- 7 weeks ago
A docudrama about the submarine USS Gar on a secret mission with guerillas during World War II.
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00I'm Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykes, retired,
00:28welcoming you to another true exploit of the silent service.
00:32In the Philippines, heroic Filipino guerrillas, together with remnants of our forces,
00:38had banded together into what became officially USAFIP,
00:43the United States Army Forces in the Philippines.
00:46Our story starts on North Luzon in July 1944,
00:50two and a half years after the Japanese had overrun the Philippines.
00:58Here was the headquarters of this guerrilla army, at least on this particular day.
01:05GHQ was a highly mobile affair.
01:08Each time the enemy neared it, it would fade away into the jungle
01:11to reappear elsewhere like a ghost.
01:14USAFIP had been cut off from two-way radio contact with the outside world for 17 long months,
01:21ever since their transceiver had been captured by the Japanese in March 1943.
01:26So this was a memorable day.
01:28Everything we need. Tubes, condensers, batteries...
01:32Arturo, you're a wonder! Where did you make your rate?
01:36Baguio, we sent in two of our girls with a case of sake, captured from the patrol boat, remember?
01:41We lost one man, but His Imperial Highness needs eight new radio men.
01:47How long will it take you to get it all assembled?
01:50Oh, I think I'll have it working by tomorrow.
01:53Good. Then at last we can communicate with General MacArthur in Australia.
01:56Tell him what we must have.
01:58What makes you so sure we've got any forces left in Australia?
02:02We've established contacts, sir.
02:09Good.
02:10General MacArthur's headquarters in Brisbane is standing by on this frequency for our message at 2200 tonight.
02:15Quote this.
02:17Our most urgent needs are rifles, ammunition, hand grenades.
02:22That'll bring for malaria, new under-drug for infection.
02:26Our food supply is desperately short, but it's secondary.
02:29Our forces consist at the present that is not including sick and wounded.
02:34An SWPA has ordered U.S. submarine Sea Wolf to transport supplies previously itemized.
02:44Sea Wolf will arrive at Lausanne night of 19 October.
02:48Landing areas and secondary rendezvous points are to be designated by you as soon as possible.
02:53We'll advise recognition signals.
02:56Personal inquiry from General MacArthur, sir, wishes to know what American Army officer is presently senior with your forces.
03:05Notify General MacArthur that Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Wilson is our senior surviving officer and my second in command.
03:13If the General asks about my predecessors, Maitland, O'Brien, and Gorman,
03:18tell them the enemy's captured all three of them and shot them in the past two and a half years.
03:22That's why I'm senior.
03:262,200 on October 19th.
03:30No sign of the Sea Wolf.
03:322,200 on October 20th.
03:35Nothing.
03:37Eight days overdue and still no sign of Earth.
03:50Look, Lieutenant, you're lucky to be getting one box of ammunition.
03:53If this raid we're planning doesn't get us some more pretty quick, we'll be throwing rocks at the enemy.
03:57They're sending another submarine.
03:59Headquarters assume Sea Wolf is sunk with nowhere from it for more than a month.
04:02How soon?
04:03If they stall around, it'll be too late.
04:05The message says the submarine Gar, Lieutenant Commander Ferrara commending, is loading right now.
04:10The date of arrival they hope will be November 21st.
04:13She will make her passage on surface for all possible speed.
04:16Did you say Ferrara?
04:17Yes.
04:18Why?
04:19I guarantee you this cargo will get through.
04:21And Ferrara has to shove the enemy out of the way with his bare hands.
04:24You know this guy?
04:25I went to the Naval Academy with Duke Ferrara.
04:27His real name's Maurice.
04:29Nobody ever called him that, though, at least not more than once.
04:32He made All-American on the Navy football team.
04:34He's a quiet, soft-spoken guy, but when he gets into action...
04:39Sounds like the man for us.
04:41Well, we'd better get on with it.
04:42They want us to set up new rendezvous points for the Gar.
04:44They do not want us to use the same ones we had for the Sea Wolf.
04:47Captain wants to know how much longer, Gadowski.
04:57Ah, we've still got three more fish to offload after this one.
05:00Call it an hour.
05:01Okay, step on the gas.
05:02What for?
05:03What do you mean, what for?
05:05So, what's all a big hurry?
