Action in the North Atlantic Page #9

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Get to shelter, Skipper. They're strafing.

- Where'd it get you, Steve?

- In the leg.

- Take over, Joe.

- All right, boys. Take him to his cabin.

Yes, sir.

Forward gun. Forward gun.

Our system's dead.

Parker, go forward. On the double.

Get back there. I'll load her.

Here he comes again, spitting.

We'll spit right back at him.

He'll never come back.

Look out.

Mr. Rossi. Give me a hand here, will you?

Here, Mr. Rossi.

Right here, Mr. Wright.

- Well done, Parker.

- Thank you, sir.

Need another man here.

Yeah, just take it easy.

How many of these do you want, Steve?

Just one.

Here you are, Skipper.

- What's the condition of the ship?

- She's still afloat.

Can you keep her afloat?

We got to. You're in no condition to swim.

What about the men?

I'll tell you about that later, Steve.

Parker?

Later, Steve.

I'll give you a full report later.

Now, this is gonna sting a little bit.

Oh, close those ports. Let's get that lamp.

A little higher.

Just hold that leg down tight.

Don't let it move.

Well, here we go, Steve.

I'm gonna start digging.

All right. Go for it.

As a surgeon you're a great first mate.

- Did you get it?

- Yeah.

Oh, hand me that bottle of sulfur.

That brown bottle there. That's right.

- I think you'll be all right now, Steve.

- Thank you, Joe.

How do you feel now, Steve?

Better, Joe.

So you got a ship of your own, after all.

- You are the Skipper from now on.

- I'll try to take care of her for you.

I'll look in on you later.

- How's the Captain?

- Well, we'll know better in a few hours.

- Have you got Parker's things packed yet?

- Almost finished, sir.

Stow them in my cabin

when you get through.

We'll send them back to his folks

in Kansas, when we get to the States.

It ain't much for them to get back.

What about these?

I'll take them. They're to his girl.

He told me about her.

- Is that her?

- Yeah.

Oh, here's one that ain't finished yet.

- I didn't mean to, Mr. Rossi, but I read it.

- That's okay.

It's got things in there,

like where he says he was so scared

he couldn't sleep nights.

That's the way we all feel.

But he says it was okay on account

of he has confidence in us, the crew.

- He was a good kid.

- Yeah, and I used to ride him all the time.

He made a fine officer.

Do you mean that he used to study

all these books?

Well, you gotta learn it

one way or another.

Mr. Rossi, do you mind

if I borrow a couple of these?

I don't think Parker will mind.

Report on deck

when you get his gear stowed.

If you work hard enough, maybe you can

wear one of those some day.

All ready for the service, Steve.

I wish I could do it for you, Joe.

I think you better mark in the book

the parts that I'm to read.

I've done that.

"I am the resurrection, and the life,"

says the Lord.

"He that believeth in me,

though he were dead, yet shall he live.

"And whosoever liveth and believeth in me

shall never die."

"We brought nothing into this world,

and it is certain we can carry nothing out."

"The Lord gave,

and the Lord hath taken away;

"blessed be the name of the Lord."

Now that's the word of God.

And it's good.

I don't think He'd mind if I put my oar in.

These are eight men we knew and liked,

guys like us.

Guys we ate with and slept with

and fought with.

Well, we were just a little luckier

than they were.

We'll miss them. All of them.

Gunner's Mate, First- class,

Michael Ahearn.

Gunner's Mate, Second- class,

Frank Rosetti.

Apprentice Seaman, Maurice Goldberg.

Able Seaman, George Anderson.

Able Seaman, William Ordinski.

Able Seaman, John Murphy.

Able Seaman, Henry Boehn.

And Cadet Ezra Parker.

I guess I knew Parker a little better

than the others. He came from Kansas.

He had a girl. All the ocean he ever knew

was in a mud- hole,

but he had to go to sea.

Well, we're giving them all

a good send- off.

It's too bad their folks ain't here to see it,

'cause I know they'd feel better about it.

I'm sorry they had to die.

I'm sorry they didn't get a chance

to live out their lives,

so they could've finished the things

they started out to do.

But those are the breaks.

Any one of us could be

lying here tomorrow,

and somebody reads a book over us,

and we're tossed in the sea.

But that ain't what's important.

A lot more people are gonna die

before this is over,

and it's up to the ones that come through

to make sure

that they didn't die for nothing.

Now, will you men join me

in the Lord's Prayer?

"Our Father, who art in Heaven,

"Hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

"Thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

"Give us this day our daily bread.

"And forgive us our trespasses,

"as we forgive those

who trespass against us.

"And lead us not into temptation.

But deliver us from evil. Amen."

"We therefore commit his body

to the deep,

"looking for the general Resurrection

in the last day,

"and the life of the world to come,

through our Lord Jesus Christ,

"at whose second coming

in glorious majesty to judge the world,

"the sea shall give up her dead;

"and the corruptible bodies of those

who sleep in him shall be changed,

"and made like

unto his own glorious body;

"whereby he is able to subdue all things

unto himself."

Yeah, I wish we'd run into

some good, dirty, stinking fog.

That would help keep them away.

- How's your forward gun, Mr. Wright?

- Pretty bad shape. We're patching her up.

The attacks are okay, though.

Keep working on that gun.

We may need it.

How's it below, chief?

Plates are none too good.

Propeller shaft took the line.

How much speed can you make?

Less than half of what

you've been getting.

About six knots.

- How's your cargo?

- Can't take much more of a beating, sir.

Pardon the suggestion, mister,

but why don't we head for Scotland?

We could pick up a convoy there.

And I'm telling you, a trip to perdition

would be like a pleasure cruise

compared to what we are going under.

- No, we'll hold our course. Smoke?

- Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Now don't worry, Mac. We'll make it.

I hope so. I can't swim.

Light, sir?

- Another match, please.

- What's the matter, you superstitious?

No, but I do not like to tempt Providence.

Looks like they got us in number one hold.

There's a hole forward, sir,

you can drive a tank through.

Break out all the gasoline and oil you got,

spread it amidships and set fire to it.

Aye, aye, sir.

Mac, what's the damage down there?

Making water, sir.

We've started the bilge pump.

- We can keep her under control.

- All right. Keep operating.

And send a man forward

to secure the bulkhead.

All hands to the cargo winch.

Turn your guns to starboard

and hold your fire.

Bring out those fire buckets,

throw out the sand,

fill them with gas and oil, spread them

in the forward deck and light it.

What? Has he gone crazy?

What's he want to burn the ship up for?

Trying to bring that sub to the surface.

Mac, come here with me.

If they think we're sinking,

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