The Royal Navy In The Forties: The Post War Years
Special Interest: Wartime History

“The efficiency of the Royal Navy is still one of the most powerful factors in our continuing security.” (Newsreel Commentary, 1946)

BRITISH ROYAL NAVY IN THE 1940s : THE POST-WAR YEARS is the definitive extra length DVD compilation of newsreel reports and rarely seen official Royal Navy archive documentaries. This DVD chronicles the immediate post war years and the diversity of battlefleet ship classes – Destroyers, Battleships, Cruisers, Motor Torpedo Boats, Carriers and Frigates as well as celebrating the invaluable contribution of the Fleet Air Arm and Submarines.

In addition to many ‘homecoming’ ceremonies when ships returned to base after the cessation of hostilities, the post-war years were characterised by extensive Home Fleet Exercises, goodwill tours, the launch of all new ships like the HMS Vanguard battleship and the scrapping of the life expired ships like the Queen Elizabeth class.

Highlights include the 1947 Royal Naval Review in the Firth Of Clyde with over 100 ships, the combined RAF and Royal Navy Exercises of 1948 and the Combined Western union Exercises of 1949 in the Bay Of Biscay under Supreme Commander ‘Monty’.

Celebrated naval vessels featured include HMS Formidable, HMS King George V, HMS Duke Of York, HMS Indefatigable, HMS Nelson, HMS Eagle, HMS Vanguard, HMS Implacable, HMS Illustrious, HMS Theseus, HMS Howe, HMS Royal Sovereign, HMS Vengeance and the submarine HMS Anchorite. Fleet Air Arm planes shown include the Firebrand, Sea Hornet, Sea Fury, Seafire, Avenger, Corsair and Firefly.

This release also features the following rarely seen official Royal Navy short documentaries of the period :-

Pacific Hitch-Hike (1946) – A war correspondent’s report of a trip across the Pacific on aircraft carrier HMS Indefatigable.
Naval Air Reconnaissance (1946) – Carrier based reconnaissance sortie in Avenger aircraft to ‘Find, Fix, Shadow and Strike’.
Naval Salutes (1949) – Explains the variety of Navy salute.
Submarine Sense (1949) – Safety procedures to avoid giving away a submarine’s position
Submarine Secrets (1949) – Procedures for abandoning ship so that nothing useful falls into enemy hands.
The Squid (1949) – An introduction to frigate based anti-submarine projectile launching weapon.
Care Must Be Taken – Part Two (1949) – Safety precautions in the engine room.
DVD EXTRA – British Fleet In Greek Waters (1946) 4 mins

RUNNING TIME – 200 MINS    REGION 0 – PAL

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