05:07What kind of a patrol is this, anyway?
05:09Eighteen of our fish going ashore and only six left in the forward torpedo room?
05:12Yeah, nothing but rifles and ammo and junk and more supplies than a supermarket.
05:16Coming aboard instead.
05:18All right, you guys, quit sounding off.
05:20I'm not the one that hands out the missions around here.
05:22Now, let's get moving.
05:34I've been shifting the cargo around, trying to get some kind of a trim on her.
05:37When we make our first dive, we'll see just how well you did.
05:40If we never surface again, Alan, remind me to give you a bad mark on your fitness report.
05:45I'll do that, sir.
05:47I tried telling the people at MacArthur's headquarters this pig boat had never been designed to lug 30 tons of cargo.
05:54When they detached us from submarine command, handed us over to the Army, I...
05:58Well, I suppose we ought to be thankful they didn't ask us to fly this ship.
06:02I didn't want to bother you with this, Captain, while you were putting in 24 hours a day with the intelligence boys, but...
06:08You mean the crew?
06:10Yes, sir.
06:11Chief Calhoun, the captain wants you on the bridge.
06:16Well, what's the answer? I'm sure you know it, if anybody does.
06:21Well, this is the guard's 14th patrol, Captain. We're all pretty proud of her combat record on the first 13th.
06:28But when we go out with only six torpedoes aboard, we're all loaded up with supplies like a transport.
06:34Well, so you can't blame the men for thinking we've drawn some kind of a supply ferry duty rather than a shooting mission.
06:40If there's any comfort, there's likely to be plenty of shooting.
06:44Only this time the guard's probably going to be on the receiving end.
06:47We're under secret orders, Calhoun, but you can tell the men this.
06:51There's no discredit to the guard.
06:53The job we're going on is even more vital than any combat patrol.
06:57Yes, Mr. Bergner, I'll tell them.
06:59Is that all, sir?
07:00That's all.
07:01Well, on the long run north from Brisbane, the guard transited almost entirely on the surface.
07:11This was to achieve maximum speed, even in perilous waters.
07:15She dove only when Jap planes or warships were sighted and picked up on the radar as being in dangerous proximity.
07:22It doesn't look like much on the chart, but from Brisbane to Luzon is 3,500 miles.
07:28Through the same waters where the guard's sister submarine, the Sea Wolf,
07:32had been sunk with all hands on this same mission a few weeks ago.
07:36So for 13 days and nights, the guard drove northern at maximum speed
07:41in hope of carrying out her orders to reach her rendezvous on the 14th night.
07:51Clear out, you guys. I've got to stow this bread someplace.
07:54Clear out to where?
07:56There ain't room on this pig boat to stand up, let alone sit down.
07:59I'll buy you a crying towel when we get back to Brisbane.
08:03You don't think I've been sweating myself to death for four days baking bread because I wanna?
08:07Skipper says bake, I bake.
08:15Rage to .0's 8, 5,500 yards.
08:20Point bearing, zero, four, three.
08:23Point bearing.
08:25Point bearing.
08:26Point bearing.
08:31Well, it matches up all right, Alan.
08:32Yes, sir, that's the other guys, all right.
08:33The enemy garrisons less than five miles on either side
08:37and a major Japanese naval base at San Fernando.
08:40I hope those guerrillas knew what they were talking about.
08:44Point bearing.
08:45Point bearing.
08:46Oh, God.
08:55Any sign of the signal here, sir?
08:57Pretty dark inshore.
09:00Left 10 degrees rudder.
09:02Left 10 degrees rudder.
09:11There's a smoke smudge on the beach.
09:15Yeah, I can see him now.
