The Enemy Below Page #3

---

Like every other civilian in the war,

I had to learn a new way to think.

Why did you change over to the navy?

The freighter I was on

was cut in half by a torpedo.

Thought I'd be

on the shooting end for a change.

Captain.

- Captain, aye?

- Target's increased speed to 13 knots, sir.

Ring up a compensating speed, Mr. Ware.

Aye aye, sir. All engines

ahead standard, 203 rpm, sir.

Very well.

Well, in time we'll all

get back to our own stuff again.

The war'll get swallowed up

and seem like it never happened.

Yes, but it won't be the same as it was.

It won't have that feeling of permanency

that we had before.

- We've learned a hard truth.

- How do you mean?

That there's no end

to misery and destruction.

You cut the head off a snake,

it grows another one.

You cut that one off, you find another.

We can't kill it because

it's within ourselves.

You can call it the enemy if you want to,

but it's part of us. We're all men.

I suppose there is some reason

to lose hope, but I reject it.

I have a family,

and I want something better for them

than war, and I think it's possible.

Have you any children, Captain?

- No.

- Married?

I married a girl in England.

She was killed.

Bombers?

No. When the war broke out, I got passage

for her on my freighter for home -

the one that was torpedoed in half.

I was aft when it happened. I watched

the other half of the ship just slide away.

There wasn't anything

I could do about it.

I saw her run out on the foredeck,

and I heard her call my name,

then that half of the ship

just turned over and went down.

We hadn't been married very long.

Ring up the fire room.

Tell 'em we're making smoke.

- I don't wanna see that at dawn.

- Aye aye, sir.

You got more reason than the rest of us

to wanna catch this submarine.

- It might be the one that... - It might be,

but this isn't my private war.

I'm just doing what I have to do.

Like that German captain out there.

I don't like the job,

and maybe he doesn't either.

- Weather from Fleet Weather Control, sir.

- Thank you.

We're moving into a high-pressure area.

We're going to have a clear day.

Set ASW condition one.

All hands, man your battle stations.

All repair parties manned and ready.

Condition able.

- Quartermaster Quiroga at the helm.

- Quartermaster Spencer on annunciator.

Engineering spaces manned and ready.

All boilers on the line.

Maximum speed available, 24 knots.

- Sonar gear manned and ready.

- Magazines manned and ready.

Sky one, mount 33, manned and ready.

Sky one, mount 32,

manned and ready, sir.

- 41, manned and ready.

- Mount 31, manned and ready.

- All guns manned and ready.

- Very well.

- The ship is smart and quick, Mr. Ware.

- We've a willing bunch of boys.

Messenger.

When that U-boat pulls the plug,

code this dispatch for Fleet Operations.

"Have tracked U-boat 130 miles,

bearing 140. Now engaging enemy."

And give our grid position.

Let's get after the target.

Mr. Merry, ring up flank speed.

All engines ahead flank.

I've got him, sir! A conning tower!

Where away?

Three degrees off

the starboard bow. 6,000 yards.

- Main batteries ready?

- Reported ready, sir.

We might get close enough for a shot

before he pops under.

Ship off stern, Herr Schwaffer.

Alarm.

Target diving.

Right ten degrees rudder.

Steady up on 170.

Slow to two-thirds speed.

Slow to two-thirds speed, sir?

It's not necessary

to repeat the order, Quartermaster.

- Aye aye, sir.

- Zigzag, sir?

- Negative zigzag.

- Aye aye, sir.

170 at ten knots.

We're a sittin' duck,

that's what we are.

- We're presenting our beam to the enemy?

- I'm giving him a shot with the stern tubes.

You can't reload those tubes.

We can attack up his tail when we want.

Yes, sir. How will we know

when he's firing, sir?

I'll give him five minutes

to get to emergency depth,

three to come up to periscope depth,

another two minutes

to get us in his sights.

If he's any kind of a captain, he'll spit

the fish out ten minutes from now.

Level.

Seal.

Engine room clear. Forward torpedo room

clear. Aft torpedo room clear.

U- boat all ready for action.

Silent routine.

He is crossing our stern

to starboard, Herr Kapitn.

He does not approach.

I do not understand, Herr Kapitn.

He doesn't zigzag,

and he holds course away from us.

Give them to me.

He is clever, or he is a fool.

Maybe he is too clever, or too foolish.

We'll see. Bring the ship

up to periscope depth.

18 meters, Herr Kapitn.

American escort destroyer.

One stack.

Three-inch guns fore and aft.

Antiaircraft midships. No tubes.

Buckley class destroyer escort.

Maximum speed 25 knots.

Carries stern racks and K-guns.

Capable of dropping 17 patterns.

Carries latest underwater

detection gear.

I think we use the stern tubes.

Ready stern tubes for underwater attack.

Target red 90.

Range 1,000.

- Torpedo speed 30 knots.

- Red 90. 1,000. Speed 30.

Firing position six degrees,

torpedo deflection ten.

Running speed 30, depth two meters.

Fire both torpedoes.

On.

- Yeah.

- On.

On.

- Yeah.

- On. Standing by.

Port six degrees.

Firing position, Herr Kapitn.

Torpedoes ready?

Ready.

- Count.

- Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,

five, four, three,

two, one, zero.

Torpedoes running.

Running time?

One minute, 40 seconds, Herr Kapitn.

Left full rudder.

High-speed propellers

coming in from port side.

Stop port engine.

Starboard engine ahead full.

Torpedoes off the port bow.

All ahead standard.

Stop your swing and steady up.

The Miami yacht races

were never like this.

Hey, Corky. How do you suppose

the captain knew when to turn this old tub?

Because he's the captain,

and that's the reason he is and you ain't.

All right, let's go get 'em. All engines ahead

full. Ring up 18 knots. Steady as you go.

All engines ahead full.

Ring up 18 knots. Steady as you go.

Aye aye, sir.

Down to 100. Emergency.

Steer 140.

I do not see how we missed

at that range.

We shouldn't have.

I think this American captain

is no amateur.

Well, neither am I.

Sonar, Captain.

Commence underwater search.

Make sure it's piped through

onto the bridge speaker.

Aye aye, sir. Lowering sonar projector.

Sonar searching beam to beam, sir.

- Who's on sonar, Mr. Ware?

- Lewis, sir. He's good at the job.

That's him.

Got him, sir.

Keep that open.

Target's still on the old course of 140.

We'll turn to 140

when we're astern of him.

Sonar lash, Herr Kapitn.

He has made contact.

- Do you wish to change course?

- No, not yet.

We wait until he thinks

he has our depth.

- We're gonna be on him pretty quickly, sir.

- Depth-charge party wants depth setting.

Set to 75. But I may want

to alter that before we fire.

Set pattern for 75.

- Set.

- Load.

Loaded.

Range 500, closing fast.

- 300 yards, sir.

- Pattern set to 75, sir.

Stand by to fire.

Port red three. Down to 150.

He's going deeper.

Mr. Ware, reset depth charges to 150.

Aye aye, sir.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes