Original subtitles

Of the hundreds of ships

in the United States Navy's Mothball Fleet,

none have a more gallant record

than these battle scarred-veterans of the Submarine Forces,

for these are the ships that in the first days

after Pearl Harbour not only joined in the responsibility

of holding our lifelines secure

but carried the war to the enemy himself.

This story is about one of these ships

and one of her men, Kenneth White.

All right, have your look around if you have to,

but it won't make any difference.

It's over. You know that.

And it's good that you finally know it.

It was over that day five years ago.

Look her over and remember.

She was never your ship anyway.

She was Josh's ship. She always will be.

Commander Joshua Rice, September 11th, 1943,

August 14th, 1945.

August 14th, 1945, easy date to remember,

the day of the big news, the end of the Japanese war,

the last day of Josh Rice's command.

And the day before, the 13th, that was my big day,

the beginning of my own personal war.

Funny how things can start with nothing

and then pile up so fast

it's hard to remember them in any kind of order.

A thousand times I've turned and twisted them,

looking for an answer that never comes.

That afternoon, that 13th of August afternoon,

the enemy had just about given up at sea,

and all we'd seen for days was empty ocean

stretching out slate grey, calm and deserted,

and giving no hint that the first piece

of my private jigsaw puzzle was about to drop into place.

- Lookouts to the bridge!

Lookouts to the bridge.

- Secure the low-pressure blowers.

Secure the low-pressure blowers.

- Permission to come to the bridge.

- Granted.

- Well, looks like a nice day for a swim.

- You wouldn't like it, Ken. Water's about 50.

Low-pressure blowers secured, sir.

- Very well.

- Back in Michigan, we call that warm.

- Yeah, down in Kentucky,

we can chop it up, pour bourbon over it.

- Permission to come on the bridge, sir?

Granted.

- Looks like we got some business.

Carrier plane down in the drink.

- Downed pilot in rubber raft,

zero seven five to point yoke.

- I've plotted him in. Puts him about 15 miles from us.

- Come right to three one zero, all ahead flank.

Come right to three one zero, all ahead flank.

- Life raft bearing, zero one zero.

- Very well, take stations to rescue splashed flyer.

Bring her right slowly. Steady on course, three four five.

Bring her right slowly.

Steady on course, three four five.

- Steady as you go.

Steady as you go.

- Starboard stop.

Starboard stop!

- Okay, hold it. Easy does it, that's it.

- Glad to see ya.

- Had your lunch yet, sir?

No! I certainly good use some.

- All right boys, get that gear out stowed.

Anything wrong, sir?

- Nah, there's just a crick in my back.

I should've brought along a magazine.

Dull waiting around out here.

- If he doesn't like our service, throw him back.

I'm Ken White.

- Hi, Pete Morris. You're the captain?

- The XO, captain's on the bridge.

- Oh.

- You all right?

- Cut a hole in that raft and sink her.

Aye aye, sir.

- Captain, this is Lieutenant Commander Pete Morris,

Commander Rice.

- Nice to see you.

- Thanks for the lift.

- What happened?

- Went inland after a Zero.

I didn't have enough gas to get back to the carrier.

- Did you get him?

- You bet.

- Good. Think you can find him something dry to put on?

- Oh, a pair of shorts, anyway. This way.

- Down there?

Right full rudder.

Right full rudder.

All ahead, standard.

All ahead, standard.

- Here are a couple other war trophies we picked up.

Sergeants McKiver and Gentry, Lieutenant Commander Morris.

- Hi. - Hi.

- What were you fellas in?

- B-29, sir.

- Oh, well, how's submarine life seem for change?

- Great.

- Wait till you taste the chow.

- You mean to say you've never been to Australia?

- Nope.

- Brother, you've been cheated.

My advice to you is to sue.

- Serial number.

- 37611. Sydney, that's the place.

There was a little WAC there on special duty.

Talk about the war effort.

- What ship?

- Ticonderoga, and another thing,

who wants to go to war in one of these telephone booths?

These submarines.

Why didn't you let 'em stick some Academy guy?

- I'm an Academy guy.

- Ouch, I may kill myself.

Oh, oh!

Mm, "To Ken, all my love forever, Carol."

That's a pretty wife you've got.

- Not my wife.

- You mean to say you're not married to that?

When did you have your last physical?

I think you might be shy a few corpuscles.

Nope, just couldn't pin her down.

- Simple, break her leg.

- No, not this one. Got a mind of her own and a career.

Big advertising job in San Francisco.

- All the better.

Friend, if I had a girl like that,

I'd get a licence to marry her during lunch hour.

- You know, I think you would.

Arnie, this is Pete Morris. Arnie Carlson.

- Hi. - Hi. How are you?

- Fine.

- Thomas? - Yes, sir.

- Two coffees, please. - Aye aye, sir.

- Some Gin Rummy later?

- Yeah, if I'm still awake.

- Man, what a life.

You mean all you guys do is loaf round out here

with nothing to do but pick up flyers

and play a little Gin Rummy?

- Oh, occasionally we do other things.

- Oh.

18, five of 'em warships.

- Oh, well, I take it back.

You're a real bunch of gunslingers.

- All except me. I just reported aboard.

- No action at all?

- I was in New London most of the time,

then three cruises on the Starfish.

Didn't even see a Jap.

- Oh, oh, well, what's the difference?

The war's practically over.

In a couple of months, we'll be sitting

in some upholstered sewer drinking that dirty old whiskey,

watching those dames wiggle by.

- Tell me something, Morris.

- Sure.

- You ever think about anything but dames?

- No.

Morris's question kept bouncing around in my head.

"No action at all?"

He'd laughed it off. He could.

It was a fine joke, and I had appreciated it,

but I wondered if it had spread to the crew

and how funny they thought it was.

Here in the darkness, I wondered.

- Wow, guess I'll have to let my belt out again.

- You're sure we're not running you short.

- Oh, no, we have plenty for everybody.

- I don't see where you guys stow it all.

- You would if you've been eating on Okinawa for the last two months.

- Nice looking schooner.

- Well, thank you, sir, but that's a ketch, not a schooner.

- Oh.

