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00:11The
00:12United States Army presents The Big Picture, an official report produced for the armed
00:19forces and the American people.
00:22Now, to show you part of the big picture, here is Sergeant Stewart Queen.
00:30There is an ancient maxim which says that the more things change, the more they are the
00:38same.
00:39It often comes as a surprise to many of us that, despite the extraordinary changes we've seen
00:45in military weapons during our generation, there are basic truths of military science
00:52and tactics which have remained unchanged for centuries.
00:58One of those basic military truths, mobility, and its application to your modern army, is
01:06the subject of today's big picture.
01:11A hundred years ago, on the plains of the Far West, a basic principle of military science
01:17was proven again.
01:19The principle is simple.
01:20Victory goes to the side whose ability to move and to shoot are most equally balanced.
01:34Before the First World War, the horse provided all the tactical mobility the army needed.
01:54The soldier needed a faster means of moving from place to place in order to keep up with
01:59his own increased firepower.
02:05Thus, mechanization was born.
02:07Tanks were seen on the battlefield.
02:11Trucks replaced wagons.
02:15And airplanes were first tried as combat vehicles.
02:24Between the two world wars, the army was not quick to mechanize.
02:28There was no pressing need to.
02:30And the modernization of a fighting force was a costly business, even in the days when
02:35a dollar was worth a dollar.
02:42Then, Adolf Hitler triggered off a whole new concept of moving and shooting.
03:04But it was really the same old story.
03:07He had found a better balance between firepower and mobility at a faster pace with a harder
03:25punch.
03:27By the end of World War II, we had come far down the road toward mechanization.
03:37reconnaissance, the search for information, had accelerated because mobility had been improved,
03:43and our soldier was again able to move as fast as he could shoot.
03:56The army does a good job of moving on roads and highways, or even without them.
04:04Truck convoys can average 20 to 30 miles an hour.
04:15But when this happens, 30 miles an hour may become 5 miles an hour, or no miles an hour.
04:25In combat, there are many things besides traffic jams and detours that can slow down the flow
04:30of critically needed supplies.
04:34But take the most optimistic point of view, that we could keep our trucks rolling at 20
04:40or 30 miles an hour in combat.
04:44Let's face it, the next war, if it comes, won't be a 20 or 30 mile an hour war.
05:07The firepower available to the army today is tremendous, and we must assume that our potential enemies have
05:14just as much firepower as we have just as much firepower as we have.
05:18We don't have to assume that they outnumber us.
05:21We know that they can put several well-trained men in the field for every one of ours.
05:39To face this threat, we must find a way to make our fighting force superior to theirs.
05:45How will we do this?
05:48One way, mobility through the air.
05:54The air which has no mud holes or traffic jams, roadblocks or bridges.
06:01The army must take to the air, not the air 20,000 feet up, or even 2,000 feet up,
06:07but the
06:07air just above the treetops, or better yet, between the trees.
06:23Army aviation has many different functions, but all of them are part of the land battle.
06:29All of them are designed purely and simply to help the combat soldier win on the battlefield.
06:35Those soldiers have taken to the air, they remain just as much a part of the infantry,
06:40artillery, or armor as they were before becoming aviation specialists.
06:45The army's aircraft are simply a better and faster means of moving from one place to
06:50another and getting a job done.
07:02Today's helicopter is not the ultimate all-purpose air vehicle that the army is seeking, but it
07:08has many points in its favor.
07:10It can land in cramped quarters and maintain close contact with soldiers on the ground.
07:18The army's larger helicopters are equally versatile.
07:22They are flown night and day to teach army aviators the tactics and techniques for our
07:27airmobile future.
07:37Army fixed wing aircraft also have a high degree of maneuverability, and each of them has been
07:43chosen because it is rugged and can live in the field with the troops it serves.
07:51All of them are capable of landing on very short and rough fields.
08:01They are designed to take off with a brief run over very steep barriers.
08:22To give the greatest possible support to our troops, many techniques have been devised by army
08:28aviators.
08:29Paradrop of supplies is an old story.
08:34So is the laying of wire from fixed wing planes.
08:40But one of the newer jobs for aviation is in collaboration with the Missile Command.
08:45The Honest John rocket is air transportable, so is its launching equipment.
08:50Thus, in a matter of minutes, a critically needed rocket can be hauled to a launching site and
08:55fired.
09:03Army aviation is not a new way of fighting.
09:06It is just a faster and more efficient way of getting troops and their weapons to the scene
09:11of battle, and a faster and more efficient way to acquire tactical information for the
09:15ground commander.
09:17Let's see how an attack might be made on a hypothetical battlefield using the aircraft
09:22which the army has today.
09:26First, we will go to a command post where the key officers of a division are being briefed.
