- 7 weeks ago
A seaman is interested in improving the design of torpedoes.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00I'm Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dyker, retired.
00:29In this chapter of the Silent Service, we're going to take you on two dramatic cruises
00:34of the USS Seawolf, which helped to solve one of our most urgent and mystifying problems
00:39of the war at sea.
00:41In the first year of the war, far too many of our torpedoes were not going off properly.
00:47Skill and heroism went for nothing as torpedoes failed again and again.
00:51The submarine has seized over this dangerous situation.
00:58Lieutenant Commander Fred Water of Grafton, West Virginia, skipper of the United States
01:08Submarine Seawolf, Executive Officer Lieutenant William DeRagan of Albany, New York.
01:14Early in 1942, Seawolf had opposed enemy landings near Bally and had panicked Japanese convoys.
01:21But Tokyo Rose had a different version of the affair as usual.
01:25Our fleet has again shown its superiority over the Allied submarines, vainly trying to penetrate
01:31our waters.
01:32In a recent landing on the island of Bally, our forces ran into an entire nest of American submarines.
01:38Our fleet had once to defend the mayor who wanted to neutralize the undersea attack.
01:44Our landings proceeded unabated and one American submarine was definitely destroyed.
01:49Dead!
01:50Dead!
01:51Dead!
01:52Dead!
01:53Not one enemy submarine was able to accomplish a successful attack.
01:57Oh, come on, Tom.
01:58You know she's kidding.
02:00It isn't funny.
02:01Not to me.
02:02Okay.
02:03Okay.
02:04And while you brave, some mariners endure the depths charging of our magnificent fleet,
02:09your countrymen stay home with the lovely women.
02:12Listen to the beguiling music.
02:14Listen to a genuine lady from the great hit, Lady in the Dark, while you huddle in your darkness.
02:21And think it over, boys, while you hear this.
02:24Not that we aren't grateful.
02:27It's very nice work, Loge.
02:29Well, thank you, sir.
02:30I could do a better job if I had a good camera.
02:33It's a visa for you and the captain, sir.
02:35Oh, thank you very much, Loge.
02:36You're welcome, sir.
02:37Captain, I just picked up this dispatch from headquarters.
02:42Air reconnaissance shows transport destroyers and cruisers on rope to Lumbach Straits.
02:47We're supposed to intercept.
02:48Huh?
02:49I'd say that convoy was headed for Christmas Island.
02:52And it's phosphates the enemy is hurting for.
02:54Too bad, but we can't do a thing about it.
03:00We've been sunk.
03:02Haven't you heard?
03:03Oh.
03:11There it is.
03:13Christmas Island.
03:15Flying fish coals.
03:17It's like we got here ahead of the Japanese Imperial Navy.
03:20We can blow up the dock.
03:22No, some natives might get hurt.
03:25We'll just cruise around a bit.
03:29Orv.
03:34Hey, Orv, are you asleep?
03:35Yeah.
03:38Can I wake you up?
03:39If you want to know the truth, you woke me up.
03:43Orv, if I've got a print of a certain picture, can I get copies made of it?
03:50Haven't you got the negative?
03:52I told you what I got.
03:53All right.
03:54Don't wake up the fleet.
03:57I just have this old print back home.
04:00It's the only good picture we've got of Bert.
04:03You can get a negative made of the print.
04:05And then have all the prints made you want.
04:07Oh.
04:08Thanks, Orv.
04:10Thanks, Orv.
04:12I'll write my mother to do that.
04:17Lousy turd.
04:20Don't feel like that, Tom.
04:21Look, I feel what I feel.
04:23You're letting it eat you.
04:25I wanted to eat me.
04:26They killed Bert, didn't they?
04:27It's a war.
04:29Bert was a prisoner.
04:30He was out of the war.
04:35He didn't have to die like that.
04:38He was out of it.
04:39Yeah.
04:42Well, you write your mom and have her take the positive in and it'll make a negative.
04:49Better get some sleep, Tom.
04:50Captain picks up that convoy.
04:52It's gonna be hot, boy.
04:55I can't wait.
