- 2 days ago
The USS Seahorse risks being blown to bits by Japanese depth charges.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00I'm Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykerz, retired.
00:27The story you're about to see is the reenactment of a special mission assigned to the USS Seahorse.
00:34At this point in the war, she was a veteran submarine with a record of 19 enemy ships under her belt.
00:41However, she had never had an assignment like this one.
00:44All of her crew knew what the mission was, but only her captain, Commander Harry H. Greer, Jr., knew why.
00:52On March 19, 1945, the USS Seahorse reported at Guam, which was now the advanced headquarters of the Pacific Fleet.
01:04She was fresh from an overhaul in the States and had all the latest devices.
01:09Vice Admiral Lockwood, Commander of the submarine force, came aboard to check their performance.
01:15I asked you to stay aboard for a few minutes because I wanted very much to talk to you about something in private.
01:22It's a pleasure, Harry. We've just got to see you with another cup of coffee. Shoot.
01:28Well, sir, now that you've witnessed the tests of the new mine detector, what do you think of it?
01:33It's a good one. Very good.
01:36Isn't this the first one you've ever seen?
01:38No. There are others.
01:41Well, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. I've never seen anything so hush-hush.
01:46The civilian scientists that were installing and testing for the past couple of months wouldn't even discuss it with me.
01:50But I'm just the captain of the ship.
01:52You had training with it at Pearl Harbor on your way out.
01:55Yes, sir. That's the first time I really knew what the black box was for.
01:59That's the way I wanted it.
02:00If you knew the weeks and months I've spent on this gear and what it means, you'd appreciate the secrecy.
02:05I do, Admiral.
02:08To get to my point, ever since we waltzed through the dummy minefields at Pearl without touching one of them,
02:15the wheels have been going around in my head until I'm buzzing.
02:18I want your permission to try to go through the minefields at Juchima Straits
02:22and make a patrol in the Sea of Japan.
02:27Not many men would make such a request, Harry.
02:30I'm really sorry I can't give you the green light.
02:33It's not that I don't think it's a good idea.
02:36It's just that I've been working on one that suits our purposes better.
02:40We call it Operation Barney.
02:43Have you got a chart of the Japan Sea handy?
02:45Yes, I have one right here.
02:53Now, there's not much shipping left out here in the Pacific, thanks to you boys.
03:00But back here in the Sea of Japan, they hardly know the war's on.
03:05They feel pretty safe behind the mine barriers that close off the only entrances from the outside.
03:12The lighthouses are burning and ships are using running lights just like in peacetime.
03:16It's the last open sea lane they have for supplying the home islands.
03:21I don't understand, sir. That's the very reason I want to get in there.
03:25And you'd sink some ships, too. But think about it like this.
03:28After that, that'd make it pretty tough on anyone else who tried it.
03:32Now, my plan calls for sending nine boats through at the same time.
03:37They'd fan out the various patrol areas.
03:41But when they started shooting all at once, the Japs would know it wasn't some isolated sub that managed to squeeze in.
03:48We're trying to make them quit.
03:50And unless I miss my guess, this is going to help.
03:53I hope we're one of the nine, sir.
03:55I've got to tell you no again, Harry.
03:58You see, I can't send all those boats through a minefield without being sure and doubly sure that the new equipment is going to show them where the mines are and do it every time.
04:10We've gone through them like a skier on the slalom. You couldn't want better results.
04:15But some of the boys haven't been so lucky. They're not ready to go yet. You are.
04:19And here's where you fit into the picture.
04:22Before we make the big attempt, it is vital that we know where the first lane of mines we'll encounter are located,
04:30at what depth they're planted, and what the distance is between them.
04:35Hello. Ask Mr. Wells to come on the bridge.
04:53Aye, aye, sir.
04:54Yes, sir. I didn't interrupt anything important, did I, Ray?
05:08Well, yes and no. I just had Joe Sporer over a barrel in an acey-doocy game. Now he'll want to start all over.
05:14There's a whole quarter riding on it.
05:17Well, next time I beat him, I'll donate the quarter to you.
05:20There's something I want you to do. You know the intelligence report on the radar stations at Tsushima?
05:24Yes, sir. I have it in my safe.
05:26You've popped them on the charts so we can figure our best approach.
05:29Tsushima?
05:31Floating mine on starboard bow.