09:32Now let's emphasize one more point here, gentlemen.
09:36Helicopters are arriving tomorrow at 0530 hours the 18th.
09:41They'll land in the respective areas which we've already designated.
09:45Aircraft will be ready for loading immediately upon landing.
09:51Precisely at 0530, the Choctaws fly in from the division's base airfield.
10:21On the double.
10:22Fresh from a good night's sleep and a hot breakfast, our troops are being
10:25will arrive at their battle site 20 or 30 miles away with a full head of steam not with their
10:30keen edge dulled by an exhausting march meanwhile jeep mounted heavy weapons are loaded aboard
10:45powerful mojaves to be carried directly to the battle area
10:54joctaws are picking up their loads they can easily carry a jeep with a recoilless rifle
11:16now the troop carriers are off each with its load of fully equipped fighting men
11:37over the attack objective the forward observer is directing a continual barrage to soften up the
11:42enemy's resistance
11:59from his flying observation post the observer prepares to lift the artillery fire
12:04he sees a reconnaissance patrol armed with machine guns and rockets coming in right on schedule
12:22they proceed to a pre-planned position just behind the cover of a hill
12:26then rise above the protecting ridge to sweep the area
12:43shortly the leader of this armed reconnaissance party calls the next turn
12:49armed choctaws flying gun platforms come in to complete the softening up process with a barrage of rockets
13:07the troop carriers near the battle area winging over terrain obstacles impassable for troops on the ground
13:19the troops are ready their tension mounting as the moment of combat approaches
13:35another flight of armed choctaws holds the enemy down
13:46they give the first wave of helicopter-borne infantry
13:49a free and unchallenged minute or two to pile out and organize
14:02this is army aviation paying off our men are landed practically on their objective fresh and ready to go
14:16their vehicles are set down beside them equipped with weapons and with radios that will tie the attack together
14:23and give the battle commander a clear line back to higher headquarters
14:55the troops
14:56the troops as the troops press the對不起 ship
14:57forward, the Mojaves come in. Before the battle has hardly begun, the mechanical mule brings
15:06out a reserve of small arms ammunition, followed by more jeep-mounted recoilless rifles to
15:11reinforce the attack. Flying over the area, a battle surveillance observer keeps tabs on
15:21the enemy. Information is thus gained on enemy strongpoints, reinforcements, and gun emplacements.
15:38A running commentary on the course of battle is available to the ground commander,
15:43giving him an extra pair of all-seeing eyes.
15:49The troops push forward toward their initial objective.
15:59Meanwhile, the armed helicopters have replenished their ammunition and are covering the advancing
16:04soldiers. Our troops near their objective and set up fields of fire.
16:18The aggressor has anticipated the attack and has saved a Sunday punch for the infantry.
16:28The battle commander quickly figures the odds. The attack must not stall. He has an ace in the
16:35hole and he uses it. He radios directly to the commander of his reserve force, telling him
16:39to bring more troops forward in fixed wing planes to an assembly point for helicopter delivery to the
16:45battle scene.
17:01This is the Otter, a plane that is designed to live with the infantry and to be as reliable as
17:07an aircraft can be. It carries nine troops and all of their gear. Army aviators can bring them into places
17:13where the average pilot would not consider
17:16trying to land an aircraft of this size.
17:32The Choctaw air ferry continues its shuttle, bringing more equipment and the reserves who were delivered to the assembly area
17:40in Otters.
17:52As the attack continues, our tanks break through and join the assault.
18:06As the attack continues, our tanks break through and join the assault.
18:09Within minutes, our wounded will be in rear area hospitals receiving life-saving medical attention.
18:27And now, at full fighting strength, the division surges forward.
18:39In the critical final attack, the flying soldiers still have an extra bonus of energy and will to win.
19:09The enemy's determination is broken. The victory is ours.
19:25So far, we have seen more tactical applications of existing army aircraft to the military problem of fire and maneuver.
19:35New as this equipment is, still newer aircraft are under development.
19:41In response to the lessons learned by army commanders in maneuvers such as those you've just seen.
19:49Now, let's visit some aircraft plants around the country for a look into tomorrow.
19:55First, we'll go to Fort Worth, Texas where the Iroquois helicopter is being built.
20:01This is the first aircraft designed specifically for army use and the first helicopter designed to use a gas turbine
20:09engine.
20:10It represents a significant breakthrough in the state of helicopter development.
20:14It represents a popular aircraft by Boeing in maneuvers such as the first aircraft.
20:15Let's see.
20:16First, we're there.
20:18Now, we've got a�� Leshoes, a small aircraft, a half-meter one-long aircraft.
20:37We're going to be the same aircraft.