04:57The following day, Sea Wolf made contact with the convoy and went into action.
05:06Angle on the bow.
05:0710th starboard.
05:08Mark.
05:13Range.
05:14Mark.
05:152-6-5-0.
05:16Standby forward, troops set depth 10 feet.
05:19Standby forward, troops set depth 10 feet.
05:21Open outer doors.
05:26Open outer doors.
05:27Open outer doors.
05:32Fire one.
05:39Fire two.
05:40Fire two.
05:41Torpedoes running hot screws merging with target screws.
05:51Got her.
05:52Let's look at the damage.
06:02Here she comes.
06:03Take it on emergency.
06:04Right bull rudder.
06:05For hours, the Sea Wolf endured a merciless step charge, betrayed by her own torpedoes.
06:25All through March 31st into April 1st, the battle continued.
06:34Sea Wolf returning to attack the big convoy.
06:37Undaunted.
06:38Captain Water, watching his torpedoes, seemed to score hits on three separate ships.
06:43Until at last, contact was lost.
06:46The Battle of Christmas Island was over.
06:48One submarine against a heavily armed convoy.
06:51An epic of submarine warfare had been written.
06:54In smoke.
06:55Sea Wolf headed for Australia.
06:57For rest.
07:00And for a reckoning.
07:01But you didn't actually see any of your targets sink.
07:03And I took risks to find out.
07:05I thought it that important to try to determine what's wrong with our torpedoes.
07:08Yes.
07:09Anything.
07:11Look, I believe every skipper in the service has reported torpedoes that explode prematurely.
07:16Torpedoes that don't explode at all.
07:18Torpedoes that run in circles endangering our own craft.
07:20I...
07:21I'm not alone.
07:23Granted, you aren't.
07:25But we know, however, that the Mark 14 torpedo is a fine weapon.
07:29If a bit sensitive and temperamental.
07:31Temperamental?
07:33It's a prima donna that exposes us all to very serious dangers.
07:36Are you observing the Bureau of Ordnance regulations regarding the use of the torpedo?
07:41No.
07:42Oh?
07:43The torpedoes do not go off magnetically when set for the depth the regulations recommend.
07:47We have to experiment with other settings.
07:50Oh, I see.
07:52We examine every torpedo we receive from warhead to afterbody.
07:56We baby those fish outrageously.
07:58About your crew.
08:02What about them?
08:03Do you have complete confidence in your torpedoes?
08:05Complete and absolute.
08:07Isn't it possible that arrows and fire control or technique somewhere may be at the root of all this trouble?
08:17The excitement of combat, inexperienced men.
08:20It's possible.
08:23But no amount of skill and experience is going to compensate for faulty torpedoes.
08:27Come now, Captain.
08:28I'll go further, sir.
08:32I'll guess that the Asiatic submarine force is inflicting no more than 15% of the damage it's capable of with proper weapons.
08:39We're going to lose men and submarines if we continue serving up engraved announcements in the form of dust that give opposition to the enemy.
08:48Well, I'll certainly forward your report and your views to Washington and to the Naval Torpedo Station in Newport.
08:54Good.
08:55When?
08:56It can't happen too soon, believe me.
08:58Send off a letter at once.
09:00A letter?
09:01Good day.
09:06Good day.
09:07And...
09:08Good luck with your next patrol.
09:17Glad and proud to be going out with this crew on our 7th patrol.
09:21Needless to say, but I'm saying it.
09:23I'm telling you this.
09:25We've had a lot of luck and we've had some bad breaks.
09:28With your help, we're going to find an explanation for the bad ones.
09:31One more thing.
09:34We're going to get a big one this time.
09:36And we're going to watch it go down.
09:39That's a promise.
09:47What are we supposed to do?
09:48Frisk any Japanese we find swimming for this junk somebody heisted in Fremantle?
09:53I ain't kidding.
09:54Watches.
09:56Cameras.
09:57Binoculars.
09:58Small arms.
09:59Value to 3,000 bucks or more.
10:00Or less.
10:01All right.
10:02Turn out your pockets.
