I. Reel One. Newly decorated naval officers outside Buckingham Palace - a Lieutenant shows his wife his medal in its presentation case.

II. Minelaying. LS off the port bow of HMS Plover steaming in a choppy sea. Onboard the cameraship (either Linnet or Ringdove) the Captain and his First Lieutenant consult a chart. MS along row of Mark XVII mines on the mine deck - one is decorated with a drawing of Popeye with a speech balloon declaring "ARF ARF". Crewmen secure the mines to their sinkers - CU as one man connects the battery before replacing the cover bung on the top of the mine. HA from the deck as mines move along the rails towards the stern, and a view through the stern doors as a mine drops into the sea. Another ship (possibly a M Class minelayer) is close by, laying from an open deck. Views from the weather and mine decks as the mines are dropped astern, bobbing up briefly in the ship's wake. Cut to scenes of life onboard - issue of the rum ration, ship's cat drinking from a saucer (hopefully filled with milk), two men carrying food up from the galley in oven tins, the ship's orchestra (four accordions and drums), and two rather refractory mascots - the cat and a fox cub.

III. Free French submarine Rubis in harbour - the captain decorates a Sub-Lieutenant and three ratings with the Croix de Guerre. The crew lark about with the ship's 75mm gun. Lieutenant de Vaisseau Rousselot chats with the British Liaison Officer, Sub-Lieutenant MacLean RNVR. The ship's mascot, the dog Bacchus, is brought before the camera.

IV. Operation Menace. French and British naval pilots converse on the quarterdeck of a County Class cruiser - CUs of the Frenchmen. CU of a propaganda leaflet addressed to "Franais de Dakar". MSs from cameraship Barham to HMS Resolution and HMS Ark Royal in company. LS of HMS Cumberland. HMS Foresight (H.68) approaches to run close alongside Barham (for refuelling or a transfer) - HMS Devonshire is visible in the background as the destroyer makes off. LS from the quarterdeck as the task force turns from line ahead into quarter line. Two County Class cruisers close to join the line. One of Ark Royal's Swordfish circles the battleship. LS of two of the escorting destroyers. On Barham's bridge a signalman stands ready at a searchlight. LS off the port beam of the cruiser HMS Dragon. XLS of a submarine on the surface (possibly the French Perse). The British force begins the bombardment, and French batteries reply. LS of the crew of one of Ark Royal's Skuas on a liferaft - HMS Fortune approaches to pick them up. Resolution opens fire. Answering shells fall around the battleships and Barham is straddled.

V. Reel Two. Sequence shot from a County Class cruiser. MS off the starboard quarter of a merchantman, Saudades of Lisbon - she steams away from the cameraship. The ship's cutter is recovered - presumably after investigating the Portuguese ship. Cut to MS of a passenger ship sinking in coastal waters. The cameraship steams away from the stricken vessel, now visibly down by the bows, the propellers churning the water. A tug stands by.

VI. Continuation of IV. Sequence shot from Barham showing HMS Resolution bombarding Dakar and the fall of return fire. A destroyer starts to lay smoke. A salvo of three shells falls in a line near Barham - probably from one of Richelieu's 6-inch guns. LS of the large shell splashes thrown up by one of the French battleship's two-gun 15-inch salvoes. HA.MS of the remains of port paravane samson post and derrick after a hit by a 9.4-inch shell - crewmen clear away the debris. LS of Resolution with HMAS Australia and HMS Devonshire. After the morning bombardment of 24 September Barham parts company with Resolution and closes on the Allied troop convoy - destroyer HMS Foresight closes on SS Westernland. General de Gaulle crosses to the Barham for consultation. LS of a ditched Swordfish from Ark Royal - ship's boats take off the crew. The morning of 25 September - MS of a buoy, drifting off Barham's starboard bow. The bombardment begins again on the second day - more shell splashes about the cameraship. LS of two parachutes descending from another British aircraft hit by the French defenders. A distant destroyer makes smoke to cover HMS Resolution, listing to port after a torpedo hit amidships from the submarine Bvziers. General Irwin watches the operation from the bridge - he appears dejected. MS aft down the starboard side as after turrets open fire. Admiral Cunningham looks through binoculars. One of the ship's officers holds up a dead rat, the only casualty sustained during the 9.4-inch hit on 24 September. Barham withdraws from the action. The cameraship approaches the now badly listing Resolution. Aircraft circle overhead. Barham takes Resolution under tow. Signals are exchanged. Director crews closed up - possibly for the full calibre shoot necessary to clear the guns after the bombardment.

VII. Reel Three. Sequence showing the interception of the Finnish merchantman Ericus. The cargo ship is circled by HMAS Australia which signals and then heaves to for the lowering of a boat. Once the interrogation has been completed the innocent Ericus steams away.

VIII. Scenes onboard HMAS Australia. Smallarms practice - men practise with SMLEs, a man fires a Lewis gun, resting the barrel on the side rail, an officer in oilskins adopts a classic target shooting stance to fire a Webley revolver. LS of distant coastline. HA.MS onto A and B turrets trained over the starboard beam as a stiff breeze sends spray sweeping over the focsle - a second County Class cruiser is visible a great way ahead of the cameraship. Ship's Walrus aircraft is launched. Australia lowers a cutter which makes off towards Devonshire and the destroyer Escapade (H.17) which are hove to nearby - a Swordfish flies low past the two ships. The cutter returns and is hoisted inboard - Ark Royal and destroyer visible in the background. Final sequence showing the interception of the Saudades (as in episode V).

