Operation Pacific (1951) Movie Script
I hope they get here before daylight.
-Sure glad to see you, sir.
-Here's what held us up.
A baby. Gee, he's red.
All new babies are red.
Sister Anna, Sister Felicia,
this is Mr. Caldwell.
We have a couple of life rafts.
We'll get you all aboard the Thunder.
If you'll just step this way.
If you'll go with Mr. Caldwell
and three children with you, please.
And the other sister,
will you come with me, please?
You know Jonesy, sir.
Yes, I know Jonesy.
And I'll give him about one more minute.
-What have you got there?
-It's a baby, Captain.
A baby?
-Where is Commander Gifford?
-He's in the next boat, Captain.
-What have you got there?
-Souvenir, sir.
-You were ordered to avoid trouble.
-It wasn't any trouble, sir.
Natural causes. He tripped over me.
I couldn't leave him.
You said not to let the Japs
know we were here.
This fellow's breathing.
Stuff him under a tree where he'll be quiet,
and let's get out of here.
Aye, aye, sir.
All ahead. Standard.
Pile it in there, Cookie.
These kids look mighty hungry.
Tell them they can have
all the seconds they want.
-Sure you do.
-Be sure to blow on it, it's pretty hot.
He ran for the tree,
see, the fox was right behind him.
So he goes up the tree....
Sister?
He comes running around
trying to signal somebody--
Go ahead, eat up. Go on.
Bless this boat and crew, O Lord...
and the gifts that we are about to receive
through thy bounty.
Amen.
-Landing party report?
-Yes, sir. I hope I got everything in there.
-Should be. Five pages.
-You think the captain will like it?
I'm sure he will.
I can tell you exactly what he'll say
in his patrol report.
-What, sir?
-"Special mission accomplished."
Yes, sir.
Children, come on, be quiet.
Come.
Pass the word. Main induction closed.
Flood negative.
Release air.
Clean board.
Position the boat.
Hold at periscope depth.
Radar report.
Several targets.
Bearing, 047 degrees, true.
-Distance to center formation.
-26,000 yards.
Left ship in formation,
bearing 040 degrees.
All ahead, full.
-Steady on course, 320.
-All on course, steady on course, 320.
-Commence supply.
-Aye, aye, sir.
Up scope.
Mark 358.
-Range?
-Mark 2,200.
A carrier.
Repeat.
It's a jackpot, sir.
-We can fire any time, sir.
-Standby to fire all tubes.
Baby.
Watch those children. Grab that kid!
Here, sonny. Sister Anna...
-better get these kids out of here.
-Number one, fired.
Number two, fired.
Torpedoes exploded halfway to the target.
Mr. Caldwell, take over.
-We better get these children out of here.
-Take her down fast.
Hurry it up.
Don't let the big bad destroyer get you.
Rig for depth charge.
Rig for silent running.
Hang on, Sister Anna,
it may get a little sticky.
Don't mind that, kids.
Take a look at Butch.
After five special missions,
we line up a submariner's dream...
and what happens?
Torpedoes explode halfway to the target.
Take over, Duke.
No power on diving rudders.
Shift to hand-power.
Hard dive. Overhead flow. Level her off.
Leak in forward torpedo room.
-Is there anything we can do?
-Just spit teeth and cuss.
-Sorry, Sister. Didn't see you.
-That's all right. Go ahead. I'll spit teeth.
Sound?
Listens like he kept right on
going after the convoy.
No more propellers. He's gone.
Gone?
They must have rolled that one
off a sailboat.
Sister, how did you--
Remind me to write a letter
to the builders of this boat.
Aye, aye, sir. What did you want to say?
"Dear builders...
"thanks."
-What's for chow, Cookie?
-Creamed rubber gloves.
-Creamed what?
-Rubber gloves.
There's a rubber glove in one pan,
and there's milk in the other one.
Well, I'm a monkey's uncle!
-Who ordered that?
-The Exec.
-It's hot.
-Fine time to tell me.
Good.
And this is where my brother came in.
Come on, Butch.
Feedbag.
Some things kind of crowd a man,
don't they?
Those nuns. Wonderful, just wonderful.
-Never a whimper out of them.
-Some of them walked 40 miles.
Clear across the island. Right through...
jungles and Japs, and...
nothing to protect them
but a string of beads.
And the kids.
We couldn't carry them all...
they didn't understand, so they'd cry.
We couldn't let them cry
'cause they would give us away.
And that baby....
The mother didn't have a chance,
but the kid...
he pops into the world...
we spank him on the bottom
and wrap him in a blanket; let's go.
He's a game little guy.
Ever hear from Mary Stuart?
No.
Did you know she was in Honolulu?
I heard it in Brisbane.
I liked her.
I married her.
I never saw two people start out
with so many things going for them.
Army-navy games,
parties at the Bellevue Stratford...
Hops at the Academy...
Graduation, hats in the air.
-A wedding in the chapel. Honeymoon.
-Then the submarine school.
Cold, wet winters at New London.
Sea duty.
No home. No leave.
It takes more than that to cause a split-up.
When a girl like Mary Stuart marries
into the Navy, she signs on for that stuff.
Not for what I dished out.
The eager beaver.
I was at sea on a volunteer mission...
making test runs
with that new sonar equipment...
when my son was born.
Five weeks later, I was down 240 feet...
trying to get a line around the Squalus
when he died.
Like you say...
some things kind of crowd a man.
-What's the matter?
-That baby kind of got to him.
The baby, him?
Yeah, him.
-What is it?
-Damage control report, sir.
Commander Submarine Thunder to
COMSUBPAC, Pearl Harbor.
Women and children aboard.
Request ambulance and nurses.
Suggest Mary Stuart meet Thunder.
Make it a priority message.
Women and children are coming in aboard
the submarine, Thunder. Go pick them up.
- Thunder?
-Yes.
I'd like to be excused.
My ex-husband's on that boat.
-But I thought you wanted to meet him.
-I do.
But on the Thunder
I'll be the visiting team.
I'd like the first meeting
to be on my home ground.
As your senior officer, I should comply
with his request and order you to go.
But as one woman to another,
how is your headache?
-Splitting.
-You're excused.
Thank you.
Attention!
Permission to come aboard, sir.
-Good afternoon.
-Welcome to Pearl.
Hello.
-Somebody enjoyed himself in Australia?
-Yes, sir. Nice people down there.
We're happy to be home too, sir.
Chief?
-Good afternoon, sir.
-What's the matter? You look worried.
I lost one of my children, sir.
Excuse me, sir.
Shall we go below, gentlemen?
Sorry about your carrier, Pop.
We contacted the Saratoga. Her planes
got the cruiser and two destroyers.
-The carrier got away.
-Better luck next patrol.
We would have racked her up
ourselves, Admiral...
except for those two prematures
that rattled our eyeteeth.
What are we gonna do
about those torpedoes?
Sure knocked the bottom out of my gang.
Those magnetic exploders
are driving us all crazy.
Everybody from the Bureau of Ordinance
on down is working on it.
We're doing something.
We're dropping them next patrol.
Good.
We're going back to contact exploders.
Maybe we can get a few hits now.
Here is our patrol report.
Yes?
Sister Anna is leaving
and wants to say goodbye.
Go ahead.
Duke, you brought them aboard.
You take the bow.
Bows we take together.
'Bye.
-We've been looking for you.
-Commander Gifford.
We've been wondering what to say
after "thank you"?
-Leave it at that.
-It's been a pleasure to have you aboard.
Tonight in chapel,
I know the words will come to me.
I seem to think better
when I'm kneeling. Goodbye.
-What's the matter?
-Oh, nothing!
Don't you think we better get below with
the braid?
Just a minute. I'll be right back.
I'm sorry, Nurse. I thought she was...
I thought you were somebody else.
I beg your pardon.
Think you knew her?
There was a nurse in Darwin and l....
We better get below.
-Do you want to have them all crying?
-No, I was--
-Where's your mask?
-Mask?
Over your nose.
You're breathing germs on them.
-Where's yours?
-Are you the baby's father?
-No.
-You shouldn't be here. Leave.
Wait. I carried that baby through jungles,
helped deliver him.
All right. Now he's delivered.
As for the rest of it, may I remind you,
that this is not the jungle! Good day.
How do you like that?
All I wanted to do was say hello to Butch
and she comes charging in.
I suppose you don't you like Butch
for a name.
I suppose I love it. I knew a Butch.
-It's still there, huh?
-What?
-That old zing.
-Of course it's still there, you big ape.
-What do you think had happened to it?
-Those things you said at the trial....
Do you think anybody ever tells
the real reason for a divorce at the trial?
What was the real reason?
Just now when I kissed you, well,
that's where we were four years ago.
I'm proud of you. Where did you train?
General Hospital, Durham.
What did the gentleman
from North Carolina say?
Dad was all for it.
I told him it was sort of a penance.
You felt like you should do penance?
I felt like one of us should.
Penance.
I've been numb for four years
trying to figure what happened to us.
We had something,
but I guess I kicked it around.
Why don't we pick up the pieces
and start over?
-What time do you get out?
-6:30.
At 6:30, you pick up your hat, coat, stick
and gloves and we'll go out on the town.
-Wine?
-Wine, of course.
-Remember that little hotel?
-The waiter asked about you.
You too?
After dinner we'll dance awhile
and then we'll sneak away. I know--
-I've got a date.
-Break it.
I can't. It's with Bob Perry.
You ought to remember him.
Little Bobby Perry? Pop's kid brother?
-Why do you think he's such a kid?
-I used to pat him on the head.
-Seen him recently?
-No.
Next time you pat him on the head,
let me know. I want to be there.
-I will take care of that later. Now about--
-Duke, I've got a date.
It's all right, Commander.
This is my headache.
I could never marry a submariner.
I like to sleep with the windows open.
-Mr. Caldwell is doing all right.
-He sure is.
Tasty. Special?
I promised somebody I'd buy wine tonight.
Here we go.
Say, whatever happened to that...
kid brother of yours?
Bob? You'd never know him, Duke.
What a great big,
good-looking guy he turned out to be.
And what he does to those gals.
He's sure got all the glamour in our family.
-Good evening. For two, please.
-Right this way.
Look, Bob. It's Pop and Duke.
You remember Bob,
or don't you recognize him?
Yes. Fly-fly boy.
We got that cruiser for you.
If you run into any more good targets,
just let us know.
-We'll take care of them.
-Don't say anything.
We can never hope for any glory
like they get.
You realize that? We can do things
you pigboat boys can never do.
You sure can. For instance...
there's no record of a submarine ever
sinking one of our own planes by mistake.
-All right.
-Sit down, the wine's good.
Duke's buying.
We'd like to, but Mary Stuart and l
were just about to dance.
It's a funny thing, but Mary Stuart
and I were just about to dance.
