00:00It's 1am on the 1st of November 1943, and the USS Bori is hunting for a U-boat in the midst of a terrible storm in the North Atlantic.
00:10A contact appears on the ship's radar. In command is 30-year-old Lieutenant Charles Harris Hutchins.
00:17He quickly issues the order to give chase at maximum speed.
00:21And the USS Bori powers through 15-foot waves.
00:25But nearby, around 5 nautical miles away, sits U-405, a Type 7C U-boat under the command of Corvettencapitan Rolf Heinrich Hobmann.
00:38The U-boat is surfaced, and it's recharging its batteries under the cover of darkness.
00:43When, deep within the ship, the hydrophone operator hears something.
00:50It's the unique telltale sound of propellers churning through the water.
00:54Hotman knows there's no friendly ships in the area. This has to be an American.
01:01Alarms ricochet through the U-boat, and the 45-man crew urgently prepare to dive below the surface.
01:09Back on the USS Bori, Hutchins searches in the darkness for any sign of his enemy.
01:16He can't see a thing, but the radar operator continues providing updates.
01:21Hutchins orders course corrections in response.
01:2520-hundred, bearing 265.
01:28Until the U-boat vanishes from their radar screens.
01:32Contact has been lost, sir.
01:34The news sends chills down Hutchins' spine.
01:36The U-boat has submerged, and that can only mean one thing.
01:40The Germans know they're here.
01:43And now, the two are in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
01:47At speed, and he returns on sonar.
01:50With the submarine submerged, sonar tracking the echoes from a U-boat is their only chance.
01:55There's a contact.
02:00Sonar contact, 2,000 yards, bearing 170.
02:03Turn 170.
02:04Hutchins orders a course to intercept on board the U-boat.
02:10The submariner on the hydrophone listens intently, but it can only hear Bori's general direction.
02:16The data isn't precise enough for a counterattack.
02:19What he can hear is ever-louder propellers and the regular sonar pulse emanating from Bori.
02:26You are very close, Mr. Commandant.
02:29Hard backboard.
02:32Meanwhile, aboard the USS Bori, the sonar operators track the U-boat, drifting into range.
02:38600 yards. Prepare port launchers for depth charges.
02:42The crew move quickly, left side depth charge racks clattering as they ready the release.
02:47Then, the sonar trace shifts abruptly.
02:50Contact has been lost, sir.
02:53The U-boat has slipped directly beneath their keel.
02:58500 yards. Now bearing starboard. Drawing fast. Full to starboard.
03:02Hutchins orders a hard turn to pursue the target, swinging the rear of the ship towards the submarine to bring the depth charges to bear.
03:10300 yards. Fire!
03:12The charges launch off with loud thunks flying through the air and splashing into the sea, right by the U-405's nose.
03:21The U-boat is rocked by the blasts. The shock wave punches the submarine's bow.
03:27The flooding is impossible to stem when the submarine is fully submerged, as the water pressure is too great, so Hoffman is left without any choice.
03:36The USS Bori sails past, and our sailors look back at the scene of the explosion.
03:43The water's still settling from the blasts when they witness the mighty U-boat burst from under the sea.
03:49Service down our stern. Turn on the searchlight. Inform lights where to point.
03:52The lights come on, and U-405 is immediately clear in the light.
03:57Dozens of Germans are pouring out of the hatches, and they rush to man their 20mm guns and open fire.
04:06The weapons come alive with loud bangs, sending shells streaking over the waves.
04:11The shells slam into the USS Bori's hull and litter the superstructure, sending American sailors diving for cover.
04:18On U-405, German sailors brave the heavy wind in waves.
04:22The Bori's spotlight shines directly on their faces as they fire away with 20mm guns.
04:30But they know it's not enough.
04:32The German sailors scramble to ready their much more powerful 88mm deck gun.
04:40Hutchins knows the danger and acts swiftly.
04:43All guns! Local control! Point of fire!
04:46The guns open fire.
04:50The first salvos fly over the Germans' heads and splash into the water behind.
04:55But it doesn't take long for Bori's 20mm cannons to find their mark.
05:00Shells crash through the U-405's foc'sle, devastating the German gunners, including those manning the vital 88mm.
05:12There's a stream of determined men.
05:14They don't last. They fall in droves, sliding into the deep amid the fray.
05:18The brave men reach the 88mm and try to aim.
05:23But when they look down the sights, they find themselves staring directly at a wall of 4-inch main guns aimed towards them.
05:33They're too late.
05:39The shells slam directly into the foc'sle in a brutal strike.
05:44When the smoke clears, U-405's 88mm gun and its valiant crew are gone.
05:50Bori continues its wide-about turn while pummeling the enemy without relent.
05:56But it's not enough.
05:57Hutchins knows Conning Tower hits will never sink it.
