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00:00It's 1am on the 1st of November 1943, and the USS Bori is hunting for a U-boat in the
00:07midst of a terrible storm in the North Atlantic.
00:11A 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.
00:26But nearby, around 5 nautical miles away, sits U-405, a Type 7C U-boat under the command of Corvetten
00:35-Capitan 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.
00:49It's the unique telltale sound of propellers churning through the water.
00:56Hotman knows there's no friendly ships in the area. This has to be an American.
01:03Alarms ricochet through the U-boat, and the 45-man crew urgently prepare to dive below the surface.
01:11Back 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.
01:2620-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 spying.
01:37The U-boat has submerged, and that can only mean one thing.
01:41The Germans know they're here.
01:43And now, the two are in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
01:48Ask B, and he returns on sonar.
01:51With the submarine submerged, sonar tracking the echoes from a U-boat is their only chance.
01:58There's a contact.
02:00Sonar contact, 2,000 yards, bearing 170.
02:03Turn 170.
02:04Hutchins orders a course to intercept.
02:08On 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.
02:18What he can hear is ever-louder propellers and the regular sonar pulse emanating from Bori.
02:26You are very close, Lieutenant.
02:29Hard backboard.
02:32Meanwhile, aboard the USS Bori, the sonar operators track the U-boat, drifting into range.
02:38600 yards.
02:39Prepare port launchers for depth charges.
02:42The crew move quickly, left side depth charge racks clattering as they ready the release.
02:46Then, the sonar trace shifts abruptly.
02:49Contact has been lost, sir.
02:52The U-boat has slipped directly beneath their keel.
02:57500 yards.
02:59Now bearing starboard.
03:00Drawing fast.
03:01Full to starboard.
03:02Hutchins orders a hard turn to pursue the target, swinging the rear of the ship towards
03:07the submarine to bring the depth charges to bear.
03:10300 yards.
03:11Fire.
03:12The charges launch off with loud thunks flying through the air,
03:15and splashing into the sea, right by the U-405's nose.
03:22The U-boat is rocked by the blasts.
03:24The shock wave punches the submarine's bow.
03:28The flooding is impossible to stem when the submarine is fully submerged, as the water pressure is too great.
03:33So, Hoffman is left without any choice.
03:36Aftalken.
03:36Get set to the man.
03:37USS 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.
03:48Service down our stern.
03:50Turn on the searchlight.
03:51Inform lights where to point.
03:52Lights 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.
04:05The weapons come alive with loud bangs, sending shells streaking over the waves.
04:10The 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 and waves.
04:22The Bori spotlight shines directly on their faces, as they fire away with 20mm guns.
04:29But 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.
04:49The first salvos fly over the Germans' heads and splash into the water behind.
04:54But it doesn't take long for Bori's 20mm cannons to find their mark.
05:00Shells crash through the U-405's forecastle, devastating the German gunners, including those manning the vital 88mm.
05:11There's a stream of determined men.
05:14They don't last.
05:15They fall in droves, sliding into the deep amid the fray.
05:19The brave men reach the 88mm and try to aim.
05:24But when they look down the sights, they find themselves staring directly at a wall of 4-inch main guns,
05:31aimed towards them.
05:34They're too late.
05:38The shells slam directly into the forecastle, in a brutal strike.
05:44When smoke clears, U-405's 88mm gun, and its Valiant crew, are gone.
05:52Bori 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 ram.
06:10Stand by for a ram.
06:12All hands brace as the ship barrels down towards the sub at 27 knots.
06:21USS Bori crashes directly into the side of U-405, which buckles her bow.
06:27Deep 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.
06:42Angriff!
06:43German sailors charge out of the hatches, and a massive fire fight breaks out on both decks.
06:50Bori's sailors have tommy guns, pistols and rifles, but the rest fight with whatever they can find.
06:55Flare pistols, shell casings, entire misfired shells and even kitchen knives are fair tools in this chaos.
07:05The 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.
07:33The Americans watch as the U-405 starts to move underneath them.
07:38But not everything is going the American's way.
07:40Deep 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.
07:51The ship moves forward, now laden with hundreds of tons of water filling up its hull.
07:57Bori's gunners continue to fire, but they can't strike a final blow.
08:00Prepare torpedoes!
08:02One 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, but misses.
08:17Hopman is in a terrible position. The ship's managing, but only 15 of his 45-man crew remain.
08:23Heimrich orders a Hail Mary.
08:25Wenden! Torpedos klar machen!
08:29On the USS Bori, the men see the U-405 turning around to attack.
08:35Hutchins, though, has a plan.
08:37Disable the searchlight!
08:38The 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 bohrt!
08:53But 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!
09:07Hopman sees it coming and orders evasive maneuvers.
09:10U-405 makes a nimble turn to sneak past USS Bori's starboard side.
09:15But Hutchins won't let it go that easily.
09:18The whole ship trembles as it strains through the maneuver,
09:22with stern swinging out towards the enemy and bringing depth charges into range.
09:26Fire depth charges!
09:29The canisters fly off the mounts and splash perfectly around the enemy ship.
09:36The explosions send U-405 into a tumble.
09:40Its hull is now breached beyond repair.
09:43There's silence across the water.
09:46Until the Germans fire out flares from their stricken U-boat.
09:50It's a signal to surrender.
09:52Moments later, 15 survivors and their captain make their way out and board life rafts.
09:59USS Bori inches close to the stricken men, seeing what they can do to help in the heaving waves.
10:04But a lookout shouts to announce a flare in the distance, shortly followed by an incoming torpedo.
10:12They assume it's another German submarine.
10:15Hutchins immediately orders Bori to turn the stern towards the incoming torpedo to show a thin profile.
10:23But that also sends Bori straight into the German life rafts.
10:37The Bori's crew are forced to abandon the German survivors who await rescue.
10:43That rescue would never come, and the men of U-405 were all lost to the Atlantic.
10:50USS Bori wins the engagement, but is still mortally wounded.
10:56The flooding cannot be stopped.
10:58Lucas and his men continue operating the engines, even as they have to dive to reach the valves.
11:03Eventually, they evacuate through the roof hatch.
11:06The crew abandoned ship.
11:09Tragically, the sea also claimed 27 of USS Bori's 122 men before rescue ships arrived at the scene.
11:18Both Lieutenant Commander Charles Harris Hutchins and Kenneth Miles Lucas survived the war.
11:24Hutchins would be awarded the Navy Cross for his actions.
11:27Those Japanese are up to something at Midway.
11:29What would their perspective look like?
11:32Watch this film and find out.
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