Historical Archive

THE REINFORCED TANK BATTALION IN THE ATTACK U.S. ARMY TRAINING FILM 23784

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 05:05:37 GMT

This 1947 U.S. Army training film deals with the staging of tank battalions and shows a re-enactment of the U.S. 50th Tank Battalion preparing for battle. The film was made just after World War II and features many battle scenes and explosions. Some real. Some staged. The job of the 50th is to knock out a German communications center.

At time code 3:27 we see a flash back of the general briefing session the day before the attack begins. Lots of Generals and Colonels talking to troops, writing on blackboards and looking at maps. At time code 13:02 prep begins with troops and commanders studying more maps and driving to commandeered farm houses being used as command posts. At time code 18:34 the soldiers are out in the field scouting the objective.
At time code 29:06 the attack begins at 0-6 00, followed by various battle scenes; tanks rolling and firing, explosions, ground fire and troops engaged in rifle combat. In the end, the objective is met. The communications outpost is captured by the Allies.

The 50th Armored Division was a division of the Army National Guard from July 1946 until 1993. On 13 October 1945 the War Department published a postwar policy statement for the entire Army, calling for a 27-division Army National Guard structure with 25 infantry divisions and 2 armored divisions to accommodate the desires of all the states. Once the process of negotiation was complete, among the new formations formed, for the first time in the National Guard, were armored divisions, the 49th and 50th. The 50th Armored Division replaced the 44th Infantry Division within the New Jersey Army National Guard. New Jersey, which had supported part of the 44th Division before the war, now supported the 50th Armored Division, which became nicknamed the "Jersey Blues." Therefore, most of its elements 'inherited' the history of the organic units of the old 44th, and elements of the new 44th perpetuated the history and traditions of former units in Illinois.

In a 1968 reorganization, the 48th and 49th Armored Divisions were disbanded but not the 50th, which from that point was joined by the 27th Armored Brigade from New York, the remnant of the 27th Armored Division. At this point, the division lost its 'Jersey Blues' nickname. Following efforts by Army Chief of Staff General Frederick C. Weyand to raise the readiness of the Army National Guard, the 50th Armored Division was reorganized as a bi-state division in New Jersey and Vermont. At the time, individual armor battalions in NJ and VT were issued 90-mm M48A1 and M48A3 medium tanks.

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Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZKmCYdFVfM
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

TRUE ADVENTURE TV SHOW SEARCH FOR TREASURE AT CORREGIDOR PHILIPPINES 70504

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 05:04:25 GMT

Dating to the early 1960s, this episode of the TRUE ADVENTURE TV show (originally called "Sunken Millions" but later re-title "Corregidor") has host Bill Burrud recounting his personal adventure at Corregidor in the Philippines. He is supposedly searching for a lost treasure of silver coins that had been dumped into the ocean under the orders of General Douglas MacArthur, in order to keep the coins from falling into Japanese hands. This does have a basis in fact — MacArthur's forces dumped millions of pesos into the deep crater south of Corregidor before surrendering. For more on this visit this site: http://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/the-lost-treasure-of-corregidor

The film is a re-enactment of Burrud’s experience and features many vignettes of the Corregidoran landscape and diving shots of Burrud and his companion as they search the ocean bottom of Manila Bay.

At time code 11:00 we tour through the fortress where the history of the lost coins began.

At time code 19:29, after numerous shots of the divers searching to no avail, two coins are found.

The rest of the film involves verifying that the silver is indeed part of the lost treasure and diving and filling buckets up with over two hundred of the precious coins.

William James "Bill" Burrud (January 12, 1925 – June 12, 1990) was a former child star and a television host and producer best known for his travel programs.

Born in Hollywood, California, Burrud was a son of Leland Burrud, who had produced one of the earliest known travel films in 1913. Burrud made his first film appearance at the age of 7 in Music in the Air. He also appeared in Captains Courageous with Spencer Tracy and in several films starring John Wayne. Burrud served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, then graduated from Harvard University.

In 1950 Burrud turned his attention to television. He coined the word "traventure" to describe the programs he intended to produce. The following year station KTTV in Los Angeles purchased his series The Open Road. In 1954 he founded Bill Burrud Productions, which would produce programs that included True Adventure, Vagabond, Wanderlust (the theme song for which was "The Happy Wanderer"), Animal World, Islands in the Sun, Wonderful World of Women, Safari to Adventure, Treasure, and Natural Wonders. His company also produced numerous television specials.

Burrud died from a heart attack in Sunset Beach, California in 1990 at the age of 65. He was buried at Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, California. His son John Burrud now heads the company.

For his many contributions to television entertainment, Burrud received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1977. Burrud's star is next to Elvis Presley's.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoYfsNtd-NM
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

WAR BULLETIN 10 BOXER BARNEY ROSS WAR DOGS I WAS THERE MALTA 24294

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 05:00:46 GMT

“This is an Official Film. Its showing is limited to those persons authorized to attend War Department theaters under Army Regulations 210-390 July 10, 1942.” With that, this black-and-white film —“The War: A Current Information Film for the Armed Services #10” — begins as a medley of “The Army Goes Rolling Along,” “The US Air Force Song,” and “Anchors Away” play with the opening credits. Produced by the War Department, the Army Service Forces Special Service Division, and the Signal Corps (with the cooperation of the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard), we are introduced at mark 00:57 to the “newest, biggest battlewagon on any ocean in the world,” a ship that “belongs to the USA.” This is the battleship USS North Carolina. Although specifics such as speed, complement, and armament, and patrol area are all secret, the viewer is assured that “any enemy aircraft that spots her won’t get back to its base.” Following a demonstration of the unidentified ship’s fire power, the film cuts to “Tell My Boy” at mark 02:45, as a montage of parents are shown, a female narrator reminds the viewer that “we gave our sons to our beloved America. Proudly we wait for news from them,” as the viewer is told how the Civilian Volunteer Self Defense Office of the Bronx organized a program so that foreign-speaking parents could dictate a letter to their sons in the armed forces. “This is only a small part of the war effort but what a great deal it means to these mothers and fathers — and their sons.”

Mark 05:30 takes us to a Marine Corps bulletin, “I Was There,” and we meet Barney Rosofsky — better known as 1920s and 1930s boxing champion Barney Ross — who enlisted in the Marines in 1942 as a private and served in the Pacific Theater. The film shows us highlights from his boxing career, including a May 1934 contest against Jimmy McLarnin at mark 05:55 in which Ross won the Welterweight Championship. (He would also be a world champion in the lightweight and light welterweight divisions during his career.) From there, we see Sgt. Barney Ross at mark 07:47, who explains how he received his promotion: “You take a boat to Guadalcanal and go in with the Marines.” During the Battle of Guadalcanal, a wounded Ross was credited with single-handedly fighting nearly two dozen Japanese soldiers before carrying a wounded soldier to safety the next morning. “The Japs never stopped firing that night,” Ross recalled at mark 10:08. “That night was by all odds the toughest round I have ever slugged through.” He went on to be earn a Bronze Star for his heroism, and in the film explains that he accepted it on the behalf of his entire company. “This isn’t a one man’s war.”