10:03There'll be no questions asked.
10:04No embarrassment.
10:05No embarrassment.
10:20Oh, hi, Arf.
10:21Hi, Don.
10:22I'm going to play some cards.
10:23Yeah, sure.
10:24Fine.
10:26Listen, let's use your deck.
10:27What's the difference?
10:29Well, yours aren't so broken up.
10:32All right.
10:35All right.
10:42November 2, 1942.
10:44Seawolf had penetrated into Duvalgong, Mindanao, and the Philippines,
10:49looking for enemy shipping and for vital answers.
10:52Our torpedoes have been passing under targets without exploding.
10:57There's something wrong with our magnetic exploders.
11:00We're going to prove it.
11:06Somehow.
11:08I think I've got it, Willie.
11:10First, we've got to find a target that presents absolutely no fire control problems.
11:15So we can't possibly miss.
11:16Second, the ship has to be in such a position that a missile will go on to explode beyond her, proving it ran straight.
11:24That could only mean a ship lying at anchor and harbor.
11:28At anchor or at the dock in Tolomo Bay, to be exact.
11:32Among all her rowdy sisters, cousins, and friends.
11:35Yeah.
11:36Oh, mister.
11:37Dawn of November 2 found Seawolf cruising cautiously towards Tolomo Bay and her perilous experiment.
11:49Hey, I'll come no pictures, Lady Orr.
11:59When? At dawn on my watch?
12:01No, I mean when you get special permission.
12:04I wouldn't mind a new snapshot of Lou Trask to send home.
12:08I'm Lou Trask, remember?
12:10I don't have my camera anymore.
12:12You don't have your camera?
12:14No, I must have lost it in Fremantle.
12:16Look, I know film is in short supply.
12:20I'll replace the film.
12:21Make it my business.
12:23Look, we're not on a pleasure cruise.
12:25All of a sudden, you're telling me what we are?
12:27Listen, buddy.
12:28Look, Lou, keep your watch.
12:31I've got a proposition for you, chum.
12:33I'll keep my watch, you keep your film.
12:36Jeez.
12:40Out of a clear sky, ideal for snapshots.
12:44No camera, unquote.
12:46What's the gag, do you suppose?
12:48He wouldn't live without some kind of a camera.
12:51If he did lose his little camera in Fremantle,
12:53you mean to tell me he wouldn't get another one someplace?
12:56Who's he trying to con?
12:58I don't think.
13:00Gil?
13:01Yeah?
13:02Did you ever find that gold locket your wife sent you with her and her kids' pictures in it?
13:07Must be some place in the ocean, don't remind me.
13:10Dinky little silver pen knife I used to have.
13:14Used to blow on my brother.
13:16Well, nobody cares about pen knives anymore.
13:20Unless it belonged to your only brother, who happens to be dead now.
13:25I wonder what ever happened to it.
13:27What do you mean? You're kidding or something, aren't you?
13:29You're the one that Arf came aboard at night on your watch when he had Liberty in Fremantle.
13:34Yeah, but that...
13:35Yeah. After that stuff got heisted in town.
13:38So then everybody can lose something.
13:40Briscoe missed his fountain pen after that jab of Branigan.
13:44Gold, wasn't it?
13:47Oh, now, cut it out, fellas.
13:49Who'd be such a heel-yed heist...
13:50Hey, Blue Bridget.
13:54Battle stations any time now.
13:56Anybody want to start a pool that says when?
13:58Orv, you wouldn't have seen a silver pen knife of mine around, would you?
14:04You asked me that before.
14:06Well, we can comb the boat again, I suppose.
14:08Never mind.
14:09Oh, I know how much that pen knife meant to you, Tom.
14:11Forget it.
14:12Come on, let's give it another whirl.
14:14I said forget it!
14:18Sure, Tom, I...
14:19All right.
14:28On November the 3rd, 12 miles from Tolomo Harbor, the captain gave the order to submerge.
14:42Cautiously, the Wolf belt out a channel clear of mines, and then pushed forward towards teeming harbor.
14:47The answer to a submarine skipper's prayer.