- Of course, it's a little hard to tell now

until I get it rigged.

How long do you think she ought to be when I build my big one?

- Oh, 30 feet.

- 60.

- Good luck.

- Thank you, sir.

- Might as well make it 100 as long as you're dreaming.

- Dreaming, listen, I joined the Navy to see the world,

cruise the Seven Seas.

What happens, I spent 12 years underwater.

No Sir, that the day I get out,

I'm gonna start building this baby.

While you guys are worried about paying the rent,

I'll be laying on some beach in the South Seas,

half a dozen babes fanning me with palm leaves.

- Not me. I'm gonna settle down in Joplin, Missouri.

- Why Joplin, Missouri?

- Because there ain't an ocean within 1,500 miles in any direction.

- What are you Army guys gonna do when it's over?

- We're gonna join the Navy.

- How was it topside?

- Nice.

Calm and peaceful.

Feels like the war's over already.

- My guess, it is.

- I wonder what's in store for us now.

- You got me.

I've never been around when they wound up a war before.

Whatever we draw, though, it won't be glamorous.

- Well, at least you stay alive.

- Sure, but I got news for ya.

Peacetime service is no picnic, either.

You'll find out when you're the forgotten man,

worse than the forgotten man

'cause you'll still be around to get in people's hair.

You'll find yourself stuck with dull office jobs,

a lot of paperwork.

You'll see people out of the service,

people getting ahead in the world, making big money,

and all you'll have is the knowledge

that if the country needs you again,

it'll need you desperately.

- Well, it's something.

- If you're a Naval officer, it has to be everything.

Don't kid yourself, Ken. From here on in, it'll take plenty.

Well, I gotta finish this to Alice.

- Give her my best, will you?

- Yeah, sure.

Captain speaking. Very well, I'll be right up.

- Chasing the tracking party, Ken. I think we got business.

A tanker, two small freighters, and two escorts.

Nothing much write home about.

- Probably our last shot, sir.

Battle stations, torpedo!

- Man your battle stations, torpedo, aye aye, sir.

Battle stations!

- Man your battle stations, torpedo.

- Safety and negative flooded. Ship's ready to dive.

- Right, I got it.

- Ken, can you spot 'em in the periscope?

They bear zero three five.

On bearing.

- Got 'em in the periscope!

Clear the bridge!

Dive! - Dive!

Green board, pressure in the boat.

- Level her off at six zero feet.

- Level her off at six zero feet.

- Ken, I'm gonna let you make this attack.

Get two. We'll have an even 20.

- I'll sure try.

- 60 feet, trim satisfactory.

- Leading ship, mark bearing. Angle on the bow 40 port.

Down periscope.

Still too dark to give you a range.

We'll fire three torpedoes at the first ship,

three at the second.

Then we'll swing our stern tubes on the tanker.

Make ready all torpedo tubes, set depth 10 feet.

Make ready all tubes, set depth 10 feet.

- Wh-wh-what, what's going on?

- I'll tell you what, if you guys would go up on deck,

you can get a better view of this whole thing.

- What's the bearing?

- Zero two six.

- Up scope.

Final bearing and shoot.

They've zigged toward us.

Now get this on the leading ship.

Angle on the valve, 30 port. Mark range.

- Range, one three double-oh.

- Mark bearing.

- Set!

- Stand by.

Fire!

One fired.

Two fired.

Three fired.

- Up scope.

Second shift, mark, 35 port.

Mark range.

Range, one three double-oh.

- Mark bearing.

Set!

- Fire!

Four fired.

Five fired.

Six fired.

- Right full rudder.

- You've sunk about 18 already, haven't you?

- Yeah. First torpedo should be hitting about now.

- 19!

Bingo! Excuse me, sir.

- Now get this on the tanker. She's turned away, no shot.

- Let's take a look.

High-tailing it for shallow water, escorts and all.

Secure the stern tubes.

- Secure the stern tubes.

- That was good work, Ken. Maybe we can still get her.

What's the sounding?

- 18 fathoms under the keel, sir.

- Oh, that's too shallow. We'd need wheels to catch her.

Let's stick around till the escorts clear up.

Then' we'll surface and see what we can pick up.

Maybe we can find somebody

who will tell us the latest Japanese news.

Here, let me have a look.

- Grab it, will ya?

How do you say life preserver in Japanese?

They won't budge, sir.

- Try it again.

- Aircraft off the starboard quarter.

Clear the deck! Clear the bridge!

- Dive! - Dive!

- Oh, that was close!

What about the captain?

Too late!

Green board, pressure in the boat!

- You could stop the dive!

- Take her down to 100 feet!

Take her down to 100 feet.

- Listen all around.

- Listen all around, aye, sir.

- What about going back up, sir?

- The plane's still there.

- He's dropped everything he has.

- How do we know there's only one?

- It'll only take a minute to get out with a rubber raft.

I'll take my chances.

Captain Rice would do as much for any one of us.

How about it, sir?

- High-speed propellers approaching,

bearing three five zero.

- Left full rudder, steady on course, two two zero.

- Left full rudder, steady on course,

two two zero, aye aye, sir.

- But you can't just leave them--

- That's enough, Boyer!

Go below.

- Aye aye, sir.

- Rudders left full, sir.

- Very well.

- Contact is now start pinging, sir.

- Rig for depth charge. Rig for silent running.

Rig for depth charge. Rig for silent running.

- Staying on course, two two zero, sir.

- Very well.

- Sounds like they're making a run on us, sir.

- Cut in the speaker. They're gonna make a run on us.

Sounds like a destroyer. Stand by.

- They're passing over now, sir.

- Right full rudder.

- All compartments report.

- They got us!

- Say, aren't you the guy who wanted to join the Navy?

- Right now, I'd settle for that raft.

- Now, that was close.

- Not very. When they go click, boom like that one,

you don't have to worry.

- Yeah, but watch out when they go click-boom.

You see what I mean?

- Yeah, yeah, I see what you mean.

- After battery reports a leak in number three vent casting.

- Repair party to the after battery.

- Wrench, mallet.

- His propellers have stopped.

He stopped pinging, too.

