THE CONVOY MUST GO THROUGH [Main Title]

Log in to create clips, download free screeners and save clips/films in Collections. Click here to find out more.


  • Title: THE CONVOY MUST GO THROUGH [Main Title]
  • Film Number: ADM 548
  • Other titles: BRITISH MOVIETONE NEWS ISSUE 635 (item) [Alternative Title] OPERATION SUBSTANCE [Alternative Title]
  • Summary: Operation Substance, supply convoy from Gibraltar to Malta escorted by Force H and elements from the Home Fleet. Cameraship is HMS Renown. There is also material showing ammunitioning on HMS Warspite in Alexandria, and the arrival of captured U-boat crewmen at a British port.
  • Description: I. Operation Substance. Escort force at sea. HMS Nelson and Ark Royal steam in company with Renown. A Sunderland flying boat circles and flashes a signal. The convoy comes under air attack - flak speckles the sky, a stick of three bombs explodes in the distance, flak fragments fall near Renown - the raiders themselves are barely discernible. A Fulmar ditches. LS of Nelson with cruiser HMS Edinburgh in the background. Fulmars fly off and land on Ark Royal. A Tribal Class destroyer passes. MS amidships on the port side of HMS Fearless - the destroyer is stationary and has lowered a boat. LS of HMS Hermoine. LS of Fearless - a column of smoke rises aft and she is listing - a Tribal is in attendance. XLS of smoke pall rising over the convoy from the burning Fearless. MS off the port bow of Nelson - two UP mountings carried on B turret are very evident. Onboard Renown AA crews prepare for action. LS over the convoy as a raider flies low past Arethusa. Renown passes a ditched SM 79 - HMAS Nestor in the background. Various shots of Nelson as she steams in company with the cameraship. LA.CU of White Ensign. II. Ammunitioning on HMS Warspite in Alexandria. 15-inch shells are swung inboard from a lighter and rolled along the deck to where they can be lowered down to the magazines - HMS Eagle and HMS Valiant appear briefly in the background. LA of two men sitting on barrel of one of the 15-inch guns and LA of X and Y turrets. More shells are manhandled across the deck - in the background can be seen Warspite's twin 4-inch AA and very briefly, HMS Barham. III. Italian POWs in a tented camp in the desert. The Italians are just sitting or lying about. IV. Destroyer of the Mediterranean Fleet. LA.CU study of the standard Quadruple 2-pounder Mk VII mounting as it trains and elevates. V. HMS Warspite. LA from focsle to foremast and pan down to A and B turrets. Ammunitioning is still going on. VI. Entitled "U-Boat prisoners", the sequence shows them being disembarked and assembled on the quayside before being marched off under armed guard. The two destroyers alongside are Modified W Class escorts.
  • Alternative Title: BRITISH MOVIETONE NEWS ISSUE 635 (item) [Alternative Title] OPERATION SUBSTANCE [Alternative Title]
  • Colour: B&W
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: ADM 548
  • Sound: Silent
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1941-07
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Admiralty (Production sponsor) British Movietone News (Production company)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Royal Navy, Nelson (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Renown (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Ark Royal (regiment/service) Royal Navy, EDINBURGH (HMS), light cruiser (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Hermione (regiment/service) Royal Navy, ARETHUSA (HMS), training ship (regiment/service) Royal Navy, FEARLESS (HMS), destroyer (1934) (regiment/service) Royal Navy, EAGLE (HMS), aircraft carrier (1946) (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Warspite (regiment/service) Royal Navy, Valiant (regiment/service) Royal Navy, BARHAM (HMS), battleship (regiment/service) Royal Australian Navy, NESTOR (HMAS), destroyer (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: ships, British naval - battleship: Nelson (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Renown & [-] (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Warspite & [-] (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Valiant & [-] (object name) ships, British naval - battleship: Barham & [-] (object name) ships, British naval - aircraft carrier, fleet: Ark Royal (object name) ships, British naval - aircraft carrier, fleet: Eagle & [-] (object name) ships, British naval - cruiser: Edinburgh & [-] (object name) ships, British naval - cruiser: Hermione & [-] (object name) ships, British naval - cruiser: Arethusa & [-] (object name) ships, British naval - destroyer: Fearless & [wrecked] (object name) ships, Australian naval - destroyer: Nestor & [-] (object name) ships, British naval - destroyer: Tribal Class (object name) aircraft, British naval - combat: Fairey Fulmar (object name) aircraft, British naval - seaplane: Short Sunderland & [-] (object name) aircraft, Italian - combat: Savoia-Marchetti SM 79 Sparviero & [wrecked] (object name) combat, British naval - anti-aircraft (object name) operations, British naval - escort (object name) operations, British naval - preparation: ammunitioning (object name) prisoners of war, Italian - custody (object name) prisoners of war, German - movement: U-boat crewmen (object name) weapons, British naval - gun: 2-pounder (object name) Second World War & Operation Substance & 7/1941 (event) Egypt & Alexandria (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: English Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 493 ft; Running time: 6 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    ADM 548

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:
Register