“This Dog’s Army,” presented at mark 10:40, features a “canine narrator” and his tale of enlisting in the army. At the “Dogs for Defense” induction center, we catch a glimpse of child star Shirley Temple at mark 11:37 and the story unfolds of how dogs are examined, “including certain parts where only a dog should look.” Canine basic training begins at mark 12:52, including how to become an attack dog.

The film concludes with the “Story of Malta” beginning at mark 15:46. (The Siege of Malta occurred from 1940 to 1942 in the Mediterranean Theater and pitted the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force against German and Italian forces for the strategically important island.) The film shows us a visit by Britain’s King George VI at mark 16:05, following the Allied victory, as he honors the Maltese people, as well as captured German footage of German planes taking to the sky at mark 17:00 as part of a combat mission against Malta. By mark 19:55, as a choir sings “Onward Christian Soldiers,” the narrator remarks that in the end all that was left was the island of Malta itself, but that was enough to allow the people to take up their lives again.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObWrI_dCgHQ
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

1963 CIVIL DEFENSE NUCLEAR WAR & FALLOUT SHELTER SURVIVAL FILM 44024

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:57:53 GMT

“Town of the Times” is the name of this 1963 color film from the Office of Civil Defense, starring Hollywood actors Ralph Meeker as George McCardle and Larry Gates as William Groves — two school board members who clash over the implementation of a public fallout shelter system. The film, from Wilding Productions, opens in a typical 1960s American town, “the one with the good Chinese restaurant and the movie theater that smells of popcorn,” as the camera pans along average citizens going about their lives as we catch glimpses of local stores and the town movie theater showing “The Day the Earth Caught Fire” and a newsstand with a furious Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev on the cover of the September 8, 1961 issue of TIME magazine … with a nuclear fireball behind him. And standing sentinel over the town: a Civil Defense siren. “No one thinks about it much any more; too many crises, too many scares. So we push it to the back of our minds, where it waits.”

As the scene cuts at mark 01:30 to carefree teens dancing to the 1961 pop song “Fallout Shelter,” we’re told that while the number of family fallout shelters in this Anytown USA numbers nearly 200, only five have been completed. So we learn about the possibility of building community fallout shelters, as opposed to ones for individual families, starting at mark 02:00. In a meeting scene, town officials discuss the positives and negatives of such public shelters, whether they be in a bank, school, or store basement, an the inevitable debate begins over who will pay for the construction and upkeep of the shelters, especially in public schools.

“I deny the issue is survival, because for the first time in human affairs, to kill is to be killed, and to let live is to live, An uneasy balance to be sure, but the beginnings of peace…,” says Gates’ character at mark 05:50 as he argues against their construction. “What will be left for those people when they come up out of their holes?”

As the film continues, there is talk of the strength of walls to protect against radiation, the implementation of a ventilation system, and storage facilities for water and other supplies. The smiling, innocent faces of young students are shown at mark 08:00, as Meeker’s character explains how the classroom’s brick walls would also offer protection against radiation, even though it’s above ground. Less than a minute later, the film takes us to a tour of a school in Paducah, Kentucky, that had already implemented such protocols.

Although the town in the film rejects the premise of community shelters, the storyline continues as Meeker’s character visits a neighboring town to visit a shelter that doubles as a meeting room. The two men go on to compare travel insurance to a Civil Defense shelter — as both offer protection to survivors of tragedy.

“If they want to build shelters in their homes that’s fine with me. But why a school?” Gates’ character laments at mark 14:25. “Why should a place for enlightenment suddenly become a center for war preparations?”

At mark 15:30, a presentation to an auditorium filled with parents discusses the danger of post-apocalyptic fallout for the benefit of the audience in the film … and this film’s audience. The speakers also field questions about what steps can be taken to survive a blast from a hydrogen bomb, including taking some sort of cover upon seeing the blinding flash of light and seeking a fallout shelter within 30 minutes, where one will likely have to stay for two weeks. But when an irate audience member questions what good would a shelter be if their town takes a direct hit, Gates’ character approaches the microphone at mark 21:25 and explains that he shares the sense of futility and doom — but that leads to inaction. “I had faced two possibilities: world peace and world destruction. I was notably reluctant to face the third: the possibility of a nuclear war in which some will survive. The most difficult of all to face because it requires intense preparation … for a day we hope will never come.”

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv0EG3LKBow
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

TRUE ADVENTURE TV SHOW U.S. COAST GUARD RESCUE AT SEA 23014

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:54:46 GMT

Dating to the early 1960s, this episode of TRUE ADVENTURE presents the job done by the U.S. Coast Guard, demonstrating their heroic and methodical search and rescue techniques. The re-enacted storyline, which uses official U.S. Navy and Coast Guard footage combined with re-enactments, involves a young couple who have gone out to the Pacific Ocean off Santa Monica Bay in their pleasure boat, only to have the engine quit and run out of battery, so communication is impossible. After not arriving back on shore when they had said they would, the Coast Guard is notified and the search operation begins.

The film features many Coast Guard vessels of different types and sizes, and air ships engaged in the search. It also includes footage of the Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw and USCGC Casco WAVP-370. A Grumman HU-16 Albatross flying boat is also seen at the 16:20 mark, and the USCG Cape Newagen WPB 95318 at 22:20. In the end, the hapless couple remains adrift for over 24 hours before being rescued.

The Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw, (sold commercially under its Sikorsky model number, S-55) was a multi-purpose helicopter used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwind in the United Kingdom. United States Navy and United States Coast Guard models were designated HO4S, while those of the U.S. Marine Corps were designated HRS. In 1962, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marine Corps versions were all redesignated as H-19s like their U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force counterparts.

Finally at time code 21:38 they are discovered and towed by a Coast Guard helicopter toward land and are intercepted by a Coast Guard cutter and brought safely to port.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNlNlhkH7k4
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

U.S. AIR FORCE HELICOPTER RESCUE OPERATIONS 1960s TRAINING FILM 80834

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:53:47 GMT

A 1960s United States Air Force film, “Helicopter Rescue Operations” takes it viewer along on various air rescue missions. Designed specifically for helicopter pilots, it’s purpose is to present examples of rescue procedures that will allow to use their training to successfully implement a rescue. Mark 01:05 shows a pilot, co-pilot, and paramedic headed for their helicopter for a standard aircraft and equipment check. “Although the best maintenance in the Air Force has pronounced it ready, you follow the first axiom of rescue procedure — double check everything … a simple mechanical failure can mean a victim instead of a survivor.”