06:00He needs to deal a fatal blow.
06:02Ram it!
06:03The helmsman steers the ship towards the target as Hutchins warns the crew.
06:08Stand by for a ramp!
06:10Stand by for a ramp!
06:12All hands brace as the ship barrels down towards the sub at 27 knots.
06:17USS Bori crashes directly into the side of U-405, which buckles her bow.
06:28Deep inside Bori, Chief Engineer Kenneth Miles Lucas sees torrents of water gushing from the fissures.
06:34Get me the repair team!
06:38Over in U-405, Hopman stumbles to his feet and orders
06:42German sailors charge out of the hatches and a massive fire fight breaks out on both decks.
06:50Bori sailors have tommy guns, pistols and rifles, but the rest fight with whatever they can find.
06:55Flare pistols, shell casings, entire mis-fired shells and even kitchen knives are fair tools in this chaos.
07:06The Germans fight back as best they can, but the Americans have cover and the advantage of elevation.
07:11The U-Boat's deck grants no cover and its last defenders don't stand a chance.
07:16The U-405 incredibly is still afloat and functional.
07:21But the crew is devastated and they've lost all their weapons except the torpedoes.
07:29U-405 pulls with all its power in an attempt to slip from Bori's grasp.
07:34The Americans watch as the U-405 starts to move underneath them.
07:37But not everything is going the American's way.
07:41Deep in the engine compartment, engineers attempt speedy repairs as the water quickly rises.
07:47Lucas and his men continue to work the turbines, battling through the water.
07:52The ship moves forward, now laden with hundreds of tons of water filling up its hull.
07:56Bori's gunners continue to fire, but they can't strike a final blow.
08:01Prepare torpedoes!
08:03One of USS Bori's triple torpedo mounts stirs to life and aims its payload towards the target.
08:08Fire!
08:09A torpedo blasts out to sea and tears a path towards the enemy.
08:14But misses.
08:16Hopman is in a terrible position.
08:19The ship's managing, but only 15 of his 45-man crew remain.
08:24Heimrich orders the Hail Mary.
08:26Wenden. Torpedos klar machen.
08:27On the USS Bori, the men see the U-405 turning around to attack.
08:35Hutchins, though, has a plan.
08:37Disable the searchlight.
08:39The light that had been so crucial to land accurate gunfire goes dark.
08:43The men aboard the U-405 see the light go out.
08:46Hopman's surprised. This is their chance to escape.
08:49Torpedoangriff abbrechen. Hatschleuer aboard.
08:52But the USS Bori's radar never lost sight of the submarine, and Hutchins' plan has worked.
08:58Enable the searchlight!
09:00The lights come back on, revealing U-405 immediately in front.
09:05Ram it!
09:07Without hesitation, the Housman turns towards the submarine, aiming for a direct hit.
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09:35Hopman sees it coming and orders evasive maneuvers.
09:38U-405 makes a nimble turn to sneak past USS Bori's starboard side.
09:43But Hutchins won't let it go that easily.
09:45Hard to starboard!
09:46The whole ship trembles as it strains through the maneuver, with the stern swinging out towards the enemy and bringing depth charges into range.
09:54Fire depth charges!
09:56The canisters fly off the mounts and splash perfectly around the enemy ship.
10:04The explosions send U-405 into a tumble.
10:08Its hull is now breached beyond repair.
10:11There's silence across the water.
10:14Until the Germans fire out flares from their stricken U-boat.
10:17It's a signal to surrender.
10:20Moments later, 15 survivors and their captain make their way out and board life rafts.
10:26USS Bori inches close to the stricken men, seeing what they can do to help in the heaving waves.
10:32But a lookout shouts to announce a flare in the distance, shortly followed by an incoming torpedo.
10:38They assume it's another German submarine.
10:42Hutchins immediately orders Bori to turn the stern towards the incoming torpedo to show a thin profile.
10:51But that also sends Bori straight into the German life rafts.
10:56The Bori's crew are forced to abandon the German survivors who await rescue.
11:11That rescue would never come and the men of U-405 were all lost to the Atlantic.
11:17USS Bori wins the engagement but is still mortally wounded.
11:22The flooding cannot be stopped.
11:25Lucas and his men continue operating the engines even as they have to dive to reach the valves.
11:31Eventually, they evacuate through the roof hatch.
11:34The crew abandon ship.
11:36Tragically, the sea also claimed 27 of USS Bori's 122 men before rescue ships arrived at the scene.
11:45Both Lieutenant Commander Charles Harris Hutchins and Kenneth Miles Lucas survived the war.
11:50Hutchins would be awarded the Navy Cross for his actions.
11:55Those Japanese are up to something at Midway.
11:58What would their perspective look like?
11:59Watch this film and find out.
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