05:42We'd better sink it.
05:44Twenty-millimeter gun crew on deck.
05:46Twenty-millimeter gun crew on deck.
05:48All stopped. Bring her right, slowly.
05:51All stopped. Bring her right, slowly.
06:01We'll see if all that gunnery training pays off.
06:31I guess I got a little too close to that one.
06:34Looks like about three hundred yards.
06:36Just about.
06:37Let's let that be a lesson to us.
06:40How's that, Captain?
06:42Think what would have happened if we'd nuzz it with our bow.
06:48The seahorse continued on her course towards the minefields of Tsushima.
06:52As they approached the area, it became necessary to run submerged in daytime to avoid detection.
07:01I think it's going to be pretty tough from here on entering.
07:09Stevens, take a sounding, will you?
07:11All right, sir.
07:28Ninety-eight fathoms.
07:29Bottom's shoaling up fast.
07:35We could pick up our first mines anytime.
07:38I don't think there's much chance until we get into about sixty fathoms.
07:42Yeah, the way I dope it out, we'll find them right about in here tomorrow.
07:47We're going to be in range of all these radar stations when we service for battery charges tonight.
07:52Yeah.
07:53If they have any defense in here, we'll find it out pretty soon.
07:56Maybe we ought to run out, submerged in the afternoon, before we service and back in in the morning.
08:03Well, we'd spend most of our time going back and forth.
08:06We'd never get the job done that way.
08:08We may have to fight to stay in here, but we're going to stay.
08:12Hey, Joe.
08:14Did you work over that deck gun last night?
08:16Yes, sir.
08:17Lucky we did, too.
08:18Salt water was getting to it, almost had it frozen.
08:20Is she okay now?
08:21I say she's ready, willing and able.
08:23Yeah.
08:26Well, it's five minutes before sunset.
08:28Let's go and take a look around before we service.
08:37I know you just had a look, but I'm one of those guys that always presses an elevator button no matter how many people are around.
08:43I'll just take a look for my cell.
08:44I'll just take a look for my cell.
08:55Now let's go.
08:57Service!
08:58All right.
08:59All ballast tanks.
09:00All ballast tanks.
09:01All ballast tanks.
09:02All ballast tanks.
09:26I am heading to the ground.
09:27Toins.
09:32Come on.
09:33Come on.
09:34Come on.
09:35Come on.
09:36Come on.
09:37Come on.
09:38Come on.
09:39Say Vega, since when did you become a lookout?
09:42Well, Captain told me this morning to put him on.
09:45Something about he can see better at night than the rest of us.
09:48Yeah, I read something about these country boys being good possum hunters.
09:52Since this being your first watch, there are some important things I want to tell you.
09:55Now, keep this strap around you so you don't drop the binoculars.
09:58And don't let them get wet.
10:00Being a lookout is a very important job.
10:02You're going to be responsible for this 10 million dollar submarine.
10:05And maybe the success of the whole mission.
10:07And more important than that are the lives of about 90 of your shipmates.
10:10You understand that, don't you?
10:12There's something more important than you didn't mention, sir.
10:14What's that, Baker?
10:15It's me.
10:18All clear on the radar.
10:22Look out for the bridge.
10:23Start low pressure blowers.
10:25Commence battery charge on two main engines.
10:27All right, up you go.
10:29And remember, my wife and kids are depending on you too.
10:32Put the low pressure blower on all main ballast tanks.
10:49This was a well guarded area.
10:51Enemy radar had soon detected the Seahorse.
10:54And news of her presence was transmitted immediately.
10:59Air patrol's headed in her direction.
11:06Airplane on the radar. He's coming in.
11:08Clear the bridge! Clear the bridge!
11:12I'm done!
11:22Baker! Baker!
11:23Take her!
11:33Emergency! 300 feet!
11:53Five times that night, Japanese aircraft forced them under.
12:06But Harry Greer stayed right in there.
12:08He had a minefield to charge.
12:10He had a minefield to charge.
12:22Bearing on Tsuchusaki. Marked.
12:25Zero, four, nine.
12:27Down scope.
12:32Good fix, Captain.
12:33Mine, dead ahead.
12:34Right, full rudder.
12:35Right, full rudder.
12:36Right, full rudder.
12:49Steady on your course.