What do you say, sugar?
It's a very funny thing,
but I was just going to ask Pop to dance.
Excuse us.
What's the matter, Cupid?
I read your wire.
Have you been seeing a lot of Bob?
So we're level, like always?
-Like always, Pop.
-Good.
I think you and Duke belong together.
I don't know what's keeping you apart.
I'd hate to think you were using
my kid brother to solve your problem.
Why didn't I meet you first?
Tell me about yourself. Pop hasn't
given me a rundown for quite a while.
I'm a big disappointment to my brother.
When I decided against that Navy career,
I stabbed him.
-What did you want to be?
-What do you mean, "want to be"?
I am an architect. I build things.
You can't build much from 10,000 feet
with a load of bombs.
There's a war on.
You know, Duke, I've always envied you.
When I was a high school senior,
an All-City Tackle...
you ran 92 yards for touchdown
to beat Army.
When I got to Stanford...
and won the UCLA game
with a home run in the ninth inning...
the papers were full of you and the raising
of that sunken sub. Remember?
400 dives on that job. I made 10 of them.
I know, but you're the guy
they talked about.
And then when I joined up,
got my picture in the hometown paper...
they crowded me off in a corner
with a story about what a hero you were...
at the bombing of Cavite.
And now, here we go again.
-Aren't you dramatizing this thing a little?
-No.
It's different this time.
You're not the hero, you're the sucker.
Any man who would let Mary Stuart
get away from him is a sucker.
I see what you mean.
But, as the fella says:
"Like the Isis of Alexander,
I was once Alexander."
I'm not sure I get that.
But just to keep the record straight...
Mary Stuart and I are going to be married.
-You told her that?
-Several times.
What did she say?
She didn't say no.
Excuse me.
-Cutting in, Captain.
-Sure, Duke.
You look wonderful tonight.
I've always liked--
The kid says he asked you to marry him.
How about it?
I had no idea it was so late.
-I want to explain a little situation to you.
-All right.
-Will you get me back before curfew?
-I sure will.
-Excuse me.
-Good night, Pop.
Good night, Duke.
Thanks for the wine.
Big night for you.
Yes.
I enjoyed it.
He must be a nice guy.
Pop wouldn't like him and
you wouldn't have married him.
So how is it with us? Still the same?
I wonder if it's ever still the same
when a girl meets her ex-husband.
I see what you mean.
I'll call you tomorrow.
Please do.
You're still the softest-walking man
I ever heard.
-Kid says he asked you to marry him.
-That's right.
-Are you gonna do it?
-I don't know.
He wants to go someplace
where they never heard of the Navy.
And that appeals to you?
His idea is to fly back to Wichita, Kansas.
Start walking inland with a pair of oars.
When we get to where somebody says:
"What's that you've got
on your shoulders?" That's it.
Just tell me one thing.
When you kiss him,
do you get that old zing?
-Now you're talking like a jealous husband.
-Ex-husband and don't evade the question.
It's not a fair question.
A girl can't spend
the rest of her life kissing.
It's a good thing to fall back on
when you run out of talk.
If you wanted to be a nurse,
you didn't have to become a Navy nurse...
be sent to Pearl, where you might see me.
Duke, I have a life of my own to live.
I didn't want to live it
being afraid to run into you.
So you ran into me.
What now?
I don't know.
It's not as simple as I thought.
It took a war to make me understand.
Or maybe it's just
that I'm four years older.
But there hasn't a day
you weren't with me...
or a night...
on patrol, or ashore...
in town or pushing some kids
through the jungle with...
a baby in my arms.
Especially with that baby in my arms.
What good will that kind of talk do now?
I'm trying to convince you
that I want another chance.
I haven't much time to plead my cause.
I called a chaplain friend of mine and
asked him to stand by.
We could have a few days together
before I shove off.
Wait a minute.
I didn't spend these years to be...
rushed off my feet by a white uniform...
a big moon
and the perfume of ginger flowers.
-Tree orchids.
-You know what I mean.
You're thinking about the old zing.
But I'm thinking about the rest of my life.
I can't afford to make another mistake.
The only mistake you made
was in getting that divorce.
We're both grown up now.
We could have grown up together.
Maybe I wasn't around a lot of times
I should have been.
But I guarantee you...
I'm going to spend all the time I have
off-duty making it up to you.
-What is it, Chief?
-I'd like to speak to the Commander.
Excuse me.
How did you know where I was?
-Good evening, Chief.
-Good evening, ma'am.
-Lieutenant.
-Yes, Lieutenant, ma'am.
What's the trouble?
A bunch of the guys went to a luau,
roast pig, okolehao, fresh from the still...
-hula girls.
-Yes, I know.
You know Jonesy.
The Hawaiian police tried to break it up.
Then Shore Patrol got into it,
and of course somebody started swinging.
Anyway, they're all being held
down at the Shore Patrol Station.
-A friend of mine told me.
-Couldn't you get them out?
No ma'am, on account of the Hawaiians.
They want damages.
-This may be serious.
-I know.
You better go take care of your Navy.
Go ahead.
Remember what I told you.
I meant it. Let's go.
Yes, sir.
Belay that racket.
Please, Commander, look at my guitar.
Hello.
-You booked them yet, Chief?
-No, sir--
We haven't booked them because
we haven't figured out all the charges yet.
-That bad?
-Worse.
-It's hard to believe about my crew.
-You think they belong in a nursery?
You think they're in there
for stealing dolls?
Give me that report, Chief.
"In car number one,
we were cruising near Koko Head."
That's five miles
out of bounds, incidentally.
"Our attention was attracted to
a disturbance involving naval personnel.
"Investigation disclosed a dozen members
of the Thunder crew at a luau.
"The Hawaiians were trying
to get them to leave. It was past curfew.
"They became noisy and belligerent.
"When the Hawaiians
sent the hula girls home, a fight started."
I'd like to talk to the man who
made that report.
You'll have to go to the Naval hospital.
He's in there with five of my best men.
I know that you submariners are
practically winning the war single-handed.
But I don't see how fighting our shore
patrolmen is going to weaken the Japs.
There must have been provocation,
for my gang.
-If it was my gang.
-If it was your gang?
Bring those guys from the Thunderfish
out here.
Come on, you thunderbirds.
-Oh, no!
-That's what I've been trying to tell you.
Fall in to march over here!
Hurry it up!
Wipe those smiles off your face.
And lively, now!
Hurry it up!
Right face!
-Yes, sir?
-Did you engineer this?
No, sir. It was natural causes.
Can I talk to you privately?
You can talk to me
but it won't do you any good.
Fighting, men? Not even the Admiral
could get you out of this one.
-Let's be reasonable about it.
-No, not a chance.
I'd like to help you, Duke,
but it's got to stop some place.
Night after night, my men are getting
knocked down like ten pins.
If it isn't the Thunder, it's the Tang, or the
Silversides or the Wahoo or the Growler.
-What makes you submariners--
-Listen.
-They have been out on a tough patrol.
-I know, you brought back some children.
-And two nuns.
-That still doesn't excuse it.
Nuns, did you say?
And there's something else.
The kids don't know it,
but they're going right out again.
All right. I'll make a deal with you.
I'll forget my end if you can fix
the damages with the Hawaiians.
How much do they want?
$233.50.
There isn't that much in the whole crew,
including the officers!
-It's the best I can do.
-Let me at them!
Take it easy, kid.
-What's the matter with you?
-I don't know, sir.
Something went click and here I am.
He was hit over the head with a bottle, sir.
-A bottle of what?
-Okolehao.
-Okolehao?
-Yes, sir.
Intoxicating liquor.
I demand that you
throw these men in the brig...
for selling bootlegged
okolehao to my crew.
Please, Commander. We had a big luau.
A big feast.
We had plenty of okolehao.
Good okolehao.
-Where did you get it?
-We made it special.
That's what I mean. How much are you
trying to collect from these men?
$233.50.
What's the fine for bootlegging Okolehao?
$233.50.
But how about our instruments,
and the guitars and the damages?
-How about the bootlegged liquor?
-Wait a minute.
Why don't you call it even?
You forget the damages.
You forget the liquor. How about it?
Very good.
All right with you, Commander?
All right.
Get out of here before I change my mind.
Thank you.
We'll have a big luau, and no okolehao.
-Goodbye, Admiral. Aloha.
-Aloha.
Be sure you're smiling next month...
when those ukuleles
come floating across the payroll.
-Get them out of here, Chief.
-Aye, aye, sir.
Follow me. One-two-three-four.
So help me,
if that crew ever shows up again, I'm....
Aloha, Commander.
Good evening.
-Ready for sea, Duke?
-Yes, sir.
Excuse us, will you, please.
Don't get hurt.
Don't worry. Take care of yourself.
Thanks for coming down, but,
did you have to bring that kid?
I didn't bring him.
He came to say goodbye to Pop.
I'll never understand this situation.
If you're using Bob
to put me over the jumps, it's all right.
But if you're by any chance serious...
I want to make sure you don't do anything
about it till I get back.
Sure, I'm using the boat and the flags
and everything else that will work for me.
You don't expect a guy to give himself
the worst of it, did you?
-Not this guy.
-I hope I'm interrupting.
Duke!
Don't forget to duck.
Stand by your lines.
Haul in your gangway.
Cast off aft. Cast off forward!
All back one-third.
Boy, it's good to be afloat again.
No curfew. No shore patrol.
No Royal Hawaiian. No hula-hula girls.
And no trouble.
When you have more experience
you'll understand about dames.
They are nothing but trouble.
When you've got a headache,
you take an aspirin.
When you've got a bellyache,
you take a sea-sea pill.
When you ache all over, that's dames.
And there ain't no cure for it, either.
Boy, have I got an ache.
-Now what?
-I don't know.
The torpedoes ran through, hit head-on,
no explosion.
Haul out the rest of the torpedoes
and check the settings.
Check all torpedo settings.
There goes a lot of aviation gasoline.
To the wrong planes.
Torpedo still running.
Those fish had time to get to Hoboken.
More duds.
-Down scope. Secure tubes.
-Secure the tubes.
Take over. Duke, let's get some coffee.
If I got a kind of a half-baked idea
about this thing that...
might get it cleared up.
So I could tell it to somebody,
and help them to work it out.
I wish I'd had the time
to take one of these warheads apart...
and play around with the firing pin.
Get this off, urgent priority, COMSUBPAC.
"In attack on two freighters,
torpedoes fired at ideal angle...
"hit target but failed to explode.
"Torpedoes fired at wide angle,
sank target.
"All torpedoes issued Pearl Harbor.
Will keep trying."
I charted the last four attacks.
By the way,
I got answer to my torpedo message.
I've been ordered back home
to help them find the bugs.
It will be kind of tough
to leave the Thunder.