09:16two white discs to the right of the smudge
09:22two more on the left
09:25200 meters apart as near as I can estimate
09:29sounds as though everything's the way intelligence set it up
09:33not unless all the signals are correct
09:35don't forget that Alan that may be what caught the sea wolf
09:38maybe enemy agents among the gorillas who knows
09:40that's the reason headquarters made it a whole series of signals this time
09:44I don't under the left marker just went on what's the time
09:481900 exactly sir so far so good then it's due right on the hour
09:54headquarters figured if there were spies among them they'd have less of a
09:57chance of getting a hold of all the signals
09:59any sign of the banker yet
10:01there's something coming out from shore now but I can't quite make it out the
10:06light so bad it's a bank all right
10:08are they showing the signal sir yeah they're showing a signal but it sure
10:12doesn't look right to me here take a look Alan
10:16supposed to be a Chinese flag displayed for five minutes after the hour isn't it
10:24that's right
10:24that sure doesn't look like any Chinese flag I ever heard of sir
10:28the lower part of it it's all sort of sort of curved kind of
10:32that's the way it looked to me I thought I was seeing things
10:35are you gonna surface it
10:38that bank is heading straight for us I don't know
10:44that flag sure looks cockeyed
10:47the rest of the signals are all right we could be putting ourselves right into a
10:52trap
10:52we'll broach the ship they'll give the men on the bank a quick gander at us without
11:02us staying on the surface long enough to be sitting ducks
11:04now let's go
11:07run on that ship all ahead standard
11:10hold her at 60 feet
11:27bank has spotted us all right
11:32he's got four men aboard one of us wearing what looks like a navy cap
11:35he's got a gamble Alan
11:42surface
11:43surface
11:44there are
11:49I have a
11:51for
11:55is
11:56I
12:01I
12:03I
12:05I
12:07I
12:09Welcome aboard.
12:16You the captain?
12:17No, sir.
12:17I'm Berkner, the exec.
12:18The captain's waiting for you on the bridge.
12:22Hello, Duke.
12:24Hello.
12:25Don't you remember me?
12:27No, I...
12:27Kent!
12:28Eddie Kent!
12:29Of course, Eddie.
12:31It's just that I hardly expected to meet old friends here.
12:34Well, I guess maybe I look a little different, too.
12:36Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Wilson, Captain Ferrara.
12:39Captain, is Deragaios clear?
12:41Are you all set to unload?
12:42Deragaios is compromised.
12:44Large Japanese forces with artillery moved in last week.
12:47I guess maybe they were tipped off by our activity in this area.
12:50We don't know.
12:51What about San Esteban?
12:53Last we heard, still open.
12:54Oh, we'll get moving Prano from San Esteban.
12:58All ahead, two-thirds.
12:59Bring a left smartly to course 305.
13:09I said the last we heard.
13:11Now, that was four days ago.
13:12Well, let's hold a good thought.
13:14We'll know mighty soon.
13:16Well, I'm not taking the gun on the surface
13:17past that Japanese shooting gallery at San Fernando.
13:20Let's get below.
13:21Clear the bridge!
13:22Dive!
13:29Dive!
13:30I don't mind telling you, we almost didn't stick our necks out for you guys.
13:40I was awful liria of that cockeyed flag of yours.
13:43I don't blame you.
13:44What happened, Duke, was that General MacArthur's intelligence section
13:47said to use a Chinese flag as one of our recognition signals.
13:51I suppose they figured it'd be no trouble for us to buy one at the nearest store.
13:55You ever try to remember what a Chinese flag should look like?
13:58No.
13:59Well, when we finally sweated that one out,
14:01the only red cloth we could locate for the field
14:03was a skirt we borrowed from one of our girls.
14:06That's how come our flag had such a funny-looking lower edge.
14:08What do you mean, girls?
14:10The gorillas have their wives with them?
14:12Wives, nothing.
14:13There are plenty of Filipino girl gorillas.
14:15They take the same chances as the rest of us.
14:20What's the matter, Eddie?
14:22You used to be the biggest chow hound at the academy.
14:26I guess I'm just out of practice.
14:29Just that this is the first time in a year and a half
14:31I've seen a plate and a tablecloth and all the rest of the fixings.
14:35Kind of threw me for a loop.
14:38Well, if you gentlemen will excuse me,
14:41I've got to get back to the conning tower.
14:43Just a second, Duke.
14:47I've been carrying this ever since we knew you were on your way.
14:50To my wife and kids back in San Francisco.
14:53I'd appreciate it if you'd nail it when you get back to Australia.
14:56Sure, Eddie.
14:57Anything else I can do for you?
14:58How about you, Colonel?
14:59Anything I can do for you?
15:01As far as my family knows,
15:02I've been dead for three years.
15:05Leave us that way.
15:06Are we off San Esteban, Duke?
15:19Just about.