14:53Made in the Orient.
14:55Motor ship, heavy guns aft, brand new and beautiful.
15:00She's a sittin' duck.
15:07We'll move in close, so we just can't miss.
15:10Turn zero, target speed zero.
15:12Angle on the bar 110, starter.
15:14How do you head?
15:15Three zero six, sir.
15:17Come left to three zero five.
15:19Aye, aye, sir.
15:20Tubes forward.
15:21Set all gyros at zero and disengaged spindles.
15:24Tubes forward. Set all gyros at zero and disengaged spindles.
15:27We'll shoot a straight bow shot. Not taking any chances this time.
15:30Cub scope.
15:31The range mark.
15:45One, three, five, oh.
15:47Algiaro set at zero, sir.
15:48All right. Set depth 18 feet.
15:50Set depth 18 feet.
15:51Eighteen feet.
15:54I figured that baby jaw is about 20 feet,
15:56allowing for our fish to run a little deeper than the setting.
15:59They ought to explode magnetically right underneath that maroo, right?
16:02Let's hope.
16:03Bow tube's ready, sir.
16:04Depth set 18 feet.
16:06Standby forward.
16:07Standby forward.
16:08Final observation and shoot.
16:10Final observation and shoot.
16:12Bearing.
16:14Mark.
16:15Zero, zero, zero.
16:19Range.
16:21Mark.
16:21One, one, double O.
16:25Standby.
16:26Standby.
16:28Fire one.
16:29Fire one.
16:33As the crow flies.
16:35Down scope.
16:38That torpedo works like Oregon says it will,
16:41we'll bust that ship in half.
16:46Can't possibly miss.
16:48We all here know that, don't we?
16:50For the record.
16:51Good.
16:54Up scope.
16:57Well, that's for you, Bert.
17:01That was not a hit.
17:02Fish passed under point of aim and exploded on the dock.
17:05Pipe down.
17:06Fish passed under target and exploded on the beach.
17:08Standby two.
17:10Standby two.
17:11Standby two.
17:12Standby two.
17:14Sir.
17:15Captain.
17:16I've been working on a sort of an adapter with a new camera I got.
17:19If you put it against the periscope, you can take a picture.
17:21It might help us prove things.
17:27Get it.
17:28Yes, sir.
17:52Number two at zero, depth set at eight feet.
17:54All you do is put this against the eyepiece and click this and it should take a picture.
18:05I hope.
18:09Standby two.
18:11Standby two.
18:14Mary, mark.
18:16Zero, zero, zero.
18:21Range, mark.
18:22Nine, five, oh.
18:27Fire two.
18:27Fire two.
18:28Fire two.
18:52Fire two.
19:01Bullseye.
19:02Oh, the devil knows she's rolling heavily but steady.
19:07Oh, that fish went off prematurely.
19:13It can't win.
19:15Standby three.
19:16Set depth for four feet.
19:18Four.
19:19Standby three.
19:20Set depth for four feet.
19:22Number three ran straight through.
19:26It didn't miss and it didn't premature.
19:28It just didn't go off at all.
19:32A fourth torpedo was another done.
19:34And Seawolf had a heavy counterattack running out of the bay.
19:37Not to escape, but to reload.
19:39I promise the boy's a big one and that's what they're going to get.
19:42If I have to ram that maroon.
19:46A half hour later, Seawolf, reloaded, was boring in again to within 900 yards of the air.
19:52Point blank range.
19:57And this time luck changed.
19:58This time it was a hit.
19:59The Sagami Maru heaved and almost broke in two.
20:03Down scope.
20:04Let's get out of here.
20:05Let's get out of here.
20:17Why didn't you tell me you were saving that valuable film for the Thanksgiving game?
20:21What did you want to hold out for?
20:24That's some camera you got, Orv.
20:25We always thought you had just a little box camera.
20:28Yeah, you've been holding out on us.
20:30Our motto is snap us while we're young.
20:32Where did you get the camera, Orv?
20:34Let's have a look at her clothes, huh?
20:37Keep out of my locker.
20:38I wasn't going in your locker.