But I really think I can do some good.
I recommended you
to command the next patrol.
The old girl deserves a chance, Duke.
See that she gets it.
-Sound?
-Bearing 040.
62 feet, sir.
All ahead one-third.
Put me on 045.
Suggest we change course
to 135 to intercept, sir.
Right rudder course, 135.
Battle stations manned.
Stand by to fire!
-Here goes Uncas!
-Uncas?
Yeah, the last of the Mohicans!
Fire!
Hit right under the stack
and nothing happens!
Wait a minute. What's this?
-The colors are coming down!
-What?
Get the Exec up here.
Executive officer
report to the conning tower.
Captain wants you in the conning tower.
-Take over, Mr. Caldwell.
-Aye, aye sir.
What is it, Captain?
Nice fat freighter,
and our last torpedo was another dud.
A dud?
He's running up the white flag.
Now I've seen everything!
What do you make of it?
Must've punched a hole in it.
Try and contact her. Find out who she is.
Radio room.
Try and contact Jap freighter close aboard.
Aye, aye.
Raise the antennae.
No reply, sir.
They're preparing to abandon ship!
Take her up fast.
Down scope.
Stand by with machine guns!
-The hatch is cracked, sir.
-Open the hatch.
Here we go.
Take her down fast.
Run negative!
Take her down.
Up scope.
Up the conning tower,
we're fighting an open hatch.
Hatch secure, sir.
All hands.
A Jap decoy ship flying a white flag
opened up on us.
Pop never left the bridge.
The Jap is beginning a depth charge run.
I intend to dive under and come up astern.
Stand by for battle surface.
Break out helmets!
-Is she still coming?
-Yes.
Good. Steady on course.
-Ammunition passers ready?
-Yes, sir.
Helmet, Captain?
I want to be in action when the guns clear.
All stations ready for battle surface!
Pour it to him!
I'll give you a hand with this gun!
Lay it in there.
Steady on that.40, Chief!
Engine room, give me all you got.
Hang on!
All back full!
Report on bow damage.
Forward torpedo room's flooding, sir.
Put air pressure in that compartment.
There she goes.
Nothing from the Thunder?
Nothing, sir.
Notify all patrol vessels
she is overdue and maybe damaged.
Report immediate contact
and render assistance.
Aye, aye, sir.
Mary Stuart is here again, sir.
Wish I had something to tell her.
Have her come in.
The Admiral is in the plotting room.
I'm sorry to bother you this way--
That's all right. Come in any time.
No word, sir?
That doesn't mean she's lost.
But no word?
She's a sturdy boat with a fine crew.
They'll bring her in if she's afloat.
Thank you, sir.
No luck, sir. The set's damaged too bad.
Keep trying.
Engineer and
First Lieutenant's reports, sir.
All hands!
Here's the story.
The damage to our bow
has cut our surface speed in half.
We can submerge,
but we can't make much headway.
That means we'll do most
of our running at night.
We'll be a little late, getting back to Pearl
but sit tight, we'll make it.
That's all.
"And Ma in her kerchief and I in my cap
had just settled ourselves...
"for a long winter's nap."
What are we waiting for,
that huddle in the wardroom?
The board of investigation
has to decide what happened...
before anybody goes ashore.
A faulty torpedo cost
Captain Perry his life...
otherwise the target would
have been disabled.
The Thunder wouldn't have been
forced into an emergency dive.
After the dive...
I acted according to my understanding
of the Thunder's mission...
which was to destroy enemy shipping.
After the Jap ship went down, we...
cruised the area for the rest of the day...
searching for Captain Perry.
What was the condition
of the Thunder at that time?
Heavily damaged. Barely able
to make headway, sir.
You and your men performed
an outstanding submarine feat...
in getting the Thunder back to port.
We realize you had a rough patrol
and need little time to unwind.
We're recommending that
you be sent back to the States for a while.
I'd rather stay here
and see to the Thunder's refit.
Sorry. That's our recommendation.
Good day.
-I've been waiting--
-Another day.
I've got a little business
that'll keep me busy for days.
Hey, Camel!
Sorry, I'm headed for
a hot bath and a bottle.
Hey, Mosconi.
Look, I'd love to go with you, baby,
but I'm always booked solid.
-Hey, Chief.
-Not now, Junior.
Why didn't you tell me?
I didn't know all these guys would be here.
I just dropped in.
Looks like...
a lot of us had the same idea.
I guess it's up to me to say something.
The most appropriate thing
I can think of is...
the last part of the burial at sea.
In the Navy prayer book...
it goes like this:
"We commend their souls to God and
commit their bodies to the deep...
"in sure and certain
hope of the resurrection...
"into eternal life through Jesus Christ,
at whose coming to judge the world...
"the sea shall give up her dead."
Pop wasn't killed in action!
Duke took that boat down from under him.
I know how you must feel.
But how do you suppose Duke feels?
He's second-in-command.
He was responsible for the safety
of the Thunder and the lives of the crew.
So he took it down where it was safe.
But he didn't stay down where it was safe!
He brought it up again to fight! Why?
I'm not the only one asking questions.
They're sending
him back to the States? Why?
I don't know, Bob.
But I'm sure Duke did
what he thought was the right thing.
Don't try to defend him, Mary Stuart.
Nothing means a thing to Duke
except the chance to be a hero again!
Bob.
I was over at your quarters
looking for you.
I wanted to tell you about Pop,
and how we all felt.
What's the use of talking?
All I can think of
is Pop out there, helpless...
while you went glory-hunting.
Too bad.
Don't be upset, darling.
Let's sit down over here
and you can tell me what happened.
In time, Bob will forgive you.
Forgive me? For what?
We didn't abandon Pop.
He ordered the Thunder down,
knowing he couldn't make it.
Knowing she'd be under
in less than a minute.
He gave his life for his crew and his boat.
Bob doesn't understand that.
After all, Pop was his brother.
He was my best friend.
I'll miss him.
His kindness, and his gruff humor.
But the missing is all mixed with such
a fierce pride in what he did that...
I have no room for mourning.
-I think Pop understands.
-But that doesn't lessen the hurt.
Wait a minute.
I've told you how I feel.
If you're offering me
a shoulder to cry on, I don't need it.
-I have nothing to cry about.
-I'm only trying to help.
But you can't help me in this.
My problem is to stay aboard
the Thunder and keep the crew together.
I better get started on it right now!
See you later.
What's the matter?
I guess I know now where I stand.
Is the Admiral in?
Yes, sir. I think he is expecting you.
-Captain Gifford of the Thunderfish, sir.
-Come in, Duke.
-Thank you for seeing me, sir.
-Sit down. Relax.
What can I do for you?
I'd like to talk to you sir,
about the Thunder.
I could say the crew
is so well-coordinated that...
it should be kept intact.
That'd be true. I could...
tell you about Pop and the...
promise I made to him.
There're many things--
What are you trying to tell me?
I don't want to go back to the States.
The Board says you had a strenuous time.
I know they said that, sir, but...
I thought perhaps you could....
There is one possibility for you to stay.
I have been given permission
to conduct experiments out here...
to find out why torpedoes don't explode.
I wouldn't be any good for that!
I'm no theory man.
I am a line officer.
I belong aboard the Thunder.
You're a practical submariner
and this is a big job. However...
Flag Lieutenant, sir.
Arrange transportation for Captain Gifford
on the next plane to the States.
I hadn't finished, sir.
I meant to say was
I belong aboard a boat...
but I'll do anything I can.
I thought you'd feel that way.
I gather from Pop's messages
he had some ideas of what was wrong.
Yes, sir. He started to explain to me,
but never finished.
You think anybody aboard the Thunder
would have any ideas?
My chief might. Matter of fact,
the whole crew are fine torpedo men.
Go into a huddle with the base
Torpedo Officer. See what you cook up.
We'll give you all the help we can
from the shops.
-Thank you.
-It's all right. Find the answer for me.
You know, I don't enjoy sending
out boats and crews...
with torpedoes that don't
get the job done.
-It looks all right here in the shop.
-But it doesn't explode.
We've figured out the force of impact.
If we could approximate the number of
tons with which it hits the side of a ship--
Why don't you take it up high some place
and drop it?
No luck.
Ten straight duds!
That sends me back to the States.
Me, too. This thing is a must
for the admiral.
Chief, is there anything we haven't tried?
No, sir.
Except the aluminum firing pins the base
sent over, but they look too light, sir.
-Put one in.
-Yes, sir.
Stand clear!
Let her go!
Hold it right there.
Turn around twice and give
me all the angles.
Then get your hat, coat, stick and gloves
cause we're going out.
I've got something to say.
But do you have to say it right now--
Yes, right now,
because I'm not going to enjoy it.
I want to get it over with.
Please don't touch me. Just listen.
The last time I saw you, was probably
the most unselfish moment in my life.
I was practically glowing
with things I wanted to do for you.
But you didn't give me a chance.
-Sorry.
-Now that everything is cleared up.
-You want somebody to howl with you.
-Not just somebody. I want you.
I'm not available, Duke.
That night in front
of the nurse's quarters...
and then again at the pier.
I forgot for a moment why we split up.
But you reminded me.
The old trouble came charging back.
It wasn't the Navy, the wet winters,
bad quarters or your being away so much!
Those things just made it more
wonderful when you got home.
Sure, we did, we had
some great times together.
But a marriage isn't all laughs.
I wanted to cry with you sometimes, too.
I wanted to comfort you
when you lost your best friend.
But you wouldn't let me.
I wanted to comfort you
when we lost our son.
But you went off into some corner
of your own, never realizing...
by comforting you,
I could have helped my own grief.
Maybe it's my fault.
Maybe I shouldn't have let
you shut me out.
But you have no corner on pride.
If I can't be a part
of everything in your life...
I can't be a part of anything.
So there it is.
The trouble between us.
You don't need me, Duke.
You never have.
You don't need anybody but yourself.
A fine boy.
Take good care of him, will you?
A man's got a lot to learn!
I heard every word you said.
I've tried to keep my nose
out of your business...
but I can't stand by anymore and
watch you make a fool of yourself.
-Commander Steele--
-Keep quiet and listen!
Of course he comes to you
when he wants to play.
Or do you want him to go to
some another woman?
You married him for what he is,
then tried to make something else of him.
When you couldn't, and you never will...
you began to feel sorry for yourself.
How long would you love him
if he did cry on your shoulder?
"You don't need me! "
"Maybe I shouldn't have let you
shut me out." What kind of talk is that?
And what has pride got to do with love?
Don't worry. He won't be happy.
But what is more important
he won't be back!
Skip it, seaman.
What's the matter, Junior?
Getting some fresh air?
No, sir.
I was just sitting up here thinking
about women.
How you miss them till you get ashore.
And then how you wonder why.
