Operation Petticoat Page #7

Major, my mother had a very

simple outlook on life.

She always said : "never

worry about getting married...

someday you'll turn the right corner

and meet the right man. "

It isn't that easy.

I've been turning corners

for twenty-four years.

You know, I think I

finally turned the right one?

Why go back out in that crowd

and get lost again?

Baby, if you're right, I'm

in more trouble than I figured.

You're 24 and I'm 38.

You know, I might not be

able to make it to the next corner?

Mister...

You've used that uniform for everything but

what the government intended.

Why you got the uniform

is your concern...

... but what it does on this boat

is my business.

From here on, if that uniform leaves

this cabin, don't be in it.

You're confined to quarters.

Battle stations!

- Goodbye!

Boy oh boy.

A sitting duck, sir.

A tanker.

A beaut.

Eight thousand tons at least.

She's riding low, sir.

That means she's still loaded.

Number three tube

is operable, sir.

All we need is one shot.

This boat wasn't meant

to be a virgin, sir.

Eight thousand tons.

Let's go duck hunting.

Down scope.

Load torpedo tube three.

- Load torpedo tube three.

Bearing. Mark.

- Zero-two-six.

Range. Mark.

- Two-three-double-oh.

Down scope.

Fire at 1500 yards.

Tube number three ready, sir.

Outer door closed.

Generated range:
two-one-double-oh.

Open outer door tube three.

- Open outer door tube three.

Open outer door tube three.

Tube number three ready, sir.

- One-nine-double-oh.

Final range.

Mark.

- One-eight-double-oh.

Stand by tube three.

- Stand by tube three.

Captain, it's time for your vitamin.

- Lieutenant, get below.

Damn it, get below!

Have I done anything wrong?

What happened, sir?

We sunk a truck!

Let's get the hell

out of here!

Right full rudder.

All ahead two thirds.

-Take her down to 100 feet.

23 December, 1941.

Sighted tanker, sank truck.

For the first time in my life, I

came close to hitting a woman.

Perhaps I'm giving

way to hysteria...

... but can Lt. Crandall possibly

be a Japanese agent?

Tomorrow we'll be in Cebu and

they'll be the Army's problem.

I'm sorry, Commander.

They are your problem.

I can not take

responsibility for those women...

... not without the proper orders.

Couldn't we forget

regulations this once, Colonel?

Commander, any time the Japanese are

ready, they can overrun this island.

We've been ordered to coordinate

guerrilla action in the hills.

We may be up there for years.

Do you really want

us to take those women?

We'll keep them.

Sir, we will need to see your

Quartermaster to get these...

... supplies to make our repairs.

Supplies? Let me give you

a picture of the situation;...

this cigar... belonged to my

aide, Captain Hopkins.

I stole it while he was sleeping.

Everything worth saving

has been taken up into the hills.

Can I can send some men

into the hills then?

You couldn't get a paper clip with

a requisition from the President.

Without those supplies we won't get out of here.

- Sorry, I wish I could help.

Alright.

Good luck, gentlemen!

We've got to get those supplies!

- I know, I know.

Sorry!

Oh boy!

- Give him a hand.

Major, you and your friends

will remain aboard.

Sir! Sir!

There is only one man who can

do the job, you know who.

Yes, yes. I know.

Mr. Holden.

Yes, sir?

I'm restoring you to duty.

We're having difficulty, I have

to have those supplies.

That's quite a list, sir.

I won't bore you with the problems of command;

I doubt you'll ever have one.

It's inconsistent with the philosophy

of "every man for himself".

"Dog-eat-dog."

- Exactly.

The most unfortunate thing

about command...

is that responsibilities

outweigh the privileges.

If it was just myself, I would tell

what to do with that list.

But my responsibility

is this boat.

To get it out of here

I'd make a pact with the devil.

That's where I come in.

- That's right.

Unless you get these supplies, you'll never

get back to that girl with the railway stock.

That's a pretty good argument.

- I thought it would convince you.

Okay.

Auxiliary induction gear;

generator coils; red lead... Ramon!

Hunkle!

Do you need this?

A priming pump?

- Is that what it is?

Worth a hundred fifty dollars.

- For this?

Here's two hundred dollars.

- Oh, thank you.

What do you want for this?

Twenty.

- Take twenty-five. Hunkle!

You'll have to get in line

like the rest of the guys.

But I have gray paint

in the truck outside.

Twenty-four five-gallon cans.

What about the red lead?

- Two cans. That's all there is on the island.

We need at least twenty.

I can get them white lead.

- We'll take it. How much?

Not a nickel less

than three hundred.

Three hundred?

He drives a hard bargain!

Here's three hundred, and fifty

dollars on the house. Kraus!

Unload the paint and

steal the truck.

Excuse me, sir.

- Wait a minute.

We don't have any money, how

will we pay if someone wins?

With those tables

and those dealers?

Master inverted reducing valve.

Two hundred and fifty dollars.

Next!

What you have you got, son?

Carry on.

31 December, 1941.

Holden has reached new heights

in the art of scavenging.

Like a spider in a web,

he sits there...

... and their victims come to him

like flies bearing gifts.

He is the only man I know...

who will probably be presented

the Navy Cross at his court martial.

Chief, this is a terrible color.

- It makes me kind of sick.

More canned fish.

Yes. What a way to celebrate

New Year's Eve.

Sir...

We're mixing those paints...

but I don't think you're going to like it.

We don't have much choice.

We haven't enough of either

one to do the whole job.

It's a pretty strange color

to paint government property.

Don't let it throw you, Mo.

We're going to color gray anyway.

- Yes, sir.

Mr. Holden wasn't

at the casino.

Mr. Stovall...

hereafter you will refer to

the casino as the supply depot.

Where did he go?

He and Hunkle took off in the truck,

They're not expected back until late.

Boy, that casino is really...

I mean...

... seems to be a lot of activity

at the supply depot, sir.

Hunkle, did you see

what I saw?

I don't know, sir.

What?

Come on.

That's New Year's dinner.

- That?

We're going to shop around.

Come on.

What do we do?

No, that's not quite right.

The white one!

That's what I call

a pig.

I'll go around the back. Go

in the front and distract him.

And how do I do that?

Talk pig talk.

- How do you talk pig talk?

Didn't you talk pig

when you were a kid?

No, too high.

Low, deep in your throat.

That's too deep.

Right in the middle.

Now with affection.

Okay, call the pig.

Look, there he is.

Get behind him.

Behind him!

Hurry!

Open the cab!

Open the door, come on!

Come on!

- Looks like a wheelbarrow.

Come on, Hunkle, grab him!

Lift him up!

Grab him!

Get in! Get in!

Grab him!

- Okay.

What are they stopping for?

It's a roadblock.

What are we going to do?

I don't know.

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