Stand by for Action Page #4

I applied for re-enlistment on the

Warren, sir, in my old ranking and...

...and was accepted, sir.

With the help of

Mr. Masterman, sir.

Mr. Masterman?

You didn't, by any chance, suggest

that Johnson dye his hair, did you?

Your orders were to get

experienced men, sir.

And you can't run

a navy on sentiment.

Hm.

Congratulations.

Very becoming.

Thank you, sir.

"By authority of the

Secretary of the Navy,

contained in order

of May the 21st, 1942,

I hereby re-commission

the USS Warren

in the naval service

of the United States

and deliver her to her

commanding officer."

USS Warren is placed in commission

and is delivered to you, sir.

I accept command, sir.

Divisions right and left, face!

Sound off.

Divisions right and left, face!

Mr. Masterman, set the watch.

Aye aye, sir. Set the

watch, first section!

Aye aye, sir.

Set the watch!

First section!

Set the watch, first section.

Officers and men,

your ship, the Warren,

is now commissioned by the United

States to fight our enemies.

You make up it's crew.

Regulars, reservists,

recruits...

as you pull together,

as you become a smoothly

functioning machine,

as through your spirit,

you make this ship live...

so will our country live.

For the time,

we must fight

this generation's war

partly with last

generation ships.

The Warren is old,

called back out of its honorable

retirement to fight again,

but it is a glorious ship

with a great history.

There was another old ship

in the United States Navy,

practically falling apart.

She fought in action with a

brand new, blue ribbon frigate.

When she was shot to pieces,

on fire,

dismasted,

the captain of the enemy

frigate hailed her,

to ask if she had

struck her colors.

Her answer to that question

has been the number one

watchword of the American Navy

for a 150 years.

You may remember her name...

the Bonhomme Richard.

Captain John Paul Jones,

a farmer's son, commanding.

Her answer was,

"I have not yet begun to fight."

Request permission to

leave the ship, sir.

Permission granted, sir.

- Happy cruise, Roberts.

- Thank you, sir.

- Happy cruise, Masterman.

- Thank you, sir.

Salute.

Clear the side.

Leave to quarters.

The old man thinks so much

of the Bonhomme Richard,

it's a wonder he didn't

send us out to sea on her.

You don't think so much

of the Warren, do you?

Frankly, no sir. And I have the

feeling that you don't either.

Mr. Masterman, to me,

John Paul Jones is the greatest

hero in naval history.

Yes, sir.

Perhaps he didn't think so

much of the Bonhomme Richard.

But she was his ship.

The Warren is your ship.

You're her executive officer

and navigator.

Yes sir.

When this shakedown

cruise is over,

perhaps you can get yourself duty

that will be more to your liking.

For now, prepare to

get underway at 1100.

Aye aye, sir.

Tell the engineering officer

to light off his other

two boilers as soon as

- we're through the gates.

- Yes, sir.

Now we're bearing

two-four-six.

Mr. Masterman,

if you must smoke the pipe,

would you mind standing

the lower, hereafter?

Oh, sorry, sir.

Noon, sir. Mark.

Seventy-nine degrees.

Thirty-two minutes.

Ten seconds.

You know, Masterman, you're

a pretty good navigator.

Thank you, sir.

This is a lot different

then that chromium-plated

luxury-laden racing barge

of yours, isn't it?

Well, the accommodations

were much better.

One always had that

comforting feeling

that she'd hold

together in a blow.

- Masterman.

- Yes, sir?

As soon as the sky's clear,

we'll have anti-aircraft drill.

We've had one every day

since we've been out.

We'll still have anti-aircraft

drill, Mr. Masterman.

Aye aye, sir.

Ammunition ready?

Release number one!

- Release number one!

- Aye aye, sir.

Use 2.0, range 7-5-0,

scale 1-0-1.

- Use, set!

- Set!

Load!

- Ready!

- On target.

Commence firing!

Release number two!

Release number three!

Use 2.2, range 8-5-0,

scale 1-0-4.

- Use, set!

- Set

- Ready!

- On target!

Resume fire!

Use 2.5, range 1-0-0,

scale 1-0-5.

- Use, set!

- Set!

- Ready!

- On target!

Resume fire!

- Nice shooting, sir.

- Fine.

Cease fire and secure.

- Cease firing and secure.

- Aye aye.

- Use 2.8... - Captain says cease

firing and secure the batteries, sir.

- Cease firing and secure.

- Aye...

Nice work, men.

Come in, Masterman.

Battery's secured, sir. Three

rounds expended, no casualties.

Very well. Sit down.

Thanks, sir.

Smoke?

No thanks, sir.

But...

Oh...

You know, the drill went

much smoother today, Masterman.

- Nice shooting.

- Not very exciting, sir.

Like shooting clay pigeons.

It doesn't get exciting

until the clay pigeons

start shooting back at you.

The sooner the better, sir.

If it happens,

I think we'll be ready.

You know, we've accomplished

a lot the past two weeks.

The Warren's beginning

to shake down now.

She's becoming a war ship.

You couldn't want a better crew.

You're being a little

optimistic, sir.

Mr. Masterman,

there've been a couple of times

when I thought I detected

a slight flaw in your schooling.

If you mean I'm not a graduate of the

"Pollyanna" school, you're right.

I don't know what they

taught you at Harvard,

but the Navy teaches a man

to do the best possible job

with whatever tools are at hand.

I suppose that's from

John Paul Jones too, sir.

No, that's from

Martin J. Roberts.

Yes sir.

- Come in.

- I beg your pardon, sir,

but the radio operator

just picked up this message.

"SOS from SS Lancaster

to all ships.

Being shelled by

enemy submarines,

position latitude 27'45 North.

Longitude 140'36 West."

Mr. Masterman, this is

no longer a shakedown cruise.

Plot this position. Give me the

course and distance to the Lancaster.

Johnson? Tell the

engineering officer

to light off

his other two boilers.

- Prepare for full power.

- Aye aye, sir.

There's a glow in the horizon.

Two points in the starboard bow.

Looks like a fire, sir.

Nothing but burning

oil on the water.

Guess that's all that's

left of the Lancaster.

- Shall we stop the engine, sir?

- Stop the engine?

Mr. Masterman, the sub

that sank the Lancaster

is out there somewhere

right now, waiting. For us.

The Warren at a standstill

silhouetted against that glare

- would be a perfect target.

- Yes, sir.

Come left 10 degrees of course, we'll

search the area for survivors.

Aye aye, sir.

Yes, Mr. Secretary.

No, Mr. Secretary.

Yes, Mr. Secretary.

No, Mr. Secretary.

Goodbye, Mr. Secretary.

That's what I like

about the telephone.

It gives a man a chance

to express himself.

- Yes, sir.

- See that those orders are carried out immediately.

Yes sir.

Well Dudley, what is it?

Message from the

Chief of Operations, sir.

- Read it.

- Yes sir.

"You are relieved of your duties as

Commandant of the Navy Yard of this state."

- What? - "And are directed to

proceed to Pearl Harbor immediately

to assume command of

East Bound Convoy.

Now assembled in Honolulu."

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