And how soon
you start missing them again.
I reckon it's just a vicious circle!
It's a mighty cynical observation
for a gentleman from Georgia.
-Alabama, sir.
-I beg your pardon.
Of course, sir.
There's lots of corn-bread-and-buttermilk
boys in the navy.
Yet that doesn't seem to be sailor country.
Oh, but it is, sir.
From way back.
My great-grandpappy
was on the Merrimac.
My grandpappy was
with Dewey at Manila.
My pappy was with Admiral Sims,
chasing U-boats!
Why, even the town I come
from is named Decatur!
Indications lead
to an all-out Japanese effort...
to destroy the recently obtained
United States base at Leyte...
and prevent support
and supply by our fleet.
The Imperial Japanese Fleet is known
to have left its base, headed south.
Several courses are open to them.
Consequently, initial contact
is of vital importance.
Our submarines are located
along this general line.
And it's our job to locate them.
-Will the Japs take a gamble like that?
-They'll have to.
The Philippine landing was a ticklish job.
We by-passed a lot of places
to jump in there.
If they let us stay, they're gone geese.
-What is it?
-Message from the Corvena.
They've got gear trouble in number four
main engine and want help from us.
Check with the engineer officer and if we
can spare the parts arrange a rendezvous.
How long have you been out, Freddie?
60 days.
Didn't even see a rowboat!
Did you guys bring any
new pictures with you?
We got a thing called
George Washington Slept Here.
Got anything to trade?
We have a submarine picture.
It sure is exciting.
Send it over.
And you can have
George Washington Slept Here...
and six points.
Joe, do me a favor, will you?
Sure.
When you get back to Pearl,
go up to Room 202.
If there's a buck under the pillow,
it's mine!
If there's a buck under the pillow,
I'll split it with you.
All hands! This is Jonesy.
There will be movies tonight!
How's the picture?
All right, I guess, sir.
The things those Hollywood guys
can do with a submarine!
I wonder how Freddie's doing
with George Washington?
I can't figure out
those explosions Sound reported.
Torpedoes?
Torpedoes. Yes.
Ours or theirs?
Something in the water, sir.
Can you make it out, Larry?
It looks like an oil slick. Wreckage!
All ahead, full.
Find anything, Chief?
Nothing I can identify, sir.
-But there's a life jacket.
-Wait a minute, Chief.
Radar reports single contact sir.
Bearing, 187. Range, 15,000.
Single contact?
Clear the bridge!
Sound?
-Hatch secure, sir.
-Pressure in the boat, sir.
Hold it at periscope depth.
Steady as you go. All ahead one-third.
Up periscope.
-Bearing mark.
-Bearing 1 88.
-Range mark.
-Range, 1 2,000.
Angle on the bow, 40 starboard.
Down periscope.
Ask the navigator what time
is local apparent noon.
-Target course 320.
-Navigator.
Navigator reports local apparent
noon 11:46, 14 minutes from now.
Up scope.
Battle stations submerge.
-Bearing mark.
-Bearing 195.
Range mark.
Range 6,000.
One l-type Jap submarine!
Mr. Caldwell, take a look!
What do you suppose
he doing is up there?
He might be taking a noon site.
Or maybe just licking his chops.
Down scope.
All ahead, flank.
-Right full rudder.
-All ahead flank, right full rudder.
Steady on course 280.
Make ready all tubes forward.
Up scope.
-Bearing mark.
-Bearing 346.
-Range mark.
-Range 900.
Final bearing, mark.
-Set.
Stand by.
Fire.
Now we have torpedoes, Mr. Caldwell.
Take another look.
It's the first time I ever saw
a sub get knocked off.
Some night, huh?
See anything?
Yes. Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
There used to be a Ferris wheel
just outside of town...
me and my girl rode it a lot.
One night something happened
to the machinery...
and the wheel got stuck
with us way up on top.
Boy, was that a night!
Wonder who is up there with her now?
Radar reports multiple contacts, sir.
Bearing, 278, true.
Target apparently on steady course.
Range?
-22,000, sir.
-Striking party, take stations.
Give me the engineer officer.
How long are you going to need
to need on that battery charge?
We may be down a long while.
Good.
Clear the bridge.
Hatch secure, sir.
That ain't all, Captain.
Propeller noises coming in
all around the dial, sir.
Stand by battle stations!
A destroyer!
-Any pinging?
-No, sir.
All ahead, one-third.
What are we gonna do?
Bring her up easy.
The surface radio antennae.
If we try to get away, they'll be on us
before we can send a message.
If we send a message from here,
we won't be able to get away.
You know what to say.
Aye, aye, sir.
I'll never make fun of another movie
as long as I live!
-Antennae up?
-Yes, sir.
COMSUBPAC.
Urgent priority. Plain language.
Thunder in middle
of Imperial Japanese fleet...
including carriers, battleships
and heavies...
Course 150. Speed 25...
Position 50 miles north of Point Fox.
-We're sending, sir.
-Up scope.
Stand by to fire all tubes.
-No sign of life yet.
-They must hear us.
Maybe they don't believe what they hear.
Somebody's getting nosy.
Down scope.
This is the captain talking.
We asked for it. Now, we got it.
We're right in the middle
of the entire Japanese Imperial fleet.
We gotta sit here like a duck in a shooting
gallery till Pearl gets our contact message.
Search lights are popping
all over the place.
And destroyers are cranking up
depth charges.
If Pearl acknowledges in time,
we have a chance.
With these overlapping targets...
I intend to fire all tubes...
cause so much excitement
that we can make a break for it. That's all.
That's enough!
That is what I was going to say.
-Anything from the radio room?
-No, sir.
Destroyers!
Radio room reports acknowledge, sir.
Fire!
Fire!
Baby, you're wonderful!
Take her down fast and deep.
Rig for depth charge!
Take her down fast and deep.
Rig for depth charge!
Rig for silent running!
We're going down fast.
Rig for depth charge.
Rig for silent running!
Left full rudder.
120 feet.
Right full rudder.
Number six, popping!
All compartments report damage.
How are we doing?
So far, so good. She might sweat a little.
Let her sweat.
Level off.
All ahead one-third.
There's bad leak down here.
A DC party will take care of that.
Hurry up that torpedo reload!
All right, take it away. Get it in there!
Heave!
Come on. Let's go. Heave!
-Larry?
-The usual amount of caulk.
Number one engine water cooler blown.
Brushes for speed regulator, dried out.
Exhaust piping on auxiliary engine
in liner elbow, cracked.
There's a leak in the forward
torpedo room. What else?
We're losing control.
We'll have to surface to repair damage.
Where's that destroyer?
He's echo ranging. He's not sure of us.
Other screw sounds going fainter.
Wait a minute.
There's something else up there.
Heavier screws.
Slow turning.
Let's go take a look. Periscope depth.
Bring her up fast.
This will be down the throat.
-Range.
-800, sir.
Stand by forward tubes.
Heave!
Fire!
They're running at Rockingham.
Torpedoes running.
-Look at here.
-After tubes reloaded, sir.
This is the captain. We made it.
Jap fleet is gone and we took
care of the destroyer they left behind.
But that's not all.
Somebody must live right.
Sitting topside is the most beautiful
carrier you ever saw with a broken wing.
I think we can get even
for the one Pop missed.
They may send destroyers back
but right now she is meat on the table.
What are we supposed to do, throw rocks?
After tubes are reloaded.
Can you keep her under control?
For a carrier, I'll hold her up myself!
Stand by after tubes.
-Range.
-1,800.
Bearing 175.
Fire.
Don't miss back there, you guys!
That does it. Take a look.
Pass the word, everybody take a look.
Up the antennae.
Detail to the conning tower for a look-see.
I better let everybody hear this.
One of our submarines contacted the
Imperial Japanese Fleet in Luzon Straits.
Enemy proceeding full speed
toward Leyte.
Execute Plan Royal.
All submarines form lifeguard line.
Stand by air sea rescue stations
to take aboard downed fliers.
Well done, Thunder!
I hope Pop heard that!
All leaks repaired, sir.
Battle damage under control.
Good.
Stand by rescue stations.
Hobo to Baker.
Baker to Hobo, go ahead.
One down,
northeast of San Bernardino Island.
Northeast of San Bernardino Island?
It gets a little shallow in there.
There's the fly-fly boy!
Navigator reports bottom at 15 fathoms.
All ahead two-thirds.
Mr. Caldwell.
We'll take you in as close as we can,
then you'll have to go and get him.
Aye, aye, sir.
-Keep those fathometer readings coming.
-One more fathom, sir.
The bottom's coming up fast.
I hope it's nice clean sand.
Nine fathoms.
Engineer officer, sir.
I'm gonna ease her in from here and
put her nose on the reef.
Put her down forward.
All stop.
Mr. Caldwell, shove off.
Navigator reports single plane contact.
Bearing 1 20. Range 29,000.
Man the deck guns!
Take over, Larry.
Take it easy, I've got him, Mr. Caldwell.
Junior!
Chief!
Get back aboard, Mr. Caldwell!
That is an order!
All back full!
Come on.
-Junior, the Chief!
-They're not coming.
Put me down!
I said put me down!
You were out cold.
Well, I'm not any more. Just cold.
Yes, sir.
-Mr. Caldwell?
-Yes sir?
-Thank you.
-Yes, sir.
Junior's personal effects.
He was a good man.
Make sure it says so on the patrol report.
Aye, aye, sir.
Look at this! A Confederate flag.
Don't forget to mention Alabama.
His great-grandpappy was
aboard the Merrimac.
You got me in a straight-jacket?
By the time we get back,
you'll be as good as new.
PBM alongside.
Stand by to transfer wounded.
How're you doing?
I want to tell you.
I appreciate what you did for me.
I know you went
out of your way to get me.
We picked up seven flyers.
You just happen to be one of them.
I am sorry for the way I put
it to you about Pop.
I might have felt the same way...
if it'd been my brother.
All my life, I've been trying to top you.
You said that before.
I thought I'd done it.
And then with a whole Pacific Ocean
in front of me...
I had to pick the one spot to crash
where you could be a hero again.
Why did you and I have to be
in the same Navy?
So I could send you back
to Pearl in a PBM, I guess. All right.
Just a minute.
-What's that for?
-Nothing.
I couldn't help it about the chief.
I'm remembering how he took care of you.
Before you, he took care of Larry.
Before Larry, he took care of me.
Before me, it was Pop.
Before Pop...
Chiefs have taken care of our Navy
for a long time, Mr. Caldwell.
Don't worry about him.
He has got a lot of good sailors
to take care of back there.
In tonnage this patrol is close to a record.
Yes, sir.
Excuse me, sir.
-It's still there, huh?
-What?
-The old zing!
-Of course it is.
What could happen to it?
-I got your message.
