TRIALS OF THE ANGLED DECK ON USS ANTIETAM [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: TRIALS OF THE ANGLED DECK ON USS ANTIETAM [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: ADM 1426
  • Other titles: POST-WAR NAVAL OPERATIONS - MISCELLANEOUS [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: Cruising in the Channel, USS Antietam demonstrates the fully angled flightdeck for the Service Trials Unit.
  • Description: MS across the flightdeck of USS Antietam to a Supermarine Attacker FB.2 (WP 295) on the starboard bow catapult - the aircraft is launched. A Sea Hawk F.1 of 806 Squadron goes low overhead. LS aft from the forward aircraft park down the centreline of the flightdeck as a 806 Squadron Sea Hawk does a touch and go along the angled deck. Sea Hawks are launched, practise a series of rollers, and are recovered. A US Piasecki Retriever lands on. Men set up a nylon crash barrier across the deck. A Westland Dragonfly from RNAS Ford is pushed forward to park. HA.LS aft down deck - Sea Hawks 163 and 168 are parked on the starboard side, there is a centre range of mixed AF-2S and AF-2W Guardians, and F9F-5 Panthers are parked along the port deck edge. The Panther pilots are strapped in, and the aircraft straighten wings and taxi forward to line up for catapult launching. A Guardian AF-2W takes off along the angled deck - a second aircraft follows, the radar operator sitting with his cabin open. The Panthers perform a series of rollers before landing on - RN and civilian observers watch from the 40mm and 5-inch gun positions aft of the island. An Attacker and then some Sea Hawks go through a similar routine. Panthers land on, followed by two Douglas F3D-2 Skynights. A Sea Hawk lands on and taxies round to park up on the starboard side. More film of Attackers performing rollers and landing on - two miss the wire and have to go round again, one of them having made a very heavy touch down. LS aft along the flightdeck as a Sea Hawk performs a roller, and pan left to an Attacker on the starboard bow catapult.
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1946-1975
  • Production Date: 1953-05
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Admiralty (Production sponsor)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm, Sqdn 806 (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm, Sqdn 703 (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Fleet Air Arm, Service Trials Unit (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Peregrine (regiment/service) United States Navy, USS ANTIETAM, aircraft carrier (1944) (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: ships, United States naval - aircraft carrier, fleet: Antietam (36) (object name) aircraft, British naval - combat: Supermarine Attacker (object name) aircraft, British naval - combat: Hawker Sea Hawk (object name) aircraft, British naval - helicopter: Westland Dragonfly (object name) aircraft, United States naval - combat: Grumman AF Guardian (object name) aircraft, United States naval - combat: Grumman F9F Panther (object name) aircraft, United States naval - combat: Douglas F3D Skynight (object name) aircraft, United States naval - helicopter: Piasecki HUP Retriever (object name)
  • 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: 1296 ft; Running time: 14 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Notes: Summary: for these trials the British originators of the angled deck concept, Captain Dennis Campbell and Lewis Boddington, were invited onboard as guests. Some years later both were awarded the US Legion of Merit
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    ADM 1426

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