- 4 months ago
Tautog (SS-199) Waiting in vain for a report from USS Tautog, a hospitalized submariner has double reason to worry. The sub is his ship and this is the first patrol that he has missed. Also his younger brother is a crewman on her. During the long wait, he recalls for a fellow-patient the brilliant record of the USS Tautog and her gallant skipper, W. B. "Barney" Sieglaff, who commanded her on six fighting patrols. The USS Tautog, one of five submarines berthed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, repaid the enemy's treachery by sinking 26 Japanese ships, more than any submarine in the United States Navy.
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Short filmTranscript
00:00A-ha-ha! A-ha-ha! A-ha-ha!
00:11They come down and hop in line
00:15Through the deep blue underneath the ocean
00:19We'll control the ocean's wind
00:24From down, down underneath the sea
00:30I'm Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykes, retired
00:33The destruction of enemy vessels was, of course, the main goal of submariners during World War II
00:40And perhaps because of the closeness in which these men lived
00:44Competition was a completely natural result
00:47The fierce loyalty and unswerving devotion of a man to his boat being readily recognized, understood
00:54This story is about just such a loyalty
00:57The boat is the USS Tartag
01:00Which sank more enemy vessels than any other fighting unit of the Silent Service
01:10Because of the Tartag's long and brilliant record of service
01:13We've chosen a special way of telling her story
01:16A story which begins at a naval hospital at Pearl Harbor not many days before the war's end
01:22So good luck, Hanson
01:25Just one thing, Doc
01:27Is it true about the Tartag being missing?
01:29No, it's Scuttlebutt, that's all it is
01:31There's nothing unusual not to hear from a sub on patrol
01:34But he...
01:36Well, he's got it in his mind that they're lost for sure
01:39So try, Hanson
01:41Try real hard
01:43Hey, boy
01:56You ain't about to get them tubes loaded just sitting and staring like that
01:59Come on, get with it
02:00You're with it
02:08Ernie
02:10It is you
02:12Nobody else
02:14Boy, if that don't frost it, a guy gets himself a little cut and look at him
02:19What are you trying to do? You trying to make a permanent liberty out of this? A gold brick at your age?
02:23Come on, Frank
02:25You've heard about it
02:26What? What are you talking about?
02:28You know, Ernie
02:31Oh, the Tartag
02:32Oh, come on, Frank
02:33They'll make it
02:36Will they?
02:37Oh, boy
02:39They make one little patrol without you so you're convinced somebody tagged them, what is that?
02:44The doctor sent you in, didn't he, Ernie?
02:47No good trying to snow you, yeah, he sent me
02:50Because a guy can make himself real sick, brooding like this
02:53Oh, come on, Ernie
02:56You want me to level even more?
02:58I'm supposed to get you to talk
03:00About the sub, about anything, just so you open up
03:04You wouldn't understand?
03:07You wouldn't know what it's like?
03:09Tell me what it's like
03:11No, I mean it, Frank
03:12Look, I got no complaint because I didn't make out back at sub school
03:15I like destroyer duty
03:17But, well, it's like you study piano and you wind up playing trombone
03:22You never stop wondering what the piano would have been like
03:26Well, it's the same with me and subs
03:28I always wanted to ask the sub guys, but
03:31Well, you know, it's liable to come out foolish
03:34Well, you, I can ask, Frank
03:37All you ought to know of being on the Tartag right from the beginning
03:40From the beginning
03:43From before the beginning
03:46More but five subs at Pearl on December 7, 41
03:50The Tartag was one of them
03:55We just finished a full-time training patrol off Midway
03:59And we were back at Pearl for refit
04:01It was like any other Sunday
04:04Only a few of the guys aboard
04:06Reading, writing, getting ready for church
04:07Thinking about breakfast
04:09You know, that kind of day
04:11Well, I could stop waiting for you, Frank
04:14Sorry, Paz
04:16But I had to finish that letter to my kid brother
04:18He still want to quit school?
04:20Big stoop, join the Navy, join the Navy
04:23That's all he could write about
04:25He could do worse
04:27A lot worse, but let the kid finish school first
04:29I can't get that through his head
04:31Oh, well, I got to see Lieutenant Sigler for a minute
04:35What for?
04:36Tell him that the gyro-spindle on number four tube is working smoother
04:40Oh, it'll only take a minute, come on
04:51That sounds like a flight returning to Hickam Field
04:54Well, Barney
04:58It sure sounds like a lot of them
05:00Yes, Colonel?
