BOMBARDMENT OF CHONGJIN; HMS WHITESAND BAY ON ANTI-SUBMARINE EXERCISE [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: BOMBARDMENT OF CHONGJIN; HMS WHITESAND BAY ON ANTI-SUBMARINE EXERCISE [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: ADM 1390
  • Other titles: POST-WAR NAVAL OPERATIONS - KOREA [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: Miscellaneous unedited naval footage.
  • Description: I. 25 May, 1952. USS Iowa bombards Chongjin on the east coast, assisted by aircraft from Task Force 77. Cameraship is HMAS Warramunga. LS to smoke rising from fires onshore. MS aft down starboard side to 40mm AA and after guns trained over the beam - Y turret fires at high elevation. Large formation of aircraft passes overhead. LSs of USS Iowa - the battleship has B turret trained over the port beam - she fires a round of 16-inch. Misty MLS off starboard beam of Iowa, the cameraship moving right onto her bow - B turret fires at a slow deliberate pace - at the end of the sequence the battleship flashes a signal. LS to the coast and port buildings of Chongjin - many fires are burning - an explosion adds to the rising smoke pall. II. LA.MS to single Bofors on starboard side of Warramunga - it opens fire at zero degrees elevation - muzzles of the twin 40mm, which is also firing, are visible at upper right of frame. LS to coast - a hill is under fire, and smoke drifts away to the right in a stiff breeze. III. HMS Whitesand Bay on an anti-submarine exercise. Crewmen arm depth bombs on Hedgehog - emerging from the deckhouse beneath the forward 4-inch mounting, two men notice the camera and run their fingers along their eyebrows in classic arch gesture. MS forward along the starboard side of the focsle as the Hedgehog fires, cutting to LS over the bow to the pattern of falling bombs. Hedgehog is reloaded. IV. HMS Whitesand Bay transports US and Korean marines to Sok-to for island defence. HA.MS aft down frigate's portside to an approaching LCM - a crewman lowers a side fender. LCM comes alongside and the marines file onboard. USM Corporal and Korean CO talk with a crewman. Ship gets underway, the troops sitting with their kit on the quarterdeck. Troops disembark into another LCM. V. Rear-Admiral Scott-Moncrieff on one of the islands off the west coast of Korea, confers with US and ROK officers regarding covering fire for a proposed landing operation. The Admiral and his party board a LCP(L) to return to the Belfast. VI. HA.MS from anchored Whitesand Bay to two local craft approaching on the port quarter. CUs of the craft alongside, transferring stretcher cases onto the frigate's quarterdeck. Ship's MO attends one of the wounded before transfer to the frigate.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1945-1975
  • Production Date: 1952
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Admiralty (Production sponsor)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Scott-Moncrieff, Alan Kenneth (person) Royal Navy, Whitesand Bay (regiment/service) Royal Australian Navy, WARRAMUNGA (HMAS), destroyer (regiment/service) United States Navy, USS IOWA, battleship (1942) (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: ships, British naval - escort: Whitesand Bay (object name) ships, Australian naval - destroyer: Warramunga (object name) ships, United States naval - battleship: Iowa (object name) combat, United Nations naval - bombardment: Chongjin (object name) operations, British naval - movement: reinforcing island garrison (object name) operations, British naval - routine: jackstay transfer (object name) training, British naval - combat: anti-submarine (object name) medical, British naval - emergency (object name) medical, British naval - movement (object name) weapons, British naval - depth charge: Hedgehog (object name) Korea & Chongjin (geography) Korea & Sok-to Island (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 1000 ft; Running time: 11 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Notes: Summary: the US battleship shown bombarding in episode I is identified as SS Missouri on the soundtrack of ADM 1419. Iowa and Missouri both bombarded Chongjin, and in both cases HMAS Warramunga was present. The two battleships were in appearance very similar at this time, so identification is difficult. The bombardment by Iowa seems more likely (1) - because of its later date. Missouri bombarded on 12 October, 1950, and most of the ADM Korea material is from a later period. (2) - because of the presence of significant numbers of aircraft. Iowa's bombardment was coordinated with air strikes, while that of Missouri was not. (3) Iowa's bombardment is described as being one of great precision, using mainly single shots - the film record seems to show such a slow rate of fire. However, the identification should be regarded as a provisional one
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    ADM 1390

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