-What message?
Let's go get Butch!
-Sure glad to see you, sir.
-Here's what held us up.
A baby. Gee, he's red.
All new babies are red.
Sister Anna, Sister Felicia,
this is Mr. Caldwell.
We have a couple of life rafts.
We'll get you all aboard the Thunder.
If you'll just step this way.
If you'll go with Mr. Caldwell
and three children with you, please.
And the other sister,
will you come with me, please?
You know Jonesy, sir.
Yes, I know Jonesy.
And I'll give him about one more minute.
-What have you got there?
-It's a baby, Captain.
A baby?
-Where is Commander Gifford?
-He's in the next boat, Captain.
-What have you got there?
-Souvenir, sir.
-You were ordered to avoid trouble.
-It wasn't any trouble, sir.
Natural causes. He tripped over me.
I couldn't leave him.
You said not to let the Japs
know we were here.
This fellow's breathing.
Stuff him under a tree where he'll be quiet,
and let's get out of here.
Aye, aye, sir.
All ahead. Standard.
Pile it in there, Cookie.
These kids look mighty hungry.
Tell them they can have
all the seconds they want.
-Sure you do.
-Be sure to blow on it, it's pretty hot.
He ran for the tree,
see, the fox was right behind him.
So he goes up the tree....
Sister?
He comes running around
trying to signal somebody--
Go ahead, eat up. Go on.
Bless this boat and crew, O Lord...
and the gifts that we are about to receive
through thy bounty.
Amen.
-Landing party report?
-Yes, sir. I hope I got everything in there.
-Should be. Five pages.
-You think the captain will like it?
I'm sure he will.
I can tell you exactly what he'll say
in his patrol report.
-What, sir?
-"Special mission accomplished."
Yes, sir.
Children, come on, be quiet.
Come.
Pass the word. Main induction closed.
Flood negative.
Release air.
Clean board.
Position the boat.
Hold at periscope depth.
Radar report.
Several targets.
Bearing, 047 degrees, true.
-Distance to center formation.
-26,000 yards.
Left ship in formation,
bearing 040 degrees.
All ahead, full.
-Steady on course, 320.
-All on course, steady on course, 320.
-Commence supply.
-Aye, aye, sir.
Up scope.
Mark 358.
-Range?
-Mark 2,200.
A carrier.
Repeat.
It's a jackpot, sir.
-We can fire any time, sir.
-Standby to fire all tubes.
Baby.
Watch those children. Grab that kid!
Here, sonny. Sister Anna...
-better get these kids out of here.
-Number one, fired.
Number two, fired.
Torpedoes exploded halfway to the target.
Mr. Caldwell, take over.
-We better get these children out of here.
-Take her down fast.
Hurry it up.
Don't let the big bad destroyer get you.
Rig for depth charge.
Rig for silent running.
Hang on, Sister Anna,
it may get a little sticky.
Don't mind that, kids.
Take a look at Butch.
After five special missions,
we line up a submariner's dream...
and what happens?
Torpedoes explode halfway to the target.
Take over, Duke.
No power on diving rudders.
Shift to hand-power.
Hard dive. Overhead flow. Level her off.
Leak in forward torpedo room.
-Is there anything we can do?
-Just spit teeth and cuss.
-Sorry, Sister. Didn't see you.
-That's all right. Go ahead. I'll spit teeth.
Sound?
Listens like he kept right on
going after the convoy.
No more propellers. He's gone.
Gone?
They must have rolled that one
off a sailboat.
Sister, how did you--
Remind me to write a letter
to the builders of this boat.
Aye, aye, sir. What did you want to say?
"Dear builders...
"thanks."
-What's for chow, Cookie?
-Creamed rubber gloves.
-Creamed what?
-Rubber gloves.
There's a rubber glove in one pan,
and there's milk in the other one.
Well, I'm a monkey's uncle!
-Who ordered that?
-The Exec.
-It's hot.
-Fine time to tell me.
Good.
And this is where my brother came in.
Come on, Butch.
Feedbag.
Some things kind of crowd a man,
don't they?
Those nuns. Wonderful, just wonderful.
-Never a whimper out of them.
-Some of them walked 40 miles.
Clear across the island. Right through...
jungles and Japs, and...
nothing to protect them
but a string of beads.
And the kids.
We couldn't carry them all...
they didn't understand, so they'd cry.
We couldn't let them cry
'cause they would give us away.
And that baby....
The mother didn't have a chance,
but the kid...
he pops into the world...
we spank him on the bottom
and wrap him in a blanket; let's go.
He's a game little guy.
Ever hear from Mary Stuart?
No.
Did you know she was in Honolulu?
I heard it in Brisbane.
I liked her.
I married her.
I never saw two people start out
with so many things going for them.
Army-navy games,
parties at the Bellevue Stratford...
Hops at the Academy...
Graduation, hats in the air.
-A wedding in the chapel. Honeymoon.
-Then the submarine school.
Cold, wet winters at New London.
Sea duty.
No home. No leave.
It takes more than that to cause a split-up.
When a girl like Mary Stuart marries
into the Navy, she signs on for that stuff.
Not for what I dished out.
The eager beaver.
I was at sea on a volunteer mission...
making test runs
with that new sonar equipment...
when my son was born.
Five weeks later, I was down 240 feet...
trying to get a line around the Squalus
when he died.
Like you say...
some things kind of crowd a man.
-What's the matter?
-That baby kind of got to him.
The baby, him?
Yeah, him.
-What is it?
-Damage control report, sir.
Commander Submarine Thunder to
COMSUBPAC, Pearl Harbor.
Women and children aboard.
Request ambulance and nurses.
Suggest Mary Stuart meet Thunder.
Make it a priority message.
Women and children are coming in aboard
the submarine, Thunder. Go pick them up.
- Thunder?
-Yes.
I'd like to be excused.
My ex-husband's on that boat.
-But I thought you wanted to meet him.
-I do.
But on the Thunder
I'll be the visiting team.
I'd like the first meeting
to be on my home ground.
As your senior officer, I should comply
with his request and order you to go.
But as one woman to another,
how is your headache?
-Splitting.
-You're excused.
Thank you.
Attention!
Permission to come aboard, sir.
-Good afternoon.
-Welcome to Pearl.
Hello.
-Somebody enjoyed himself in Australia?
-Yes, sir. Nice people down there.
We're happy to be home too, sir.
Chief?
-Good afternoon, sir.
-What's the matter? You look worried.
I lost one of my children, sir.
Excuse me, sir.
Shall we go below, gentlemen?
Sorry about your carrier, Pop.
We contacted the Saratoga. Her planes
got the cruiser and two destroyers.
-The carrier got away.
-Better luck next patrol.
We would have racked her up
ourselves, Admiral...
except for those two prematures
that rattled our eyeteeth.
What are we gonna do
about those torpedoes?
Sure knocked the bottom out of my gang.
Those magnetic exploders
are driving us all crazy.
Everybody from the Bureau of Ordinance
on down is working on it.
We're doing something.
We're dropping them next patrol.
Good.
We're going back to contact exploders.
Maybe we can get a few hits now.
Here is our patrol report.
Yes?
Sister Anna is leaving
and wants to say goodbye.
Go ahead.
Duke, you brought them aboard.
You take the bow.
Bows we take together.
'Bye.
-We've been looking for you.
-Commander Gifford.
We've been wondering what to say
after "thank you"?
-Leave it at that.
-It's been a pleasure to have you aboard.
Tonight in chapel,
I know the words will come to me.
I seem to think better
when I'm kneeling. Goodbye.
-What's the matter?
-Oh, nothing!
Don't you think we better get below with
the braid?
Just a minute. I'll be right back.
I'm sorry, Nurse. I thought she was...
I thought you were somebody else.
I beg your pardon.
Think you knew her?
There was a nurse in Darwin and l....
We better get below.
-Do you want to have them all crying?
-No, I was--
-Where's your mask?
-Mask?
Over your nose.
You're breathing germs on them.
-Where's yours?
-Are you the baby's father?
-No.
-You shouldn't be here. Leave.
Wait. I carried that baby through jungles,
helped deliver him.
All right. Now he's delivered.
As for the rest of it, may I remind you,
that this is not the jungle! Good day.
How do you like that?
All I wanted to do was say hello to Butch
and she comes charging in.
I suppose you don't you like Butch
for a name.
I suppose I love it. I knew a Butch.
-It's still there, huh?
-What?
-That old zing.
-Of course it's still there, you big ape.
-What do you think had happened to it?
-Those things you said at the trial....
Do you think anybody ever tells
the real reason for a divorce at the trial?
What was the real reason?
Just now when I kissed you, well,
that's where we were four years ago.
I'm proud of you. Where did you train?
General Hospital, Durham.
What did the gentleman
from North Carolina say?
Dad was all for it.
I told him it was sort of a penance.
You felt like you should do penance?
I felt like one of us should.
Penance.
I've been numb for four years
trying to figure what happened to us.
We had something,
but I guess I kicked it around.
Why don't we pick up the pieces
and start over?
-What time do you get out?
-6:30.
At 6:30, you pick up your hat, coat, stick
and gloves and we'll go out on the town.
-Wine?
-Wine, of course.
-Remember that little hotel?
-The waiter asked about you.
You too?
After dinner we'll dance awhile
and then we'll sneak away. I know--
-I've got a date.
-Break it.
I can't. It's with Bob Perry.
You ought to remember him.
Little Bobby Perry? Pop's kid brother?
-Why do you think he's such a kid?
-I used to pat him on the head.
-Seen him recently?
-No.
Next time you pat him on the head,
let me know. I want to be there.
-I will take care of that later. Now about--
-Duke, I've got a date.
It's all right, Commander.
This is my headache.
I could never marry a submariner.
I like to sleep with the windows open.
-Mr. Caldwell is doing all right.
-He sure is.
Tasty. Special?
I promised somebody I'd buy wine tonight.
Here we go.
Say, whatever happened to that...
kid brother of yours?
Bob? You'd never know him, Duke.
What a great big,
good-looking guy he turned out to be.
And what he does to those gals.
He's sure got all the glamour in our family.
-Good evening. For two, please.
-Right this way.
Look, Bob. It's Pop and Duke.
You remember Bob,
or don't you recognize him?
Yes. Fly-fly boy.
We got that cruiser for you.
If you run into any more good targets,
just let us know.
-We'll take care of them.
-Don't say anything.
We can never hope for any glory
like they get.
You realize that? We can do things
you pigboat boys can never do.
You sure can. For instance...
there's no record of a submarine ever
sinking one of our own planes by mistake.
-All right.
-Sit down, the wine's good.
Duke's buying.
We'd like to, but Mary Stuart and l
were just about to dance.
It's a funny thing, but Mary Stuart
and I were just about to dance.
What do you say, sugar?
It's a very funny thing,
but I was just going to ask Pop to dance.
Excuse us.
What's the matter, Cupid?
I read your wire.
Have you been seeing a lot of Bob?
So we're level, like always?
-Like always, Pop.
-Good.
I think you and Duke belong together.
I don't know what's keeping you apart.
I'd hate to think you were using
my kid brother to solve your problem.
Why didn't I meet you first?
Tell me about yourself. Pop hasn't
given me a rundown for quite a while.
I'm a big disappointment to my brother.
When I decided against that Navy career,
I stabbed him.
-What did you want to be?
-What do you mean, "want to be"?
I am an architect. I build things.
You can't build much from 10,000 feet
with a load of bombs.
There's a war on.
You know, Duke, I've always envied you.
When I was a high school senior,
an All-City Tackle...
you ran 92 yards for touchdown
to beat Army.
When I got to Stanford...
and won the UCLA game
with a home run in the ninth inning...
the papers were full of you and the raising
of that sunken sub. Remember?
400 dives on that job. I made 10 of them.
I know, but you're the guy
they talked about.
And then when I joined up,
got my picture in the hometown paper...
they crowded me off in a corner
with a story about what a hero you were...
at the bombing of Cavite.
And now, here we go again.
-Aren't you dramatizing this thing a little?
-No.
It's different this time.
You're not the hero, you're the sucker.
Any man who would let Mary Stuart
get away from him is a sucker.
I see what you mean.
But, as the fella says:
"Like the Isis of Alexander,
I was once Alexander."
I'm not sure I get that.
But just to keep the record straight...
Mary Stuart and I are going to be married.
-You told her that?
-Several times.
What did she say?
She didn't say no.
Excuse me.
-Cutting in, Captain.
-Sure, Duke.
You look wonderful tonight.
I've always liked--
The kid says he asked you to marry him.
How about it?
I had no idea it was so late.
-I want to explain a little situation to you.
-All right.
-Will you get me back before curfew?
-I sure will.
-Excuse me.
-Good night, Pop.
Good night, Duke.
Thanks for the wine.
Big night for you.
Yes.
I enjoyed it.
He must be a nice guy.
Pop wouldn't like him and
you wouldn't have married him.
So how is it with us? Still the same?
I wonder if it's ever still the same
when a girl meets her ex-husband.
I see what you mean.
I'll call you tomorrow.
Please do.
You're still the softest-walking man
I ever heard.
-Kid says he asked you to marry him.
-That's right.
-Are you gonna do it?
-I don't know.
He wants to go someplace
where they never heard of the Navy.
And that appeals to you?
His idea is to fly back to Wichita, Kansas.
Start walking inland with a pair of oars.
When we get to where somebody says:
"What's that you've got
on your shoulders?" That's it.
Just tell me one thing.
When you kiss him,
do you get that old zing?
-Now you're talking like a jealous husband.
-Ex-husband and don't evade the question.
It's not a fair question.
A girl can't spend
the rest of her life kissing.
It's a good thing to fall back on
when you run out of talk.
If you wanted to be a nurse,
you didn't have to become a Navy nurse...
be sent to Pearl, where you might see me.
Duke, I have a life of my own to live.
I didn't want to live it
being afraid to run into you.
So you ran into me.
What now?
I don't know.
It's not as simple as I thought.
It took a war to make me understand.
Or maybe it's just
that I'm four years older.
But there hasn't a day
you weren't with me...
or a night...
on patrol, or ashore...
in town or pushing some kids
through the jungle with...
a baby in my arms.
Especially with that baby in my arms.
What good will that kind of talk do now?
I'm trying to convince you
that I want another chance.
I haven't much time to plead my cause.
I called a chaplain friend of mine and
asked him to stand by.
We could have a few days together
before I shove off.
Wait a minute.
I didn't spend these years to be...
rushed off my feet by a white uniform...
a big moon
and the perfume of ginger flowers.
-Tree orchids.
-You know what I mean.
You're thinking about the old zing.
But I'm thinking about the rest of my life.
I can't afford to make another mistake.
The only mistake you made
was in getting that divorce.
We're both grown up now.
We could have grown up together.
Maybe I wasn't around a lot of times
I should have been.
But I guarantee you...
I'm going to spend all the time I have
off-duty making it up to you.
-What is it, Chief?
-I'd like to speak to the Commander.
Excuse me.
How did you know where I was?
-Good evening, Chief.
-Good evening, ma'am.
-Lieutenant.
-Yes, Lieutenant, ma'am.
What's the trouble?
A bunch of the guys went to a luau,
roast pig, okolehao, fresh from the still...
-hula girls.
-Yes, I know.
You know Jonesy.
The Hawaiian police tried to break it up.
Then Shore Patrol got into it,
and of course somebody started swinging.
Anyway, they're all being held
down at the Shore Patrol Station.
-A friend of mine told me.
-Couldn't you get them out?
No ma'am, on account of the Hawaiians.
They want damages.
-This may be serious.
-I know.
You better go take care of your Navy.
Go ahead.
Remember what I told you.
I meant it. Let's go.
Yes, sir.
Belay that racket.
Please, Commander, look at my guitar.
Hello.
-You booked them yet, Chief?
-No, sir--
We haven't booked them because
we haven't figured out all the charges yet.
-That bad?
-Worse.
-It's hard to believe about my crew.
-You think they belong in a nursery?
You think they're in there
for stealing dolls?
Give me that report, Chief.
"In car number one,
we were cruising near Koko Head."
That's five miles
out of bounds, incidentally.
"Our attention was attracted to
a disturbance involving naval personnel.
"Investigation disclosed a dozen members
of the Thunder crew at a luau.
"The Hawaiians were trying
to get them to leave. It was past curfew.
"They became noisy and belligerent.
"When the Hawaiians
sent the hula girls home, a fight started."
I'd like to talk to the man who
made that report.
You'll have to go to the Naval hospital.
He's in there with five of my best men.
I know that you submariners are
practically winning the war single-handed.
But I don't see how fighting our shore
patrolmen is going to weaken the Japs.
There must have been provocation,
for my gang.
-If it was my gang.
-If it was your gang?
Bring those guys from the Thunderfish
out here.
Come on, you thunderbirds.
-Oh, no!
-That's what I've been trying to tell you.
Fall in to march over here!
Hurry it up!
Wipe those smiles off your face.
And lively, now!
Hurry it up!
Right face!
-Yes, sir?
-Did you engineer this?
No, sir. It was natural causes.
Can I talk to you privately?
You can talk to me
but it won't do you any good.
Fighting, men? Not even the Admiral
could get you out of this one.
-Let's be reasonable about it.
-No, not a chance.
I'd like to help you, Duke,
but it's got to stop some place.
Night after night, my men are getting
knocked down like ten pins.
If it isn't the Thunder, it's the Tang, or the
Silversides or the Wahoo or the Growler.
-What makes you submariners--
-Listen.
-They have been out on a tough patrol.
-I know, you brought back some children.
-And two nuns.
-That still doesn't excuse it.
Nuns, did you say?
And there's something else.
The kids don't know it,
but they're going right out again.
All right. I'll make a deal with you.
I'll forget my end if you can fix
the damages with the Hawaiians.
How much do they want?
$233.50.
There isn't that much in the whole crew,
including the officers!
-It's the best I can do.
-Let me at them!
Take it easy, kid.
-What's the matter with you?
-I don't know, sir.
Something went click and here I am.
He was hit over the head with a bottle, sir.
-A bottle of what?
-Okolehao.
-Okolehao?
-Yes, sir.
Intoxicating liquor.
I demand that you
throw these men in the brig...
for selling bootlegged
okolehao to my crew.
Please, Commander. We had a big luau.
A big feast.
We had plenty of okolehao.
Good okolehao.
-Where did you get it?
-We made it special.
That's what I mean. How much are you
trying to collect from these men?
$233.50.
What's the fine for bootlegging Okolehao?
$233.50.
But how about our instruments,
and the guitars and the damages?
-How about the bootlegged liquor?
-Wait a minute.
Why don't you call it even?
You forget the damages.
You forget the liquor. How about it?
Very good.
All right with you, Commander?
All right.
Get out of here before I change my mind.
Thank you.
We'll have a big luau, and no okolehao.
-Goodbye, Admiral. Aloha.
-Aloha.
Be sure you're smiling next month...
when those ukuleles
come floating across the payroll.
-Get them out of here, Chief.
-Aye, aye, sir.
Follow me. One-two-three-four.
So help me,
if that crew ever shows up again, I'm....
Aloha, Commander.
Good evening.
-Ready for sea, Duke?
-Yes, sir.
Excuse us, will you, please.
Don't get hurt.
Don't worry. Take care of yourself.
Thanks for coming down, but,
did you have to bring that kid?
I didn't bring him.
He came to say goodbye to Pop.
I'll never understand this situation.
If you're using Bob
to put me over the jumps, it's all right.
But if you're by any chance serious...
I want to make sure you don't do anything
about it till I get back.
Sure, I'm using the boat and the flags
and everything else that will work for me.
You don't expect a guy to give himself
the worst of it, did you?
-Not this guy.
-I hope I'm interrupting.
Duke!
Don't forget to duck.
Stand by your lines.
Haul in your gangway.
Cast off aft. Cast off forward!
All back one-third.
Boy, it's good to be afloat again.
No curfew. No shore patrol.
No Royal Hawaiian. No hula-hula girls.
And no trouble.
When you have more experience
you'll understand about dames.
They are nothing but trouble.
When you've got a headache,
you take an aspirin.
When you've got a bellyache,
you take a sea-sea pill.
When you ache all over, that's dames.
And there ain't no cure for it, either.
Boy, have I got an ache.
-Now what?
-I don't know.
The torpedoes ran through, hit head-on,
no explosion.
Haul out the rest of the torpedoes
and check the settings.
Check all torpedo settings.
There goes a lot of aviation gasoline.
To the wrong planes.
Torpedo still running.
Those fish had time to get to Hoboken.
More duds.
-Down scope. Secure tubes.
-Secure the tubes.
Take over. Duke, let's get some coffee.
If I got a kind of a half-baked idea
about this thing that...
might get it cleared up.
So I could tell it to somebody,
and help them to work it out.
I wish I'd had the time
to take one of these warheads apart...
and play around with the firing pin.
Get this off, urgent priority, COMSUBPAC.
"In attack on two freighters,
torpedoes fired at ideal angle...
"hit target but failed to explode.
"Torpedoes fired at wide angle,
sank target.
"All torpedoes issued Pearl Harbor.
Will keep trying."
I charted the last four attacks.
By the way,
I got answer to my torpedo message.
I've been ordered back home
to help them find the bugs.
It will be kind of tough
to leave the Thunder.
But I really think I can do some good.