IX. Reel Four. Mid-ocean rescue by HMAS Australia, 4 November, 1940. LS of a capsized Sunderland in rough weather - the starboard wing juts from the sea, while the float from the submerged port wing drifts away. Sunderland crew, wearing life-jackets, are brought up the ship's side and helped below. The flying boat sinks.

X. Sequence relating to the sinking of the Bismarck. HMS Dorsetshire alongside - the crew crowd the rail looking down at the camera and wave their caps. The Captain is congratulated. Crew go ashore on leave. A Red Cross vessel the Blaven, a converted pleasure steamer, comes alongside and Bismarck survivors are disembarked under guard.

XI. Shipboard activities. A butcher cuts up meat. Sequence in Naval Paymaster's Office: clerks (writers) work on accounts ledgers, Sub-Lieutenant stamps men's savings book, Lieutenant types up records. Scene shifts to the ship's stores, where a man withdraws a wooden carpentry plane. CUs of issue items include a coat hook, adjustable wrench, a paint brush and the double-billed metal end of a boat-hook. A Lieutenant at his paper work - dramatically lit by a desk lamp. CU of a cypher clerk at work. A Commander samples the efforts of the galley. Ship's store issues clothing, etc. Men receive wages.

XII. Reel Five. Still on HMAS Australia this reel may show the escort of a convoy of Australian troops to South Africa, and then the movement of British troops to Gibraltar. Gaumont British News title "The Navy Escorts Australians". Stock footage of Australian Leander Class and County Class cruisers is intercut with scenes of Australian troops and crewmen relaxing onboard cameraship - toss halfpenny, board games, music, gymnastics, sewing and rug making, sunbathing, etc. An oiler approaches and after checking fuel levels, the cruiser tops up bunkers. Cameraship reaches South Africa (?) and the port admiral pays a visit. Another titled sequence "Letters from Home for the Navy". Australian Leander close on the port quarter - a message packet is transferred to Australia and a rating runs off with it at the double. HMS Hawkins approaches and lowers a boat which runs alongside the cameraship to receive a cargo net laden with mail sacks. A humorous interlude - one rating scans his mail and throws it to the deck in disgust on discovering that the letters are all official communications, another more fortunate man reads a personal letter. Sequence showing troops boarding Australia from a small steamer alongside - crewmen stow kit and the soldiers are issued with life-preservers. At sea - soldiers look out from the ship's rail as crewmen busy themselves pulling through the starboard barrel of A turret - HMS Furious is in company. X and Y turrets are trained over the port beam - guns elevate. Men fence on deck. Soldiers relax at cards. The ship approaches Gibraltar - a leadsman takes a cast.

XIII. Sequence showing a visit by the First Lord of the Admiralty, A V Alexander, to a Northern port where he inspects various auxiliary AA vessels and tours the harbour. Another sequence shows a shore training base - a model showing the arrangement of anchors and cables in a cruiser, a working model of a ship's wheel and wheel indicator, gunnery drill on a 4-inch gun firing at a target buoy, lowering of a whaler from gravity davits set up on shore, taking in sail, etc. Passing out parade.

XIV. Sequence showing cameraship, an Arethusa Class cruiser, closing on an oiler to fuel astern. For the same material, but at greater length, see ADM 424.

XV. Reel Six. "W.R.N.S. Ashore and Afloat". Wrens board a small motor launch alongside at HMS Vernon and put it through its paces in the harbour. Wrens at machine gun practice. Cut to Wrens in a tented encampment in the Mediterranean - one writes a letter.

XVI. Admiral Sir Henry Harwood, C-in-C Mediterranean, inspects troops and naval personnel.

XVI. "Britain's New Battleships H.M.S Anson and H.M.S Howe Join The Royal Navy". LA.MS from quayside to port bow of HMS Howe alongside during final fitting out on the Clyde. Workers paint 5.25-inch turret and deck. Welding. Dockyard workers leave the ship for the last time. Contractors formally hand over the ship to Captain Woodhouse. An engineer explains details of procedure to the petty officer who is to take over. Stores are brought onboard and the ship ammunitions. Crew embark. Commissioning service. HA as tugs (Campaigner, Chieftain and another) move Howe from the fitting out basin. Boilers are fired up and the ship heads out for speed trials. Cut to a shot from HMS Anson as she passes beneath the Forth railway bridge. CUs of the two Captains, Woodhouse and Kinahan. Anson lets go port bower in Forth anchorage. Anson launches Walrus. Cut back to Howe steaming off the Scottish coast - Swordfish practise torpedo attacks against the battleship. Ratings remove tompions prior to a practice shoot by 14-inch and 5.25-inch guns. Cut to a final sequence showing Admiral Burnett transferring from a battleship to a destroyer running abreast.

Operation Menace, the attempt on Dakar in September, 1940. Cameraship is HMS Barham. Other miscellaneous items include an episode about minelaying and another on the commissioning of the battleship HMS Howe.

Notes

Summary: additional material relating to Operation Menace can be found under ADM 634 - an aerial view from a Swordfish of HMS Foresight and Renown, Barham and Ark Royal. Much additional material on the fitting out and trials of HMS Howe is held under ADM 669