“Knowing your equipment is part of your job. Another part is waiting,” the narrator continues at mark 03:40, as helicopter crews and the duty control officer are shown relaxing in a ready alert room, with some reading the AARSM 55-1 Rescue and Recovery Operations manual. Good thing, the narrator explains, as three pilots are shown parachuting into the sea at mark 04:30 — no communication, no mayday. One of the pilots uses a survival mirror to signal a passing aircraft, and a rescue operation is launched at mark 06:55. Following some computations to estimate the time of arrival and fuel consumption, the crew fires up the engine of a rescue and after visually clearing the surrounding area, head out to sea. While keeping track of fuel management during the mission, the target comes into view at mark 15:00, and the crew beings the “smoke placement phase” of the rescue mission by dropping a smoke bomb into the water to gauge wind direction, as the narrator outlines the continued time intervals of the operation.

With the rescue basket in place, the helicopter closes in on the downed pilot in his raft. At mark 18:30, the crew lowers the basket as the officer climbs in. The operation isn’t over, the viewer is reminded, as the rescued pilot informs the crew that were two other men onboard. With the second officer spotted at mark 22:00, the paramedic is lowered into the sea to rescue the unconscious man as the narrator explains the procedures the pilot must follow in the cockpit. Now that the unconscious man is onboard, the paramedic is shown trying to revive him, as the narrator discusses mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, he reminds the viewer at mark 26:35 that “his pick up was made possible by your conscientious application of procedures you learned in training.”

A second rescue helicopter is shown embarking on a separate search for the third officer after calculating his possible whereabouts, based on the locations of the other two men. Fortunately, the officer is shown accessing his URC-4 survival radio receiver-transmitter, as crews carry on with standard operating procedures. After dropping two paramedics into the forest to rescue the final crewman, he is finally brought to a rendezvous point and in the end, to a waiting ambulance. “You have best used your training, skills, equipment so that others may live,” the narrator says, as the film comes to an end.

The film features the Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw, (sold commercially under its Sikorsky model number, S-55) was a multi-purpose helicopter used by the United States Army and United States Air Force. It was also license-built by Westland Aircraft as the Westland Whirlwind in the United Kingdom. United States Navy and United States Coast Guard models were designated HO4S, while those of the U.S. Marine Corps were designated HRS. In 1962, the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marine Corps versions were all redesignated as H-19s like their U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force counterparts.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2lsr39TH1Q
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

" STATESMEN IN OVERALLS " CHRISTIAN RURAL OVERSEAS PROGRAM PRE-MARSHALL PLAN RELIEF EFFORT 44114

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:48:50 GMT

"Statesmen in Overalls" is a 1951 promotional film for the Christian Rural Overseas Program, also known as C.R.O.P., an ambitious private relief effort that pre-dated the Marshall Plan in Europe.
Christian Rural Overseas Program (CROP) began its operation in August 1947 under the sponsorship of Church World Service. A year later Lutheran World Service and the Catholic Rural Life Conference became co-sponsors, but withdrew in 1952. For a time nearly all Catholic, Protestant and Lutheran church was participating in CROP. The effort saved untold numbers of lives, through the generosity of American farmers.

CROP was organized to solicit and receive bulk gifts-in-kind from American farmers during the harvest season for needy people overseas. Each cooperating state had its own director and committee who in turn worked through county and local committees. Active solicitation and collection was carried on by local church representatives on the principle of American Christians sharing with their needy brethren overseas. Gifts received were distributed through church agencies abroad among the most needy regardless of race, creed, or color.

0:33 - 0:54: The film begins with a philosophical and biblical reference, stating "in the beginning was the word," leading into the chaos and destruction of war, highlighting death and devastation.
1:05 - 2:04: Post-war, the world is described as filled with misery both in the East and West, with Europe and the Orient depicted in despair. It discusses how only large governmental and international agencies could initially address the overwhelming need for relief.
2:06 - 2:39: The narrative shifts to the role of religious organizations, becoming crucial in relief efforts, particularly in addressing spiritual needs as government aid was curtailed. The United States is noted as being more fortunate, with its rural areas described as an Eden compared to the devastated world.
2:43 - 3:15: American farmers are portrayed as understanding the link between food and peace, leading to the creation of CROP (Christian Rural Overseas Program), which involves three religious organizations pooling resources to aid global relief.
3:18 - 4:51: CROP is detailed as a successful initiative because it directly appealed to American farmers' faith and their abundance, leading to substantial contributions of crops and livestock. The program's success in saving lives and fostering international gratitude is highlighted.
4:54 - 6:54: The impact of CROP food distribution is further explored, showing how it not only fed people but also restored faith and hope, encouraging a sense of global community and peace. It's noted that food from American farmers was a counter to the appeal of tyrants, emphasizing food's role in peace.
6:57 - 8:52: The logistics of CROP are described, including how local, county, and state levels organize, culminating in shipments like the Friendship Food Ship and Friendship Trains, which were symbolic acts of solidarity.
8:56 - 10:11: The script questions why the need persists despite the efforts, explaining that for many, the war hasn't truly ended, with ongoing issues in places like Korea, India, and Palestine.
10:15 - 12:59: Specific groups needing aid are detailed: the homeless, elderly, and children, particularly orphans from war-torn regions. The script advocates for continued support through CROP to provide not just sustenance but also a future for these groups.
13:02 - 14:10: The film concludes by emphasizing the ongoing necessity for CROP due to reduced government aid with increased defense spending, urging American farmers to continue their contributions as a foundation for peace and friendship globally.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBYAipB9YA8
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

HISTORY OF HEAVY DIRIGIBLES & AIRSHIPS HINDENBURG DISASTER U.S. NAVY ZEPPELINS 84504

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:47:17 GMT

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Produced by the United States Department of War, this rather lengthy, black-and-white is titled “Lighter-Than-Air History Rigid Airship.” (Although the Roman numeral copyright date is 1947, it seems possible the film was made in 1937). The film opens as one of the US Navy’s airships passes effortlessly above the camera and the narrator references the history of the rigid airship, “a story full of excitement and adventure,” and envisions a future in which the airships serve military and commercial purposes.

Of course, the narrator admits, no mention of a dirigible can take place without a reference to the Hindenburg disaster on May 6, 1937. The now-familiar footage of the dirigible exploding into flames and crashing to the ground is shown at mark 01:14, as the narrator discusses possible causes. (The incident shattered public confidence in the giant, passenger-carrying rigid airship and ultimately led to the end of the airship era.)

The view is taken back in time to 1897 with a discussion of the history of the airship starting at mark 02:47, as early drawings from aviation pioneer David Schwarz are shown on the screen. (Schwarz is credited with creating the first airship with an external hull made of metal. He died before it was flown.) The “real father” of the airship, the narrator continues, was Ferdinand von Zeppelin, a German general and aircraft manufacturer, who is shown at mark 03:00. He used his knowledge of balloons garnered as a Union Army observer during the Civil War to craft the first dirigible. The first practical rigid, the Zeppelin LZ 1, flew on July 2, 1900, and various animations show how the aircraft was constructed and able to take flight.