05:01I just wanted to tell you the gyro-spindle on number four is fine now, sir
05:05Sunday morning practice?
05:09That's something new
05:11What now?
05:14Forgot my letter
05:17I-I won't be a minute
05:18I-I won't be a minute
05:44I-I won't be a minute
05:45I-I won't be a minute
05:47I-I won't be a minute
05:49I-I won't be a minute
05:51I-I won't be a minute
05:53I-I won't be a minute
05:54Japanese attack
05:55Get a gun crew on that three-incher, quick
05:56The three-incher, quick
06:05The three-incher now
06:14Gun crew to the forward guard
06:15A full-scale enemy attack early on a Sunday morning during peacetime
06:29It was the sneak punch of all time
06:32Pearl Harbor was a sitting duck
06:34Never had a chance
06:45The three-incher's frozen body won't elevate too long under water on that training base
07:03Patrol
07:16Throw rocks at them if you have to
07:18The men were worse off than fish in a barrel
07:21At least fish could dive
07:23You couldn't call it anything but murder
07:25And still the men were great
07:27They fought with anything they could find
07:30Did incredible things
07:31The odds didn't mean a thing
07:34At least Pasquale Mignon
07:36Torpedo man first class didn't believe them
07:38He manned a machine gun
07:40And single-handedly brought down a Japanese torpedo plane
07:48Hopeless as it was, they never stopped fighting
07:51Not for a second
07:53But they might just as well have been armed with pebbles
07:56Three hours of it
07:58Before the last of the attackers disappeared into the distance
08:02And what they left behind was something out of a nightmare
08:05Nineteen warships had been sunk, gutted or mangled
08:09Over three thousand Navy and Marine Corps officers and men had been killed
08:14There'll be a lot of paying back to do
08:20There'll be a lot of paying back to do
08:22Well, subs will do their share
08:24Count on it
08:28Submarines were to do more than their share
08:30And in vessels sunk, the Tartag was to do the largest share of all
08:34In March of 42, she departed Pearl on war patrol
08:40Under the command of Lieutenant Commander J.H. Willingham
08:44She quickly began piling up her incredible score
08:46Off Japanese-held Wake Island, stronghold of enemy strength
08:58RO-30, submarine sunk
09:00Off truck, strongest enemy fleet base of the South Pacific
09:10I-28, submarine sunk
09:12Near Palau, she seriously hampered the all-important enemy shipping to Guadalcanal
09:20In the South China Sea, she did her share of sinking supplies
09:24Meant for the already overrun Dutch East Indies
09:26And even more of Sane, off the coast of enemy-held Indochina
09:32The Tartag was indeed paying back
09:35In fact, she was only beginning
09:38By Christmas time, she stalked still another important hunting ground
09:42The shipping lanes of Ombai Strait north of Timor Island
09:46Her captain by now is Lieutenant Commander Barney Sigliff
09:49A man with good reason to worry
09:52Any luck with the radar?
09:53Not yet, Captain
09:54They're still working on it
09:56Fine, time for it to follow up
09:58Plenty of shipping going through here
10:00If we run into any of it without the SJ
10:01We're gonna have to chase it by eyesight
10:03Well, that was the point
10:13You can see you're not much for checkers
10:15Ah, that kid wouldn't listen to me
10:17No, not him
10:19Oh, Frank, how much longer are you gonna do this bit?
10:21Well, how would you feel?
10:23I'd have sense enough to do this
10:24No, wait a minute
10:25Because face it
10:26Your kid brother did quit school
10:27He did join the Navy
10:29And that's that
10:30Second section, relieve the watch
10:33I'll take red this time because it's almost Christmas
10:36Oh, Dad
10:49Deceptive out there with those coastal mountains in the background
10:52Contact off the starboard beam, Captain
10:57Can you make it out, Ed?
10:58Not sure, those mountains
11:00Sound?
11:01Sound?
11:02Are you getting anything on Baring 042?
11:04Nothing, Captain
11:06Relay that
11:07Getting it now
11:08Screw noises, Baring 042
11:10He came out of nowhere
11:16Chance he might not see us
11:17That's a chance we can't afford to take
11:19Clear the bridge
11:21Dive, dive
11:22All right
11:35Real short check again, huh?
11:37To be continued
11:41Hey, Frank, just thought of something
11:43Hey, Frank?
11:44Hmm?
11:46Merry Christmas
11:49Same to you, kid
12:03No, no, no
12:04That can wait, nurse
12:05Whatever you say, Doctor
12:06But Kellogg hasn't eaten
12:08Well, that's much better for him than food
12:13A fine place to leave a guy
12:15What?