15:20I'm going to surface in a minute.
15:22Well, I'd like to suggest you put a party ashore
15:24in a rubber boat to scout the area.
15:26For all we know, the Japanese could be there in force.
15:30Down scope.
15:31Say, that Colonel Wilson,
15:38he's kind of an oddball, isn't he?
15:42Well, Duke,
15:43all three of the guys who held his job
15:44before him were caught and shot.
15:46And according to the dope we got,
15:48after the interrogation they put them through,
15:50the firing squad probably looked good to them.
15:53As far as Wilson is concerned,
15:54he's living on borrowed time.
15:55The guy just doesn't see any point
15:58to raising his family's hopes
15:59and then making them go through it all over again.
16:04Yeah.
16:06Surface!
16:12All clear on those signals?
16:15All clear.
16:17Come on.
16:19Come on.
16:49One-third.
16:50All ahead, one-third.
16:51Gun crews on deck.
16:53Gun crews on deck.
16:55Open all deck hatches.
16:57Open all hatches.
16:59Very well.
17:06Sinus, the van's wide open.
17:07Although there were Japanese patrol boats
17:08around earlier tonight.
17:10Colonel Mendoza, Captain Ferrara.
17:12We've got our hatches open.
17:13The cargo's set for unloading.
17:14How soon can you start?
17:16The boats will be here in a minute, Captain.
17:17We have as many men ready to help
17:19as you have room aboard your ship.
17:20Glad to hear it.
17:21You understand, with our hatches open,
17:23we're just asking for it.
17:24We can't dive in that condition.
17:26I understand,
17:27and I appreciate the risk you're running, Captain.
17:33Leave it alone.
17:34You can't handle this one, Peanut.
17:36It's too heavy.
17:37Come on.
17:38Don't put any more stuff in that fourth boat,
17:57or you'll swamp it.
17:59Bring your next boat alongside.
18:01All right.
18:17That tastes so good, like cake.
18:20You're a girl.
18:22It's a dame.
18:23You think it'd make difference who pulled trigger?
18:26Japanese just as dead, huh?
18:27Well, I guess you're right.
18:30You like my bread, huh?
18:32It's just a taste in three years.
18:39Did you get them posted?
18:40Yes, a minute bow and stern with hand grenades.
18:42Taking no chances on enemy frogmen sneaking up on us.
18:45Why is your radar operating only to seaward, Captain?
18:47So that any Japanese shore radar installation can't pick it up.
18:51Your people understand that two blasts on the whistle
18:53will be the alarm, Colonel.
18:54Your men will have to jump for their boats or swim for it.
18:58We'll be hightailing away and diving as fast as we close those hatches.
19:02Put two engines on charge, Alan.
19:03Aye, aye, sir.
19:04Isn't it always going to be a dead giveaway, Duke?
19:06I haven't got any choice.
19:07Our batteries are running way down.
19:14Wait a second.
19:18Yeah.
19:29You're going to need me for a couple of minutes?
19:31I guess not.
19:31Why?
19:32Just got an idea.
19:37Where do you stash this stuff after you get it ashore?
19:39We'll carry it 40 miles into the hills.
19:42Safe.
19:42Where a Japanese never find it.
19:4440 miles, huh?
19:45Hmm.
19:49Here.
19:55You'll do better with these on that hike.
19:57Here's some smokes for you, too.
19:59Sammy.
19:59Sammy.
19:59Sammy.
20:00Hold on.
20:03Hold on.
20:04Sammy.
20:05You know, you know that.
20:08The unloading is almost completed, sir.
20:09The last boat will be leaving in a minute.
20:11Good.
20:11We'll get underway at once.
20:13I'm sorry, sir, but Colonel Mendoza says he and his officers must see you for a minute on the foredeck.
20:17I argued with him, but he says they won't leave until you do.
20:21Get all hatches closed.
20:22Prepare to dive.
20:22I'll be back in a minute.
20:23Aye, aye, sir.
20:24So long, Eddie.
20:26Goodbye, Colonel.
20:27Now get on the banker, please.
20:28Good luck.
20:34Well, what's the trouble, Colonel?
20:35We could not leave without thanking you and every man aboard their car for what you have done for the Philippines.
20:42When our nation has regained its freedom, we shall not forget you.