I recommended you
to command the next patrol.
The old girl deserves a chance, Duke.
See that she gets it.
-Sound?
-Bearing 040.
62 feet, sir.
All ahead one-third.
Put me on 045.
Suggest we change course
to 135 to intercept, sir.
Right rudder course, 135.
Battle stations manned.
Stand by to fire!
-Here goes Uncas!
-Uncas?
Yeah, the last of the Mohicans!
Fire!
Hit right under the stack
and nothing happens!
Wait a minute. What's this?
-The colors are coming down!
-What?
Get the Exec up here.
Executive officer
report to the conning tower.
Captain wants you in the conning tower.
-Take over, Mr. Caldwell.
-Aye, aye sir.
What is it, Captain?
Nice fat freighter,
and our last torpedo was another dud.
A dud?
He's running up the white flag.
Now I've seen everything!
What do you make of it?
Must've punched a hole in it.
Try and contact her. Find out who she is.
Radio room.
Try and contact Jap freighter close aboard.
Aye, aye.
Raise the antennae.
No reply, sir.
They're preparing to abandon ship!
Take her up fast.
Down scope.
Stand by with machine guns!
-The hatch is cracked, sir.
-Open the hatch.
Here we go.
Take her down fast.
Run negative!
Take her down.
Up scope.
Up the conning tower,
we're fighting an open hatch.
Hatch secure, sir.
All hands.
A Jap decoy ship flying a white flag
opened up on us.
Pop never left the bridge.
The Jap is beginning a depth charge run.
I intend to dive under and come up astern.
Stand by for battle surface.
Break out helmets!
-Is she still coming?
-Yes.
Good. Steady on course.
-Ammunition passers ready?
-Yes, sir.
Helmet, Captain?
I want to be in action when the guns clear.
All stations ready for battle surface!
Pour it to him!
I'll give you a hand with this gun!
Lay it in there.
Steady on that.40, Chief!
Engine room, give me all you got.
Hang on!
All back full!
Report on bow damage.
Forward torpedo room's flooding, sir.
Put air pressure in that compartment.
There she goes.
Nothing from the Thunder?
Nothing, sir.
Notify all patrol vessels
she is overdue and maybe damaged.
Report immediate contact
and render assistance.
Aye, aye, sir.
Mary Stuart is here again, sir.
Wish I had something to tell her.
Have her come in.
The Admiral is in the plotting room.
I'm sorry to bother you this way--
That's all right. Come in any time.
No word, sir?
That doesn't mean she's lost.
But no word?
She's a sturdy boat with a fine crew.
They'll bring her in if she's afloat.
Thank you, sir.
No luck, sir. The set's damaged too bad.
Keep trying.
Engineer and
First Lieutenant's reports, sir.
All hands!
Here's the story.
The damage to our bow
has cut our surface speed in half.
We can submerge,
but we can't make much headway.
That means we'll do most
of our running at night.
We'll be a little late, getting back to Pearl
but sit tight, we'll make it.
That's all.
"And Ma in her kerchief and I in my cap
had just settled ourselves...
"for a long winter's nap."
What are we waiting for,
that huddle in the wardroom?
The board of investigation
has to decide what happened...
before anybody goes ashore.
A faulty torpedo cost
Captain Perry his life...
otherwise the target would
have been disabled.
The Thunder wouldn't have been
forced into an emergency dive.
After the dive...
I acted according to my understanding
of the Thunder's mission...
which was to destroy enemy shipping.
After the Jap ship went down, we...
cruised the area for the rest of the day...
searching for Captain Perry.
What was the condition
of the Thunder at that time?
Heavily damaged. Barely able
to make headway, sir.
You and your men performed
an outstanding submarine feat...
in getting the Thunder back to port.
We realize you had a rough patrol
and need little time to unwind.
We're recommending that
you be sent back to the States for a while.
I'd rather stay here
and see to the Thunder's refit.
Sorry. That's our recommendation.
Good day.
-I've been waiting--
-Another day.
I've got a little business
that'll keep me busy for days.
Hey, Camel!
Sorry, I'm headed for
a hot bath and a bottle.
Hey, Mosconi.
Look, I'd love to go with you, baby,
but I'm always booked solid.
-Hey, Chief.
-Not now, Junior.
Why didn't you tell me?
I didn't know all these guys would be here.
I just dropped in.
Looks like...
a lot of us had the same idea.
I guess it's up to me to say something.
The most appropriate thing
I can think of is...
the last part of the burial at sea.
In the Navy prayer book...
it goes like this:
"We commend their souls to God and
commit their bodies to the deep...
"in sure and certain
hope of the resurrection...
"into eternal life through Jesus Christ,
at whose coming to judge the world...
"the sea shall give up her dead."
Pop wasn't killed in action!
Duke took that boat down from under him.
I know how you must feel.
But how do you suppose Duke feels?
He's second-in-command.
He was responsible for the safety
of the Thunder and the lives of the crew.
So he took it down where it was safe.
But he didn't stay down where it was safe!
He brought it up again to fight! Why?
I'm not the only one asking questions.
They're sending
him back to the States? Why?
I don't know, Bob.
But I'm sure Duke did
what he thought was the right thing.
Don't try to defend him, Mary Stuart.
Nothing means a thing to Duke
except the chance to be a hero again!
Bob.
I was over at your quarters
looking for you.
I wanted to tell you about Pop,
and how we all felt.
What's the use of talking?
All I can think of
is Pop out there, helpless...
while you went glory-hunting.
Too bad.
Don't be upset, darling.
Let's sit down over here
and you can tell me what happened.
In time, Bob will forgive you.
Forgive me? For what?
We didn't abandon Pop.
He ordered the Thunder down,
knowing he couldn't make it.
Knowing she'd be under
in less than a minute.
He gave his life for his crew and his boat.
Bob doesn't understand that.
After all, Pop was his brother.
He was my best friend.
I'll miss him.
His kindness, and his gruff humor.
But the missing is all mixed with such
a fierce pride in what he did that...
I have no room for mourning.
-I think Pop understands.
-But that doesn't lessen the hurt.
Wait a minute.
I've told you how I feel.
If you're offering me
a shoulder to cry on, I don't need it.
-I have nothing to cry about.
-I'm only trying to help.
But you can't help me in this.
My problem is to stay aboard
the Thunder and keep the crew together.
I better get started on it right now!
See you later.
What's the matter?
I guess I know now where I stand.
Is the Admiral in?
Yes, sir. I think he is expecting you.
-Captain Gifford of the Thunderfish, sir.
-Come in, Duke.
-Thank you for seeing me, sir.
-Sit down. Relax.
What can I do for you?
I'd like to talk to you sir,
about the Thunder.
I could say the crew
is so well-coordinated that...
it should be kept intact.
That'd be true. I could...
tell you about Pop and the...
promise I made to him.
There're many things--
What are you trying to tell me?
I don't want to go back to the States.
The Board says you had a strenuous time.
I know they said that, sir, but...
I thought perhaps you could....
There is one possibility for you to stay.
I have been given permission
to conduct experiments out here...
to find out why torpedoes don't explode.
I wouldn't be any good for that!
I'm no theory man.
I am a line officer.
I belong aboard the Thunder.
You're a practical submariner
and this is a big job. However...
Flag Lieutenant, sir.
Arrange transportation for Captain Gifford
on the next plane to the States.
I hadn't finished, sir.
I meant to say was
I belong aboard a boat...
but I'll do anything I can.
I thought you'd feel that way.
I gather from Pop's messages
he had some ideas of what was wrong.
Yes, sir. He started to explain to me,
but never finished.
You think anybody aboard the Thunder
would have any ideas?
My chief might. Matter of fact,
the whole crew are fine torpedo men.
Go into a huddle with the base
Torpedo Officer. See what you cook up.
We'll give you all the help we can
from the shops.
-Thank you.
-It's all right. Find the answer for me.
You know, I don't enjoy sending
out boats and crews...
with torpedoes that don't
get the job done.
-It looks all right here in the shop.
-But it doesn't explode.
We've figured out the force of impact.
If we could approximate the number of
tons with which it hits the side of a ship--
Why don't you take it up high some place
and drop it?
No luck.
Ten straight duds!
That sends me back to the States.
Me, too. This thing is a must
for the admiral.
Chief, is there anything we haven't tried?
No, sir.
Except the aluminum firing pins the base
sent over, but they look too light, sir.
-Put one in.
-Yes, sir.
Stand clear!
Let her go!
Hold it right there.
Turn around twice and give
me all the angles.
Then get your hat, coat, stick and gloves
cause we're going out.
I've got something to say.
But do you have to say it right now--
Yes, right now,
because I'm not going to enjoy it.
I want to get it over with.
Please don't touch me. Just listen.
The last time I saw you, was probably
the most unselfish moment in my life.
I was practically glowing
with things I wanted to do for you.
But you didn't give me a chance.
-Sorry.
-Now that everything is cleared up.
-You want somebody to howl with you.
-Not just somebody. I want you.
I'm not available, Duke.
That night in front
of the nurse's quarters...
and then again at the pier.
I forgot for a moment why we split up.
But you reminded me.
The old trouble came charging back.
It wasn't the Navy, the wet winters,
bad quarters or your being away so much!
Those things just made it more
wonderful when you got home.
Sure, we did, we had
some great times together.
But a marriage isn't all laughs.
I wanted to cry with you sometimes, too.
I wanted to comfort you
when you lost your best friend.
But you wouldn't let me.
I wanted to comfort you
when we lost our son.
But you went off into some corner
of your own, never realizing...
by comforting you,
I could have helped my own grief.
Maybe it's my fault.
Maybe I shouldn't have let
you shut me out.
But you have no corner on pride.
If I can't be a part
of everything in your life...
I can't be a part of anything.
So there it is.
The trouble between us.
You don't need me, Duke.
You never have.
You don't need anybody but yourself.
A fine boy.
Take good care of him, will you?
A man's got a lot to learn!
I heard every word you said.
I've tried to keep my nose
out of your business...
but I can't stand by anymore and
watch you make a fool of yourself.
-Commander Steele--
-Keep quiet and listen!
Of course he comes to you
when he wants to play.
Or do you want him to go to
some another woman?
You married him for what he is,
then tried to make something else of him.
When you couldn't, and you never will...
you began to feel sorry for yourself.
How long would you love him
if he did cry on your shoulder?
"You don't need me! "
"Maybe I shouldn't have let you
shut me out." What kind of talk is that?
And what has pride got to do with love?
Don't worry. He won't be happy.
But what is more important
he won't be back!
Skip it, seaman.
What's the matter, Junior?
Getting some fresh air?
No, sir.
I was just sitting up here thinking
about women.
How you miss them till you get ashore.
And then how you wonder why.
And how soon
you start missing them again.
