Morning Departure Page #2

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- Hello.

You're very bright and early.

Is this in our honor?

Yes, old boy.

We've arranged for you to do

an hour's asdic test with the Bullfinch

after trying out your snort mast.

- I can hardly wait.

- That's just what we wanted, sir.

I'm sorry but they've just got a new set

and the destroyer people are very keen.

Rendezvous Area Baker Charlie,

1300 hours.

Thank you.

This is about one of your chaps.

Thank heavens for that.

He's been behaving

like an expectant father for weeks.

I was afraid the strain

might be too much for him.

- Barlow?

- Sir?

Tell Able Seaman Clarke

I want to see him, will you?

Very good, sir.

- Able Seaman Clarke?

- Here, Chief.

Captain wants to see you right away.

- Blimey, what have I done now?

- Here, better give me that blooming bird.

Thanks, chum.

(MAN CHA TTERING ON PA)

- Morning, Clarke.

- Good morning, sir.

- Feeling all right?

- Yes, thank you, sir.

Read that and you'll feel better.

You can have your leave. Better take

the Liberty Boat back to the beach.

Thank you.

- Congratulations.

- Oh, thank you, sir, yes.

Nobby Clarke, a blooming father.

Well, who'd have thought it?

- Carry on now, sir?

- Certainly.

Give your wife and son my best wishes.

MANSON:
There I was and there she was

and I couldn't get away.

It's no use making excuses, Harry.

You promised to take me out

last night and you just didn't turn up.

Oh, it wasn't my fault, Margery,

you know that. The Admiral insisted.

What's the matter with you this morning?

Probably the effect

of all my suppressed excitement

at the thought of doing

an asdic exercise with the Bullfinch.

Nothing wrong with that, is there?

Poor Armstrong's suffering

from peacetime fatigue, sir.

Oh, no, he's not.

Peter just can't forget

he was my Number One

when I sank a troop transport

five years ago.

It gave him the idea that he's one of

the heroes of the submarine service.

- Never got over it.

- It was a sitting bird, anyway.

Well, that reminds me,

have you got anybody

to look after your kids tonight?

Good Lord, I forgot. It's Monday.

- We come to you, don't we?

- That's right.

James, would you like to be

our sitter-in tonight?

No, thank you, sir.

I don't think my nerves are strong enough.

Well, we'll have to rely

on the poor old char again.

- Come on, Peter. Time you got cracking.

- Right.

Bring a bottle over with you, old boy.

You can afford it.

You won enough last week.

- WT aerial's okay now, sir.

- Right, thanks, Hillbrook.

- Good morning, sub.

- Good morning, Number One.

- All reports correct.

- Good.

- I admire your taste.

- What? Oh, I see.

You're still navigating.

Sub-lieutenants are too young for sex.

I don't think many midshipmen

would agree with you.

Engineers haven't got the time.

- Got your snort mast ready, Chief?

- Aye.

One more damn thing to remember.

But it's a beautiful invention, all the same.

Do you know, if anybody had told me

when I was an apprentice,

that they'd be feeding air to the main

engines of a submerged submarine,

I'd have said they were crazy.

Well, never mind, Chief.

We'll be having mechanical men soon.

Soon all you'll have to do is

sit at home and press buttons.

As long as they're not

mechanical Wrens, I'm all for that.

If you've quite finished arranging

your social diary, Number One,

I should like to take this boat to sea.

- All ready for sea, sir.

- Good morning, sir.

- Obey telegraphs.

- TELEGRAPHER:
Obeying telegraphs, sir.

- Let go springs.

- Let go springs.

- Let go forrard.

- Let go forrard.

- Let go aft.

- Let go aft.

- Slow ahead port.

- Slow ahead port, sir.

(BELL RINGS)

Port motor running ahead, sir.

ARMSTRONG:
Starboard 10.

TELEGRAPHER:
Starboard 10, sir.

- Slow ahead starboard.

- Slow ahead starboard, sir.

Starboard motor running ahead, sir.

Haul in for leaving harbor.

(WHISTLES BLOWING)

GATES:
You know, I never thought

I'd actually envy anyone

going out on a dull exercise.

Well, come on, James. Let's have

breakfast and start filling in forms.

What's the tide doing, pilot?

About two knots sou'westerly, sir.

Nice day.

- What's the weather forecast?

- Pretty good, sir.

Hope it's right. We're playing cricket this

evening, return match against Portland.

- Mind you beat them.

- It's in the bag.

- We're in position now, sir.

- Thanks. Clear the bridge.

- First lieutenant?

- MANSON. :
Number One, here, sir.

- All set?

- All set, sir.

- Use Q.

- Use Q tank, aye, aye, sir.

- What the hell do you think you're doing?

- I'm sorry, sir. That was Clarrie, sir.

- She's a homing pigeon. I'm sorry, sir.

- You blithering idiot, Higgins.

This is a submarine, not a blasted aviary.

Tell the coxswain

you're in the First Lieutenant's report.

Aye, aye, sir. I'm very sorry, sir.

Lunatic.

(FOGHORN SOUNDING)

- Here, what's an aviary?

- It's a place where birds are kept.

- I thought he was being rude.

- Flood Q.

Flood Q, sir.

Can you see the diving signal?

- Thirty feet, Number One.

- Thirty feet, sir.

SAILORS:
Thirty feet, sir.

- ARMSTRONG:
Low Q.

- Low Q, sir.

- How's our position, Sub?

- I'm just plotting it now.

Good.

Snort mast all correct, sir.

Got a good charge.

Right, Chief.

We'll start the asdic exercise at 2:00.

Seen this?

A report of the Admiral's inspection

last week.

"Engine room department

well-run and efficient."

That's nice of him.

"Morale of the whole ship's company

seemed excellent."

- Well, why shouldn't it be?

- Yes, that's what I was wondering.

I don't suppose the old boy's ever served

in anything smaller than a battleship,

let alone one of these things.

He probably thinks we're all slightly mad.

Liable to crack under the strain

at any moment.

But I always feel much better,

don't you, sir?

Yes. More peaceful, isn't it?

Echo, sir. Two degrees, starboard bow.

Range, 1000 yards.

Well, check that.

I can't see anything there.

Still hear it, sir.

Snipe, ask the captain to come

to control room, will you?

SNIPE:
Sir.

Captain, sir? The First Lieutenant would

like you to come to the control room.

ARMSTRONG:
All right.

What is it, Number One?

Asdic reports an echo, sir. Green two,

half a mile. I can't see anything there.

We had a fix lately, pilot?

Yes, sir,

just before the coastline disappeared.

Let's have a look.

- Still got it?

- It's disappeared now, sir.

It must have been a false echo.

Nothing on the horizon

for 50 degrees on either bow.

It was very clear, sir.

A small object, I'd say, but very clear.

- A shoal of fish, do you think?

- Must have been.

The sun's come out again.

Hard to port. Shut all watertight doors

and ventilation. Sixty feet.

Shut all watertight doors and ventilation.

- Sixty feet.

- SAILORS:
Sixty feet, sir.

- Emergency stop snorting.

- Emergency stop snorting, sir.

(FOGHORN SOUNDING)

- Flood Q.

- Flood Q, sir.

There's a mine, dead ahead.

MANSON:
Forty-five feet, sir.

It must have been drifting for years.

If the antenna's not active,

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