20:38We're going to be the same aircraft that are using coordinator design to the aircraft.
20:39With the Iroquois, mobility in the battlefield will be greatly improved.
20:44For it has been built as a many-purpose vehicle.
20:47It will serve as a stable and agile platform from which to deliver fire.
20:53It will transport troops, keep them supplied, and speed them to a hospital.
21:17Here on Long Island is the Mohawk, a new airplane being built especially for Army observation,
21:24used to help the ground commander locate targets on the fast-moving battlefield of tomorrow.
21:31Unlike other Army aircraft, the Mohawk's pilot and engines have armor protection against enemy ground fire.
21:38Both the pilot and co-pilot have an excellent view of the ground beneath the Mohawk.
21:43This is an important feature for low-altitude, high-speed observation.
21:51Ejection seats will make it possible for the pilot and observer to get out of the plane safely in an
21:56emergency
21:56from the extremely low altitudes at which they will be flying.
22:00It is to be equipped with the latest in navigation equipment
22:03and will be capable of flying day or night in almost any weather.
22:10Facilities for aerial cameras are built into the fuselage.
22:14The cameras are operated remotely from the cockpit.
22:26When pictures are taken, this outer panel opens and closes automatically.
22:38Aft of the camera compartment is a large area where electronic components are installed.
22:43The Mohawk will be an ideal vehicle for the new television, radar, and infrared surveillance equipment
22:50that is being developed by the Army.
22:56Perhaps the best feature of this relatively sophisticated Army aircraft
23:01is its ingenious arrangement of flaps and ailerons
23:04which makes it possible to land and take off on short, unimproved strips.
23:14Here in Philadelphia is a vehicle which is in its first stage of development.
23:19It takes off as a helicopter, then tilts its wings and propellers forward
23:24and becomes a conventional airplane.
23:43The tilt wing had undergone months of testing before the early morning in July 1958
23:48when the first transition from vertical to horizontal configuration was tried.
23:53All indications pointed towards success, but it had never been done before.
23:59Aviation history was made that morning.
24:01The transition was perfect.
24:03There is every reason to believe that within a few years
24:06the Army aviator will be able to take off vertically from a small clearing
24:11then fly with the speed and fuel economy of a conventional airplane
24:15to a landing site no larger than his tilt wing's length and width.
24:27Next, to Toronto, Canada to see the first flying model of the caribou.
24:34Several caribous will be purchased by the Army for testing
24:38as a battlefield troop and cargo carrier.
24:47Let's watch with General Easterbrook as the caribou is put through its paces.
25:01The most remarkable feature of the caribou is its extremely short takeoff and landing ability.
25:07Watch this.
25:22The caribou will be capable of carrying 28 combat troops.
25:26With this load, it can fly close to 400 miles without refueling.
25:31Thus, as an air ferry, a single caribou will be able to haul hundreds of men
25:36short distances without refueling.
25:46It will operate in rough country without prepared strips.
25:49For this 10-ton-plus airplane requires only 500 feet from touchdown to a full stump.
26:11Here is the future of Army aviation.
26:14The 15,000 soldiers who are directly involved in Army aviation today.
26:20They are working to improve the balance between firepower and movement
26:25so that tomorrow's war, if it comes, will find our side with the advantage.
26:32Army aviation is more than a new weapon.
26:36It multiplies the effectiveness of every weapon we have now
26:40and those we will have in the future.
26:44How soon our flying soldiers can realize the advantages which aviation can provide
26:50depends on our ability to develop this potential
26:53and to acquire the air vehicles to do the job.
27:07Twenty-five years ago, the Army cavalry still relied on the horse for mobility,
27:13as had Genghis Khan centuries before.
27:16In World War II, the Army traded in its horses for tanks
27:21and developed powerful armored divisions and armored cavalry regiments
27:25to give it the mobility essential to victory.
27:29Following V.J. Day, the helicopter began making its appearance in Army maneuvers
27:33and by the time of the Korean War was ready to provide Army commanders
27:38with the means of rapidly moving supplies over areas inaccessible to ground vehicles.
27:43It also proved invaluable in the rapid evacuation of wounded directly from the battlefield
27:50to hospitals in the rear.
27:53Army aviation also served widely for reconnaissance and surveillance.
27:58In short, it had become an integral part of the combat scene.
28:04The success of the Army on a future battlefield
28:07will depend largely upon its ability to move swiftly and decisively.
28:13In this field, Army air vehicles will undoubtedly play a vital part.
28:20Now, this is Sergeant Stuart Queen, your host for The Big Picture.
28:29The Big Picture is an official report for the Armed Forces and the American people.
28:37Produced by the Army Pictorial Center.
28:44Presented by the Department of the Army in cooperation with this state.
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