12:50Steady, course zero, five, zero.
12:52Zero, four, zero, five, zero.
13:05It's going by a beam now.
13:07Hot it in range.
13:12We've entered the field.
13:16We've entered the field.
13:17There it is.
13:22A little off the port bow.
13:34We're running parallel to a line of mines.
13:36Can you give me another fix, Captain?
13:37Right.
13:47We've entered the field.
13:50Bearing on Gosaki. Marked.
13:53Zero, one, five.
14:04Uh-oh.
14:05Trouble.
14:11Patrol boat headed right for us.
14:13Maybe you'll pass by.
14:15Don't bet on it.
14:16He knows we're here all right.
14:18Now, they're probably listening buoys as well as mines in this field.
14:24Well, that does it.
14:25Really spills the beans.
14:27How do you mean?
14:29Won't this wise them up to our whole plan?
14:31Not necessarily.
14:33They'll probably figure that some dope stumbled into their minefield by mistake.
14:39Anyway, he's not going to stop us now.
14:42Take stations for gun action.
14:44Take station for gun action.
14:46Take station for gun action.
14:48Service.
15:15After polishing off the patrol boat, the seahorse went back to her spine-tingling job, right on the enemy's front doorstep.
15:22For days they kept at it until they had a comprehensive plot of the first line of mines.
15:26If I wasn't so beat, I'd feel awful good about now.
15:38All the dope in the bag and heading for the barn.
15:42I won't be able to relax until I can get the information back to the Admiral.
15:46Sure wish we could use the radio.
15:48Too many Japanese direction finders around here. They'd be on us in a flash.
15:56We're getting some heavy interference on the radar.
16:00I'll drop down and have a look at it.
16:01Look at it.
16:08It's coming from back aft somewhere.
16:10Whatever radar it is, it works on the same frequency ours does.
16:15Could be the Crevalli.
16:16She's on some sort of special mission up this way.
16:19Keep an eye on it.
16:20I think it's a Crevalli, Ray. Let's wait and let him catch up.
16:28All engines, stop.
16:29All stop.
16:31Bearing on the Crevalli 153. Range 6,000 yards.
16:38I believe I've got him.
16:42That's not the Crevalli.
16:44It's an enemy patrol boat.
16:46All ahead, plane!
16:51I'm a stupid ass.
16:58What's the rings doing?
17:00It's commencing to open. 6-1-00.
17:02We're out running them.
17:10Air fleet coming in!
17:12Clear the bridge!
17:18Dive! Dive!
17:21We're at 300 feet, Captain.
17:26The ship is rigged for depth charge and silent running.
17:33The propellers have speeded up.
17:40They shifted to short-scale pinging.
17:41Passing overhead now.
17:42I don't know.
17:43It's still the exact same boat.
18:06I don't know.
18:07All the depth gauges are broken.
18:27I think we're on the bottom.
18:29There's a bad leak in the radio room.
18:31Repair party to the radio room.
18:32Repair party to the radio room.
18:35Where is he now?
18:36I don't know, Captain.
18:38This gear's gone dead.
18:44As the hours wore on, the Japanese worked over their stranded victim.
18:48The seahorse was a shambles.
18:51Her depth gauges and listening gear were broken, periscopes smashed, diving controls knocked out of line.
18:58But worst of all, her radio equipment was flooded out.
19:01She was deaf, dumb, and blind.
19:02They were deep in enemy waters, and even if they could surface, their chances of getting back with the vital information almost ceased to exist.
19:11As the afternoon wore on, the Japanese seemed to pick up a false scent.
19:15Their charges were further away.
19:17Ray, can you come up here a minute?
19:39What time is moon rise?
19:402347.
19:41That's good.
19:43I want to surface as soon after dark as we can.
19:47That'll give us time to get away from here before the moon comes up.
19:52I hope moving away with their depth charging isn't a trick.
19:56They could leave a sleeper up there with his engine stopped.
19:59We'd never know it.
20:01That's a chance we'll have to take.
20:03Do you think we could dive again if we had to?
20:09Not without some repairs.
20:11Can't even move the bow plane.
20:14Matter of fact, Captain, we don't know whether the engines will run.
20:30All ahead, flank.
20:33Thank God.
20:47With no radar, we may be running right toward him, Joe.
20:50Maybe so, Captain.