I reckon it's just a vicious circle!
It's a mighty cynical observation
for a gentleman from Georgia.
-Alabama, sir.
-I beg your pardon.
Of course, sir.
There's lots of corn-bread-and-buttermilk
boys in the navy.
Yet that doesn't seem to be sailor country.
Oh, but it is, sir.
From way back.
My great-grandpappy
was on the Merrimac.
My grandpappy was
with Dewey at Manila.
My pappy was with Admiral Sims,
chasing U-boats!
Why, even the town I come
from is named Decatur!
Indications lead
to an all-out Japanese effort...
to destroy the recently obtained
United States base at Leyte...
and prevent support
and supply by our fleet.
The Imperial Japanese Fleet is known
to have left its base, headed south.
Several courses are open to them.
Consequently, initial contact
is of vital importance.
Our submarines are located
along this general line.
And it's our job to locate them.
-Will the Japs take a gamble like that?
-They'll have to.
The Philippine landing was a ticklish job.
We by-passed a lot of places
to jump in there.
If they let us stay, they're gone geese.
-What is it?
-Message from the Corvena.
They've got gear trouble in number four
main engine and want help from us.
Check with the engineer officer and if we
can spare the parts arrange a rendezvous.
How long have you been out, Freddie?
60 days.
Didn't even see a rowboat!
Did you guys bring any
new pictures with you?
We got a thing called
George Washington Slept Here.
Got anything to trade?
We have a submarine picture.
It sure is exciting.
Send it over.
And you can have
George Washington Slept Here...
and six points.
Joe, do me a favor, will you?
Sure.
When you get back to Pearl,
go up to Room 202.
If there's a buck under the pillow,
it's mine!
If there's a buck under the pillow,
I'll split it with you.
All hands! This is Jonesy.
There will be movies tonight!
How's the picture?
All right, I guess, sir.
The things those Hollywood guys
can do with a submarine!
I wonder how Freddie's doing
with George Washington?
I can't figure out
those explosions Sound reported.
Torpedoes?
Torpedoes. Yes.
Ours or theirs?
Something in the water, sir.
Can you make it out, Larry?
It looks like an oil slick. Wreckage!
All ahead, full.
Find anything, Chief?
Nothing I can identify, sir.
-But there's a life jacket.
-Wait a minute, Chief.
Radar reports single contact sir.
Bearing, 187. Range, 15,000.
Single contact?
Clear the bridge!
Sound?
-Hatch secure, sir.
-Pressure in the boat, sir.
Hold it at periscope depth.
Steady as you go. All ahead one-third.
Up periscope.
-Bearing mark.
-Bearing 1 88.
-Range mark.
-Range, 1 2,000.
Angle on the bow, 40 starboard.
Down periscope.
Ask the navigator what time
is local apparent noon.
-Target course 320.
-Navigator.
Navigator reports local apparent
noon 11:46, 14 minutes from now.
Up scope.
Battle stations submerge.
-Bearing mark.
-Bearing 195.
Range mark.
Range 6,000.
One l-type Jap submarine!
Mr. Caldwell, take a look!
What do you suppose
he doing is up there?
He might be taking a noon site.
Or maybe just licking his chops.
Down scope.
All ahead, flank.
-Right full rudder.
-All ahead flank, right full rudder.
Steady on course 280.
Make ready all tubes forward.
Up scope.
-Bearing mark.
-Bearing 346.
-Range mark.
-Range 900.
Final bearing, mark.
-Set.
Stand by.
Fire.
Now we have torpedoes, Mr. Caldwell.
Take another look.
It's the first time I ever saw
a sub get knocked off.
Some night, huh?
See anything?
Yes. Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
There used to be a Ferris wheel
just outside of town...
me and my girl rode it a lot.
One night something happened
to the machinery...
and the wheel got stuck
with us way up on top.
Boy, was that a night!
Wonder who is up there with her now?
Radar reports multiple contacts, sir.
Bearing, 278, true.
Target apparently on steady course.
Range?
-22,000, sir.
-Striking party, take stations.
Give me the engineer officer.
How long are you going to need
to need on that battery charge?
We may be down a long while.
Good.
Clear the bridge.
Hatch secure, sir.
That ain't all, Captain.
Propeller noises coming in
all around the dial, sir.
Stand by battle stations!
A destroyer!
-Any pinging?
-No, sir.
All ahead, one-third.
What are we gonna do?
Bring her up easy.
The surface radio antennae.
If we try to get away, they'll be on us
before we can send a message.
If we send a message from here,
we won't be able to get away.
You know what to say.
Aye, aye, sir.
I'll never make fun of another movie
as long as I live!
-Antennae up?
-Yes, sir.
COMSUBPAC.
Urgent priority. Plain language.
Thunder in middle
of Imperial Japanese fleet...
including carriers, battleships
and heavies...
Course 150. Speed 25...
Position 50 miles north of Point Fox.
-We're sending, sir.
-Up scope.
Stand by to fire all tubes.
-No sign of life yet.
-They must hear us.
Maybe they don't believe what they hear.
Somebody's getting nosy.
Down scope.
This is the captain talking.
We asked for it. Now, we got it.
We're right in the middle
of the entire Japanese Imperial fleet.
We gotta sit here like a duck in a shooting
gallery till Pearl gets our contact message.
Search lights are popping
all over the place.
And destroyers are cranking up
depth charges.
If Pearl acknowledges in time,
we have a chance.
With these overlapping targets...
I intend to fire all tubes...
cause so much excitement
that we can make a break for it. That's all.
That's enough!
That is what I was going to say.
-Anything from the radio room?
-No, sir.
Destroyers!
Radio room reports acknowledge, sir.
Fire!
Fire!
Baby, you're wonderful!
Take her down fast and deep.
Rig for depth charge!
Take her down fast and deep.
Rig for depth charge!
Rig for silent running!
We're going down fast.
Rig for depth charge.
Rig for silent running!
Left full rudder.
120 feet.
Right full rudder.
Number six, popping!
All compartments report damage.
How are we doing?
So far, so good. She might sweat a little.
Let her sweat.
Level off.
All ahead one-third.
There's bad leak down here.
A DC party will take care of that.
Hurry up that torpedo reload!
All right, take it away. Get it in there!
Heave!
Come on. Let's go. Heave!
-Larry?
-The usual amount of caulk.
Number one engine water cooler blown.
Brushes for speed regulator, dried out.
Exhaust piping on auxiliary engine
in liner elbow, cracked.
There's a leak in the forward
torpedo room. What else?
We're losing control.
We'll have to surface to repair damage.
Where's that destroyer?
He's echo ranging. He's not sure of us.
Other screw sounds going fainter.
Wait a minute.
There's something else up there.
Heavier screws.
Slow turning.
Let's go take a look. Periscope depth.
Bring her up fast.
This will be down the throat.
-Range.
-800, sir.
Stand by forward tubes.
Heave!
Fire!
They're running at Rockingham.
Torpedoes running.
-Look at here.
-After tubes reloaded, sir.
This is the captain. We made it.
Jap fleet is gone and we took
care of the destroyer they left behind.
But that's not all.
Somebody must live right.
Sitting topside is the most beautiful
carrier you ever saw with a broken wing.
I think we can get even
for the one Pop missed.
They may send destroyers back
but right now she is meat on the table.
What are we supposed to do, throw rocks?
After tubes are reloaded.
Can you keep her under control?
For a carrier, I'll hold her up myself!
Stand by after tubes.
-Range.
-1,800.
Bearing 175.
Fire.
Don't miss back there, you guys!
That does it. Take a look.
Pass the word, everybody take a look.
Up the antennae.
Detail to the conning tower for a look-see.
I better let everybody hear this.
One of our submarines contacted the
Imperial Japanese Fleet in Luzon Straits.
Enemy proceeding full speed
toward Leyte.
Execute Plan Royal.
All submarines form lifeguard line.
Stand by air sea rescue stations
to take aboard downed fliers.
Well done, Thunder!
I hope Pop heard that!
All leaks repaired, sir.
Battle damage under control.
Good.
Stand by rescue stations.
Hobo to Baker.
Baker to Hobo, go ahead.
One down,
northeast of San Bernardino Island.
Northeast of San Bernardino Island?
It gets a little shallow in there.
There's the fly-fly boy!
Navigator reports bottom at 15 fathoms.
All ahead two-thirds.
Mr. Caldwell.
We'll take you in as close as we can,
then you'll have to go and get him.
Aye, aye, sir.
-Keep those fathometer readings coming.
-One more fathom, sir.
The bottom's coming up fast.
I hope it's nice clean sand.
Nine fathoms.
Engineer officer, sir.
I'm gonna ease her in from here and
put her nose on the reef.
Put her down forward.
All stop.
Mr. Caldwell, shove off.
Navigator reports single plane contact.
Bearing 1 20. Range 29,000.
Man the deck guns!
Take over, Larry.
Take it easy, I've got him, Mr. Caldwell.
Junior!
Chief!
Get back aboard, Mr. Caldwell!
That is an order!
All back full!
Come on.
-Junior, the Chief!
-They're not coming.
Put me down!
I said put me down!
You were out cold.
Well, I'm not any more. Just cold.
Yes, sir.
-Mr. Caldwell?
-Yes sir?
-Thank you.
-Yes, sir.
Junior's personal effects.
He was a good man.
Make sure it says so on the patrol report.
Aye, aye, sir.
Look at this! A Confederate flag.
Don't forget to mention Alabama.
His great-grandpappy was
aboard the Merrimac.
You got me in a straight-jacket?
By the time we get back,
you'll be as good as new.
PBM alongside.
Stand by to transfer wounded.
How're you doing?
I want to tell you.
I appreciate what you did for me.
I know you went
out of your way to get me.
We picked up seven flyers.
You just happen to be one of them.
I am sorry for the way I put
it to you about Pop.
I might have felt the same way...
if it'd been my brother.
All my life, I've been trying to top you.
You said that before.
I thought I'd done it.
And then with a whole Pacific Ocean
in front of me...
I had to pick the one spot to crash
where you could be a hero again.
Why did you and I have to be
in the same Navy?
So I could send you back
to Pearl in a PBM, I guess. All right.
Just a minute.
-What's that for?
-Nothing.
I couldn't help it about the chief.
I'm remembering how he took care of you.
Before you, he took care of Larry.
Before Larry, he took care of me.
Before me, it was Pop.
Before Pop...
Chiefs have taken care of our Navy
for a long time, Mr. Caldwell.
Don't worry about him.
He has got a lot of good sailors
to take care of back there.
In tonnage this patrol is close to a record.
Yes, sir.
Excuse me, sir.
-It's still there, huh?
-What?
-The old zing!
-Of course it is.
What could happen to it?
-I got your message.
-What message?
Let's go get Butch!