FLOATING FORTRESS [Main Title]

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  • Title: FLOATING FORTRESS [Main Title]
  • Film Number: ADM 2124
  • Other titles: POST-WAR NAVAL OPERATIONS - MISCELLANEOUS [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: An introduction to the modernised HMS Victorious and her air group.
  • Description: Impressive statistics about Britain's "latest aircraft carrier", and a guide to the geography of the ship - bridge, remote machinery control room, damage control HQ, steam boiler rooms and steam catapults. Victorious calls at Gibraltar where two CPOs visit the market and feed the apes. Shipboard routines of the Commander's and the Squadron Offices. Sequence illustrating the labyrinthine quality of the ships passageways and the cryptic nature of many of the notices. Victorious refuels from RFA Tideflow. Scale of the work of the ship's bakery and catering department - 3750 meals a day. Mens' mess and officers' wardroom. Sick bay and dental surgery. HMS Corunna (D.32) in company for exercises. Maintenance work on the hangar deck. Instrument repair shop and metal work shop. Men buying goods at the canteen. Communications - W/T and radio teletype. Entry into Grand Harbour, Malta. Paymaster's office issues pay and men take showers and smarten up at the barbers. Mixing and issue of the daily rum ration. Men on leave take a dghaisa (dghajsa). Views of Grand Harbour and a brief history - the Italian Amerigo Vespucci is present. Those onboard can read books from the library or listen to the ship's radio station. Men play cards in the petty officers' mess. Instruction for one of the ship's helmet divers in the harbour waters. Sunday routine - divisions followed by divine service. At sea again, men occupy their Sunday leisure hours sunbathing - one group listens to a record player. Weather forecasting - an essential prelude to air operations. Aircrews are briefed. Aircraft maintenance control room plans aircraft availability. Hangar control sends aircraft up to the flightdeck. Pilots board their aircraft and the planeguard Whirlwinds take up position. Scimitar F.1s of 803 Squadron are launched. Views of Mirror Landing Sight and Type 984 radar. Scimitars land on - excellent shots of the arrester wires in action. Aircrew at refreshment bar in between flights. Sea Venom FAW.21s of 893 Squadron are launched. Four of them fly overhead in diamond formation. Crash crew wait in asbestos suits. Venoms are recovered. Flying operations flag is hauled down, and flying is finished for the day.
  • Alternative Title: POST-WAR NAVAL OPERATIONS - MISCELLANEOUS [Allocated Series Title]
  • Colour: Colour
  • Digitised: No
  • Object_Number: ADM 2124
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: NON-IWM
  • Featured Period: 1946-1975
  • Production Date: 1959
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: United Artists (Production company) Baim, Harold (Production individual) Baim, Harold (Production individual) Winner, Michael (Production individual) Owen, Eric (Production individual) Burger, Alfred (Production individual) De Wolfe (Production individual) Levy, Gerald (Production individual) Lanning, Howard (Production individual) Lanning, Dennis (Production individual) Cape, John (Production individual) Walker, Robert Stamp 'Bob'1912-12-01Family origin: Edinburgh, Scotland (Production individual) Milner, W (Production individual) Beatty, Robert Rutherford1909-10-191992-03-03 (Production cast)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Coke, C P (person) Royal Navy, Victorious (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Tideflow (regiment/service) Royal Navy, CAMPERDOWN (HMS), destroyer (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm, Sqdn 803 (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm, Sqdn 893 (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: ships, British naval - aircraft carrier, fleet: Victorious (object name) ships, British naval - destroyer: Camperdown (D.32) (object name) ships, British naval - supply: Tideflow (object name) aircraft, British naval - combat: Supermarine Scimitar (object name) aircraft, British naval - combat: De Havilland Sea Venom (object name) aircraft, British naval - helicopter: Westland Whirlwind (object name) operations, British naval - routine: replenishment at sea (object name) Gibraltar (geography) Malta (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: English Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 16mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 1050 ft; Running time: 29 mins
  • HD Media:No
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    ADM 2124

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