Come mark 05:56, the film introduces its viewer to Hugo Eckener, one of Zeppelin’s colleagues and following his 1917 death, Zeppelin’s successor in Germany’s airship development. We then take a look inside an early commercial airship, including its promenade deck, restaurant, and cabins. Overtime, the German military began to use such airships as weapons, the narrator comments at mark 08:18 — something that caught Allied Forces in World War I unprepared. “For the first time in history it was possible to carry a large cargo of bombs hundreds of enemies by air to enemy territory,” we are told, as images of German Zeppelins are shown flying overhead. One of the most successful uses of a Zeppelin was during the Battle of Jutland in 1916 in the North Sea, as the Imperial German Navy battled the British Royal Navy. A Zeppelin spotted Navy vessels and were able to radio their location. After WWI, the Allies studied a few handful of captured German airships. The British were able to develop their own rigid airship, with the R34 becoming the first aircraft to make a successful nonstop east to west transatlantic flight.

The US Navy attempted their own construction of a rigid airship with the USS Shenandoah (ZR-1). It was destroyed in a storm in 1925, killing 14 people onboard. At mark 17:55, the viewer learns of the USS California (ZR-3), a rigid airship built by Germany as war reparation. It was used for experimental work, making more than 300 flights, before the airship program was dismantled in 1932. The Goodyear Tire Company would later team with German manufacturers to create airships including the USS Akron (ZRS-4), the Navy's fourth rigid airship used for several tests including as a flying aircraft carrier.

At mark 29:15, we see Germany’s new airship, the Graf Zeppelin (LZ 127), launched in 1928. The film shows crowds of people surrounding the massive as it takes to the sky. The ship operated commercially from 1928 to 1937, and was the first commercial passenger transatlantic flight service in the world. The Hindenburg (LZ 129) is discussed again at mark 31:49, as the narrator discusses its various transatlantic ships and accommodations such as staterooms, showers, lounge, and smoking room. “The big airship provided the acknowledged maximum comfort in oceanic travel.”

Although the film notes at mark 35:40 that many aeronautic experts envision airships as being viable means of transportation in both military and commercial settings, their development was all but abandoned following World War II.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjtGB1wC_hY
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

F.B.I. & J. EDGAR HOOVER IN WORLD WAR II "BATTLE OF THE UNITED STATES" GERMAN SPIES ESPIONAGE 24284

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:40:29 GMT

In this Army – Navy Screen Magazine newsreel, we learn about THE BATTLE OF THE UNITED STATES. In this film from 1944, we see narrator J. Edgar Hoover (00:00:37:00) discussing the importance of catching spies in the United States during World War II and the great efforts the FBI went through to stop them. J Edgar also credits the citizens with doing their part in the effort to stop spies in the United States.

Vintage footage from 1940 New York can be seen at (00:01:40:00). Footage of an American ship exploding can be seen at (00:02:25:00). Nazi rallies across the United States can be seen starting at (00:02:45:00). Amazing footage of a huge FBI data center can be seen at (00:04:20:00). An animated map of Nazi and Japanese activity in the Western Hemisphere can be seen starting at (00:06:55:00). Once again, Nazi rally footage can be seen at (00:08:00:00). At (00:08:37:00) , we see the FBI receiving information of a planned Axis attack on the Panama Canal and oil lines in Columbia. An FBI sting operation targeting enemy agents in the US can be seen at (00:09:20:00). Footage shot by the FBI from the Duquesne Case can be seen starting at (00:09:55:00). A shot of enemy agents viewing US steamship blueprints can be seen at (00:11:35:00). Amazing footage of German submarines can be seen at (00:13:10:00). The film ends with Hoover (00:14:45:00) talking about how the FBI and American’s are part of a team to stop the enemy.
The Duquesne Spy Ring was the largest espionage case in United States history that ended in convictions. A total of 33 members of a German espionage network headed by Frederick "Fritz" Joubert Duquesne were convicted after a lengthy investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The agents who formed the Duquesne Ring were placed in key jobs in the United States to get information that could be used in the event of war and to carry out acts of sabotage. One opened a restaurant and used his position to get information from his customers, while another worked on an airline so that he could report Allied ships that were crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Others worked as delivery people so they could deliver secret messages alongside mundane ones.
One German spymaster later commented the ring's roundup delivered "the death blow" to their espionage efforts in the United States. FBI director J. Edgar Hoover called his concerted FBI swoop on Duquesne's ring the greatest spy roundup in U.S. history.

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example like: "01:00:12:00 -- President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference."

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdMTRjRvqGk
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

" DESERT VICTORY " WWII BRITISH DOCUMENTARY BATTLE FOR NORTH AFRICA VS. AFRIKA KORPS PART 1 78544

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:38:44 GMT

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Part 2: https://youtu.be/fYZE2s3ytNc

Produced by the Army Film and Photographic Unit and the Royal Air Force Film Production Unit, this black-and-white film is Part 1 of “Desert Victory,” exploring the Battle for North Africa during World War II. The picture begins on a somber note, with a message at mark 00:23 that “in the making of this film four British cameramen were killed, seven were wounded, and six were captured by the enemy” and that “the scenes of Field Marshal Rommel and of Hitler were filmed by the Germans — but were captured by the British in the rapid advance.” It is dedicated to the “men of the Eight Army … who, on the 23rd October, 1942, left the holes they had scratched for themselves in the rock and sand of the desert and moved forward to destroy the myth of Rommel invincibility … and complete the liberation of the second Roman Empire overseas.”

With that, the scene moves to a barren landscape at mark 01:30 and the reminder that “the western desert is a place fit only for war. Thousands of square miles of nothing but sand and stone.” Hot days, frigid night, sandstorms, and a lack of water all contribute to making life intolerable. “The Arabs say after five days of it, murder can be excused.”

At mark 04:00, the film takes the viewer to El Alamein, where two decisive battles in 1942 had taken place. We are shown Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck, a British Army commander who was Commander-in-Chief of the Middle East theatre (but later relieved of command during the crucial Alamein campaign). The British are shown successfully defending their position from German artillery and fighters near mark 06:00, and at mark 07:00 are visited by Prime Minister Winston Churchill in August 1942. (The British Eighth Army had all but exhausted itself after the first battle of El Alamein in July 1942, and the visit was as much a morale boost for the troops as it was a review of Auchinleck, who was replaced as Commander-in-Chief Middle East Command by General Harold Alexander). Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery was named commander of the Eighth Army.

Alexander’s primary mission as commander was to take on and defeat German Field Marshall Erwin Rommell, whose control of much of Egypt threatened the British Commonwealth’s Suez Canal. To that end, the film reminds its viewer (at mark 08:30) that British men and women at home were at work in factories to make certain supplies and armaments were always being made available. Scenes of workers on assembly lines and in aircraft factories fill the screen, and at mark 09:37, the viewer is told that workers in the United States are also contributing to the war effort, especially in the creation of the Sherman tank.

