FIGHTING THE FLY BOMB [Main Title]

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  • Title: FIGHTING THE FLY BOMB [Main Title]
  • Film Number: AMY 937
  • Other titles:
  • Summary: Short film with intertitles intended for screening to factory workers in London, produced to encourage workers to keep working around the V1 attacks on London, which were causing considerable disruption to production rates in the factories.
  • Description: THIS FILM IS DESIGNED TO SHOW HOW FLYING BOMBS ARE PLOTTED FROM THEIR LAUNCHING BASES UNTIL THE MOMENT THEY EXPLODE...MEN AND WOMEN OF THE ROYAL OBSERVER CORPS AND A.A. COMMAND USING RADAR AND OTHER DEVICES KEEP INCREASING VIGIL, WATCHING AND PLOTTING THEIR COURSE. Map of South East England. Animation shows course of a V1 pilotless rocket (commonly known as a flying bomb or doodlebug) flying towards and then detonating in central London. Footage of V1 in the air. FIGHTERS, ACK-ACK GUNS AND BALLOONS ALL TAKE THEIR TOLL OF HITLER'S WEAPON, BUT SOME DO GET THROUGH. LET US LOOK AT THE VAST ORGANISATION CREATED FOR YOUR SAFETY. V1 plummets to the ground and explodes. Royal Observer Corps (ROC) lookout post. ROC volunteer scans the sky with the assistance of a pair of binoculars. RADAR AND THE ROYAL OBSERVER CORPS HAVE PICKED UP THE TRACK OF THE BOMB. BY RADIO AND TELEPHONE THE NEWS REACHES A GUN SITE. Views of gun battery. LIKE LIGHTNING ALL DEFENCES ARE FULLY MOBILISED AGAINST THE ENEMY. Pilots run to waiting Hurricane fighters (RAF 610 Squadron) on airfield (either RAF Biggin Hill or RAF Hawkinge). Spitfires (RAF 64 Squadron) take off from RAF Hornchurch. Artillery post. Raising barage ballons down by the coast. THE HOME SECURITY OFFICER AT THE GUN SITE RECEIVES PLOTS AND TRANSMITS THEM TO THE CONTROL FACTORIES IN HIS AREA. Control Room. Plotting the course of a V1, which appears at this point to be over the town on Hastings in Sussex. Radar station. Roof spotters in London. Spotter in immaculate pin-striped suit with telephone and binoculars keeping watch. Chart indicates that V1 has now reached the vicinity of Tunbridge Wells in Kent. THE BOMB ENTERS THE OUTER RING. THE CONTROL FACTORY GIVE THE "STAND-BY" SIGNAL TO THE SATELLITE FACTORIES WHICH ARE IN DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH THE CONTROL FACTORY. Illustrations demonstrate satellite reporting system. V1 in flight again. Chart now shows that V1 has reached Kenley. THE FACTORY WARNING IS GIVEN INSIDE THE CONTROL FACTORY AND THE SATELLITE FACTORIES WHEN THE BOMB ENTERS THE INNER RING. The roof spotters spy the V1 in the sky and report the appearance accordingly. The "Dive" button is pressed accordingly and a warning is sent to the factories, where the workers run to the nearest shelter, or hide under or by their equipment. Shots of the River Thames with St Paul's Cathedral in the background. V1 detonates. AS THE BOMB ENTERED THE CLOSE RING THE CRASH WARNING WAS SOUNDED. HAD THIS BOMB HAVE TAKEN A COURSE OUTSIDE THE DANGER LANE WITHIN THE CLOSE RING IT WOULD HAVE NOT BEEN NECESSARY TO GIVE A CRASH WARNING. Map again showing the path the V1 took. THE BOMB MIGHT HAVE EVEN FALLEN WITHIN THE CLOSE RING BUT ALL SATELLITE FACTORIES WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFE. ONLY WHEN THE PLOTTING BOARD IS FREE FROM BOMBS IN THE INNER RING AREA IS THE CLEARANCE GIVEN. The pencil drawn path of the V1 is erased from the plotting board. Women workers return to their machines in factory. ROC workers stand down and enjoy a cigarette. YOU HAVE SEEN PART OF THE VAST ORGANISATION WHICH GUARDS YOUR SAFETY. THE PATH OF EVERY BOMB OVER ENGLAND IS CAREFULLY PLOTTED. THIS ENSURES THAT YOU GET WARNING AND SECURITY. Final title against a background of workers in factory: YOU CAN TRUST THE EXPERTS TO GIVE YOU YOUR WARNING.
  • Alternative Title:
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: AMY 937
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Ministry of Aircraft Production (MAP) (Production sponsor)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations:
  • Keywords:
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent
  • Technical Details: Format: 16mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 259 ft; Running time: 7 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    AMY 937

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