An Army Air Force Compilation Technician at work transferring the pertinent terrain information from the Recto-Blique to the chart. The photograph is labeled C-23471 A. C.

The Hughes Laboratory machine shop is devoted to the building of full-scale test models of rock bits, tool and joints and other drilling tools for laboratory and field testing. In connection with the latter, the shop is equipped to manufacture these tools in sufficient quantities to make possible extensive and simultaneous field trials. The machine shop handles a large amount of work for the Research, Product and Metallurgical Engineering departments. This includes building new designs, new mechanisms and new devices for preliminary testing.

The caption reads: "The camera is the eye of the mission." And to see that the eye is in good working order Captain Ursal P. Marshall, 522 South Furth St., Fulton, N. Y., rides along on D-Day. Captain Harvell is Photographic Officer of one of the veteran Liberator Groups which is now commanded by Colonel John H. Gibson of Hinsdale, Illinois. This photograph was taken shortly before reaching the target, in initial wave of heavy bombers on D-Day, June 6, 1944."

Men and women in the Hughes Laboratory Machine Shop are devoted to the building of full-scale test models of rock bits, tool joints and other drilling tools for laboratory and field testing. In connection with the latter, the shop is equipped to manufacture these tools in sufficient quantities to make possible extensive and simultaneous field trials. The machine shop handles a large amount of work for Research, Product and Metallurgical Engineering divisions. This includes building new designs, new mechanisms and new devices for preliminary testing.

A man working on Hughes rock bit drilling pieces at the Hughes Tool Company in Houston.

Transcribed from attached press release: "HUGHES ROCK BIT TEST In a block-long laboratory at Houston, Texas, the Hughes Tool Company can simulate oil drilling conditions anywhere in the world. Here a Hughes bit is tested on a hard formation. Howard Hughes' father invented the rock bit in 1908 and the resulting business became the cornerstone on which Howard Hughes built his fabulous industrial empire in motion pictures, air transportation, aeronautical research and design, aircraft manufacture, electronics, armament and brewing."

Transcribed from attached press release: "DRILLING LABORATORY The fundamental purpose of all Hughes rock bit research is to improve bit performance. In attaining this improvement it is necessary to balance design with the application of correct metallurgical materials and manufacturing methods. The preliminary proving ground is the Drilling laboratory housed in the main Laboratory building. Its field-size drilling rig, with 118 ft. derrick, was especially designed to test rock bits in a manner simulating oilfield drilling conditions."