- 5 months ago
Tang (SS-306) The Japanese could "never lay a glove" on the USS Tang. She was sunk by her own torpedo. After sinking one entire convoy and inflicting tremendous damage on another, the USS Tang moved into position to fire her last torpedo before heading home from her fifth war patrol. The torpedo began an erratic course and ended by completing a circle and striking the USS Tang. Escape was impossible. She sank, leaving nine survivors and a record of 24 enemy ships sunk. It was the second highest number sent to the bottom by any American submarine during World War II. The Tang's skipper, Richard H. O'Kane, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00I'm Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykes, retired.
00:28This chapter of the silent service belongs to the United States submarine Tang.
00:33In service for only nine months, her record remains second only to the very best,
00:39and her fifth war patrol, on which we ask you to come along,
00:43remains unmatched in submarine force annals, right up to its unprecedented climax.
00:49In four previous patrols, Tang had disposed of a phenomenal 72,000 tons of enemy shipping.
01:04Serving as extra eyes for the night tactics of the Tang
01:07was Bosons Bay W. R. Leibold of North Hollywood, California.
01:11In command, Commander Richard H. O. Kane, hailing from Durham, New Hampshire,
01:15who had learned from his former skipper the simple, stern motto, attack.
01:21Find the enemy. Destroy him.
01:32That truck O. Kane had calmly waited until the last possible moment
01:35in order to get off a mortal shot at a tanker before diving to avoid a destroyer.
01:40From the land of lakes to the sea of shakes.
01:50For radio man first-class Floyd M. Cavalli,
01:53his hometown of Hill City, Minnesota, is a place in a far-off different existence.
02:01This is what I call aggressive spirit, sir.
02:03Letting that destroyer almost run us over just so he can get in his shot.
02:07Brilliant and heroic achievements of this vessel,
02:12read the Tang's First Presidential Unit citation,
02:15reflect the highest credit upon the courage, seamanship, and determination of our officers and men.
02:21Hey, Kimball, what do you got there?
02:23A special formula mix for me at the health food store.
02:26Rich in vitamins, minerals, glucose. Quick source of energy.
02:30See on the level? I saw him buy it.
02:32Boy, what a riot. You two must have been shopping for health food.
02:35I'm a married man, Fry.
02:37Yeah, but strong man ain't.
02:44You know, just once in a while, try and say the right thing.
02:48Okay, I'm sorry. I forgot.
02:50Ah, you forgot.
02:52You men with your nerve and your skill have won this ship a presidential unit citation,
02:58for which I can't thank you enough or praise you further.
03:01We'll let it go at that.
03:04What I want to say is that Com Sub Pack thinks highly enough of you men and the Tang
03:08who have given us the toughest assignment in the book.
03:11I can't tell you what it is or where we're going.
03:13But there'll be plenty of targets and lots of excitement.
03:17My former skipper, Captain Mush Morton of the Wahoo,
03:20for his fourth patrol, asked for and got the Japan Sea.
03:24I don't have to tell you if it was rough enough for Mush Morton, it was rough.
03:28And I don't think our assignment's going to be any smoother.
03:30But I don't see any of you looking like he wants to be transferred.
03:33That's right.
03:35So good luck.
03:38Make preparations to get underway, Tang.
03:53On the night of October 11th, Tang arrived on station in the Formosa Straits
03:58who was swarming with enemy shipping.
04:00The poor morning, Tang served notice on the enemy of her presence.
04:08The two ships went to the bottom.
04:10Some of the most eventful days in submarine annals had begun.
04:21Isn't there some limit to how healthy a guy can get, Herc?
04:25Try some. It'll brace you.
04:27Oh, thanks a lot.
04:28Not for me. Can't stand the smell of it.
04:33I was just thinking, the girls must miss you at Muscle Beach.
04:44Why can't I keep my big mouth shut?
04:47Where are you going with that?
04:48I store them for them in the spare parts locker in the radio shack.
04:51Oh, lots of luck.
04:54Go read a comic book.
04:56All right, I won't.
05:04It's no good.
05:06We've lined up that Katori cruiser five times and each time he zigs away.
05:10It's no use now. We've lost him.
05:12That task force finally slipped us.
05:14Secure from battle stations.
05:17Let's go.
05:19Let's go.
05:43I'd like to have notched that cruiser.
05:52Mush would have liked that.
05:55Commander Morton, my old skipper on the Wahoo.
05:57He was tooling the Wahoo right around inside of Wewak Harbor.
06:01We were sinking tonnage, I can tell you.
06:04This destroyer spots our periscope.
06:06I yell, down periscope.
06:07He yells, leave it up.