- Talker, report to conning tower,

an odour of chlorine gas in the forward engine room.

- Aye aye, conning tower, odour of chlorine gas

in forward engine room.

- Aye aye, engine reports odour of chlorine gas.

- We're gonna have to go up, Chris.

Man number two scope. Sound the general alarm.

Aye aye, sir.

- Stations for battle surface, gun action.

Stand by to surface! Surface!

Aye aye.

- Range one two double-oh, scale four nine eight!

Range one two double-oh, scale four nine eight.

- Commence firing!

Commence firing.

- Cease firing. - Cease firing.

- I don't get it.

- Captain, just got word in the radio room.

The Japs gave up. The war is over!

- Right full rudder! All ahead flank.

Full rudder. All ahead flank.

- You're not going back for the captain and Perkins.

It's too late!

- We can try. Lookouts to the bridge!

Lookouts to the bridge.

- Ken, it's too late.

The war was over for them an hour ago.

- Steady on course, two seven zero!

Steady on course, two seven zero.

- We circled and criss-crossed the patch of ocean

where Josh and the quartermaster had been left,

but it was no good.

They were gone without a trace.

The day we finally rounded Point Loma

and headed into San Diego Bay,

the war had been over almost four months.

Even with 20 flags painted on our conning tower,

the Tiger Shark didn't attract much attention.

I was glad, the one-day warrior

who had lost captain and quartermaster in his first action.

But the crew didn't mind.

They had their faces set for peace.

They couldn't wait to see their families and girlfriends.

And Boyer, he couldn't wait to get rid

of a commanding officer he thought had failed his ship.

Steer zero nine one.

Steer zero nine one.

- Liberty will commence at 1600.

Orders for those being detached or going on leave

are already in the ship's office.

- Full stop!

Full stop.

- Johnnie, Johnnie!

- Bye, sir.

- Bye, O'Hare.

- I guess we're off, Captain.

- Good luck, O'Hare.

- Thank you, sir.

- Bye, Mr. Carlson.

- So long, O'Hare.

- Bye, sir.

It's been a pleasure to serve under to your command, sir.

- Thank you, Bixby.

- Hope we'll be shipmates again, Mr. Barton.

- Thanks a lot, Boyer.

- It's been a pleasure to serve with you, Mr. Carlson.

- Mort?

Yes, sir.

- The plaque.

You're going to Perkins' house right away, aren't you?

- Yes, sir.

- Ken, if you'd rather have me see Mrs. Rice,

I'd be glad to.

- No, It's my job, Arnie. I'm leaving the ship.

- Attention on deck!

- Ken!

Welcome home, sailor.

I think your face is a little thinner.

- Oh, I'm still very beautiful.

Say, I thought you were in San Francisco.

She was, having the time of her life with me.

- We heard the Tiger Shark was coming in.

- I was dying to see you, so we came down.

- How'd you happen to get mixed up with this character?

- He came in a couple of months ago.

- Amazing coincidence, I hit town,

checked all the phone books,

called all the advertising agencies, caught a cab,

three street cars, walked six blocks,

and just happened to bump into it her.

- What are we waiting for?

- Come on, we're gonna have a big party at the Blue Room.

Get the rest of the gang, grab a table,

and old daddy here will show ya how to belt the grape.

- I'm afraid I'll have to join you later.

I've gotta see someone in Coronado.

- Oh, Ken, not now! Can I come with you?

- No, you go with Pete.

- What if you get lost? Where do we send for the body?

- Rice's house. I'm gonna see his wife, or rather his widow.

I'll see you later.

- Ken.

- Hello, Alice.

- Come in.

- Soon as you telephoned, I broke out the rum.

Only proper welcome for the sailor home from the sea.

How does it feel?

- I don't know yet.

- You seen Carol?

- Yes, she was at the dock.

- Oh, my goodness, what in the world

are you doing here if she's in town?

- Well, for one thing,

we wanted you to have this from the Tiger Shark.

- Her commissioning plaque.

Oh, that's very thoughtful of you.

It's very thoughtful,

but shouldn't this stay on the Tiger Shark?

- She going into Mothballs next month.

- Well, I'm very grateful, Ken, but just the same,

I'd rather have it on board where it belongs.

I haven't hurt your feelings.

- No.

- And you'll explain to the others?

- Sure. There was another thing.

I wanted to tell you what happened between Josh and me.

- Nothing happened.

- But you haven't heard-

- But I have, all about it.

- Did you hear I could've stopped the dive?

- I heard that you might've lost the Tiger Shark if you did.

- Everyone on board would've been glad

to take the chance, everyone but me.

- Ken, sit down.

Maybe it's a good thing you did come after all

your first night ashore.

You see, I not only know what happened,

I know what you've been going through.

- Evening, Alice.

- Ken, this is Josh's father.

Lieutenant Commander White, Admiral Rice.

- Glad to see you, White. Heard a lot about you.

- Thank you, sir. Alice give you a drink?

- Yes, sir.

- Good, you're lucky. I have to pour my own.

- Ken and I have been talking about Josh.

He thinks that maybe people are blaming him

for what happened.

- Nonsense.

- I wish I could say the same, sir.

- Why can't you?

Naturally, everybody wanted to go up for Josh and Perkins,

but it was your job to stop them.

Sometimes it's, it's harder to do

the right thing than it is the...

- Courageous thing, sir?

- Were you afraid?

- No, sir, I don't think so.

- Neither do I.

You did the right thing and the courageous thing.

If you'd been up there instead of Josh,

he would've done exactly what you did.

He would've thought of the ship first. Isn't that so?

- Yes, sir, I suppose it is.

- Well, then why think about it?

The war's over, Ken. Forget the Tiger Shark.

Go find Carol and make her glad you're home.

Be glad yourself.

- I might do that.

- Promise?

- That's an order, White.

- Aye aye, sir.

- Goodnight. - Goodnight.

- What are you doing?

- You didn't think I was gonna let you

keep that 3.85, did you?

- High card deals.

- Oh, The last time I got this happy,

Mama had to sell a kimono to bail me out.

- What do the doctors think

about all that dirty old whiskey?

- Oh, it's my back that hurts.

