Summary: Film, introduced by Captain Guy Morgan DSO, charting how a naval assault task force could be deployed. Footage is based on the exercise "Dark Night".
Description:The film shows: scenes of war in South-East Asia; a conference of United States officials summing up tactics; the Royal Marine Commandos going on board HMS Bulwark, with footage and discussion of this ship; HMS Victorious, with Sea Vixen landing on the flight deck; the Gannet, now mainly used for anti-submarine patrol; the Royal Fleet Auxiliary delivering delivering supplies and fuel; that there is a view to carry out the assault from two separate areas within twenty-four hours and a discussion of the situation at that moment; what exactly a task force is and does; HMS Kent, missile destroyer; flying over the jungle and men landing from helicopters with everything going as planned; the reason for a task force and the importance of combined operations, and the men planning the next move and talking of the important role that the Navy still has to play.
The first couple of reels also include montages of archive footage, which voiceover introduces contextually as indicative of the devastation, suffering and distress inflicted upon civilians, some of whom are shown injured and mutilated by conflict. Several shots of fairly large numbers of (unidentifiable) corpses lay on the ground, and a close up on hands bound. The montage includes a woman looking disconsolately into the distance ahead, while at her feet lay two unidentifiable dead bodies, one covered and the other facing away from the camera (face not seen). The ages of the two casualties is difficult to discern. Later, similar commentary laments the 'death and degradation' of war in this region, showing archive of scenes of devastation. Shots of dead bodies (mostly under cover) are lined up on stretchers on the ground, with one in the foreground with hands bound, faces unseen. Closer shot of an unidentifiable corpse, followed by another shot of a dead body lying amid a devastated and visually chaotic landscape.
Alternative Title:
Colour:B&W
Digitised:Yes
Object_Number:COI 323
Sound:Sound
Access Conditions:IWM
Film: IWM (COI 323)
Featured Period:1945-1989
Production Date:1965-1965
Production Country:GB
Production Details:Central Office of Information (Production sponsor)
Mason, Barry J (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations:
Keywords:
Physical Characteristics:Colour format: B&W
Sound format: Sound
Soundtrack language: English
Title language: English
Technical Details:Footage: 2388 ft; Running time: 65 mins