06:09Let him see us and come after us and we'll let him have it right down the throat.
06:13We'll blast that tin can and the kingdom come.
06:15I kept the Wahoo right on that can's bow.
06:18Angle on the bow, zero.
06:21He's coming straight at us.
06:23A bone in his teeth.
06:25We had two torpedoes left forward.
06:27If we'd miss with both of them, we'd all be dead.
06:301400 yards.
06:31I can see the men on that DD manning their guns.
06:34And I'm sweating.
06:361200 yards.
06:37The old man yells, fire.
06:4010 seconds.
06:41Fire.
06:41The second one is off.
06:44I watched the first one just miss.
06:46It all hung on the second torpedo now.
06:49I don't think I breathed.
06:52And then, wham!
06:54That destroyer blew up so close we all got shook.
06:57I've heard the story.
06:59The way I heard it, someone asked Commander Morton
07:01how he could look down the throat of that charging tin can and keep cool.
07:05He answered that he let O'Kane man the periscope.
07:11Because O'Kane was the nerviest man in the service.
07:14Oh?
07:16A lot of legend gets mixed in with the facts, I guess.
07:20Anyway, that was Mush Morton.
07:22Now he's gone.
07:24So is that cruiser.
07:25I don't know what to do, but there'll be other chances.
07:29Lots of them.
07:42Oh, why should I be worried?
07:43The old man wants to sink us a nice cruiser.
07:46I'm in favor.
07:48The enemy hasn't laid a glove on us yet, have they?
07:50No.
07:51They won't.
07:53The old man's crazy like that fox.
07:57Come to think of it, I haven't seen you take your vitamins lately.
08:03Remember the girl I told you I used to go with?
08:06Ginny.
08:07Yeah.
08:08She used to think I was a nice little guy.
08:11Skinny, but nice.
08:14She married a big hunk of a guy.
08:17Lately, I've been getting letters from her.
08:21Her husband's left her.
08:24She thinks of me.
08:26I can read between the lines.
08:29You, uh, you think she wants you back?
08:33She's thinking of me the way I used to be.
08:36The skinny guy I used to be is good enough for her.
08:39I can tell, Cav.
08:43The years and the dough I put into building up the body.
08:47It's a headache.
08:47Who cares?
08:50Ginny, don't.
08:53It's a nuisance.
08:56I'll dance at your wedding.
08:59I'm sick and tired of this Hercules deal.
09:01You can pass out the vitamins to the boys while I relax.
09:04It's going to be different now.
09:05Captain, radar reports land contact bearing 2-0-0, 14,000 yards.
09:19There should be no land at 2-0-0.
09:22Check that observation radar.
09:23That isn't land, sir.
09:26I've got it.
09:27Captain, that's a solid wall of shipping we've got down here.
09:31Fine.
09:32Battle stations torpedo.
09:33We haven't been sight now.
09:38We have three large freighters and a couple of heavy tankers.
09:59We'll go in now and try to pick two of them off in one setup.
10:06Tang, legatee and avenger of the Wahoo.
10:09Slithering to within 1,500 yards of the farthest target.
10:13800 yards of the nearest target.
10:15Stand by for constant bearing.
10:18Mark the bearing.
10:20Set.
10:21Solution satisfactory.
10:22Mark, mark, mark.
10:24Set.
10:25Fire one.
10:26Fire two.
10:33Ship the targets.
10:35Mark the bearing.
10:37Set.
10:38Mark the bearing.
10:39Set.
10:40Fire three.
10:47Number one hit.
10:49Fire four.
10:52Three, four, five.
10:56Six, seven.
11:02There goes number three, sky high.
11:04It's a terrific sight up here.
11:06Captain, that ship's coming in to ram us.
11:11Left full rudder.
11:12All ahead, flank.
11:14Left full rudder.
11:15Aye, aye, sir.
11:16Collision imminent.
11:17Maybe.
11:18Maybe.
11:19Maybe.
11:19Maybe.
11:20Maybe.
11:21She missed us.
11:21Make ready after tubes.
11:22Make ready the after tubes.
11:23Make ready the after tubes.
11:24Captain, TDC wants a setup.
11:25Just set the gyros on zero and shoot.
11:26You can't miss.
11:27Outer door is open.
11:27All tubes ready for firing.
11:28That ship that tried to ram us.
11:29Yeah, she's going to ram a transport.
11:33She did it.
11:57She rammed a munition ship.
12:01I have another contact.
12:03Looks like an escort.
12:04Bearing one, three, five.
12:06Range, thirteen hundred yards.
12:08Range is closing.
12:12It's a destroyer.
12:14All ahead, flank.