20:40I thought you were.
20:42Nobody here would go into somebody else's locker.
20:46Does common courtesy.
20:48What's the big production?
20:50If he doesn't want to tell you about the camera, he doesn't have to.
20:54You act as if it's a crime to have a good camera.
21:02I picked it up in Fremantle.
21:04Loche.
21:05Orville Loche.
21:06Captain would like to talk to you.
21:07Yes, sir.
21:08Yes, sir.
21:19My pal.
21:25Come in, Loche.
21:27These pictures are excellent.
21:28We fired six torpedoes.
21:29Four of them were defective.
21:31These pictures will go a long way toward helping Orton
21:33and find out what's wrong with our Mark 14 torpedo.
21:36It was a fine idea.
21:37Thanks.
21:38Thank you, sir.
21:41Is that all, sir?
21:43So for now, yes.
21:45The fine camera you were using, wasn't it?
21:47What kind is it?
21:48It certainly isn't the one you've been using.
21:50No, sir.
21:51Well, I'd like to take a look at it.
21:53Yes, sir.
21:54I'm afraid I have a confession to make.
21:57I've been broke all my life.
21:59I've been wanting a good camera for a long time.
22:02I get a big bang out of taking good pictures.
22:06You know, the day I had Liberty back in Fremantle.
22:08You didn't buy one of those cameras that was reported stolen in Fremantle.
22:11No, sir.
22:13I didn't buy any stolen cameras.
22:16Well?
22:17All right.
22:17I felt awful after I did it.
22:21You know, Tom Jessup, my best friend.
22:23And after his brother dying in a prison camp.
22:26Well, after I did it, I realized what an insult it was to Tom and Bert.
22:32Well, that's Tom's brother, Bert.
22:33Well, I mean, here we are at war with Japan.
22:38And after all the harm they've done us, here I go and buy a Japanese camera.
22:43But then there is a deal that I probably didn't hear.
22:44Well, I know.
22:45Thank you, sir.
22:45Now, I'll talk to you later.
22:46Well.
22:46I'm not like that one.
22:48I'm not like that one.
22:49But now, everyone is as bad as the way.
22:50I'm not like that one's going to be a good boy.
22:53I'm not just as bad.
22:53I know.
22:54I'm not like that one.
22:54It's just a little bit.
22:56I'm not like that one's going to be a good boy.
22:56But now, I'm going to be a good boy.
22:59And you're not going to be a good boy.
23:01I'll be back in a moment with our special guest.
23:25I'm very happy to present Rear Admiral Frederick B. Water, Director of the Undersea Warfare Division and Commander of the Seawolf on the patrols you have just witnessed.
23:40Fred, you're one of those submariners who had the impossible task of trying to stop the initial Japanese onslaught against the Southern Islands. It must have been pretty rough going.
23:50Yes, there were a lot of times when we didn't know when or where we were going to find our next can of beans.
23:56Piling up your torpedo trouble on top of that was quite a load.
23:59Well, I wouldn't want anyone to get the impression that Seawolf fought the battle of the dubious torpedoes alone.
24:06Our photographs proved very valuable proof, but a lot of submarines took risks to get hits that didn't happen.
24:13Their reports caused quite a stir, both ashore and afloat.
24:16But once the ordnance had the proof, they began sending us the finest torpedoes that could be built.
24:21Yes, from then on it was only a matter of time before Japanese sea power was completely shattered.
24:26Congratulations to you on your great contribution to that success.
24:30Thanks, Tom.
24:32Please be with us again when the silent service brings you another true and exciting submarine story.
24:40Take a dawn, there's got this line through the deep blue hives come beneath the ocean
24:51We'll control the ocean's fine.
24:54From down, down, underneath the sea, stay in fourth, we'll pass the word
25:02In the future yet to be
25:06That we're safe as all can send
25:10Our submarines are underneath the sea
25:15Going for life and take her down
25:19Some go down, down underneath the ocean
25:23Fearless men will find renown
25:27In the deep blue underneath the sea
25:31Fearless men will find renown
25:34Fearless men will find renown
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