Corvette Port Arthur | Canada In Action (1944) Propaganda film

[Music] la [Music] a action Satan action sat action [Music] Satan the Royal Canadian Navy the Royal Canadian Navy since the outbreak of War has grown into a powerful force designed especially for escort Duty for the task of escorting the convoys of the United Nations to the fronts of a world in Arms from Canada's coasts move convoys of Canadian war supplies [Music] pitted against them the wolf packs of Hitler's OTS charged with the task of combating the OT is a Corvette fastest maneuvering weapon of [Music] attack n to the Arctic mamans and the White Sea the bridge of Allied Shipping spans Frozen latitudes to our Russian Ally Seaman wonder sometimes driving north in the cold watches between enemy attack do people back home know what it means storm and fog even the elements are enemies with death like an armed man standing guard was there ever a house in the quiet street where I once lived do children still play in the sun here only is the enemy The Horizon and the Sea the work of Canada's Navy never ends convoys do not Retreat when the enemy attacks or withdraw to new positions the convoys Sail on having no choice and wishing no other history is in the making through Canada's growing sea power as Canada's sea power grows new ships and new men are training in the coastal Waters The Men Who will sail the ships built and building in Canadian shipyards captain of our new Corvette he's 27 and was formerly an interior decorator in Victoria number one was a lawyer in Edmonton [Music] our Navigator pilot is from [Music] Toronto and our asdic officer from Vancouver AIC that's the new submarine detector device with it he can hear the beat of a Subs engines deep in the sea Roll Along Roll Along Roll Along roll Long Way Roll Along if you don't know who we are where the are we are Roll Along baby mayy Roll Along we Jo fory and the and the join for the m and the all the we haveone but the begun Roll Along Roll Along at ports on East and West coasts fleets of youboat hunters are gathering ships light fast maneuverable Corvette is trim almost yachtie Sleek lines cunningly camouflaged to blend with sea and sky and packing a punch potent Beyond proportion to size the Corvette is a highly mobile weapon of Destruction with her speed and sturdy construction swinging into attack a pattern of depth charges rolled off the deck will crush the Hull of an enemy sub like an eggshell between sudden terrifying blasts each new ship is another weapon in the battle of the Seven Seas already the Canadian Navy escorts nearly half of all Atlantic convoys of the United Nations 12,000 ships handled 65 million tons of wartime shipping battened it down and carried it safely through the danger zone only by sea routs can we feed and supply our fighting men there are no safe Subterranean tunnels to the front lines the planes to bomb Berlin tanks to crush Hitler and Russia must be buried from arsenals and oceans wi the way and the men who drive those tanks who follow in the transports and trucks of mechanized War nurses doctors technicians men to fly those planes must be convoyed with all the speed safety will allow in the harbor the Convoy ships ride at anchor while the captains meet in a secret conference to receive last minute instructions each movement must be planned and exactly coordinated for the first time the Navy reveals how carefully convoys are organized the role of ships is called each Captain answers for his vessel the gentleman has every Master his sailing orders please look out as much as you can afford at all angles as laid down there and if you see anything that doesn't belong in the Convoy please report it to the commodor and escort immediately and now gentlemen I introduce you to your Commodore Admiral s Francis Austin steamship cacia good morning gentlemen I'm very glad to meet nearly all the captain with me I I hope that you will realize that the signals I make are not made my own pleasure or or for fun or just because I have nothing better to do every signal I make either to an individual ship or general Convoy is an effort to ensure the safety of the convo and I just once more ask your cooperation happy return result all now gentlemen I introduce you to the senior officer your escort horn Castle HS witherington I got very little to add to what the Commodore and the ncso said if you see any of the escorts hoist a black penants or red flag and a black cone that means they're about to attack or there they've got a contact see if you can keep out their way and uh you'll know there probably a death charge is coming fairly soon a black pant or a red flag and a black Co we ask you to keep up in station in a compact body and I'm sure that they'll give you the proper protection and we wish you a bond voyage and happy [Music] Landing for 3 years the armadas have been gliding past the Citadel of Halifax city of War front door to the battle of the Atlantic PR Halifax have gone the convoys loaded with the products of war ships of every type and tonnage fit for sea are used pressed into service in the struggle for survival and Liberation these are combined convoys the escort vessels may be United States Cruisers Dutch Norwegian British the ships are of all registry Liberty ships now building in US yards at the rate of more than one a day even a whaler through its Stern whales were once hauled and sailing in separate troop convoys are the faster ships the giant [Music] liners [Music] the senior ship leaves the escort [Music] vessel Haring above the laden Freighters are the Catalina flying [Music] boats [Music] Gales in the North Atlantic rise with sudden Elemental violence speed is reduced we move only a as fast as the slowest chip the Convoy plunges on campaigns do not wait on [Music] weather while the storm lasts hazards and dangers double ships must be kept in line by the escort vessels lest they drop behind lashed into isolation by the turbulence of the Seas and then after a long night and the day the force of the Gale drops Convoy moves on ships in order and lines unbroken life at Sea means learning to live together in the rough democracy of the folkal feuds are forgotten before the face of common danger and the common foe machine gunner Joe nurses his ambition getting the u3 foremost in our minds is the threat of submarines from the senior ship comes a signal fog moving up fog deadly enemy and sometime friend on occasion a means of Escape during attack but more imminent still is the possibility of collision the danger of crashing into another ship grows ever more [Music] real on the commodor ship Sir Francis Austin who said at the Captain's meeting that he does not make signals for fun SS his officers to the job of keeping the ships closed [Music] up almost we prefer storm at least we can see now we Edge Along by dead reckoning we wait trying to pierce the Gloom for the signal light that will come as the fog begins to live flashing light ahead [Music] sir and then suddenly the signal light Dead Ahead speed increases the engines rev up contact established the fog is Lifting and the message passes down the long lines of ships fog [Music] clearing [Music] between watches the ship's company relaxes during what Seaman call make and Men [Music] [Music] session where [Music] oh but above the deck the lookout stands his constant vigil on guard for that Telltale wake the glint in the sea that will send us to battle stations in 25 seconds Danger Danger All About Us from the senior ship a message flickers submarine in the vicinity carry out a sweep that's sound on the AIC detector the engines of a submarine I have a contact sir our officer has picked up the beat of a sub cruising under the [Music] surface if we locate the subs position our Corvette will swing directly for it hurling depth charges as we go even try to Ram the Raider if possible hang on to it follow it don't lose it we're coming about closer [Music] now definitely a sub sir quite close to [Music] us that's it keep after it we'll swing right over and start blasting AC I stood to my gun I couldn't see this sub yet all around me men were running to their positions Port throwers were closed up one attack pennant the warning we're closing up the sub has slipped inside the line of ships emergency Fe for a day and the engines pick it [Music] up number one gun on target the subs got one of our ships standby di charges roll charges in order there goes the underwater blast now the surface explosion we drop him above and below the sub for three from side as well as Stern we're slinging the charges until our pattern cover covers that [Music] sub we got to wait now did we get it or did it get away was the setting right she might sink and we'll never see her subsurfaces off starboard beam dou surve squaring green 90 open fire independent that's funny what's wrong they don't return our fire what's ORD sir stand by hold your fire they seem to be surrendering keep them covered fire across the bow that one's right across her nose they're quitting they're quitting they're giving [Music] up I don't know they could be faking but if one of those babies makes a false move we're ready number one takes over the voting party start the balls flip go away sir he instructions take as many prisoners as possible shoot if you have to get their code books and above all prevent scuttling we want that sub intact Eddie this may be a trick watch yourself she may try to crash dive all right get them a push them back toward the stern give it to them if they resist get up on that cting Tower go on up with you come on no no she blow up she blow up set a time bomb to prevent capture she'll likely blow any minute number one is going [Music] down they didn't take any chances they've scuttled her as well we keep him covered number one still inside he better come up there's not much time left she's beginning to sink you better come up Sir she's settling fast swim for it get to the boats quick every man jump for it one minute to get clear before she blows she's down by the stern and sinking [Music] fast and there she goes with another Nazi who hung on too long [Music] one you'll never see [Music] again we count noses when the boarding party returns no casualties five prisoners [Music] taken [Music] [Applause] good news play out to all escort vessels successful attacks submarine captured and sunk one more enemy you both lies at the bottom of the sea and from the senior ship comes the signal rewarding successful attack well met and well done on all the oceans of the globe fighting seamen are bringing the Convoy safely through doing its part in keeping those seaways free Canada's young Navy stands at action stations ready for sea and to engage the [Music] enemy [Music]

Channel: Armoured Archivist

Views: 47,630

Keywords: Royal Canadian Navy, RCN, Royal, Navy, Corvette, Port Arthur, convoy, escort, U-boat, anti-submarine, Battle, Atlantic, North, WW2, World War II

Id: CG7op6ub3ek

Length: 22min 6sec (1326 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 03 2024