Title:POLARIS AND SEA DART MISSILE TESTS [Allocated Title]
Film Number:ADM 2012
Other titles:POST-WAR NAVAL OPERATIONS - MISCELLANEOUS [Allocated Series Title]
Summary: Three episodes: (i) firing of a Polaris A3 by HMS Resolution, (ii) launching of HMS Churchill, and (iii) test firing of a Sea Dart SAM from a shore base.
Description: I. LS over sea - a Royal Navy Polaris A3 fired from HMS Resolution breaks the surface and climbs away into a blue sky, the camera panning to keep the missile in centre screen. This was the first successful British submarine firing carried out on 15 February, 1968. Cut to a similar sequence, but showing an early US test of an A1 Polaris.
II. Black and white sequence showing the Honourable Mrs Christopher Soames, daughter of Sir Winston Churchill, carrying out the christening ceremony at the launching of the nuclear Fleet submarine HMS Churchill at the Barrow-in-Furness yard of Messrs Vickers Ltd Shipbuilding Group on 20 December, 1968. MS-LS from the launch platform at the head of the slip as Churchill is launched.
III. Telephoto LS to an onshore Sea Dart emplacement. The missile is fired and climbs away, the camera panning to follow its flight. The rocket booster falls away and the missile continues downrange on ramjet sustainer. The target is a tower built out at sea with an infra-red flare burning at the top. The missile hits the tower, but there is apparently no warhead - a pall of smoke rises as the missile's residual fuel burns away.
Alternative Title:POST-WAR NAVAL OPERATIONS - MISCELLANEOUS [Allocated Series Title]
Production Details: Directorate of Public Relations (Navy) (Production sponsor)
Personalities, Units and Organisations: Soames, Mary (Baroness) (person)
Royal Navy, Resolution (regiment/service)
Royal Navy, CHURCHILL (HMS) (regiment/service)
Vickers (regiment/service)
Keywords: ships, British naval - submarine: Churchill & [nuclear] (object name)
weapons, British naval - missile: Sea Dart (object name)
weapons United States naval - missile: Polaris & [British] (object name)
industry, British - ships (object name)
Barrow-in-Furness, Lancashire, England, UK (geography)
