 D'Annunzio, the Italian poet, drops leaflets for peace upon the Austrians. There were many other heroes, Bishop, Belke, Emelman, Rickenbacher, Fawn. And there were observation balloons and balloon busters. Frank Luke, an American, was among the greatest of them. These sausages are of great value to the army in observing artillery placements and troop movements. Clumsy and difficult to conceal, they are meat to the airmen. Here is one being attacked. This is perhaps the only film ever made from a balloon while under fire. Below ground crews are hurriedly pulling the balloon down. The anti-aircraft and machine guns try to drive the enemy off. He is persistent, reckless. His orders are to bring the balloon down. Incendiary bullets whizzed by. But he has lost his flight down, out of control. Tomorrow his comrades will avenge this. Fast pursuit ships, straffing enemy trenches, fights in the clouds, the eyes of millions of soldiers below. A giant zeppelin leaves its base for a night raid. See how defenseless this city will lie beneath the gaze of a hawk. Passing over the North Sea, a course set for London. She arrives at midnight. Morning, the zeppelin is brought down in the North Sea. With fighting at the standstill, the German High Command resolves to starve England. Submarines will wage unrestricted warfare, sinking all supply ships bound for the British Isles. Above the submarines are cameras. They will make records of these sinkings. Here is their first victim. The command is given. The future in the ship makes her last cruise. There are many U-boats out. Thousands of tons of shipping are destroyed weekly. Day by day the ship's registers checked on as ships disappear from the face of the sea. Victims of these sinkings. Sometimes the captain's come aboard, but the hapless crews mistake to lifeboats in the open sea. Cunningly, the U-boat commander sends out an SOS. He will then submerge and wait for the rescue ship. And she is rewarded with a torpedo. Now can take no more prisoners on board. It's limited. It is better to sink defenseless ships by deck guns. Even the shells must be conserved. The British will come to return home for additional ammunition. Every shell must count. No ship is spared. Even helpless sailing ships surviving from another day. A crew is ordered off. And to save ammunition, one bomb will do the work. With sail set, she goes to join the old fleets. Is it a ruse? No. Stand by. I have degrees, right, brother. Stand by to let go torpedoes. Let go. Check that one off. Did you get her name, Herr Captain? And these are no peaceful sailors. They will wait defenseless until a submarine comes to the surface. Sides are dropped from the guns. And a U-boat is put out. Another Q-ship gets the drop on another sea radar. And it surrenders with all hands. The Q-ship commander may get a Victoria Cross for this. There are many submarines dogging the sea lanes and the sinkings go off. A tramp steamer gets a torpedo fired from point blank range. Another ship goes down to another. Even passenger ships are not spared. In Washington, President Wilson has won Germany. But her submarine warfare continues. Now America will join the Allies. Dear General is summoned to Washington. Pershing. He arrives in England on the Baltic and proceeds to France. In Paris, he visits the Invalides where Napoleon lies buried. The Secretary of the Navy, Josephus Daniels, and the Assistant Secretary Battleships to the British. Admiral Sims commands America's naval forces in Europe. British Grand Fleet at Scupper Flow. The battleship New York leads the Dreadnoughts under the Firth or Forth Bridge, and the two fleets are united. A new combination on the seas. Admiral Beattie comes aboard the flagship. And Admiral Rodman leads the crew in chairs.