Other titles:THE ROYAL NAVY IN NORTHERN AND ATLANTIC WATERS [Allocated Series Title]
Summary: Scenes onboard HMS Scylla, escort to convoy PQ.18.
Description: Reel One. Opening sequence shows anti-aircraft fire by after turrets, multiple 2-pounder and Oerlikons. LS of aerial intruder, a Bf 109. Bombs explode among merchantmen in convoy. Tracers go out from the cameraship towards two low flying aircraft - a destroyer fires its forward guns as the raiders go past - flak fragments fall back into the sea. LS over the convoy - a pall of black smoke rises from a stricken vessel. A second ship is burning, producing a plume of grey smoke. HMS Harrier (J.71) approaches and comes alongside Scylla. Reel Two. Series of pans over the convoy and shots of merchantmen in line astern of the cameraship. MS of one of the ship's Oerlikon positions. HA.MS onto the focsle of HMS Harrier alongside as survivors from a sunken merchantman transfer to Scylla. The minesweeper makes off. LS of a huge pall of smoke hanging over a stricken merchantman, and reaching up to the cloud layer - F Class (?) destroyer in foreground of one shot. LS over the convoy in calm, foggy conditions. Captain MacIntyre and Rear-Admiral Burnett scan the convoy and converse together. MS of a group of survivors wearing a mixture of British and US uniform. A man plays with a small puppy - it licks his nose (the man is identified by a family member as Stanley Dalbec, with his dog Lassie). Bridge crew relax over tea and a game of draughts - they spring to action stations to oblige the cameraman. LS views of the convoy in choppy sea - a Halcyon Class minesweeper passes. Final sequence shows a merchantmen and distant destroyers silhouetted against the snow-capped mountains of the Russian coast.
Alternative Title:THE ROYAL NAVY IN NORTHERN AND ATLANTIC WATERS [Allocated Series Title]
Production Details: Admiralty (Production sponsor)
Gaumont British News (Production company)
McLachlan, Edward (Production individual)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Burnett, Robert Lindsay (person)
MacIntyre, J A P (person)
Royal Navy, Scylla (regiment/service)
Royal Navy, Harrier (regiment/service)
Keywords: ships, British naval - cruiser: Scylla (object name)
ships, British naval - minesweeper, ocean: Harrier (J.71) (object name)
operations, British naval - rescue: convoy survivors (object name)
operations, British naval - escort (object name)
combat, British naval - anti-aircraft (object name)
operations, British maritime - movement: convoy (object name)
Second World War & Convoy PQ.18 & 9/1942 (event)