12:17Come on, will ya?
12:18Look
12:19The radar's out
12:20The ship contact
12:21The Tautauk dole
12:22To get away from the plane
12:23So?
12:24Oh, come on, Ernie
12:25Oh, boy
12:26I wouldn't leave my worst enemy hanging like that
12:28Come on, come on
12:29What happened?
12:33Well, I guess you could say
12:34We got a Christmas present a few hours early
12:38Because an hour later
12:39Call later
12:57Plane's gone
12:59Where are those screws now?
13:00Bearing 3-2-4, Captain
13:01Sounds like two sets
13:02Real narrow channel, but whatever's up there, I want it
13:07Surface
13:08Surface
13:25Well, between the mountains and that shore, A's
13:27It's rough
13:29Moonlight sure would help
13:31It could also give us away
13:33A narrow channel like this
13:34Wouldn't be too healthy
13:38Well, well
13:44Signaling to his escort
13:46He sure can't know we're here
13:47He's gonna find out
13:52Here comes your moon
13:53Clear the bridge
13:54Clear the bridge
13:56Dive, dive
14:05Level off at 60 feet
14:09Battle stations
14:1960 feet, sir
14:20Up scope
14:24There's a big man with signals
14:31Down scope
14:32Steady on new course
14:333-5-0
14:34Steady on new course
14:353-5-0
14:36Well, that moon you ordered
14:37It's on our side now
14:38Let's hope it stays there
14:40Driving in, Captain Sigloff stalked the target
14:42The moon was no help
14:44Disappearing, then reappearing frequently
14:46Finally
14:52Down scope
14:54Down scope
14:57Make ready all torpedo tubes
14:58Set that up at 4 feet
15:00Make ready all torpedo tubes
15:01Good size freighter
15:02I'll have to get it quick
15:03The straight's real narrow here
15:09Up scope
15:18Bearing
15:20Mark
15:210-5-0
15:22Set
15:23Shoot
15:24Mark
15:251-0
15:263-1
15:27Mark
15:281-O
15:291-0
15:301-1
15:31Mark
15:321-1
15:331-2
15:341-1
15:351-1
15:361-1
15:371-1
15:381-2
15:391-1
15:401-1
15:411-2
15:421-1
15:43Bearing, mark, zero, two, one.
15:49Set, shoot.
15:56Line three.
16:04Two hits, dead center.
16:09Down scope.
16:11Take her deep.
16:11Break for depth charge.
16:13Break for depth charge.
16:15Escort training.
16:27One break.
16:28We'll have water over us.
16:30Pretty deep straight.
16:31But narrow.
16:33They won't need too much imagination.
16:36Bring her around to the west.
16:37Right full rudder, steer two, seven, zero.
16:39Right full rudder, steer two, seven, zero.
16:42No.
16:45We're out.
16:47Let's go.
16:47Let's go.
16:48Oh, my God.
17:18There was little room for maneuvering, and a great deal of just waiting to be done.
17:36Ten hours of it.
17:37Ten hours of listening to the angry pinging, and wondering which depth charge was Mark Tartag.
17:48But again, luck held.
17:52It's a long time to stay down.
18:04Ten hours.
18:06It could have been a lot longer.
18:07The Reimer any better.
18:09No argument, Captain.
18:11Oh, Ed.
18:13Anybody ever says there's no Santa Claus, tell them about the last ten hours.
18:18Pleasure, Captain.
18:22Tartag was en route to Ambon now, an area where anything might be expected.
18:27What is it?
18:36A boat, Captain.
18:41Let's go alongside and see what she's hauling.
18:43Get the gun crews ready.
18:44Aye, aye, sir.
18:44The old man's kind of wasting his time on that, ain't he?
18:58You ever know him to waste time?
19:00Oh, how many torpedoes do you think she carries, huh?
19:03No joke.
19:04This won't be the first time the Japanese use these to carry radio equipment or enemy agents.
19:09Anyone here speak English?
19:24Oh, I speak some.
19:27I am Nemo, Ali, flesh of my son.
19:31Hello, Joe.
19:32Hello, Joe.
19:33That is his English.
19:35Take a look, Kellogg.
19:36Right, sir.
19:37We are Nuvan.
19:44You call the tribe.
19:47You have papers?
19:48Oh, yes.
19:54You've cleared a lot of Japanese ports.
19:57The winds tell us where to go.
19:59We do not complain.
20:08Hasn't been anything received on this since the Happiness Boys.
