Away All Boats Page #8

be distracted by the fire.

Leave that to Fraser

and Damage Control...

until we beat off this attack.

Keep watching here.

I'll take the starboard side.

Aye, aye, sir.

Mustn't let them

get to us again.

She can't take any more!

Hard left.

Hard left, I say!

Hard left, sir!

CAPTAIN:
Get away from my ship!

Get your filthy plane

away from my ship!

Captain!

Give me a hand here.

Help me get him down

to his cabin. Easy.

Aah!

- Get one of the doctors.

- Aye, aye, sir.

Doctor will be here

soon, sir.

I've got to get

to the bridge.

I'll rest my eyes a bit.

The porthole will be open.

You can speak to me

at any time.

I'll be awake.

Captain.

You've seen that hole

in our side?

We're going to sink for sure!

No.

No, I won't let her sink.

- I left him in his cabin.

- He's not there.

Pete Ryan just reported

the captain's in number 4 hold.

He thinks the doctor

better get down there.

Jim, can you take the con?

I think so, Dave, sure.

Stay on this course.

It will take us

to the Kerama-retto.

That's an island group

If we get her there,

we've got a chance to save her.

I'm going below

to survey damage.

Toot on the whistle

if the kamikazes show up again.

Right, Dave.

Dr. Bell's waiting for him

in surgery, sir.

Nobody can work down there!

Kind of silly trying

to fight fire here...

when we're going to drown

any minute.

That fracture goes at least

We had it shored up twice.

The water pressure's too strong.

With the smoke, the men can't

stay down there for a third try.

Are the pumps working?

Yeah, but at the rate

we're flooding,

it's like trying to bail her out

with a tin cup.

Might as well face it, sir.

We're sinking.

About the only thing left to try

is an air bubble.

Huh?

Cover the hatch with canvas.

Tar it down.

We pump air under it

so the pressure...

will force the water back out

through the fracture...

or at least keep us floating.

- Let's do it.

- We can't, sir!

The forward air compressor's

busted.

We haven't got

enough air hose...

to reach from the other one.

It's in the aft

boat repair shop.

Yeah, that's the rub.

Let's move

that compressor down here.

You crazy, Pappy?

Weighs more than a ton.

Cargo booms for this hold

are busted.

Since you're not going to

manhandle it down here-

If you could get it

to the hatch,

have we got enough hose

to reach?

Just about,

but moving that compressor-

It can't be done, sir.

We won't know

unless we try.

Come on, about 8 of you guys!

With me!

Get me more CO2.

This one's about empty.

fell through a hole,

burned the overhead.

You fool, you can't go

back in there.

That ammo will blast you

to bits!

This is my garbage room.

They ain't going to burn

my garbage grinder.

She works!

By golly, she still works.

Listen to that!

Kamikazes.

Where are they?

No kamikazes, Dave.

Chief Torgeson reported...

number four hold has

cracked open more.

He thinks

she's breaking her back.

- I thought you'd want to know.

- She can't sink.

Can't let her sink.

Doc Bell's seen Hawks.

The captain's still alive,

but that's about all

he can say for him.

Read the clinometer.

If she'd shifted back,

nothing could have kept her

from capsizing.

I'm going to Damage Control

to check with Fraser.

Then I'm going below

for another look at that hold.

- We got to keep this list.

- You're telling me!

If we don't...

she'll roll like a log.

I can't pump out

any more double bottoms.

She'll capsize for sure.

I don't think we'll be

able to save her anyway.

Even if we build up

an air bubble?

How can we get

that brute of a compressor...

moved from the fantail

to the number four hatch...

in time to do it?

In the meantime,

I got a small problem...

with water flooding

the shaft alley.

I'll meet you

in number four hold.

Rations stored

in the life rafts?

Together,

you jugheads, together!

You can't move nothing

one at a time!

I tell you,

it would be better-

You ain't telling me nothing!

I'm telling you! Grab hold!

Put your guts in it-

all your guts!

One, two, heave!

One, two, heave!

One, two, heave!

One, two, heave! Come on, now!

She's starting to go!

Get with it!

Let's have it! One, two, heave!

One, two, heave!

There she goes again, sir.

Couple of them frames let go,

we'll sink like a rock.

It couldn't be a frame.

Shell plating makes

a terrific noise when it snaps.

It's probably

just the skin of the ship.

I got to find out

how hurt she is.

He swimming around down there?

He could be washed out to sea

through that hole.

Shut up.

Starboard side's OK.

If she was going

to crack apart,

there would be

signs of it there.

Now to see what

the plane did to us.

There's still a bulldozer...

and a couple of trucks

down there.

He could get caught

under them and drown.

I'm all right. Just leave me

alone for a second.

She's cracked all the way down.

Our only chance is

with the compressor.

All right, now,

walk her around!

Walk her around!

Grab her! Hold it!

Steady! That's got it.

All right, guys,

tie her down.

Bear a hand with that job there?

We're ready to start building

the air bubble in this bucket!

What took you so long, Pappy?

Get the rest

of those hatch covers down.

Stand by

with the canvas and tar.

Bring up the rest

of that shoring timber!

All right, bear a hand!

All right, turn her loose!

How are you feeling, Pappy?

Oh, I'm fine, Mr. MacDougall.

Come on. Better let

the doctors check you.

They got enough to do

with the wounded.

I'll be all right, sir.

I ain't near as ruptured

as the ship.

We should make the Kerama-retto

in a few hours, sir.

Once we reach there,

we can pump her out,

patch her with cement,

and signal for a tow

to a repair dock.

If any kamikazes

should jump us there,

we'll at least have

a chance to beach her.

Is he hearing anything

of what I'm saying?

I doubt it.

Randall, what is it?

Engine room

has just reported...

the propeller shaft has snapped.

Broke off at the main bearing.

Oh. I'll be right there.

Propeller shaft's gone.

That's done it.

CAPTAIN:
Children...

children...

children help the mother.

Children can help.

I just talked to Fraser.

He's in the engine room.

Nothing can be done.

Want me to start moving

the wounded out...

so we can get them

into the life rafts...

and whatever boats we got left?

Children helping the mother.

That's what he meant.

Now hear this.

This is MacDougall speaking.

Our propeller shaft is broken.

The ship is without power.

At this moment we're

a helpless, drifting hulk,

but we're afloat,

and we can still save our ship.

We'll hoist out

what boats we have left...

and tow the Belinda to safety.

All deck divisions, break out

mooring lines for towing.

Boat crews, man your boats!

Probably burn out the engines

in every boat,

but it's all we can do.

You know how long it took

to hoist out the boats?

only 11 minutes!

It's not remarkable,

Mr. Randall-

not for Captain Jeb Hawks' crew.

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