12:16I have another contact.
12:18Bearing three, five, five.
12:20They've got us boxed in.
12:23Left five degrees, rudder.
12:25Left five degrees, rudder.
12:26Aye, aye, sir.
12:27Let's see if we can bluff that escort out of the way.
12:30Let's hope we can lose that DD.
12:35We may be in luck.
12:36Right.
12:38That escort's turning away.
12:39She's had enough.
12:45And we're losing that DD.
12:46Probably hasn't got all her boilers lit off.
12:50The escorts are firing at each other.
12:55They're really rivaled.
13:00In ten short minutes,
13:02Tang had sent torpedoes into every ship in the convoy
13:05and had set its escorts firing wildly at each other.
13:11A crushing blow with a grand climax.
13:14But 24 hours from now would come a greater climax.
13:17After the grueling battle,
13:24the Tang pulled clear of the area
13:26and ran submerged to rest her crew.
13:29Then the round of ship routine started again.
13:32This is the executive officer.
13:34We've had a busy night,
13:35and the ship is a mess.
13:36All hands turn to and clean her up.
13:39I want this ship smart and spotless.
13:41The captain will inspect before we surface tonight.
13:47That's what's been smelling of the joint.
13:49I've been looking all over for burning insulation.
13:51I forgot all about it.
13:53It's gone rotten.
13:54Well, get it out of here.
13:55Okay, I've got to think of something.
13:58Okay, all right.
14:03Dump it out.
14:04Oh, sure.
14:06I just opened the window.
14:08At 150 feet under the surface.
14:11Well, that's Kimball's, baby.
14:12It's in my locker.
14:16Kimball's got enough lumps as it is.
14:18Well, I've got to get rid of that smell before inspection.
14:23Hey,
14:24how about some of that fancy shaving lotion you use?
14:26All I've got left is a little.
14:28Well, that's all I need.
14:32Oh, we might have a little chat while there's a breather.
14:37Smoke?
14:38Oh, thank you, sir.
14:43Thanks.
14:45It's about your attitude on board ship.
14:48I like it.
14:49I'm very happy to be attached to this ship, sir.
14:52I just want to say something that you may want to bear in mind
14:54for when you have a command of your own.
14:56I just want you to remember that
14:57every skipper has his own method by which he gets his results.
15:02Don't be influenced by my tactics on board this ship
15:04or anyone else's tactics for that matter.
15:07What works well for me might not work so well for you.
15:11We take risks, but they're calculated.
15:13It isn't the three musketeers.
15:15It's two other things.
15:17Destroy the enemy where you find them
15:19and remember your responsibility to your crew and your ship.
15:22Now, you strike a balance between those two responsibilities
15:25and you're off to a good start.
15:27Your own personal reactions and skills will tell you the rest.
15:30You keep that book open to the place that says
15:32every skipper must do his utmost to destroy the enemy.
15:35Don't forget that.
15:37I'll remember, sir.
15:38Okay.
15:57That's better.
15:58It smells like a shave in a glue factory.
16:03Just cleaning up a bit, sir.
16:07Shaving lotion, sir.
16:09I just shaved.
16:09I thought I'd need a little fresh up.
16:17You know how it is, sir.
16:19Kaverly.
16:20I just thought I'd get rid of the dungarees before inspection, sir.
16:23I'm not going to bear down on anybody for dirty clothes
16:25just so long as the general litter's cleaned up.
16:28You've done a good job, Kaverly.
16:29Why don't you leave these here and turn in?
16:31Kaverly, to the counting tower.
16:32Let's go.
16:45Hey, Kaverly.
16:47You're playing me like a shot back there.
16:49What's the matter?
16:49Are you mad at me or something?
16:50No, I'm not mad at anybody.
16:55I forgot all about it in the spare parts locker.
16:58Well, I guess it's just gone sour.
17:00That's the story of my life.
17:03So it's gone sour.
17:05It's an omen.
17:06It's a bad sign, Kaver.
17:08Oh, wouldn't you just take it that way now?
17:11Just when I was beginning to feel pretty good about Ginny
17:13and going home.
17:15An omen.
17:17You know, I'll say it's an omen.
17:18You know what I'm going to do with these jars?
17:20I'm going to throw them out.
17:21And all your worry along with it.
17:24Look, it's the past.
17:25Well, now all you have to do is look forward to the future.
17:28You're right, Kaver.
17:29Always the gloomy side.
17:31It's not right.
17:32Let me throw it out.
17:34Battle stations.
17:35Torpedo.
17:36Here.
17:37Oh, don't forget.
17:38The next gong you hear will be wedding bells.
