USS FORRESTAL FIRE - PLAT FOOTAGE Tonkin Gulf Part 3

Description

1) HA MS Looking out over the mid part of the flight deck; swish PAN off showing the fire beginning to rage af t on the flight deck, men are seen running aft, many a/c are ablaze; a/c aft of the fire are still in safe area but the smoke is drifting towards the a/c also the fire which is spreading rapidly; man is seen running down the deck, opening up a CO2 bottle and spraying the CO2 on the forward a/c; fire fighting team with a hose arrive at the fire and begin spraying water on the blaze; huge explosion occurs among the a/c; men are seen running away from the area to avoid the shrapnel another explosion goes off as bombs begin exploding, all a/c were loaded with ordnance and ready for launch; debris is seen flying through the air from the explosion; heavy pall of black smoke begins pouring aft from the many burning a/c, many more are being enveloped, several of them A-4C a/c and F-4B's; more explosions occur as fire continues to spread rapidly forward on the port side and aft along the many a/c parked in the area; more violent explosions occur from the exploding ordnance, all the a/c on the after part of the flight deck are now ablaze; another explosion goes off in the L BG among the F-4B's; many pieces of debris flies forward from the exploding a/c in amongst the smoke in the BG; plane in the R BG falls apart from tbe intense heat and fire, tail section drops to the deck, heavy smoke obscures a/c in the BG; light deck is ablaze from the burning gasoline from many a/c; another terrific explosion goes off in amongst the smoke as more ordnance explodes from the intense heat; fire is consuming the a/c rapidly; unattended fire hose on deck in R BG, water flowing aft over the flight deck; fierce fire is burning off to the R, explosion goes off in amongst the two A-4C a/c which are being consumed by the fire; tail section of an RA-5C in L FG plus a helicopter in the lower FG with rotors folded; no personnel are seen i the area due to the exploding bombs and other ordnance.

Collection

General Records of the Department of the Navy

Series

Moving Images Relating to Military Activities