Run Silent Run Deep Page #4

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(radar bleeps)

Four...

...five...

...six.

It's a convoy all right, sir.

Bearing 3-2-0 relative.

Sounds like a whole lot of 'em, sir.

- Cullen.

- Aye aye, sir.

I have the dive. Depth: 60 feet.

- Forward torpedo room ready, sir.

- We're undetected, sir.

Aft torpedo room manned and ready.

We're dead ahead of the convoy.

What firing position shall we take?

Captain?

Take her down, sir?

Take her down to 100 feet.

Five degrees down bubble.

Take her to 100 feet.

Secure from battle stations

when we level off.

- Come right to course 2-8-0.

- Right to course 2-8-0, sir.

Very well. Mr Cartwright,

take over the conn.

Yes, sir.

What's he doing? What's going on?

- Give me a line on course 2-8-0.

- Sir?

- A line on course 2-8-0 now!

- Aye aye, sir.

- What's the skipper up...

- Later, Beckman.

- Start levelling off.

- Aye aye, sir.

There it is. You might as well post it.

A whole area to patrol and you pick

the graveyard - the Bungo Straits!

It's the only place we can get the Akikaze.

The one spot you're ordered to avoid.

You make it sound like

a snap decision. It wasn't.

That's quite obvious. Passing

a Jap submarine to save your torpedoes.

Risking a bow shot. Ducking a convoy

so they can't radio our position.

You planned it, all right! You knew it

the day I came to your house!

I knew it before that, Jim. I knew it

a year ago when my boat went down.

We have explicit orders. We have a crew

that expects the captain to follow them!

You know that a captain

can redefine orders...

...if he feels he has an advantage.

- What advantage?

- You named it. A bow shot.

We did it with a Momo.

We can do it again.

You call that an advantage when

four subs before us never had a chance?

They were detected.

Not even Pearl knows where we are.

What about the Japanese navy?

No, sir, that's no advantage.

Not in my book.

But you're not the captain.

If you should fail

but come out of this alive...

...there won't be a desk

small enough for you this time!

That's strange, Jim.

I never even thought of failing.

You've got a lot of guts, sir,

with other people's lives.

That's my decision and my responsibility!

To whom? To a crew

that died a year ago?

Yes! To a dead crew, a dead sub!

Now, believe what you want.

Well, this crew's still alive.

They have a right to know where

they're going. Do I have to tell them?

What's the matter? Surely

you've got guts enough for this, too.

This is the Captain.

Due to conditions of special advantage...

...I have decided to take this boat

to the Bungo Straits.

Bungo Straits, broad on the port beam.

We're there.

Bungo Straits.

We're at the Straits.

Bungo Straits.

Bungo Straits.

Bungo Straits.

We're there. We're in the Straits.

If I'd only been born on the 8th.

Uh, see you a moment, sir?

- What is this?

- We, uh... want to talk to you, Jim.

- I looked through the Navy rules.

- We want you to take over.

That's very flattering, gentlemen.

Let's go. Everyone outside.

- They're Navy orders!

- What right...

A captain's right. That's all he needs.

We might as well

make up our minds now.

- We'll follow his orders.

- Where? To the bottom?

If that's what he's got in mind,

that's where we'll go.

This boat - any boat - has one captain.

Is that right, Kohler?

Yes, sir.

- Is that right, Mr Cartwright?

- Yes, sir.

Let's break this up.

Mr Cartwright, with all due respect

to your rank...

...may I say that I think you're an ass?

I see by this report that

you called Mr Cartwright an ass.

- Yes, sir.

- An officer?

That's right, sir.

- Mueller, you're a damn fool.

- Yes, sir, I know.

But as long as I overheard,

you might as well know, too.

They wanted Mr Bledsoe to take over.

- He put an end to that fast.

- He would.

- Would you tell me something?

- If I can, sir.

- Am I a damn fool, too?

- Sir?

Mr Bledsoe seems to think I am,

and I have a great respect for his opinion.

Maybe you have to be, Captain,

to do something like this.

You nailed that Momo with a bow shot.

Why not the Akikaze?

The Akikaze never misses, Mueller. Never.

Well, he will this time, sir.

Is that a classified opinion

or am I at liberty to repeat it?

It's a fact, sir.

A fact they'll all realise

at Bungo Pete's funeral!

(radar bleeps)

(alarm)

(radar operator) Convoy

now bearing 3-1-3. Range 7,000 yards.

Are we gonna set up

on the leading ship, sir?

That's a decoy. Shallow craft.

Used to draw fire away from the convoy.

You could shoot ten fish.

They'd only run under it.

There! There she is,

pulling up to the convoy!

- The Akikaze.

- Yes.

She'll keep astern of both columns

until they zig.

Look at her cut through there!

Must be making 30 knots!

Doesn't stay in position long enough

to give you a target.

Not unless he's coming toward you.

Take over in the conning tower. Track

the next-to-last ship in the port column.

We'll give you a bearing.

Right standard rudder!

Very well.

This is the Captain. The convoy we've

been waiting for is on our starboard bow.

The plan of attack is as follows.

First, we'll strike a freighter going in.

If that doesn't bring

the Akikaze toward us...

... we'll attack the freighter nearest him.

When the Akikaze does head toward us,

we'll dive and give him two fish...

... at 1500 yards, just like the Momo.

Let's go! All ahead standard.

- All ahead standard, sir.

- Very well.

How's the target course

and speed check with the TDC?

Course checks. Speed, one knot slower.

Plane contact, sir.

(bleeping)

Captain, radar's picked up enemy planes.

Lookouts, planes coming in.

Watch for them.

Aye aye, sir.

- 15 miles. Range closing.

- Planes 15 miles. Range closing.

They're closing fast, sir.

- Planes closing fast, sir.

- The Japs must've known we were here.

We're going in according to plan.

Give me the setup.

- Stay on that freighter.

- Aye aye, sir.

(Jim) Range on freighter 2,000, sir.

Track 70, gyro 20 right.

- Recommend firing course 2-9-7.

- Come right to 2-9-7.

- Right to course 2-9-7, sir!

- Planes six miles.

- They'll be on us in a minute.

- Stand by.

Ready on tubes 1 and 2.

Outer doors open. Standing by.

Range 1800 yards.

- Commence firing.

- Fire 1.

- Fire 1.

- Fire 1.

- 1 has been fired.

- 1 fired, sir.

- 1's away. Fire 2.

- Fire 2.

Fire 2.

- 2 has been fired.

- 2 is fired, sir.

- 2's away.

- Make ready stern tubes!

- Make ready stern tubes.

- Make ready stern tubes.

- Aircraft now one mile.

- Come to course 0-8-9.

Coming to course 0-8-9!

Very well. Time check on first torpedo.

Five seconds... four...

Both fish hit. She's headed down.

Stern tubes ready, sir.

Aircraft range steady.

Appear to be circling overhead.

- Right full rudder, all ahead flank.

- Right full rudder, all ahead flank.

Shift target to Akikaze.

He's coming on. Bearing coming down.

(radar bleeps)

- Bearing 2-5-0.

- 2-5-0, sir.

(rapid bleeps)

Radar to bridge. Aircraft returning.

Range 4,000. Tubes 3 and 4 ready.

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