It's not my elbow. My elbow's fine.

- I don't think he's hurt at all.

- Neither do I.

Those doctors in the hospital just don't wanna let him go.

- Exactly, the Navy wants to keep

this magnificent personality of mine

from the rest of the world.

- Uh, you don't mind if we dance.

- Ah, permission granted.

- I missed you, Ken. Either that or my blood's thinning out.

- That sounds serious.

Let's go someplace and talk about it.

- I've got a present for you.

- Oh?

- It's a tooth from a female aardvark,

an African love charm.

Did you know that the average aardvark has 63 children,

and that's just the average?

- My, my. Where'd you get it?

- Oh, I picked it up in one of those

little practical joke shops

where you buy rubber daggers and things.

The man said that in Africa,

when a girl wants to marry a man, she puts it in his pocket.

It's pure magic.

- What if he refuses?

- Oh, he's eaten by a crocodile a week or so later.

Real cast-iron guarantee, huh?

- I hope so, Ken.

I've quit my job, gave away my apartment,

and bought a mess of luggage.

- What does that mean?

- I don't want a crocodile to get you.

- In answer to your proposal,

we'll give it a try for about 30, 40 years.

- Ken.

- I love you so much.

- I don't care what the man said, honey.

The Navy is not a department of the Marine Corps.

- But that's what the officer said.

- And people who wear dolphins are not swimming instructors.

- You may congratulate us.

- He's just won my hand.

- Oh, that's wonderful! - Congratulations!

Congratulations.

- Well, suit yourself, but I have to be truthful.

You've just blown your chances for a very poetic life.

- Go on, she's not your kind of woman.

- Oh, I don't, I, uh. Yeah, you're probably right.

Yeah, yeah, what I need is a rich old woman,

a rich old woman with palsy

who keeps dropping diamonds on the rug.

- Glasses up. Come on, honey, put your glass.

Here's to clear sailing

for the nicest people I've ever known.

And here's to us. Come on, drink, drink!

Here's to us.

May we all be allowed something,

a lot of fun and little time to regret it.

- Hear, hear!

- I couldn't find much to regret in the years that followed.

The war faded away into the past,

and I kept busy in the present.

Two years at New London, two more at Mare Island

under Admiral Rice, and most of it

could've been anywhere at all because Carol was with me.

Pete Morris was around.

He split his time pretty evenly between us

and a couple of well-trained redheads.

So things were pretty good.

I had a job in the maintenance department,

a cross between a storekeeper or a janitor

and a complaint adjuster.

Good morning.

- Good morning. - Good morning.

- Good morning, sir.

- Good morning, Jack.

- Quarterly material report, monthly inspection,

and requisitions for paints and brooms, nine copies each.

- Brooms, do I have to sign all copies?

- Just eight. You initial our file copy.

- That's a break.

- Captain Cornwall's wife called about the incinerator.

- Again?

- She found soot on the dining room rug this time.

And Commander Roberts says there are orange peels on Pier 2.

- Tell the commander we'll give it a broom

as soon we get one.

White speaking.

Yes, sir, right away.

It's Admiral Rice.

He probably found an apple core under his desk.

- Commander White to see you, sir.

Tell him to come in.

- Aye aye, sir.

- Good morning, Ken.

- Morning, Admiral.

- Sit down. Cigarette?

- No thank you, sir.

- How are things going?

- All right, as far as I know.

- Like your job?

- No, sir.

I can't say I blame you.

I hear you've been having trouble with Cornwall's wife.

- Well, sir, uh, it seems that she doesn't like

the way we're burning the trash.

- Old hatchet face would run the Navy given half a chance.

At least you didn't blow up the incinerator

like I did at Norfolk.

- No, sir.

- I wouldn't advise it.

I got a chore for you, a reporter from New York

named Gavin that's doing a story on the Mothball Navy.

Want you to show him the submarines.

- What time will that be, sir?

- He'll be at your office at 11.

- Is that all, sir?

- Yes, Ken.

- Aye aye, sir.

- How many of 'em you got here?

- 64.

- At six million bucks apiece,

that's close to $400 million.

Why don't you junk 'em instead of just letting 'em sit here,

and that way the taxpayers

would get something back for their money?

- What if we should need 'em again?

- Ah, it's my guess the next war

will be fought with push buttons.

- Well, we better make sure we've got the buttons first.

- Maybe you're right.

How long would it take to exhume one of these

if you wanted to?

- In an emergency, about two weeks.

- By that time, it'd be all over except the peace treaty.

- Hey, Gavin, here's a good one, seen lots of action.

20 Jap flags on the conning tower.

Is it okay to get a shot of it?

- Yes, go ahead.

- 20 flags!

That means she sank 20 ships. What's her name?

- Tiger Shark.

Tiger Shark, I read something about her.

- You could have.

- She's the one lost her captain

the day the war ended, right?

- That's right.

- The officer who had to take her down must've felt like a heel.

I bet he had a lot of sleepless nights after that.

Happen to know who he was?

- Yes.

Who?

- Me.

- Excuse me, Commander.

- He called it right.

"That officer must've felt like a heel."

It was back, if it had ever really gone away.

I was still the one-day warrior

who had lost captain and quartermaster

in his only enemy action.

Who had I been kidding?

Carol?

I'm on the phone guy, darling.

- Who was it?

- Oh, that was Pete Morris. He's coming over for dinner.

- Doesn't he have any other place to go?

- Why, darling!

- Oh, I know, poor Pete.

Two years in the hospital, three operations,

grounded, and a very tough duty of teaching Naval ROTC.

- All right, I'll call him back.

- Tell him I've got jaundice.

- Just what have you got?

- Nothing.

- Something happened today, didn't it?

- What makes you think that?

- I can tell.

- I'm fed up.

- With what?

- With lots of things!

The monotony, the routine, being a clerk and a janitor

and a glorified errand boy all rolled up into one.

- Well, Ken, why don't you change your job?

- Oh, sure, just call the chief of Naval operations,

tell him I want to command the Atlantic Fleet.

Well, it just so happens I can't change jobs,

and you know that.

I'm in the Navy, remember?

- I could hardly forget it!