20:57Forward hatch secure!
20:59All ahead, one-third.
21:05Very well.
21:08Communications.
21:09Send the following message to General MacArthur's headquarters.
21:13Mission accomplished.
21:18Come on.
21:20Come on.
21:22Come on.
21:23Come on.
21:23Come on.
21:24Come on.
21:25Come on.
21:26Come on.
21:27Come on.
21:28What's the idea?
21:43Is this some kind of a joke?
21:45Well, sir, none of those guys had shoes or sweaters or practically anything.
21:50So we sort of, well, we gave them a few things we could get along without.
21:54Well, that's a fine-looking outfit, I must say.
21:58Yes, sir.
22:05The, uh, steward's busy for a moment, sir.
22:07What would you like for breakfast?
22:08Oh, it's been a long night.
22:09I think I'll have, uh, fruit juice and a nice big platter of bacon and eggs and, uh, toast, coffee.
22:21Lots of coffee.
22:22Yes, sir.
22:23Uh, uh, maybe, uh, maybe you could change that order a little.
22:26Uh, there isn't any fruit juice, we're out of bacon, there's no eggs and there isn't any bread for toast.
22:31We got coffee, though.
22:33What do you mean?
22:34Uh, well, sir, uh, when we saw what a loaf of bread meant to that bunch, I, uh, I sort of turned over most of the Gar's stores to them.
22:43We all figured they could use them.
22:45Well, then, just bring me whatever you didn't hand out.
22:48I can say we're gonna be on short rations going back to the base for three weeks.
22:52Yes, sir.
22:56Good morning, sir.
22:59Message from General MacArthur.
23:01Well done, Gar. Personal congratulations to all hands.
23:05Post it on the bulletin board, Alan.
23:07Yes, sir.
23:11Yes.
23:12The crew asked me to give you a message from each one of them, sir.
23:14Everybody aboard respectfully requests in the future the Gar go on more missions like this one.
23:20Well, you tell them I feel the same way.
23:23I'll see what I can do about it.
23:25Yes, sir.
23:29It is an old adage that to help a friend is one of life's greatest rewards.
23:33No man who was in the Gar will ever dispute it.
23:38I'll be back in a moment with our special guest.
23:41And now I'm very happy to introduce to you Captain Duke Ferreira, who was commanding officer of the Gar during the events you have just seen.
23:54Duke, you saw a different and interesting phase of the war on this patrol.
23:58We certainly did, Admiral.
24:00All of us on the Gar were extremely impressed with the tremendous spirit of those great Philippine people.
24:06And the brave Americans who stayed with them to continue the fight.
24:09Did the Gar carry out any more patrols of this nature?
24:13Yes. Our very next patrol was to the same locality.
24:16We landed 16 Army Rangers and Philippine Scouts and helped prepare for our invasion of Luzon.
24:22Were the guerrillas just as glad to see you?
24:25I'm sure they were.
24:26We brought them 35 tons of arms and supplies and they had ready for us three large bundles of intelligence information.
24:34Did it turn out to be of value?
24:36I believe so.
24:38You may recall that the invasion of Luzon and the Lingayan Gulf area several weeks later was made with little or no losses.
24:44The men and material we brought in and the intelligence we took out may have contributed somewhat to the extraordinary success of those operations.
24:52I hear that they did. Congratulations on a job well done.
24:59We hope you will be aboard again when we bring you another true adventure of the silent service.
25:04Take her down as often fly
25:10Through the deep blue underneath the ocean
25:14We'll control the ocean's wide
25:19From down, down, underneath the sea
25:23Then the force will pass the word
25:27In the future gentle being
25:30That will save
25:33As long as there's
25:35A submariner underneath the sea
25:40To wake for night
25:42And take her down
25:44Down, down, down, down
25:46Underneath the ocean
25:48Fearless men
25:50Will find me now
25:52In the deep blue underneath the sea
25:55The sea
25:58Yeah
26:01The sea
26:04Hour
26:06The sea
26:08dance
Recommended
26:04
37:58
26:04
26:06
26:02
26:03
25:53
26:05
26:00
25:39
26:06
26:08
26:02
26:05
26:03
26:06
25:42
26:00
26:02
26:04
1:42:44
25:48
Be the first to comment