At mark 13:51, we catch a glimpse of Rommell in some of the captured German footage, and explanation of how the Germans were beginning to suffer from a lack of supplies, thanks to constant bombardment from American and British aircraft on supply lines and supply ships. The Royal Navy also did its part, the viewer is told at mark 15:15, as nearly two dozen German ships were sunk in the Mediterranean Sea. “In August (1942) alone, 80 percent of what was sent to him was sent to the bottom,” says the narrator.

Back on land at mark 17:07, both sides were ready for another fight in Northern Africa. This would come to be known as the Second Battle of El Alamein, fought from October 23 to November 11, 1942. It would end in an Allied victory, turning the tide in the North African Campaign and bolstering Allied morale.

“Rommel was full of confidence,” the narrator explains at mark 18:47 as we see more captured German footage. “He was saying to journalists in Berlin. ‘You may rely on our holding fast to what we have gotten. We hold the gateway to Egypt.” At 19:22, we see Adolf Hitler, and an receive an explanation of how he promoted Rommel to the rank of field marshall.

The British had other plans and beginning at mark 21:40 are shown preparing for battle, including readying aircraft and arming tanks with shells. “And now that all new what was to be done and all was made ready,” the narrator says at mark 22:55, “there were final moments of normal desert life. Of rest, of washing clothes, of a swim in the sea.” And as the sun set, they rested … and waited.

“The Battle of El Alamein began in the evening,” we are told at mark 24:50, as tanks rumble across the screen. “As light failed, the final moves were made.”

The darkness and quiet of the film is suddenly broken at mark 27:14 with a shout of “Fire!” and blasts of ammunition as fighting erupts.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1vZ-eZHSsM
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

U.S. COAST GUARD TRAINING FILM FIRE ABOARD PLEASURE BOATS 78674

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:35:42 GMT

This United States Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety training film concerning fires onboard pleasure boats opens with a charred boat listing in the water as crew members of another pleasure craft call for help. “Explosion and fire. Fire and explosion. Either way they can turn a pleasure trip into a tragedy in seconds, “ an announcer cautions at mark 00:53 to open the film. A simple maintenance and checking routine could prevent such a catastrophe, he continues in this 1970s color film, as the viewer is introduced to two families: one that takes boating safety seriously, and one that does not. “No boat of any size is immune fro the danger of fire. The best money prevention gear money can buy is not guarantee. But an older boat, particularly if it is casually run, is especially vulnerable,” it’s explained at mark 03:06. In the film, a boater has trouble getting his craft started. Although he manages what appears to be a quick fix, we are told that a proper maintenance check would’ve shown it was leaking gasoline. Back at that dock, the second family carefully goes through a safety checklist before setting out. “It’s the boater’s best protection against dangers of fire,” it is said at mark 04:25. “Unfortunately, some boaters don’t see the need.” As the film continues, the viewer learns of the importance of a working fire extinguisher onboard — a poorly maintained extinguisher “makes them worse than useless” — as well as the different types of fire one might have on a boat, including electrical, wood and paper, or flammable liquids such as grease and oil. After several minutes of action comparing the actions of the cautious boater with the careless attitude employed by the second boater, the audience is reminded at mark 11:30 of how to prepare for a day on the water, including going over a checklist, checking fire extinguishers, and checking the electrical system and engine for damage. Certain precautions should even be used when fueling a boat, the viewer is told. Although the checklist only takes a few minutes, the announcer reminds the audience at mark 12:38, “those few minutes can make the difference between a delightful outing and a disaster.” To drive home the point, we return to the reckless boater, who has ignored a checklist and the smell of spilled fuel onboard. A slow-motion turn of the key and … a cut to the safe boater leaving the dock and a voiceover once again stressing the importance of a checklist.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRhdHPsFzjI
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

1912 RMS TITANIC & CARPATHIA SILENT NEWSREEL TITANIC DISASTER 44764

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:33:13 GMT

The sinking of the Titanic created a news sensation that crowded the front pages of papers in the USA, the U.K. and abroad. Although there were no formal newsreel companies in 1912, some specialized film production companies did exist. An unknown producer created the film you will see here, partly out of footage apparently shot aboard the Titanic's sister ship Olympic or Brittanic, and partially from material shot aboard the Titanic itself. Some areas of the film that would have shown the ship's identification have been scratched out, apparently because they would have been all too visible to a paying audience! There are other imperfections as well (see title cards at head of the film for more specifics). Nevertheless, the film does contain some wonderful and authentic images, including footage of the "rescue ship" Carpathia in the docks at New York, and shots of some of the crew and a life boat.

All prints of the original 35mm film were lost but fortunately the film was preserved through a so-called "paper print" at the George Klein Collection of the Library of Congress.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXYrfAlIj_w
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

1946 BREMERHAVEN, GERMANY TO NEW YORK, CONEY ISLAND, USA TRIP HOME MOVIE 44354

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:31:30 GMT

Made in 1946, this 16mm silent home movie was made by an amateur who must have known quite a bit about how to make films -- it includes a credit roll and title cards. The film begins in Bremerhaven, occupied West Germany, with shots of American military dogs in an improvised pound. These were likely "war dogs" used by U.S. soldiers in the European Theater.

At 1:46, you will see footage of war-torn Germany with numerous bombed out buildings. At 2:08, shots of the docks where the cameraman boarded a ship bound for the U.S., the USS General Grant. Various port activities are seen followed at 2:50 with shots on board the Grant. (N.B. it's a little unclear which ship the USS General Grant really was... possibly the USS U. S. Grant (AP-29), a transport ship that saw service with the United States Navy in World War II).

At 4:15, there is footage of an abandon ship drill aboard the vessel with lifeboats being prepared and the crew at muster.

At 5:26, New York Harbor is seen including at 5:56 the tug Eugene T. Meseck . Scenes of New York are seen at 6:16 including Wall Street, the Bowery, the elevated railway and Pell Street. There's also a shot of the Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building and views from the Empire State's observation deck. At 7:43, there is footage shot aboard an elevated subway car. At 8:53, artists and dealers are seen including working with models.

At 8:57 New York's Municipal Airport is seen, and at 9:08 the Manhasset, Long Island residence of the shooter -- whose name was apparently McConnel -- is seen. This portion of the film includes domestic scenes with kids and family. At 10:59, the scene switches to Coney Island where you will see great shots of Howard Johnson's, various restaurants and attractions including the famous side shows and amusement rides. At 11:44 you will see the famous parachute ride, and at 12:15 a miniature locomotive and train and the Wonder Wheel at 12:35.

