The USS Franklin Dead in the Water

This past week the film, USS Franklin: Enduring Valor entered post production.

Before dawn on 19 March 1945 the U.S.S. Franklin, which had maneuvered closer to the Japanese mainland than had any other U.S. carrier during the war, launched a fighter sweep against Honshu and later a strike against shipping in Kobe Harbor. Suddenly, a single Japanese plane pierced the cloud cover and made a low level run on the ship to drop a 250lb semi-armor piercing bomb midway down the flight deck.

Many of the crew were blown overboard, driven off by fire, killed or wounded, but the 106 officers and 604 enlisted who voluntarily remained saved their ship through sheer valor and tenacity. The casualties totaled 724 killed and 265 wounded, and would have far exceeded this number except for the heroic work of many survivors.

USS Franklin: Enduring Valor is being produced by Joseph Small and the Ardennes Group, LLC and written and directed by Robert Child. Interviews with more than ten veterans of the Franklin will provide compelling eyewitness commentary to what happened on the ship as well as the valor displayed by the men. The film will include detailed CGI animation to recreate the explosion as well as the aftermath. In addition more than 38 reels of archival footage taken on that day will put audiences right in the middle of the chaos. Many portion of this footage has never been seen by the public.

Left to right, Joe Springer - Author of Inferno, Robert Child - Writer and Director, Joseph Small - Executive Producer

The last interviews with Franklin crewmen were completed in Massachusetts at The College of the Holy Cross where medal of Honor recipient, Father O’ Callahan taught after the war. Father O’Callahan distinguished himself aboard the Franklin risking his life to help save the crew and the ship.

Holy Cross has a room dedicated to Father O’Callahan as well as memorobilia from the ship along with photos and news stories which provide a treasure trove of information on what happened to the sailors on that day.

Actor Ken Arnold, Exec. Prod., Joseph Small, Director, Rob Child

Fort Frederick, Maryland – A very successful four -day Wereth Massacre location shoot was just completed on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. The cast and crew, which swelled sometimes to more than 80 people, persevered through 90 degree temperatures with humidity to match.

The Wereth Massacre is the story of eleven men who became separated from their unit, the 333rd Field Artillery Battalion and headed northward back towards the American lines. Subsequently a patrol from the 1st SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion crossed their path and all were American soldiers were killed in one of the least understood as well as unknown war crimes of WWII.

Maryland: WWII film being shot at Fort Frederick.

Subsequently all eleven were butchered and killed.

The film begins with a recreation of the German artillery barrage and the attack on the 333^rd then immediately brings us up to modern day where descendents of members of the 333rd retrace the journey of the “Wereth 11”. Some of the relatives had never been to Belgium nor seen the place where their uncles and fathers fought. The emotions are quite compelling.

The film closes with a wreath laying at the memorial and emotional remembrance of the eleven men who were murdered so senselessly in a war crime that is all but unknown to most Americans today. The film will be released in February, 2011 for Black History Month.

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