- You can't forget that you gave up

a $300-a-week job to marry me, can you?

- I better set the table.

Carol hadn't deserved that, not any of it.

I wanted to apologise, but I didn't know how.

So like every husband in the world,

I hoped that a gift and a party at the club

might substitute for the words I couldn't find.

- More signatures and two other items,

a new chief outside reporting for duty

and a call from Parsons over at the Reserve Fleet.

He wants to know if we have any qualified submarine men.

- Why?

- They just got orders to put the Tiger Shark

back in commission.

They're short-handed.

- Tiger Shark. How'd they happen to pick her?

- I don't know.

- Well, we haven't anyone.

- Should I call Parsons?

- No, I'll take care of it.

- Is this the, uh, garbage disposal unit

of the United States Navy?

- Hi, Pete.

- Hi.

Wow, hmm, you strike oil?

- Oh, sure.

- Mm-hmm, gold wristwatches, parties. How do you do it?

- Because I'm an honest working man,

not a playboy at the university like you.

- Mm-hmm, yeah, I guess you're right.

Teaching Naval ROTC's a lead-pipe cinch.

No courses to give outside of navigation,

gunnery, engineering, Naval history,

Naval customs and traditions, communications,

ship handling, two or three afternoons a week drilling,

one night a week with the Naval Reserve unit,

two nights preparing examination papers

and three nights correcting them

and eight nights and Sundays

trying to keep ahead of my students,

most of whom are not sure

they wanna be in the Navy in the first place.

Yeah, and in my spare time,

going to parties like yours.

I gotta change. You ready?

- I got some calls to make call. I'll see you at the club.

- All right.

- Sir?

Chief Torpedoman Boyer reporting for duty, sir.

- Well, Boyer, this is a surprise. Where'd you drop in from?

- San Diego.

- You remember Commander Morris?

- Oh, very well.

- How are you, Boyer? How's the Navy been treating you?

- Oh, it's good, yeah.

- Well, I, I thought you'd be retired by now,

out to sea on that schooner of yours.

Are you still thinking about it?

- Sir, I request a transfer to another department.

- Why?

- You should be the last person in the world to ask that.

- All right, Boyer, report to the Reserve Fleet.

They've got just the job for you.

- Hey, don't be too long.

- Well, the only trouble with ROTC

is that there are no girls to manoeuvre.

I mean, teach, teach!

- Oh, ho, ho!

- Ken, you barely touched your dinner.

- I wasn't very hungry.

- I think the orchestra is better this year, don't you?

- They're a bunch of plumbers.

- There was a good band at New London.

- Yeah, new London. Oh, that's the place.

Just a couple hours outta New York.

You can run in for a few showgirls.

If you prefer, there's big league baseball.

- Oh, has the season started?

- Yeah.

- I guess Brooklyn will win. They did last year.

- The Yankees beat their brains out.

- Well, I mean, uh, well, before that.

They, they won their division.

- It's a league, not a division.

- Well, what's the difference? Who cares?

- Well, if he doesn't know when the season starts,

how does he know Brooklyn's gonna win?

Well, just what I read in the papers.

When?

Last World Series.

- That's typical.

A bunch of guys pay no attention to baseball all yearlong.

Suddenly the World Series comes along,

they read a couple of articles,

and for a week they're experts.

- He didn't say he was an expert. He just likes Brooklyn!

- And that's another thing, all this Brooklyn stuff.

- Would anybody care for more coffee?

- Everybody loves Brooklyn, but does anybody know why?

- You're in a bad mood? Knock it off.

- I'm in a good enough mood.

- You're just stewing about that Boyer thing. Forget it!

- Why don't you mind your own business?

- Oh, come on, Ken! Come on, this is your party.

Let's have a toast. Glasses up, everybody.

- Glasses up, that's about half your total conversation.

The day you're buried, you'll straggle up

to toast the undertaker.

Why don't you grow up?

- Excuse me, I have to kill a husband. I'll be right back.

Ken, what was that all about?

- Nothing.

- You can't walk out this way. It's your party.

- I don't feel like a party.

- Well, you did this morning. What happened?

- Nothing happened.

- What's all this about Boyer?

- He doesn't enter into it.

- Ken, I'm getting sick and tired of these moods.

How do you think I feel in front of all those people?

They must think you're crazy!

- I don't care what they think.

- Well, I do! We can't walk out and leave them.

- I'm not asking you to.

- What's new?

- He just has a headache.

Is there anything wrong with having a headache?

- Not if he doesn't have too many of 'em.

I heard about Pete's wisecrack, and he was right.

I was having too many headaches,

and having Boyer in charge of the work crews

on the Tiger Shark didn't help 'em any.

But I couldn't stay away.

Something kept pulling me back

like north pulls a compass needle.

And maybe without knowing it, I was waiting around

to keep an appointment with the biggest headache yet.

- Sure making progress.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Another week, and she'll be ready for dock trials.

- Yeah, so I hear.

- You know, I believe I'd like to put in

for submarine duty myself.

- Stand back! Where is it?

- Looks like the forward battery.

- Keep everybody out of here.

- Aye aye.

Did you get it isolated?

- In the forward battery, sir. There's a man in there!

- Get an asbestos suit and some CO2 cylinders.

Coming down the hatch now.

- Where's the suit? - Sir, open the door!

- You'd last about 30 seconds.

- But there's a man in there, sir!

- He'll have to take his chances.

- Like Captain Rice and Perkins?

I went by the book once with you!

- And you'll go by the book again! Now, get that suit on.

- I'll stand by this hose here. Lay that hose out.

- Trip the battery and disconnect switches in the control room!

Aye aye, sir.

- Bare a hand on that suit.

- Ready. - Get a line on it!

Bring those CO2 bottles.

Get 'em in there when I open up.

Easy.

Good work, Boyer.

Doctor, how is he?

- Still holding on, but his burns are about as bad

as any I've ever seen.

- Don't blame yourself, Ken.

You did the right thing.

- Maybe it's about time I did the wrong thing.

♪ Weary toting this heavy load ♪

♪ Travelin' down that lonesome road ♪

♪ Look down, look down the lonesome road I

♪ Before you travel on ♪

- Hi.