At 13:24, the scene switches to Washington, D.C. This portion of the film is in poor shape, but shots of various sights are seen including the Lincoln Memorial (14:20), Washington Monument, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (16:00) and more.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GVKEYvWGXY
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

PIONEERS WEST TO CALIFORNIA 1930s TEACHING FILM WESTERN EXPANSION 45004

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:28:09 GMT

This 1930s Eastman Teaching Film was made by Eastman Kodak as part of a series of educational movies. It likely dates to before 1933, since it features a shot of the Golden Gate in San Francisco before the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge (14:00). The silent film (which likely had a text-based component that a teacher would read aloud while it was projected) describes the various routes that pioneers used to get from the Eastern USA to California. It also shows the "modern" connecting routes that exist in both the north, central, and southern areas of the region. The film features animated maps and historic footage including of wagon trains (1:50) and buffalo herds. These scenes were likely culled from early Hollywood silent Westerns.

The Pony Express is seen at 2:40 with a rider traversing the plains on horseback, switching horses and continuing the ride West. At 3:19, "modern" transport is seen as a train leaves a station on its way West. At 3:31, the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railroads are seen converging at Promontory, connecting Omaha and San Francisco. The Last Spike monument is seen at 4:15.
The Lincoln Highway U.S. 30 is shown connecting Omaha and Salt Lake and an early White passenger bus is shown on the route. The Victory Highway U.S. 40 to San Francisco is also shown. At 5:25, a biplane is seen marking out possible routes and the air mail route. Railroad service is seen at 6:30, paralleled by a modern highway.

At 6:42, the focus shifts to the Rocky Mountains and the railroad tunnels through them, with steam engines seen. At 7:20 the Wyoming Plateau is seen and at 7:37 the Continental Divide. The Wasatch Mountains are seen at 8:27 as the railroads continue their progress, through the Great Basin at 8:51. At 9:13 early views of Salt Lake City are seen, and at 9:40 the Pickwick Stage, an early bus line that serviced much of the western USA is seen. Pickwick and its related businesses are mainly remembered today for their memorable bi-level observation-buffet and Nite coaches which debuted in the mid-to-late twenties. Although the coaches were designed by Dwight E. Austin, they would not have been possible without the financial backing of the firm’s owner, Charles F. Wren.

At 10:20, the Great Salt Lake is seen and the railroad trestle that crossed it. At 10:44, salt mining operations are seen. At 10:50, copper mining is seen in Nevada with power shovels digging up ore and steam engine railroads delivering ore through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. At 12:22, a steam engine is seen headed towards the Sacramento Valley and its rich agricultural lands. The sorting of apples is shown. At 13:00 you will see Sacramento as it looked in the 1930s, followed by San Francisco and the Bay. A shot at 13:19 shows steam engines aboard a railroad ferry, which was the method used to move trains across the Bay at this time. Market Street is seen and the metropolis from the air at 13:54. At 14:00, you will see rare aerial footage of the Golden Gate as it looked before the Golden Gate Bridge was constructed.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9_7NTR2qVM
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

AIR FORCE RESEARCH PILOT SCHOOL NF-104A STARFIGHTER EDWARDS AFB 45024

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:25:21 GMT

In 1962 the U.S. Air Force established the Research Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base to train the next generation of pilots for space. This rare film from Lockheed, TRAINING FOR SPACE, shows the aerospace research pilot program and focuses on the creation of the NF-104A training aircraft. It was made prior to the actual use of the aircraft and before the famous Chuck Yeager accident (see below) depicted in the movie "The Right Stuff."

The most high tech training program of its era, pilots enrolled in the program would use flight simulators and aircraft to simulate various astronaut tasks and mission profiles. At 2:58, a reaction control simulator is seen -- simulating ballistic flight in space.

At 4:00, the F-104A Starfighter is seen, used to train pilots enrolled in the RPS. Three F-104A's aircraft were modified by Lockheed for their mission as Aerospace Trainers, known as the NF-104A. The Lockheed NF-104A was an American mixed power, high-performance, supersonic aerospace trainer that served as a low-cost astronaut training vehicle for the North American X-15 and projected Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar programs.

At 7:00, rocket motors used with the NF-104A are seen being modeled on a test airframe. At 8:00, flight profiles are seen with the rocket engine and reaction control systems in use.

Three aircraft were modified from existing Lockheed F-104A airframes, and served with the Aerospace Research Pilots School between 1963 and 1971, the modifications included a small supplementary rocket engine and a reaction control system for flight in the upper atmosphere. During the test program, the maximum altitude reached was more than 120,000 feet (36,600 m). One of the aircraft was destroyed in an accident while being flown by Chuck Yeager. The accident was depicted in the book The Right Stuff and the film of the same name.

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was a single-engine, supersonic interceptor aircraft originally developed by Lockheed for the United States Air Force (USAF). One of the Century Series of fighter aircraft, it was operated by the air forces of more than a dozen nations from 1958 to 2004. Its design team was led by Kelly Johnson, who went on to lead or contribute to the development of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and other Lockheed aircraft.

The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (USAF TPS) is the Air Force's advanced flight training school that trains experimental test pilots, flight test engineers, and flight test navigators to carry out tests and evaluations of new aerospace weapon systems and also other aircraft of the U.S. Air Force. This school was established on 9 September 1944 as the Flight Test Training Unit at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (AFB) in Dayton, Ohio. To take advantage of the uncongested skies, usually superb flying weather, and the lack of developed zones in the event of crashing, the test pilot school was officially moved to its present location at Edwards Air Force Base in the northwestern Mojave Desert of Southern California on 4 February 1951.

The Test Pilot School was created to formalize and standardize test pilot training in order to reduce the high accident rate during the 1940s and increase the number of productive test flights. In response to the increasing complexity of aircraft and their electronic systems, the school added training programs for flight test engineers and flight test navigators. Between 1962 and 1972, the test pilot school included astronaut training for armed forces test pilots, but these classes were dropped when the U.S. Air Force manned spaceflight program was suspended. Class sizes have been uniformly quite small, with recent classes having about twenty students. The school is a component of the 412th Test Wing of the Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC).

