Away All Boats Page #7

We'll be on our way before

he'd get back to the ship.

Is it a critical condition?

No, but his feet really require

expert attention, sir.

He needs special shoes.

I believe you, Dr. Flynn,

but he'll have to wait.

Hubert is not military,

and he's not sanitary,

but he's important

to the ship's safety.

Hubert's the only man aboard

who likes to grind garbage.

He's the only man who can be

trusted to grind it properly.

Request denied.

His feet will sweat out

the next beachhead...

before I part with him.

Very good, sir.

Congratulations, Commander.

"You'll proceed immediately

to Pearl Harbor,

assume command

of the APA Peacock. "

My own command.

You've earned it.

What's more important,

you're ready for it.

Captain, I...

Have the yeoman

cut orders...

turning over executive officer

duties to MacDougall...

and assign Randall as navigator.

Aye, aye, sir.

I'll miss the Belinda...

and you, sir.

I... well, I kind of grew up

on this ship, serving under you.

I made a mistake about him.

He turned out all right.

I managed a couple of mistakes

aboard this ship.

Nobody makes mistakes

on my ship...

not serious ones.

This next one is it.

We're going right into the Japs'

backyard and taking it.

Yes, sir. Only trouble is,

they know we're coming.

They must, Captain.

In Tacloban yesterday, a

Filipino boy selling mangoes...

asked me if I was going

to Okinawa with everybody else.

There's no such thing

as a real secret.

I'll tell you one.

They tried twice

to take you away from me...

and give you your own command.

I blocked it each time.

You're entitled

to your own ship.

You should have had one

from the beginning.

I couldn't let you go.

I thought no man was

indispensable in this navy.

No man is.

I kept you because you were

important to the Belinda.

You're stubborn, you're proud,

and a lot of the time,

I hate your guts,

but you really love the ship.

- What's that got to do with it?

- Everything.

Old beachhead Belinda is...

more than just another APA

to you and me.

To you?

You tried to use her to

earn your command of a cruiser.

I remember you calling her

names and hating her.

That's right. I did.

Funny.

Quigley moved on

to his own command.

I could have requested

and gotten a cruiser.

Just never occurred to me.

But you kept me

from getting my own ship?

I gave you my reasons why.

Since we're speaking frankly,

sir, your reasons stink!

I have other reasons.

I'm getting tired.

There are times when I...

Maybe I should have taken more

leave after Guadalcanal...

or after that fouled-up mess

in North Africa.

A man can take just so much,

I guess.

I keep getting those headaches.

They nearly blind me.

I'll recommend you

for your own command...

after this next operation

is over.

For now, you must stick

by the Belinda and me.

I've always tried

to do my duty, sir.

I love this sailboat, too.

Weird sort of a day,

eh, Pappy?

Yeah. This whole week

at Okinawa's been weird, Padre,

just like dry runs-

no shooting from the shore,

no kamikazes.

It just ain't natural.

Will you stop watching clouds

and watch what you're doing?

I was listening to Tokyo Rose

after supper.

She says they got their suicide

planes all lined up,

ready to sink every ship we got.

Propaganda, Pappy.

She's just trying to scare us.

You know something?

She's doing it, too.

I ordered the transports

to sea for tonight.

Could be a busy one.

Cruisers and destroyers

on the picket line...

are holding off the kamikazes,

but some are bound

to break through.

Bogies,

bearing 055, 20 miles, closing.

Flash, flash!

Take necessary deployment action

and evasive maneuvers. Out.

She'll be over our screen

any minute.

Watch for firing out there.

- Mr. Randall.

- Yes, sir?

Don't let the lookouts get

excited and get out of sector.

What is it, MacDougall?

We haven't unloaded wounded

from the Latimore LCM.

- Get aft. Hurry them up.

- Aye, aye, sir.

- I'll help.

- Give me a hand mike.

- Yes, sir.

Now hear this.

This is the captain speaking.

In a couple minutes,

you'll get the chance of your

lives to do some shooting.

A swarm of kamikazes

is coming in,

hellbent on getting

the transports.

They're not going to get

old beachhead Belinda,

if you keep your heads

and carry out my orders.

Now, listen, men,

all you have to do...

is obey orders and do

as you were trained to do.

Loaders, load.

Do not look around the sky.

Pointers, point.

Trainers, train.

Do it easy,

like a dry run,

and do it fast.

Use your heads, your experience,

and your training.

That is all.

Carry on

and good hunting.

Pat, get these people

under cover fast.

No use jerking

their arms and legs off.

They got it tough enough.

Get those men

out of that LCM now!

We got to get moving!

Many kamikazes, Dave?

More than we've ever seen

before, Padre.

Get that hatch covered

on the double.

All right, dopes,

get those hatch covers on...

as soon as you can.

Engine's ready

to answer bells, sir.

Standard speed's set-15 knots.

Count at least 20 of them.

Raid Three closing

rapidly on transport area.

No cap in vicinity. Out.

LCM clear, Captain.

- Ahead 1/3!

- Ahead 1/3, sir!

- Right full rudder!

- Right full rudder, sir!

- Take the con.

- Aye, aye, sir.

Keep in contact with me

by headphones.

I'm going up to control...

and knock down some

of those divine wind boys...

before they have time

to commit suicide.

Whew! Boy, that was close.

Let it down! Turn around

and then back in, Chaplain.

Hurry it up, Padre!

Aah!

Back to your stations!

Dave.

I was operating

when it happened.

Come here.

I don't know how many

of the wounded on deck got hit.

At least a dozen, maybe more

inside the sick bay...

and that man on that table.

What about Doc Flynn

and the padre?

Both of them.

Mike O'Bannion, too.

And the fire's almost out.

After starboard deckhouse

demolished.

Watertight integrity

in all but number five hatch.

Casualties.

killed by crash,

plus two more

who died of burns.

Seven of our own crew killed,

including Dr. Flynn,

Chaplain Hughes,

and Mike O'Bannion.

- Is that all, MacDougall?

- No, sir.

The Albatross, Captain-

she was completely demolished

and burned...

and Chip-Chi was killed.

RADIO:
Flash red!

Control yellow!

Five strong raids closing

the transport area...

from all sides.

Now inside the cap and closing.

Out.

- Control! Did you hear that?

- Yes, sir.

I may join you in Control,

but I intend

to remain here...

and con the ship

at high speed.

Keep the guns concentrating

on planes closing!

Never mind the wolf packs

out on the rim!

Here they come, Captain!

- Flank standard rudder!

- Flank standard rudder, sir!

- Full ahead flank!

- Full ahead flank, sir!

Right full rudder!

Over there! Over there!

Damage Control reports we're hit

at the water line, sir!

Stop engines!

- Stop engines!

- Stop engines, sir!

They'll really bear down

on us now.

Don't let the gun crews

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes