Ships' Guns Down Nazi Planes: We'll Keep 'Em Firing!
A drawing of helmeted gunners at a multiple anti-aircraft mount sits beside figures attributed to an Admiralty statement: 722 enemy planes confirmed, 268 probable and 432 damaged by ships' gunfire, 12 April 1940 to 31 January 1943. The tell for card-stacking is that only enemy losses are given, with no figure for ships lost or planes that got through; the tell for transfer is the Admiralty's authority lent to the production appeal 'We'll keep 'em firing!'.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1943
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Ministry of Supply (poster no. 81), citing an Admiralty statement
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- War and the military, Labor
- Event
- World War II
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Foreign Posters, retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (UK Crown copyright, 50 years from publication, expired before 1996; no URAA restoration)
Ministry of Supply, 1943. National Archives and Records Administration, NAID 44267057.
Text on the object
SHIPS' GUNS down Nazi Planes ADMIRALTY OFFICIAL STATEMENT says that between 12.4.40 and 31.1.43 the numbers of enemy planes shot down or damaged by ships' gunfire were: CONFIRMED 722 PROBABLE 268 DAMAGED 432 WE'LL KEEP 'EM FIRING! [small print:] MINISTRY OF SUPPLY No 81
