Sea Hawks of 898 and 806 Naval Air Squadrons are armed, fuelled, and launched from HMS Eagle cruising off Famagusta.

HA from Eagle's Flyco onto the deck where munitions are being moved forward - trolleys laden with 500-pound bombs, belts of 20mm Hispano cannon ammunition and 3-inch rockets. HA forward to deck park where a range of Sea Hawk FB.3s, FGA.4s and FGA.6s are being armed - some are towed aft to be ranged alongside the island. HA onto Sea Hawk 181 of 806 Squadron parked below the Flyco - two men are replacing the covers after reloading the magazines for the 20mm cannon. HA to 473 of 898 Squadron parked abreast the island on the port deck edge - men reload the starboard cannon magazine and another refuels the port drop tank. A 500-pound bomb is brought up for loading under the port wing of aircraft 176 - another already lies in a cradle on the deck on the starboard side - armourers load cannon ammunition as the starboard wing is spread for bomb attachment. Rockets are laid out ready for attachment to 473. Work continues refuelling and bombing up the 806 Squadron aircraft. Sea Hawk FGA.6 475 is towed aft to be parked next to the other 898 aircraft. The pilot of 181 makes a quick visual check of his aircraft, then boards and starts up - the rest of the range (176, 177, 178) do likewise. Across the deck the 898 Squadron aircraft also start up, and further aft the SAR Whirlwind gets ready to take off. HA as Sea Hawks are launched from port and starboard bow catapults, while aircraft 473 and 470 wait for their turn. HA aft as a Sea Hawk lands on. Another climbs away after an aborted approach. 175 lands on and taxies forward, folding its wings. HA as a Sea Venom FAW.22 joins the Sea Hawks in the forward park. Cut to LS from the port catwalk to the aircraft in Fly 1. Gannet AS.4 280 (XA 471) of 814 Squadron is towed aft. CU as men take coiled belts of 20mm ammunition from a tray on a forklift. Gannet 285 is towed aft. The film then reverts to the arming and refuelling of the Sea Hawks, but filmed from on-deck. An armourer reloads 473's starboard magazine. CUs as men attach bombs to the underwing pylons - a team of men lift the bomb up in its cradle while the armourer locks it into position - the strain of holding the bomb up to the pylon is made clear by one man who grimaces and pokes out his tongue. An armourer lifts a belt of 20mm ammunition up to a colleague loading 176's magazines - as he heaves at the belt, a loose 20mm round falls from one of his pockets onto the deck. Men lay 3-inch rockets out on the deck. LA.CU into the weapons bay of a Gannet where two men are attaching small practice (?) bombs. MS from a position alongside the after lift to Venom 493 of 894 Squadron, then pan right to Venom 486 and Sea Hawks ranged along the port deck edge and the SAR Whirlwind on the centre line. Sequence showing 898 Squadron Sea Hawks being rocketed up, and frontal MS of the four rockets secured under 475's starboard wing. LS aft along deck as portside range makes massed cartridge start. Retractable chocks on port bow catapult come up, ready to receive the first aircraft. 176 is directed onto the starboard catapult - in the background the planeguard Whirlwind lifts off. 176 is launched, followed by aircraft from 806 and 898 Squadrons. MSs of Sea Hawk 139 on the port catapult and 131 to starboard. The catapult crew attach the bridle to 131 and the shuttle moves forward to tension the strop - 131 and 139 appear to be 802 Squadron aircraft.

Notes

Summary: this turn-round was by no means an idle exercise. The situation in the Eastern Mediterranean at this time was far from peaceful: in May, 1958, there had been fighting in the Lebanon, while the worsening situation in Cyprus had required a series of British troop reinforcements, and in July, Eagle's aircraft had covered the movement of transports flying British troops to Amman in Jordan, following the overthrow of the monarchy in Iraq