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWyLm9HTJyA
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

" THE CONTROL OF SCARLET FEVER " 1934 SCARLET FEVER DIAGNOSIS & TREATMENT FILM PART 1 44814

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:24:03 GMT

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The University of Chicago produced this silent film titled “Scarlet Fever; Diagnosis & Treatment”. The film was provided under a grant by Lederle Laboratories. The series was broken into three films relaying the process of diagnosis and treatment. Scarlet fever is a bacterial illness that swept through the 1820's-1850's, into the 1920's and remaining prominent into the 1950's. Symptoms include sore throat, characteristic flushed face, headaches, swollen lymph nodes and a red rash. The film shows a series of case studies and a detailed breakdown of the injection of anti-toxins. Intricate charts show how antitoxin therapy aides in recovery. The first section details diagnosis and specific treatment (:31) showing the case study of an adolescent boy. A throat swab test is conducted (:57). Circumorally pallor; a white area around the mouth is noted (1:12). The child's buttocks (1:24), lymph nodes (2:06) and tonsils are checked (2:22). Nostrils receive a poke (2:28). The boy sticks out his strawberry tongue (2:50). A case study on measles (3:41) show spots sprinkled over a boys abdomen (3:52). A doctor checks his lymph nodes (4:08). The patient moves a tongue over chapped lips (4:49). Koplik’s spots are diagnosed using blanching tests (5:07). How to read the test is detailed (5:21). An exposed female abdomen (5:29) is used for demonstration. An intradermal test is conducted (5:32). The inner elbow is wiped clear for administration (5:42). The antitoxin is administered after a 20 minute wait period (6:15). Directions show the preparation of the needle (6:29) and how to administer the antitoxin (7:31) intramuscularly. A young leg is stuck with the needle (7:54). A nose culture sample reveals hemolytic streptococci (8:31). Close shots of the slide follow (8:38). Clinical responses found the rash to fade approximately 18 hours after administration (8:50). A child's abdomen is checked (9:03). A rash appears eight hours later (9:16). Another note explains cases with sinus infections or Scarlet fever might require more than one dose (9:23) (important to control toxemia). Convalescent serum is noted not to be enough for the prevention or treatment of Scarlet fever (9:47). Amount of dosage is noted (9:47). The convalescent serum is compared to the therapeutic dose of Scarlet fever (10:06). Normal temperature is regained (10:43). Charts detail temperature curve without treatment of Scarlet fever (10:50). Another chart details the results from administration of improperly prepared serum (11:16). Temperature curves of Scarlet fever follow after treatment (11:43). The patient; in this case, was administered to the hospital on the 6th day (11:54). The site where paracentesis sulfates started to appear are noted (12:11) as well as first and second mastoiditis (12:21). Another chart details the curve of Scarlet fever antitoxin (12:46). A young child's feet are checked (13:38). A chart presents of the percentage of instances of complications with and without antitoxins (14:16). A prophylactic dose (16:43) of the antitoxin is noted to be able to protect those in contact with the infected. Immunization is discussed (16:58). A final chart details the need for following prophylactic antitoxins by active immunizations. A note explains the conditions of the case used for the study (17:23).

Motion picture films don't last forever; many have already been lost or destroyed. For almost two decades, we've worked to collect, scan and preserve the world as it was captured on 35mm, 16mm and 8mm movies -- including home movies, industrial films, and other non-fiction. If you have endangered films you'd like to have scanned, or wish to donate celluloid to Periscope Film so that we can share them with the world, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us via the weblink below.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24UWSRXCfQQ
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

FISHER BODY GENERAL MOTORS AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURE 44174

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:23:57 GMT

This film introduces its viewer to Fisher Body Division of General Motors, and touts the use of computers in the development and manufacturing of automobiles. Fisher Body was an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan; it was a division of General Motors for many years, but in 1984 was dissolved into other General Motors divisions. Fisher & Company (originally Alrowa Metal Products) continues to use the name. The name was well known to the public, as General Motors vehicles displayed a "Body by Fisher" emblem on their door sill plates until the mid-1990s.

The pictures opens in a laboratory near Detroit, Michigan, as structural engineers are shown working at their computer screens and the narrator explains how their work is designed to test new automobile bodies. “What is remarkable is that these bodies have not yet been built,” the narrator says at mark 00:40. “They are mathematical models in a computer, and scale models in plastic and metal built with the aid of computers.” He continues at mark 01:06: “This use of computer design is the kind of innovative thinking necessary in the automotive industry today. The kind of thinking that traditionally has been the mark of the innovators of Fisher Body.” With that, a high-tech display (by 1980s standards) of the film’s title, “The Innovators,” appears on a large computer monitor. The camera pans along rolls of steel, lines of aluminum, glass, and plastic, and yards of fabric and vinyl all being shaped and cut “to satisfy the personal mobility desires and needs of people in the United States and around the world.”

The materials come from suppliers around the world, we are told at mark 02:28, to be joined together into a new automobile body. At mark 03:07, we see an animation of an cut-away car body, “the part of the car people ride in. The part they see and touch.” While automobile bodies were once separate from the frame. With the gas shortage of the 1970s came a need for lighter cards that would consume less fuel. By the 1980s, we are told, General Motors was working on fulfilling that need, and we see footage of a project team discussing potential designs and then implementing them. “The end result is … a full-sized model of each new GM automobile carefully sculpted in clay,” the audience is told starting at mark 06:30.

But there is still work to do before the model becomes a full-fledged automobile, and the film takes us to scenes of precision tools measuring each inch of the model and that data fed into a computer so that a steel-and-aluminum body can be created. The relatively “new” idea of using aluminum, along with plastic and steel, is visited beginning at mark 08:20, as we see engineers evaluating such material, followed by scenes of veteran factory workers assembling car parts by hand, and the “sweetening” of the design by engineers sitting at computer terminals. Computers can also be used to program tools to work on the rough shaping of some parts, “leaving the fine detail work to his irreplaceable human touch.”

A car model is next created in plastic, we learn at mark 11:30, at half the actual size, to learn about the structural performance of a vehicle. A half-scale steel model comes next. Although both versions are useful, they cannot totally replace the need for a full-size prototype body, we are told at mark 13:13. “Quality. Durability. And reliability. These are the goals of all this laboratory testing.”

As comprehensive as laboratory testing are, the narrator explains near mark 15:00 that they still do not provide as much information as actual on-road handling, conducted at General Motors Proving Ground facilities in Michigan and Arizona. A number of scenes shows the viewer the carefully controlled test procedures as we see vehicles zig in and out around orange cones and across twisting roads. Two years after the first clay model was made, the latest GM model is ready for production. Mark 17:30 shows us the various production processes, as the narrator explains that as many as 115 different models may be made in a single year. From the cutting of fabric to the welding of seams, the narrator explains that quality is always upmost importance.

Come mark 22:20, the viewer is told: “The body that began as designer’s clay has emerged in hard steel.”

