This short was nominated for the Academy Award for Documentary, losing to four other documentaries. There will be spoilers ahead:
While this is ostensibly a combat report showing a particular mission against an enemy submarine, at its heart, it's actually aimed at showcasing the effort and expense involved in the making of various components of the bomber involved. The message is not subtle-"The workers in the factories and the labs which make and design these weapons are just as vital as the troops if we are to win the war". In other words, it's to build morale at home.
Because of the efforts of those who designed the plane, those who build and test the engine, those who build the fuselage, the navigational equipment, the bomb-sight and other mechanical parts of the bomber, the exceptionally well-trained crew could accomplish their mission and sink the sub which itself just sank a freighter. It's a team effort and you must do your part! The footage is obviously stock footage for the most part, with some recreations and the narration by Walter Huston was written to have a calculated effect on the audience. It's an interesting curio, worth watching if the subject interests you.
This can be found online and is worth watching once.
While this is ostensibly a combat report showing a particular mission against an enemy submarine, at its heart, it's actually aimed at showcasing the effort and expense involved in the making of various components of the bomber involved. The message is not subtle-"The workers in the factories and the labs which make and design these weapons are just as vital as the troops if we are to win the war". In other words, it's to build morale at home.
Because of the efforts of those who designed the plane, those who build and test the engine, those who build the fuselage, the navigational equipment, the bomb-sight and other mechanical parts of the bomber, the exceptionally well-trained crew could accomplish their mission and sink the sub which itself just sank a freighter. It's a team effort and you must do your part! The footage is obviously stock footage for the most part, with some recreations and the narration by Walter Huston was written to have a calculated effect on the audience. It's an interesting curio, worth watching if the subject interests you.
This can be found online and is worth watching once.