20:11It's very old, useless.
20:13It's, uh, this I'm worried about.
20:15To survive, one must make no one angry.
20:22No to one.
20:26Seagoing tribe, Dutch papers from way back.
20:29The captain will probably just let him go.
20:32Nervani!
20:34You're shaming him for others.
20:36Yours to one.
20:37Not mine, mister.
20:44You made a mistake.
20:47Thank you, Duan.
20:52Duan.
20:53Yesterday.
20:54That way.
20:56A Japanese warship.
20:57Very big.
20:59You have a boat of much swiftness.
21:07Small bet.
21:19That kid.
21:21How much like your brother did he really look right?
21:26No bet.
21:34A small kindness.
21:36And the result of it, the return of it, less than 48 hours later, off Airborne.
21:42The Japanese cruiser, the Tori class, badly damaged.
21:53And still the Tartag was only beginning to pay back.
22:01An endless record of achievement.
22:03From April of 42 to January of 45, patrol after patrol, sinking after sinking.
22:09The score?
22:1026 vessels and over 72,000 tons of enemy shipping sent to the bottom.
22:17And there was more.
22:18And there was more.
22:19Special missions.
22:22The planting of deadly minefields off Cape Pateron in Indochina.
22:27The landing of special agents on Kavaina Island.
22:31Even the strategic bombarding of islands like Faye.
22:35There was no end of it.
22:37No end.
22:37That's how it was, Ernie.
22:48Like that.
22:49Oh, Frank.
22:50A bunch who can come through that.
22:52You think anybody's gonna take them this close to the finish?
22:55You're looking for trouble as just ain't, boy.
22:58Am I?
22:58Got myself a double worry.
23:02My kid brother finally made the boats.
23:06The Tartag.
23:07Went out on the one patrol I didn't.
23:11This one.
23:12And he did a good job too, Kellogg.
23:15At least that's what Com Sub-Pak says.
23:18Doc.
23:20I got the word just a few minutes ago.
23:22The Tartag's safe with all hands.
23:24She's heading home.
23:25Well, it's been a long day.
23:27I didn't realize I was so hungry.
23:29Oh, Doc.
23:31Thanks.
23:33Why don't you stay and eat with him, Hanson?
23:35I imagine we can spare the food.
23:38And I'd make a small bet that he's got his appetite back.
23:41No bet, Doctor.
23:43No bet at all.
23:48I'll be back in a moment with our special guest.
23:55And now I'd like to introduce one of the captains of the Tartag during her wartime career, Captain W.B. Seaglaff.
24:04Barney, a boat with a record like the Tartag's could be talked about for hours, and we still wouldn't cover but a particle of it.
24:10I couldn't agree more, Tommy.
24:11She was quite a boat.
24:13The Tartag had three commanding officers during her combat career, and all three were a thorn in the side of the enemy.
24:19Of course, you know that's a sign of an outstanding crew.
24:22Well, the Tartag's record, they had to be.
24:25But good crews don't stay good very long under bad leadership.
24:29Well, she started the war right under Joe Willingham.
24:32The first two ships he sunk were submarines.
24:35From then on, we skippers couldn't find enough targets to suit that crew.
24:39Well, you found enough to stand first in the number of ships sunk of all our submarines.
24:43I'm sure our audience joins me in saying hats off to the Tartag.
24:47Thank you, Tommy.
24:50Please be with us again when we bring you another true and exciting story of the silent service.
24:55Take her down and hop in line
25:07Through the deep blue underneath the ocean
25:11We'll control the oceans wide
25:16From down, down underneath the sea
25:19Satan's hope will pass the word
25:24In the future's yet to be
25:28That will save as long as there's
25:33A submarine there underneath the sea
25:37To rake or dive and take the gun
25:40Down, down, down, down, go down, down underneath the ocean
25:46There's men will find me down
25:50In the deep blue underneath the sea
25:53There's men will find me down
25:55There's men will find me down
25:56There's men will find me down
25:57There's men will find me down
25:58There's men will find me down
25:59There's men will find me down
26:00There's men will find me down
26:01There's men will find me down
26:02There's men will find me down
26:03There's men will find me down
26:04There's men will find me down
26:05There's men will find me down
26:06There's men will find me down
26:07There's men will find me down
26:08There's men will find me down
26:09There's men will find me down
26:10There's men will find me down
26:11There's men will find me down
26:12There's men will find me down
26:13There's men will find me down
26:14There's men will find me down
26:15There's men will find me down
26:16There's men will find me down
26:17There's men will find me down
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