Operation Petticoat Page #4

- Yes, sir.

May I come in?

Please do.

Good morning.

- Good morning, Mr. Holden.

I've got a bad neck from too much tennis.

- Really?

Well. Did you get a good night's sleep?

Not too good; it was a little damp

and noisy. Strange surroundings.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Thank you.

Well, how's the food?

Satisfactory?

Excellent, thank you.

Would you like a cigar?

- No, no thanks.

I suppose after you

digested breakfast...

you'll want to get up on deck and play

a little shuffleboard, right?

This war must be inconvenient

for you, Mr. Holden?

I try to make the best of.

Yes, and you do, indeed you do.

I know you're not familiar with

the way the functions at sea.

Cigarette?

- No, thank you.

But here we all...

We all eat and work together... ...

and so you won't upset that system,

You will have to do it our way.

You've got three minutes to get off

your fat mattress...

and report to Mr. Watson!

- Yes, sir.

You are going to learn something

if I have to poor it into you!

Another thing :
here we dress alike,

Got any regulation trousers?

No, sir. I had all my clothes made

at " Saks " Fifth Avenue.

I can't to do anything about the

uniform, but don't want you to think...

I'll expect breakfast

in bed every morning.

Scuttlebutt is that we will

submerge at daybreak...

... and if you gotta go,

you might as well go big.

It is past daybreak

and we are submerged.

We are?

- Yes.

You mean we're under??

- Yes

But it isn't a permanent

situation?

I mean, we can

up if we'd like to?

Well, I'd like to think we can.

But I'm an incurable optimist.

What happens, sir, if... ?

What happens if we can not... ?

If we can not...

Then...

What kind of answer is that?

- Why? Nervous, Mr. Holden?

Yes.

Tell me something :

Why did you join the navy?

because I needed

an officer's uniform.

As a kid I was a victim of the

most vicious propaganda;...

people told me... that money

was not everything, and I believed it.

Until I found out that

people saying...

... "money is not everything "

were the ones who had it.

I figured they were trying

to hide a good thing.

Sir, please sit down.

Yes.

Now there are two simple

ways to make money :. .

You can steal it,

or you can marry it.

To marry it, you have to

travel in the right circles...

... on the right side of the tracks.

Two things I learned:

One :
A uniform can take you

to the best places, and two :. .

no one ever checks Dun and

Bradstreet in a bedroom.

It sounds like a

winning combination.

Would you like to see the jackpot?

That the girl from

the right side of the tracks?

She owns the tracks...

... or 5. 2 % of all the

railroad stock in America.

Isn't she lovely?

We had a dinner date one night, and

I was a few minutes late...

and she didn't want it to happen again.

Have you ever seen

a two thousand dollar watch?

My, my, my.

When the minister says " will you take

this woman? " he won't be kidding.

When is the happy occasion?

- The day I get back.

You see that I get back and I'll

see you have a private submarine.

For heaven's sake.

Excuse me.

Is this normal or should

I be nervous again?

Captain!

- Yes

One of our connections

carried away, sir...

We're rigging a patch,

but I don't think it will hold.

Prepare to surface.

- Stand by to surface. Lookouts to conning tower.

Stand by to surface.

Lookouts to conning tower.

How much time for repairs?

- About six hours...

... if we can work over the side.

- Six hours...

The nearest place with a

sheltered anchorage is

Marinduque island. We better head there.

- Okay.

Watch your fault.

- Yes, sir.

All free, sir. Sound the alarm.

22 December, 1941.

Arrived Marinduque two hours

after enemy air raid.

Repairs have to be completed

before their next visit.

To get Lt. Holden out

from underfoot...

I sent him and his men

to scout the island.

Captain.

- Yes

Mr. Holden is coming back, sir.

War is hell,

Mr. Watson.

Not only that, sir.

Wait until you see

what he's got with him.

Women!

Wow! That's what

I call scavenging!

I... What I meant sir is...

... I'm sure there will be something

they can be used for.

I can think of many uses,

but not here and now.

Mr. Stovall, the influence of

Lt. Holden is beginning to worry me.

I suggest you "Wow!" less and

"Tsk Tsk Tsk" more...

Mayor Heywood.

- Major Heywood.

Lieutenant Duran.

- Lieutenant Duran.

Lieutenant Reid.

- Lieutenant.

Lieutenant. Colfax.

Lieutenant.

Lieutenant Crandall.

If anyone asks what

you're fighting for...

... there's your answer.

Lt. Holden invited us

to go with you.

What?

The Major and her unit

were stranded, sir.

We were en route to Manila

and heard it was being bombed...

... and we had to land here.

- Oh.

The Japanese strafed

the airstrip and...

our plane took off to keep from

being destroyed on the ground.

He was supposed to

come back for us.

Alright.

- it didn't make it.

They were the only Americans

on the island, sir...

You could not possibly

leave them there.

Thank you.

It's an emergency, sir.

- Thank you, Mr. Holden.

Now, Major, obviously we have to

get out of here as fast as we can, so...

if you'll get your party below,

I'll get you to Cebu...

... where you can

rejoin an Army unit.

Escort the Major to the wardroom.

- Yes, sir.

Thank you, Lieutenant.

Thank you, ma'am.

- This way, ladies.

I guess I'm stuck.

- Yes

Just a minute. Come on. That's right.

Thank you very much.

- Suggest you take the other one off.

Sir.

Mr. Holden, just a minute.

Mr. Watson!

- Yes, sir?

Please assemble the crew.

Instruct them to ignore that

our passengers are women.

That may require some...

readjustment... but I want

every man to understand...

our objective is Cebu

and then Darwin.

If any man has any

other objective in mind...

he'd better forget it.

You will put on report...

Collision!

Collision, sir!

- Really...

we're not even moving.

Who hit the collision button?

- I do not know, sir.

Everything has a reason

for being here...

What happened?

- I'm very sorry.

I was coming down the ladder and

accidentally touched that button.

She grabbed the collision alarm.

Just a minute.

Please, ladies, there is one primary rule

you must observe:. .

keep your hands...

and... you're, uh...

Just do not touch anything.

The ladies will occupy the Chief's quarters

and my cabin.

The Chiefs move out with the men. Move my gear

with Watson and you stay with Holden.

Now, uh...

For the next few days we'll

be living in close contact...

and you being women... and...

the crew being men,

being confined could...

could create situations...

not usually...

consistent with normal

submarine operations.

What I mean to say.

- We know what you mean, Captain.

We're well acquainted

with the facts of life.

So are the men. I'm just trying to

avoid any exchange of information.

You must...

You must realize that...

submarines are not designed

to be coeducational.

... That is to say...

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