On the eve of battle, we are told to scrub up to lessen the danger of Infection In case we are wounded." "Aswell as our bodies, mostof us prepare our souls." "Always on the eve of battle divine services are held in relays." "So that every one ofour Fighting Lady's 3000 sons has a chance to attend." "As the eve before battle lengthens, there is the usual waiting." "Agaln we're reminded that war is mostly waiting." "Because all cooks and bakers must soon be at their battle stations they work all night long preparing a hearty. meal ofsteak, ...and eggs for our 3 a.m. battle breakfast." "We are being attacked." "We are being attacked by Japanese torpedo planes, skimming In after us, wing to water." "All they want is one hit on our flight deck." "We have nearly 90 planes fueled and loaded with bombs, ready forthe take off." "Each patch offlame, is a burning Jap." "In the surprise attack, 19 Japs are polished off by ourshlp's batteries." "Not a single carrier is hit." "We have been fortunate." "So now commences another moment In The Fighting Lady's career." "Flight quarter sounds." "In this, modern war fare the young plane captain's are to their pilots whats qulres were to armored knights ofold." "In this operation, typical of many more to come a lot of other Fighting Ladies will be Involved." "Nearly 2000 carrier bassed planes, all of them attacking in airgroups, like our own." "From now on we tighten our belts and steady our hands." "As our Navy. makes progressively bigger attacks nearer and nearer the heart of Japan." "At his post and radio plot, tracking down enemy planes and cursing the luck that keeps him out of the air." "Smokey chafes at being grounded on a day like this." "Especially when targets are juicy ones." "All the Jap airbases and military Installations in the Marianas and a speoial prize packagee Guam." "The island which we did not fortify, but the Japs did." "Now comes the word that the Japs have sent strong air reinforcements to TInian which flanks Guam." "Agaln our synchronized cameras record, ...as no human eye and memory could record just what our guns and bombs do to the enemy." "These pictures enable our air combat intelligent officers to asses the damage, aswe swoop down on TInian." "Whlle our planes return for more fuel and ammunition the surface vessels take over." "A navall barrage to prepare the beaches our assault forces are going to hit." "Not only our newest, but some ofour oldest and proudest battle ships are here." "The Colorado, The Tennesssee ...and the U. S. S. Pennsylvania, the flag ship of WW 1." "Winging home to the Fighting Lady, several ofour planes, crippled make a game attempt to land." "Now is when the landing signal oficer must judge notonly the speed but estimate the battle damage of planes like these." "And flightdeck emergency crews, fire fighters, rescue details and medical foremen..." "exhlbital most Incredible courage." "The pilot of a torpedo plane has been unable to release his Incendiaries," "Burning termite is spilling out an Incandescont heat." "In the planes tanks, remain about 75 gallons of high octane gas." "The men who brave this danger to save pilotand crew deserve every citation they get." "In the ready rooms, intelligent oficers question battle weary pilots." "What did you see?" "Any Jap carriers in sight?" "Are you sure they were carrier bassed planes?" "Then from radio plot comes uncomfortable news torpedo planes, and enemy dive bombers from enemy aircraftcarriers are approaching." "All hands, man your battle stations"." "To our engine room go orders for flank speed... which is a few knots faster than full speed, In case we need to take evasive action." "All boilers are lighted, to let The Fighting Lady outdo herself if necessary" "The engine room people turn on the heat and the propeller shafts turn like fate in their alleys." "The Fighting Lady leaps through the sea on herguard." "Sklpper Dixie gears himself for action and so does wise old Scrappy." "And now, here they come." "A Jap JIII, torpedo bomber, miraculously keeps coming through our wall of flak." "He's approaching us fast, with a life that must be charmed." "Our gunners throw everything they've got, but still she comes." "If he ever releases that torpedo..." "He missed us..." "Either the pilot was already dead or his release gear jammed." "Smokey, the pride of Arkansas, hears about that one and he almost takes of." "Now our reconnaissance has spotted the Japanese task forces." "This is the momentwe've been fighting and praying for." "Every plane thatcan fly, and every qualified pilot is ordered Into the air." "At last Smokey gets his chance to fly again." "Pilots man your planes"." ""Pilots man your planes"." "Philippine trade wind is tearing down our flightdeck." "Our planes strain forward to rise Into it." "Our entire airgroup thunders out behind the group commander" "Now our fighters run Into a swarm of Jap fighters mostly Zeros, sent up to intercept our attack on the Japanese fleet." "A mad aerial scramble begins which the boys to this day still call the Marianas turkey shoot." "369 Jap planes are shotdown ...In this single day to our loss of 22." "Japanese plane makers have sacrificed strongth and fire power for agility and their planes is Integrate quickly when you hit them." "They have no amour plate, as ours have norare their gas tanks selfsealing." "These little monkeys are fancy flyerrs." "They think aerobatics can win dog fights, where as we believe in smooth flying and careful shooting." "And now, at last, through a late afternoon haze from high altitude our aircombatgroup sights the Imperial Japanese battle fleet." "These are the first pictures ever taken of a great enemy navall formation like this." "There it is... an Imperial fleet." "Crawling around below us In violent evasive action." "Us, looking down on them..." "In the seas they think they own." "Some ofthese Japanese ships are scampering away at better than 40 knots." "When you bore straightdown on them, they twist and squirm." "They engage a big destroyer at the bow, hoping to shoot out his bridge." "And he shoots back, plehty" "Let's go down after that cruiser." "He answers us empathically from the forward turret." "Now a 25 thousand ton Jap carrier ofthe Hayataka class is going to get it." "Watch 5 o clock in the camera." "The lower right hand corner of the screen." "This big flat top gets it where the turkey gets the axe." "Will you touch of some of these babies." "Just watch this one." "And now we come home from the battle of the Philippine sea." "17 Jap warships have been sunk or severely damaged." "Several ofour returning planes have been badly shot up." "A dive bomber pulls in out of gas he pulls offto starboard, but he knows its over because his wheels are down." "This pilot has 73 holes in his plane." "And his leg almost shot away." "To clear the deck for other planes, number 30, badly damaged, is jett is oned." "Given the deep six." "Watch carefully." "This man's controls are all but shot away." "He stops out of it, smiling." "And now it is time to paint up the scores." "On this fine morning, justa year after being commissioned The Fighting Lady is beginning to look like a stamp album." "She has done her share." "Amassing Task Force 58 is grand total of 757 Jap aircraft destroyed in a two week turkey shoot." "But there's another score to add up." "Our own casualties." "Quiet a few faces are no longer with us on The Fighting Lady." "Among them..." "Lt. Commander Upson, skipper of our torpedo squadron." "Lt. Pappy." "Condit." "Lt. John Mean." "And that fighting gentlemen, Lt. Smokey Stover" "Yes, Smokey's missing too." "Salute them, under their country's flag." "Forthey were brave..." "they were gallant." "Others will come forward to take their places." "But the battleswe have fought on the seas and in the sky are only the beginning." "Still hungry for battle, will steam our carrier serene, powerful unafraid." "She and her planes will come home again some day..." "God grant." "But not until the bitter glorious end." "Forshe is, and we salute her The Fighting Lady." "The End"