17:39Tang had contacted a heavily escorted convoy of troops, supplies, and airplane parts, steaming
18:03to the desperate lady campaign.
18:06After dark, she chased them on the surface.
18:08Once again, Tang bored in upon overwhelming superiority, using her surface speed to gain surprise.
18:33Closing her nearest target to within 900 yards, Tang opened fire.
18:44Fire!
18:45Fire!
18:53Convoy became bonfires on the sea.
18:55Tang, brilliantly visible in that torchlight, was boxed in by the furious enemy escorts.
19:00Destroyer, coming around that burning transport stern.
19:07She's gone.
19:09Caught one of our torpedoes by mistake.
19:11It all adds up.
19:13All ahead, flank.
19:13They'll go right out to the room and then out to reload.
19:2310,000 yards from the holocaust, Tang checked her last two torpedoes for the routine dispatch
19:29of a crippled cargo ship.
19:30Stand by the forward tubes.
19:45Stand by the forward tubes.
19:51Fire one!
19:52Number 23 away.
19:58One more and it's course 0-9-0 for us.
20:05That's it, boys.
20:06Our last fish.
20:07Let's go home.
20:08Let's head for the barn.
20:10That last fish is running a riding.
20:12It's a circular run.
20:20All ahead, flank.
20:22Maneuvering.
20:23Pour it on.
20:24Everything you've got.
20:31It's no use.
20:32It's going to hit us.
20:41We're hit.
20:42It's the ship responding to rudder.
20:43Rudder's locked four rights, sir.
20:45Ship to hand steering.
20:49Radar, what is the bearing and range of the nearest destroyer?
20:52If they catch us this way, we're gone.
20:54Radar, I'm asking you for information.
20:57Repeating, sir.
20:58Radar's out of commission.
21:01Last bearing, 3-1-0.
21:04Range, 3,000 yards.
21:09Request permission to come up in the bridge, sir.
21:11Get up!
21:12Get up!
21:14Get up!
21:45You all right?
22:06I'll check the others.
22:15Oh, I checked you before.
22:31Are you still all right?
22:33Yes, sir.
22:34How many left, sir?
22:36It's bad.
22:37Timbo said the enemy had never laid a glove on us, sir.
22:45Well, they didn't.
22:46They can't ever take that away from us, sir.
22:49Never.
22:52In the morning, four survivors from the bridge, five who managed to escape from below, were
22:56picked up by the Japanese.
22:59Nine men out of 89 survived from Tang.
23:02The submarine, the enemy, couldn't lay a glove on.
23:07In April 1946, President Harry Truman presented to Commander Richard H. O'Kane the Congressional
23:13Medal of Honor.
23:14Commander O'Kane's honor was the honor of the Tang and all her men.
23:21They are not forgotten.
23:23They live and are remembered in their deeds.
23:25I'll be back in a moment with our special guest.
23:39Now may I introduce to you Chief Warrant Officer Floyd M. Cavalli, who is a radio man first
23:45class aboard the Tang.
23:46Mr. Cavalli, it's good to have you with us.
23:49Thank you, Admiral.
23:50I'm very happy to be here.
23:51What went through your mind at the moment the Tang's own torpedo hit her?
23:55What anyone seemed to think of was what could be done to save the ship.
23:59No panic?
24:00No panic at all.
24:02I guess it was lots of training making itself felt.
24:05Specifically, what are the figures for the Tang's five patrols?
24:09Officially, we're credited with over 93,000 tons of enemy shipping, closer to 94.
24:14Which, if my relative figures serve me, makes the Tang fourth in tonnage sunk, and second
24:20in number of ships sunk.
24:22We accounted for 24.
24:24The Tartag holds top position with 26.
24:27And remember, Tartag was in the war start to finish.
24:31I might add that Tang is one of only three U.S. warships to have received two presidential
24:37unit citations during the war.
24:38And if I know Captain Richard O'Kane, he wears his Medal of Honor in the name of everyone
24:44who was in the Tang.
24:45He was a great skipper of a great ship.
24:48Thanks, Mr. Cavalli, for being with us.
24:51I hope you will join us again for another authentic story of the silent service.
24:56Thank you, Mr. Cavalli, for being with us.
25:07We'll control the ocean's wide from down, down, underneath the sea.
25:16They can force, but that's the word in the future's yet to be.
25:25That we'll say, as long as there's, a submarine that runs beneath the sea.
25:33So wait for time, let's take the time.
25:38Dump, go down, dump, underneath the ocean.
25:42There's men who'll find me now, in the deep blue, underneath the sea.
25:49Then the sea.
25:50Thank you, Mr. Cavalli, for being with us.
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