Stand by for Action Page #9

trouble, Mr. Masterman.

I'm sorry there isn't more we

can do for you, Mrs. Collins.

Why, you're doing everything.

I think you've been wonderful.

If we could only get you

aboard the Chattanooga.

She carries a doctor.

Are you scared?

Yes. I'm scared to death.

But I keep thinking of Steve.

My husband.

He's been scared lots of times,

but he keeps on fighting.

That's the least I can do.

Well, if it's any help, you've

got all hands aboard the Warren

fighting with you.

How can I lose?

Yes, sir?

Tell Lieutenant Dudley

I wish to see him.

- Aye aye, sir.

- Yes, sir?

Is there any word

from the Warren?

- No sir. - What's the

matter with Roberts?

Didn't you signal him

to keep us informed?

- Yes, sir.

- Well, signal him again.

Tell him I want to know

what progress is being made.

Aye aye, sir.

Well, Doctor? Well?

I have everything

organized, sir.

- Well in hand.

- Sit down.

After I ask the Warren

a few questions,

- I'll be able to advise.

- What kind of questions?

Well, I'll have to know the lady's age,

height, weight, and physical condition.

And I must know if this

is her first child

- and whether or... - The Warren makes a

simple request for some medical advice

and you answer with a demand for a

detailed history of the lady's life.

Well, how can I give intelligent instructions

if I don't know the case history?

Doctor, a short while ago

another baby was born

on the Warren with the

assistance of a Carpenter's Mate

who didn't even know

the patient's name.

I remember now when the ship's cat

had kittens you lost your head.

That should've warned me.

As I reminded you, sir. I am a

naval surgeon aboard a war ship.

War ship or not, a woman is

having a baby over on the Warren,

and I am having a

nervous breakdown!

All right, Joe.

How is she?

Worse.

It's too bad.

After all, sir, Chip's is

only the ship's carpenter,

and this is a destroyer,

not a maternity hospital.

I'm sorry there isn't something

more we can do to help her.

There is something

you can do, sir.

Transfer her to the Chattanooga,

get her in the hands

of a real doctor.

That's the one thing

we can't do.

We'd have to bring the Warren

and the Chattanooga to a stop.

That would be inviting disaster.

I keep thinking of

that girl's husband,

inviting disaster every

time he flies his ship

off the deck of that carrier.

I'd hate to tell him that the Navy considers

saving the life of his wife and baby

- to great a risk. - Masterman,

he's doing a job. So are we.

Yeah, I know. Can't make

decisions based on sentiment...

Or humanity.

Yes?

From the Warren, sir.

"Report Mrs. Collin's condition

critical. Request instructions."

- Ah. - If she could only

be transferred here...

No, no, no, that's impossible. I cannot

jeopardize a 30 ship convoy and it's escort.

Well, in that case,

we may as well turn in.

- Must be almost dawn.

- Turn in?

Stone, have you

ever been a father?

- Why, no sir.

- Well, you should've been.

And perhaps you could've helped

her with this launching.

You talk about this baby

as though it were a ship.

Well, it's practically

the same procedure.

If a ship hangs on the ways,

you give her a start with a good

sound thump from an oak timber.

That's it. A thump!

- But I can't see that... - Did you know

that in the days of the sailing ships

in the British Navy, the sailor's wives

often went along on the old frigates

and when a woman couldn't bring

off a launching by herself,

the gunner always started

with a salvo to Lord.

Oh, that old superstition.

Yes, I've heard those

yarns from old timers.

You mean some

old fogeys like me.

- Oh, no sir. - Do you presume

to call one of the oldest

naval traditions superstition?

Well sir, if you really

think it'd do any good.

Why don't you give the Warren

the order to fire a gun to Lord.

No, no. That'll reveal our

position to the enemy.

And the safety of the convoy

must come before one life.

Even a woman's.

- Yes.

- Enemy aircraft sighted...

Enemy aircraft sighted, sir!

Listen...

We've been hit!

Standby for action!

Did you hear that?

We're in action!

I gotta get to my station!

Steady, Johnson, steady.

Look sir,

the flagship's been hit.

Enemy aircraft headed

for convoy, sir.

Set fuses to three.

Range, 2-5-0-0.

Scale, 8-2.

- Fuse set!

- Set!

- On target!

- Rapid fire, commence firing!

Masterman's right on his target.

On target!

On target!

One for us!

Lindsay, right full rudder!

On target!

On target!

- They got him, sir!

- Nice shooting.

That's one clay pigeon that

won't shoot back at anybody!

The flagship's out

of control, sir!

Ludlow, what's the matter

with our aircraft lookout?

Well, the plane glided in

above the fog,

and when first sighted,

he was already diving.

- What's our damage? - We should

have a full report in a moment, sir.

Ship's Damage Control Officer

reports our plane catapult disabled

and steering near

out of control, sir.

Do something, confounded!

Can't stay here all day

with my stern shut off.

That plane was launched

from an enemy capital ship

that's somewhere out here

in this blasted fog!

We're doing all we can, sir.

- Your coat, sir.

- Nice kettle of fish.

Hit in the tail with a sneak

punch by a slant-eyed Beelzebub.

Enemy battleship sighted, sir.

On the starboard bow.

Jap. Ishamoto Class.

- Ludlow, commence firing.

- Aye aye, sir.

A Jap battleship.

All my life I've been

praying for a crack

at one of those

pagoda masted buzzards.

And here I am winged

in the tail,

sailing in circles like

a blasted merry-go-round.

- Signal the convoy to scanner.

- Aye aye, sir.

Signal the Warren,

I'm out of control.

- Yes sir.

- Shot in the rear.

- Yes sir. - Don't put

that last in the message.

Oh no, sir.

Shot at us with

their first salvo!

Let them have it, Ludlow!

Radio from the Chattanooga.

She's out of control.

That puts it up to us.

Mr. Lindsay, I'm going ahead,

full speed.

Tell the engine room

to make smoke,

we lay a smoke screen between

the Jap and the convoy.

- Aye aye, sir. - We reverse course

to the left standard rudder.

Left standard rudder, sir.

Look, sir! Through that

break in the fog!

The Warren's reversing her

course!

They've opened on the Warren

with a secondary battery!

Roberts is covering

with a smoke screen!

- Guns 1, 2, 4 commence firing!

- Guns 1, 2, 4 commence firing!

Duck!

Load!

Ready, one!

Four, ready!

- Send for me, sir?

- Yes, Masterman.

Here's my plan of attack.

The enemy's forced it's carrier

directly into the convoy.

Yes, sir.

I'm going to cease firing.

In two minutes,

reverse our course again,

parallel to our smoke screen.

Then cut through and give her a surprise,

and give her every torpedo we've got!

She's a battleship, she'll

blast us out of the water!

- Almost certainly. - What

about the women and children?

This isn't only a destroyer,

it's a floating nursery.

I know... but in a

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