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAL5-B2ROkw
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

BEIJING CHINA 1930s TRAVELOGUE MOVIE "LAND OF KHAN" 44014d

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:20:29 GMT

This 1934 black-and-white film takes the viewer to “Peiping — Land of Khan.” (At the time, China’s capital, Beijing, was known as Beiping — but written as “Peiping.” It has also been known as Peking.) An opening expository intertitle informs the viewer at mark 00:10: “Peiping means ‘Peace in the North.’ The modern city, once a perpetual battlefield, is now a quiet sightseeing mecca for world travelers and a favorite ‘port of call’” for United States sailors. Innumerable little stores line the narrow streets of the city, another title card tells us at mark 01:07, as we then see various scenes around the city as the narrator explains that the city is divided into two sections: the Chinese City (Outer City) and the Tartar City (Inner City), surrounded by a “great wall built long ago to resist the attacks of barbarian hordes.” Within the Tartar City is the Forbidden City, we are told at mark 01:48, as scenes of daily life appear on the screen. “The Chinese of Beiping are today hospitable and friendly. Their ancient animosity toward Westerners has disappeared,” the viewer is assured. Sailors visiting the city, the narrator continues at mark 02:38, will have the opportunity to purchase a number of souvenirs, including jade, or visiting a gambling house on the outskirts of town for a game of fantan (a game of chance similar to roulette). Scenes filmed around the city continue, and at mark 04:00 a title card explains that “Emperors raised temples and pagodas to their gods” as many such structures are shown, including the Jade Fountain Pagoda and the Temple of Heaven, as American sailors and the Chinese are shown in a variety ofantanf scenes sans narration. Mark 06:10 takes the viewer to the Qing tombs, an imperial mausoleum complex, as sailors are shown climbing upon ancient structures, and a title card at mark 06:54 tells of the “Manchu Versailles” — built by the Emperor Kang Hsi. (The Kangxi Emperor was the fourth emperor of the Qing Dynasty who ruled from 1661-1722.) Scenes of his summer palace fill the screen as the narrator details its construction.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5XjNjXtKf4
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

WWII U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS SARDINIA INVASION 33004

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:19:23 GMT

This “restricted” black-and-white US War Department Official Training Film, titled “Air Force Intelligence,” was produced by the First Motion Picture Unit of the Army Air Forces prior to the 1943 Invasion of Sicily by Allied troops. An intertitle card at mark 00:38 explains that “it shows the organization and functioning of Intelligence in an Air Force during a planned invasion of Sardinia. Whether or not this latter invasion ever take place does not affect the depiction of the role of Intelligence in air operations.” With that, the film continues with “North Africa: The Interrogation of a Combat Crew,” at mark 01:11 as a crew discusses their most recent mission with a captain as he fills out an intelligence report.

As the crew questions whether anyone actually reads such a report, the captain seizes the moment to the explain to the crew (and the audience) the importance of such information. Out comes an A-2 chart at mark 02:42 — an oversized flowchart — that details how information gathered about the enemy is disseminated, as animated drawings provide information on how reports move from squadron intelligence officers to group intelligence officers, then on to wing intelligence various commands to the “heart” of the operation, A2 (an Army Air Corp Air Staff position responsible for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance). The combat reports are combined with photo intelligence, technical intelligence, intelligence from prisoners of war, and from espionage, then analyzed and reports sent back out through a chain of command to combat crews.

The captain continues his lecture, and at mark 07:19 compares Air Force Command to the “brain” of the human body, with the commanding general and his staff responsible for decision making and the overall intelligence plan. In this instance, officers are shown discussing an invasion of Sicily and Sardinia. (Known as Operation Mincemeat, Allied forces convinced the German high command that the Allies planned to invade Greece and Sardinia in 1943 instead of Sicily, the actual objective.) As the film continues, the scenes stress the importance of communication between the Air Staff members, particularly operations and intelligence, during mission planning. By mark 14:00, the captain’s talk turns to implementing the intelligence plan, and at mark 17:00 touches on collecting additional information before turning the conversation to collating the data. “There’s an old army slogan: keep your eyes open, keep your mouth shut, keep a copy,” he tells the crew. After evaluating the credibility of data, officers disseminate the information as needed.

“How does it end?” one of the men asks at mark 27:13. “That’s up to you and every one of us … every one of us contributes to intelligence,” the captain says as the film draws to a close.

The film was likely influenced by the Office of Strategic Services, the OSS. Some of the variety of techniques shown including interrogation of captured enemy combatants, debriefing of air crews, aerial photography and interpretation, wire tapping, and other methodologies. Messages are shown sent in cipher and decoded by an encryption analyst.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td2AbVNgfnQ
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)

GLOSTER METEOR BRITISH JET AIRCRAFT ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE 45134

Historical Archive — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:14:45 GMT

This raw, silent footage shows a Gloster Meteor, tail VT196, in flight. This particular aircraft was a Mark IV (VT196) which came to Canada in July 1953 for winterization trials, and this footage may date from that time frame. From January 1954 onwards this particular plane was used in developing the afterburner system for Canada’s Orenda engine. This enabled the aircraft to reach 20,000 feet in three minutes. VT196 went back to Britain in June 1955 where it was used in further experimental work until 1962.

The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' only operational jet aircraft during the Second World War. The Meteor's development was heavily reliant on its ground-breaking turbojet engines, pioneered by Sir Frank Whittle and his company, Power Jets Ltd. Development of the aircraft itself began in 1940, although work on the engines had been under way since 1936. The Meteor first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with No. 616 Squadron RAF. Nicknamed the "Meatbox", the Meteor was not a sophisticated aircraft in its aerodynamics, but proved to be a successful combat fighter. Gloster's 1946 civil Meteor F.4 demonstrator G-AIDC was the first civilian-registered jet aircraft in the world.

Several major variants of the Meteor incorporated technological advances during the 1940s and 1950s. Thousands of Meteors were built to fly with the RAF and other air forces and remained in use for several decades. The Meteor saw limited action in the Second World War. Meteors of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fought in the Korean War. Several other operators such as Argentina, Egypt and Israel flew Meteors in later regional conflicts. Specialised variants of the Meteor were developed for use in photographic aerial reconnaissance and as night fighters.

The Meteor was also used for research and development purposes and to break several aviation records. On 7 November 1945, the first official air speed record by a jet aircraft was set by a Meteor F.3 of 606 miles per hour (975 km/h). In 1946, this record was broken when a Meteor F.4 reached a speed of 616 mph (991 km/h). Other performance-related records were broken in categories including flight time endurance, rate of climb, and speed. On 20 September 1945, a heavily modified Meteor I, powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent turbine engines driving propellers, became the first turboprop aircraft to fly. On 10 February 1954, a specially adapted Meteor F.8, the "Meteor Prone Pilot", which placed the pilot into a prone position to counteract inertial forces, took its first flight.

Canada did not operate the Meteor but did purchase a small number and co-operated with the RAF on winterisation trials in the late 1940's. The first Meteor to fly in Canada was F Mk III, EE311 arrived in September 1945, it was lost after running out of fuel and force landing in Helen's Bay Lake, Ontario.

In the 1950s, the Meteor became increasingly obsolete as more nations introduced jet fighters, many of these newcomers having adopted a swept wing instead of the Meteor's conventional straight wing; in RAF service, the Meteor was replaced by newer types such as the Hawker Hunter and Gloster Javelin. As of 2013, two Meteors, WL419 and WA638, remain in active service with the Martin-Baker company as ejection seat testbeds. Two further aircraft in the UK remain airworthy, as does another in Australia.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r77j_XeAh54
Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm)