So many stirring stories of war heroism came from the WWII period in American history when the great naval sea battles were fought.
This is just one of those, a story of the U.S.S. Franklin, bombarded by Japanese attacks that inflicted heavy damage on the ship and took a huge toll on the number of servicemen killed and wounded, before the ship was able to return stateside for repairs.
At the height of the battle, the ship looks doomed--so thick is the smoke and fire triggered by the ship's own tons of explosives that created an inferno of fire, the smoke mushrooming over the entire ship. Brave combat photographers kept filming the fire which began on the flight deck of the stricken carrier. Chaplains are seen attending to the wounded and dying.
When the action is over, hours later, and after the Japanese planes continued attacking until they were shot out of the sky, the ship is able (with the help of other rescue ships) to limp back to the United States with its 700 survivors.
Fascinating, all too brief glimpse of the world at war. The final shot shows the returning men aboard ship as it returns to a cheering throng of people waiting to give it a big reception.
This is just one of those, a story of the U.S.S. Franklin, bombarded by Japanese attacks that inflicted heavy damage on the ship and took a huge toll on the number of servicemen killed and wounded, before the ship was able to return stateside for repairs.
At the height of the battle, the ship looks doomed--so thick is the smoke and fire triggered by the ship's own tons of explosives that created an inferno of fire, the smoke mushrooming over the entire ship. Brave combat photographers kept filming the fire which began on the flight deck of the stricken carrier. Chaplains are seen attending to the wounded and dying.
When the action is over, hours later, and after the Japanese planes continued attacking until they were shot out of the sky, the ship is able (with the help of other rescue ships) to limp back to the United States with its 700 survivors.
Fascinating, all too brief glimpse of the world at war. The final shot shows the returning men aboard ship as it returns to a cheering throng of people waiting to give it a big reception.