- Hi, thanks for coming.

- Oh, don't mention it. Don't mention it.

Now, tell me, what is this big problem of yours?

- Dear Dorothy Dix.

- Signed, anxious housewife.

- Pete, I'm really very desperate.

Things have gotten much worse.

There are times when I think he hates me.

Well, he's mad at something!

Ever since they got out the Tiger Shark.

Pete, what is it?

- I'm a sweet child of the fields. I know from nothing.

- I've gotta have some help,

or this marriage of mine is gonna go sky high.

That wouldn't be fun for anybody.

- Well, except for guys like myself.

Oh, now, don't, don't worry, don't worry.

I'm, I'm one of those fellas,

we, we go to all the parties,

and we eye the other men's girls,

but when you're free, we don't want any part of you.

Okay, okay, sure.

- What do you think about Ken seeing a psychiatrist?

- Anybody who sees a psychiatrist

oughta have their head examined, joke.

- No joke. I know it sounds silly.

I even thought about Ken quitting the Navy.

- Well, what's so silly about that?

- Then it is the Navy. You do know something.

- All I know is your marriage is headed for the rocks.

Now, it isn't in the home, so it must be the job.

Quit digging around for details. Get rid of the job.

- You honestly think that would be a solution?

- I think it's the only solution.

- But Pete, he loves the Navy!

And to quit a job, any job,

why, it makes him look like a failure!

- Nonsense, Ken wouldn't be a failure

in anything he ever tried to do.

Tell him to get busy.

Tell him to get out and look for a job.

Or better yet, you had to contacts.

You promote something.

Now look, you'll do fine, first of all.

Secondly, you'll iron out this beef between you.

Third, you'll both be better off

and live happily ever after.

That'll be $25, please.

- I think I'll have a drink after all.

- Good, Fred? Hey, Fred!

You know, now that you're happily married again,

I'm getting very interested in you.

- Any more coffee, darling?

- Yeah, I'll get it.

- Anything interesting?

- Yeah, a chance to become a captain of industry,

Matthew's Electric Company.

- Well, "Dear Commander White, we are in need of a man

experienced in maintenance and personnel work."

- That's me!

"Suggested to us by Admiral Joshua Rice"!

- Nice of him, huh?

- "I assure you the arrangements we've come up with will be more than satisfactory to you."

Signed, A.E. Matthews, president!

- Sounds terrific, and especially the part

about the arrangements.

I wonder why Rice picked me.

- Well, why wouldn't he? You have the background for it.

- Yeah, yeah. How do you feel about Portland?

- I hear it's wonderful.

- It means buying umbrellas, long underwear,

and finding a good, thick roof.

- They have lots of nice houses near the plant.

- Where'd you hear that?

- Oh, I think I read it somewhere.

- What was the name of that businessman

you had lunch with a couple of months ago?

You used to write copy about his refrigerators.

A.E Matthews, if I remember correctly.

What kind of a fool do you think I am,

and how long do you think I'd stay a fool?

Or maybe you thought I might go for it,

playing puppet while you jiggle the strings.

What does Matthews get out of this?

You gonna write his advertising copy for free?

- I only said if there ever was an op--

- And what about the admiral?

You're gonna do his advertising,

or did you cry on his shoulder

about the hardships of Navy life?

- I simply asked his advice, and he agreed with Pete

that it was the best-- - Pete!

Well, who'd you miss? What about the mailman?

What'd he think? Did you write the newspaper?

Did you write your congressman?

- All right, Ken, all right. I'm sorry about the job.

And I know now that I was wrong going about it this way,

but I honestly thought it was a solution.

- For what?

- For us!

Oh, Ken, you're at war with your job and with yourself

and with me, and something has to give!

Do you want it to be our marriage?

- You know I don't.

- Then you've got to make a change.

- Meaning Portland?

- Meaning any kind of a job.

Get a farm, take up painting, anything.

Only Ken, get us out of our trouble.

- And you think leaving the Navy will do that?

-I do.

- Yeah, I suppose you're right.

Otherwise the admiral wouldn't have backed you up.

- Where you going?

- To the office.

I'm gonna resign from the Navy.

There it is, beginning, the middle, and the end,

spelled out in a letter on the admiral's desk.

Subject: Resignation from the United States Navy.

The end except for that last look at the Tiger Shark.

And that's the way it happened right up to now, all of it.

But where's the answer?

With all that thinking about it, where's the answer?

So why don't you say goodbye to the old hulk?

You don't marry a ship, you know.

And the plaque that Josh's widow said

belonged in the wardroom still belongs there,

so put it back and get out.

Ken, I'm gonna let you make this attack.

Get two. We'll have an even 20.

Clear the deck! Clear the bridge!

You could stop the dive! You could stop the dive!

Sounds like they're making a run on us, sir.

Stand by to surface!

"The war was over for them an hour ago."

- Hi!

I guessed you were here, you guys and your last looks.

I've got a dozen things to do.

I've gotta call the packing house, make reservations.

- Portland won't work.

I can't beat this thing by running out on it.

- Give me back the paper, Ken.

It's got the number of the packing house on it.

I wanna get my things moved out.

- Look, Carol. - Please, Ken.

- Maybe we can talk it over.

- We have! We've beaten the subject to death.

You can't seem to solve your problem in Portland,

and I can't solve mine in the Navy.

Isn't that right?

- I wish we'd made it. You're nice kinfolk.

I can't make this out. It's all crumpled.

Is that a six or an eight?

- It's a Sutter exchange. Must be an eight.

Hello, Mike.

- Good afternoon, sir.

Come in, Ken.

- I'm sorry, sir. I, I didn't realise you were in.

I left a letter on your desk this morning.

I'd like to take it back if I could.

- You'd better, because it wouldn't have stuck anyway.

Things have changed since I recommended you

for that job in Portland, in fact, since this morning.

That's why I'm here today.

We've just had word the North Koreans

have crossed the 38th parallel.

- Will that affect the yard?

- It'll affect you. I've talked to the bureau.

Your orders are on the way.

- What kind of orders, sir?

- You're to take the Tiger Shark

and by July 5th be ready for sea.

- Captain, permission to disconnect

the telephone line from the dock, sir.

- Go ahead.

- Robinson, disconnect the telephone line from the dock.

- All right, this is it, baby.

- I don't suppose Carol came.

- Well, if she did, what could they say?

"Lovely day, nice weather for sailing."

Ship's company on the dock, come aboard.

- Goodbye, Arnie.

- Bye, Sue.

- Keep your figure.

- You, too.

Ship's company on the dock, come aboard.

- Wear your medal. Be careful.

- Bye. - Bye.

You gonna say goodbye to Andy?

- I think you better do that. I hate to wake him up.

- Station the manoeuvring watch!

- Take in the brow.

Take in one, take in three, take in four. Hold two.

Starboard ahead one-third. Port back one-third.

Starboard ahead one-third. Port back one-third.

Shift your rudder.

Shift your rudder.

- Make it loop.

All back two-thirds.

All back two-thirds.

- Watch your ears on deck.

Uncle Sam sure sends you on long trips.

Yeah.

- 8,000 miles, brother.

- 8,000 miles, for what?

- Lifeguard duty. It says in the log.

- Well, in my log, it says rain, snow, and sleet.

Nothing to do but float around like an empty rubber raft.

- I suppose you'd rather be on Hungnam

with a couple of million Reds on your tail.

- You don't have to go to extremes.

- Listen, sailor, if you're floating around in anything,

it's a $6 million efficiency apartment

with free light, heat, radio, air conditioning,

mail delivered by destroyers,

and the best chow in the world.

There's only one thing wrong with this ship.

- What's that?

- I hope you never have to find out.

- Seems colder.

- Wind shifted. I'm about to lose both feet.

- Barton'll be up in a couple of minutes to relieve you.

- They got the mail sorted out yet?

- Not yet.

- That'll make Christmas seem a little more like Christmas.

- I wonder if Santa Claus ever came down a periscope.

Permission to come up on the bridge, sir.

- Granted.

- Sorry, Arnie.

I stopped to listen to the news from Hungnam.

- How was it?

- Right on schedule. Beachhead's still holding.

They're moving men and equipment off

as fast as they can load 'em.

- How many did they go?

- Over 20,000. What's the dope?

- I'll see ya below. We're steering three five five through,

standard speed, main engines one and two on the line.

Safety and negative are flooded.

Ship's ready for diving.

- All right.

- Goa?

- Yes, sir.

- That mail from the destroyer been sorted yet?

- Yes, sir.

The other officers have theirs, sir.

- All right, thank you.

- Oh, boy. Oh, boy.

One thing about Sue, she's a handy gal with a fountain pen.

- Yeah.

Permission to come on the bridge?

Granted.

- It looks like a little action.

Tiger Shark rendezvous with Concord.

070019 Zebra December.

Latitude 39.50 north, longitude 122.03 east.

Your instruction, special mission.

- That is action. It's just above the beachhead.

- Commanding officer, stand by to transfer to Concord.

- Roger.

Stand by to land helicopter.

Land helicopter.

- Welcome aboard, Commander.

- Thank you.

- Commander Morris will show you the flight plan, sir.

- Hiya, Ken!

- How did you get here?

- Simple, I told him I didn't want sea duty.

Besides, I figured you'd be lonely out here. C'mon.

What's the latest bulletin on the home front?

- All quiet.

- And you're not worried?

- Worried? What about?

- Well, for one thing, her quitting her job.

Didn't she write to you?

- Well, the most impersonal hello in history.

- Well, didn't you read between the lines?

Could be the message was there.

- Message? Well, come on!

What is this about her quitting her job?

- I think you'd better ask her.

- I'm asking you!

- It's a funny thing, I seem to have left

my Western Union card in my other suit.

- Gentlemen, the admiral is waiting.

- By Christmas Day, we hope to complete the evacuation

of the Hungnam beachhead.

So far everything has gone smoothly.

But here, about 30 miles from the coast, is a prison camp.

In it, with perhaps 200 other Americans,

are Colonel Garson Walsh and his special intelligence team.

The colonel and his men are believed to possess information

that would be immensely valuable to us in the future.

- What kind of information, Admiral?

- I don't know the details, but it must be pretty hot.

The orders are to get these men out.

Paratroopers flying in from Tokyo

will effect the actual rescue

while British and Commonwealth destroyers

conduct diversionary raids further up the coast.

Now, about our part in the operation.

A study of reconnaissance photographs by Commander Morris

indicates that the only possible route

for the paratroop planes is directly over Koyosan.

But there are two big obstacles.

Here, the Point Nokomo,

the enemy has an air search radar station,

and here, at Koyosan itself, is its telephone centre.

Both of these installations will have to be knocked out

before our planes approach.

That's where you come in, Commander.

You will land parties at the two points tonight,

receive from them signals of the success of their mission,

and then radio me the all's well.

You will be given all further details by Commander Morris.

- Commander Morris?

He's going with you.

- Actually, the whole deal hinges on us.

Unless the Reds are completely surprised,

they'll massacre the prisoners, and to surprise them,

we have to cut their communications, that's our job.

Major Kim of the South Korean Army,

Lieutenant Barton, and myself,

we're responsible for the radar station.

- They'll be put off in a rubber boat here at Point Nokomo.

They'll go ashore and lay low for approximately an hour.

Meanwhile, the Tiger Shark will proceed down the coast

to the entrance of the harbour here.

That's where you two frogmen will be slipped over the side.

It's gonna be a long swim.

Harbor's mined. We can't go in.

- Yes, sir.

- At exactly 0430, both parties will proceed

to destroy their objectives.

As soon as you've done this, send me your signals.

I'll inform the carrier. Any questions?

Captain, we've sighted Point Nokomo,

bearing two nine five.

- Very well, be ready in 15 minutes.

Y'all set, Chief?

Yes, sir.

Lower away.

Let her down easy, boys.

Keep her close alongside.

- Martin, you ready?

- Yeah. - Let's go.

- Left 20 degrees, rudder all ahead, flank.

Left 20, rudder all ahead, flank.

- 17 miles in one hour.

