In Harm's Way Page #2

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There may be subs out there, maybe not.

Whether there are

or aren't subs out there,

if we steer a straight course, we'd add

another six hours to our steaming time.

Resume our base course.

- Straighten us out, Commander Burke.

- Aye, aye, sir.

Rock, you just threw the book away.

How long will Torrey keep pushing?

We haven't enough fuel

to hold the keel down.

He'll run the rope out

and then add some string to it.

- Where'd you know him?

- He instructed at the Academy.

We call him the Rock.

Scared the hell outta you.

He's all Navy and nothin' but Navy.

He never left the campus,

like he had nowhere else to go.

Sonar contact, sir, bearing 0-2-0.

Range 2,000 and closing.

Make turns for 20 knots.

Set condition able.

Close all watertight doors.

- Tell Sonar to keep the ranges coming.

- 1800 and closing.

- Cline? You on the recorder?

- You know it!

Signal flagship we're about to attack

sonar contact.

Cassiday reports submarine contact.

- Have all ships resume zigzag.

- Aye, aye, sir.

- 0-1-5 it is, sir.

- Stand by to roll depth charges.

Stern racks. Roll one.

Roll two.

They're on it, sir.

They hit the cruiser!

- Reports from damage control.

- She's dead in the water.

- Midship damage control won't answer.

- Shall I go below, sir?

- Tell me when you locate the damage.

- That arm's busted.

- What's wrong?

- The door's jammed.

Get a message to Pearl: "Have taken

two torpedoes" - fill in our position -

- "Will advise on damage. "

- And break radio silence, sir?

Burke, don't you think the Japanese

know by now where we are?

Aye, aye, sir.

The door may blow. Stand clear!

Griggs, get those mattresses down.

Stand by to fire another full pattern.

Order the destroyers back to Pearl

at best possible speed, zigzagging.

- Cassiday got the sub, sir. Definite kill.

- Hold it!

Have all ships return to Pearl

at 20 knots, except the Cassiday.

Have her stand by

in case we have to abandon ship.

OK...

- Compliments of Cdr. Eddington.

- Just give me the word.

Cdr. Eddington says

this old tub'll float, sir.

- At ease.

- Thank you, sir.

Full report.

We halted the fires up forward

where we took the first torpedo.

And we stopped the flow

of water at Hatch 26.

Cdr. Eddington said to tell the old man -

I'm sorry, sir, the captain -

that he'd better start

thinking about a tow.

May I also say, sir,

that Cdr. Eddington is hell on wheels.

- What are the casualties?

- At least 40 men were trapped.

- 40 men, maybe more.

- Cassiday coming alongside, sir.

Take care of this boy.

Nice work, Harding.

You did a four-o job on that sub.

Thank you, sir.

I'm not Commander Harding.

- Where is he?

- Ashore, sir.

- Who's in command?

- I am, sir. Lieutenant J G McConnel.

Did I hear "Lieutenant Junior Grade"?

William McConnel, class of '38.

- Can you rig for towing?

- Can do, sir.

Can you pass some

portable pumps to us?

Can do, sir.

Carry on, mister.

Can do.

Oh, Rock of Ages.

We got ourselves another war.

A gut-bustin', mother-lovin' Navy war.

It does seem to shape up that way,

Commander Eddington.

Captain Torrey,

the admiral will see you now.

Thank you.

- Please sit down, Captain.

- Thank you, sir.

I wasn't aware you'd been hurt.

A simple fracture, sir.

It won't interfere with my duties.

You have a remarkable record,

Captain Torrey.

- Thank you, sir.

- Save your thanks.

I'm relieving you of your command

pending a court of inquiry.

I don't understand.

You weren't zigzagging

when you took the torpedo.

I was stretching my fuel, sir.

If you didn't have enough fuel,

why didn't you turn back?

My mission was to engage an enemy

of greatly superior strength.

I could only take that one way:

my group was expendable.

I doubt a court of inquiry

will accept that.

You're caught in the vacuum between

a peacetime Navy and a wartime Navy.

Soon they'll make admirals

out of captains with guts.

Now, they're reacting to Pearl Harbor

and punishment is order of the day.

You don't have to abide by

what a court of inquiry decides.

You can ask for a general court martial,

get a couple of lawyers and fight it.

I wouldn't care to do that, sir.

- Why not?

- Second-generation Navy, Admiral.

I see.

I don't plan to ask for a court martial

either, and I've lost a fleet.

I expect we'll both take what they give us

and trust it'll be a useful job.

Yes, sir.

- Good luck.

- Good luck to you, sir.

If I haven't got him, maybe he's still alive.

It must be a mistake,

he was clever...

Comb, compact...

- The child can't be lost...

- Two rings... purse.

- Maybe the police know where he is.

- Sign here.

He was my only boy,

and I love him so much.

- Won't you do something for me?

- This way for identification.

- Go back to the police.

- I want you to help me.

- Lady...

- He was my only boy.

You don't have a boy!

Disposition?

What do you want to do?

- I'll send someone.

- Thank you.

And the man she was brought in with?

Army Air Force claimed the body

a couple of days ago.

...a very pretty name.

- Been here long?

- I'm from Hawaii.

- I like Hawaii.

- Me, too.

- Where's my drink?

- I made you a fresh one.

- Thanks.

- Bourbon.

- Sorry, nothin' but beer. Martial law.

- OK, beer.

- How come the Air Corps rates a drink?

- They brought that bottle in.

Running dry, Commander?

Let me sweeten your beer.

Share and share alike,

we're all in this war.

Little more? OK... How's that?

Would you like to join us?

Only two chicks but we can share...

Send the police to the Blue Lagoon.

Come.

Sir, I just got word

on Commander Eddington.

- What about him?

- He's in the Honolulu brig.

- In the brig?

- That's the word, sir.

Will you see my clothes are packed

and sent over to

the bachelors officers' quarters?

Yes, sir. Can I help you with that?

- Is that all, sir?

- I travel light.

Well, Commander Burke...

Oh, sir...

- Goodbye, sir.

- Goodbye.

You're released into

your captain's custody, sir.

Sergeant.

This is yours, sir.

I'll walk you to the Duty Boat.

I've been relieved of command.

Bastards!

Sorry about your wife.

You got yourself into a pretty good fix.

A public brawl...

What the hell.

A new AA cruiser

going out to join Halsey.

She's a tiger.

A fast ship going in harm's way.

A lousy situation,

Commander Eddington.

Lousy.

Stay still.

Good. Come with me, please, Captain.

Shoot those over to Dr Lyons

as soon as they're ready.

- Doctor?

- Yes.

A 3-month-old fracture, some infection.

The X-rays will be along shortly.

Thank you. Sit down, Captain.

That's a real nice sound to wake up to.

- What is Vicki Marlowe's secret?

- Not what it says in here.

Her secret is that she's making

half a million bucks a year

and she still collects alimony from me,

in my present reduced circumstances.

Well, anyway...

I have the satisfaction that

all her pictures have been stinkers

since I stopped writing them.

Rockwell, my boy, I tell you never,

I repeat, never marry a movie actress.

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