20:51But this is what I'd call an improvement.
20:54Maybe we'll make it.
20:56We have to make it if the Admiral's going to get the dope on the minefield.
20:59Maybe we'd better give it to him by radio as soon as we can, just to be sure.
21:05Well, that won't be too soon, Captain.
21:07I just talked to the chief radio man.
21:10He says he's got to tear the transmitter down completely.
21:13Watch all the parts of fresh water and reassemble.
21:14How long does he figure?
21:17Working around the clock, three days.
21:20Three days?
21:21The seahorse was in desperate shape.
21:28She tried to dive to escape an enemy plane, but the damaged ship went out of control and popped to the surface again.
21:34Luckily, the plane went by, but they were still deep in enemy territory.
21:41Their destruction seemed only a matter of time.
21:43If they could get their information to Admiral Lockwood, their loss would not be in vain.
21:51Hey, Thompson.
21:53Hook up that entertainment radio in the shack.
21:55We'll try to receive on it.
21:56New antennas up.
21:57Looks short, though.
21:59It is, but I think it'll be all right for our frequency.
22:02You ought to be getting pretty close to a try.
22:04A couple of dollars or so to do it now.
22:06We put so many homemade parts in the transmitter, I can't promise anything.
22:10You and the skip and keep the enemy off us till then.
22:13We'll get something out of this transmitter.
22:15I hope it isn't just a puff of smoke.
22:24I'm ready to try it now.
22:26Go ahead.
22:27Light off your transmitter.
22:28Here's the message.
22:40I hope this tough of gremlins holds together.
22:48Is the transmitter putting out?
22:50Yes, sir.
22:50We're calling both.
22:51Pearl Harbor and Guam.
22:55We raised somebody.
22:56They said to go ahead with a message.
22:58Wait a minute.
23:01What's the matter?
23:02That's a Japanese.
23:04I can tell by the way he's hitting a key.
23:06He's been trying to fool me for three years.
23:08I better switch to 8400.
23:09It's Pearl Harbor.
23:21It's Pearl Harbor.
23:21They hear us loud and clear.
23:22Yeah, we'll give them the message.
23:27Now all we have to worry about is ours, kids.
23:29I'll be back in a moment with our special guest.
23:45The skipper of the seahorse, Commander Harry H. Greer, is with us, but now he is Captain Greer, United States Navy.
23:55Harry, this patrol of the seahorse is certainly a fine example of courage and tenacity.
24:00You didn't allow the enemy's best efforts to chase you out until you had the information the Admiral sent you for.
24:07It was my first patrol as commanding officer of the seahorse, and I was fortunate to inherit one of the finest ship's companies that was ever gathered together.
24:16They could do anything.
24:17It must be a strange feeling to go cavorting about in a minefield.
24:22Well, of course it is.
24:23Things like this always look dangerous or even foolhardy from a distance.
24:28But we had good detection equipment, we were well trained in its use, and we had the confidence that goes with knowledge.
24:36Your survey of the Tsushima minefields was a great contribution to the success of Operation Barney.
24:42We are honored to have had you here.
24:43Thank you, Tommy.
24:44Please sit in with us again when the silent service brings you another true submarine story.
24:53Take her down, there's often line
24:57Through the deep blue under the ocean
25:01We'll control the ocean's wide
25:06From down, down, underneath the sea
25:10Take her down, there's a man who'll find redone
25:14In the future's yet to be
25:19That will say, as long as there's a submarine underneath the sea
25:27So wait for time, take her down
25:31Down, down, underneath the ocean
25:36Fearless man will find redone
25:40In the deep blue underneath the sea
25:43That will say, as long as there's a man who'll find redone
25:50In the deep blue underneath the sea
25:51That will say, as long as there's a man who'll find redone
25:52In the deep blue underneath the sea
25:53That will say, as long as there's a man who'll find redone
25:54In the deep blue underneath the sea
25:55That will say, as long as there's a man who'll find redone
25:56In the deep blue underneath the sea
25:57That will say, as long as there's a man who'll find redone
25:58In the deep blue underneath the sea
25:59That will say, as long as there's a man who'll find redone
26:00In the deep blue underneath the sea
26:01That will say, as long as there's a man who'll find redone
26:02In the deep blue underneath the sea
26:03That will say, as long as there's a man who'll find redone
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