- We're gonna have to step on it.

Steady on course, one seven five.

Steady on course, one seven five.

It's all clear now.

- You wait here. - I'll check over the setup.

I know this country.

Okay, Major, go ahead.

- Altogether, you'll have about 30 minutes

to swim in from the breakwater

and knock out the telephone centre.

- That's plenty of time, sir.

- Well, it better be, because if you're late

and the word's relayed

that the radar station's been destroyed,

the whole operation's cooked. That's all.

- Captain, chief engineer requests permission

to secure the starboard main motor.

- What's the trouble?

- Bearing's running hot.

- How long to fix it?

- Can't tell you, sir, at least a half hour.

- Arnie, make all the speed you can on the port propeller.

Pull an overload if you have to!

- Bare a hand with the repairs, we gotta make it.

- Yes, sir.

All right.

Yes.

- The radar station is about a quarter mile away.

Two sentries patrol the station in the wide circle.

Another man patrols near the shack.

We slip through the first two and-

- And take the third one.

- We kill the third commander, quietly.

I'll use his uniform.

After you set the charges,

I'll cover you from the antenna post.

- Good.

- You'll have to clear out before the detonator goes off.

Once we set the timer, it's out of our hands.

- I'll manage.

- Let's have at it.

- Speed.

14 1/2 knots.

- It's running out.

- How far to go now?

- The harbour entrance, six miles.

- You can make as much time dragging the anchor.

- There it is.

- There, dead ahead. The breakwater, can you make it out?

- Yeah.

- Even a seal couldn't make it.

- Could from inside the harbour.

- You're not going inside.

- I know it's a gamble, Arnie,

but this time the odds are right, one ship, 200 lives.

We got a chance. Clear the bridge!

Dive! - Dive!

- I certainly hope my pal makes it.

- Don't worry, he'll take a powder

just before the joint blows up.

Give me the antenna.

- Right.

- Sonar, sweep 15 degrees on either bow.

There are mines in here.

- Aye aye, sir.

- Where are we going, sir?

- Into their front yard.

- Get our two passengers up here.

- After battery, send the two passengers

to the conning tower.

- Echo directly ahead. 200 yards and closing.

- Right full rudder, all ahead one-third.

Right full rudder, all ahead one-third.

Object's still closing. I think we're at the entrance.

- Mine cable.

- Left full rudder!

Down scope. - Left full rudder.

- Hey, what's that book you got there?

- The Bible.

- The B-

Keep it there.

- Rudder midships.

Rudder midships.

- Steer two two five.

Steer two two five, aye.

Plane her up to let the frogmen off.

- Give out with the signal.

- Down scope.

33 feet, 30 feet.

Conning tower hatch is out.

- Crack the hatch.

Pressure equalised.

- Open hatch.

- You're on your way. Good luck.

- Captain! Radio received a message from Commander Morris.

The radar station's been destroyed.

- Hatch secure, sir.

- Take it down to 60 feet.

- We'll ditch everything right here.

- Right.

Hold it.

- Don't shoot!

That's what I call timing.

Glad to see. How did it go?

Just as we planned it.

- Gimme the transmitter.

- What now?

- We'll join the paratroopers if we're lucky.

You ready, Major?

Ready.

Come on, let's get outta here.

- No signal, Admiral?

- Nothing.

- I'd better radio the paratroopers to turn back.

- Let's give them a minute or two more.

No sign of 'em yet.

- There they are. I got the signal.

Down periscope. I'm gonna surface.

- You know they've got shore batteries here in the harbour.

It's the only way we can send an all clear to the carrier.

- Radio room, as soon as the antennas are out of the water,

contact the group commander and report the all clear.

- Surface!

- Battle stations, gun action!

Commence firing!

Commence firing.

- Admiral, message from the submarine.

Tiger Shark reports mission accomplished.

Tell operations to get the planes off.

- Aye aye, sir.

- Now four double-oh, right oh two.

Hits to the bilging room.

- How bad is it?

We've lost comm from the scene of damage.

- Descending aft.

All hands, abandon ship. Carry out demolition orders.

- Thought you might need this, sir.

- Thanks, Boyer.

Let's go.

You all right, Captain?

- Yeah.

- Sounds like the paratroopers.

- Right on schedule. And here come the jets!

- That'll make it easy for us on the beach.

These guys don't look like they've had

a square meal in a month.

- Yeah.

- Accounted for all your men yet, Commander?

- All safe except four and the radar landing party.

That's seven.

- We lost 14 of ours, but I guess that's not too big a price

to pay for pulling out nearly 200.

- What about the intelligence team? Walsh is out there.

- They're okay, and they got what they came for.

- Hey, Captain, look what's coming!

Hey, hey!

I told you somebody'd be here to meet us.

- Well, you made it, huh?

Oh, it's nice to see your smiling faces.

- You guys sure caught the last trolley!

- Oh, it's nothing.

Any hero could've done it. And here he is.

- Thanks for bringing 'em back, Major.

Where's the Tiger Shark?

- She's gone, Paul. We ran into a little trouble.

- A little trouble?

He goes through a minefield submerged,

lands the frogmen so close to the shore

you can plant a crop.

Then he surfaces in the middle of the harbour

and fights a battle with a half a dozen shore batteries

and gets sunk.

And he says he ran into a little trouble.

- Why don't you get 'em something to eat?

- Yeah, sure. Come on, fellas.

- Well, it seems like you've won a popularity contest.

- Yeah, all except one vote.

- Two votes.

- What do you mean?

- Well, I promised Carol I wouldn't tell you

because she thought it might seem like dirty pool,

and you were having all that trouble

with Boyer and the ship and so forth.

But I think now's a pretty good time.

Your wife's gonna have a baby.

Yeah, yeah, you're gonna be a father.

Let's eat. I'm starved.

- This is about where she went down.

Sad end for a good ship.

- No, it's not sad. We can be proud of her, Boyer.

She's in great company

with the ships that'll never be forgotten.

No, it's not an end.

- I hereby christen thee USS Tiger Shark.

- Wait a minute, let squeaky and me in here.

We wanna see this, too.

There she goes, squeaky. Say goodbye!