Up Periscope Page #3

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Get you on it, get you off

and get you back.

Here are your instructions.

You're to go ashore unseen.

Locate that radio transmitter, undetected.

Leave no evidence,

get the code and photograph it.

Come back to your own ship,

undiscovered.

There's not much to that at all,

is there, sir?

Here's some Japanese language books.

There's a dictionary in there

with a special list of Japanese ideographs.

Noting time, location, ship types,

movement, and geography.

There's also a chart made up

by our own cryptanalysts

on what to look for

and how to recognize it when you see it.

- Commit that to memory and burn it.

- Yes, sir.

Make up an OP plan as soon as possible.

- Submit it to me for approval.

- Yes, sir.

The orders said that

you were picked for this job

because you're the best, Mr. Braden.

I'm to work with you as close as I can.

- Thank you very much, sir.

- What about the crew?

Well, the orders also state

that except for Mr. Braden,

nobody except

the Captain and his Executive Officer

shall know the mission.

If any word of this plan whatsoever

were to leak to the enemy,

he'd change his code

and set up defensive measures.

It would take twice the blood

this invasion should cost.

All right. That's all, Mr. Braden.

One thing more, Mr. Braden.

You don't get captured.

I wouldn't think of it, sir.

Looks like they slipped you

a real hot one this time.

Yeah.

Now, I got a 90-day wonder on my back.

- His job is pretty tough, too.

- Oh, sure, sure.

I'll explain it to the crew.

At beat, they'll owe they hate my guts.

Perfect set-up for a successful patrol.

Just like the last one.

You couldn't help yourself on that one.

Somebody else might have said the hell

with secrecy and shot their way out.

- Well, you're not somebody else.

- Yeah, I know. I sat it out.

That's the way you saw it.

One man lost his life.

I lost an entire crew.

And we had to be the one lousy boat

to be around for this mission.

Oh, you know that isn't so, Paul.

You gotta be the one man

that does it by the book.

Even when it hurts.

That's why you got picked.

Let me ask you something.

If you had been in my shoes,

and you were calling the signals,

how would you have played it?

Played it safe.

I didn't ask you that.

Come on, now. Level with me.

What would you have done?

I think I would've pulled out sooner.

You, the crew and Mrs. Ford.

- I'm sorry, Paul. You asked me.

- Yeah, yeah, I know.

Look, you better explain to the men

this is another recon mission.

Even if they see a hot target,

it's fingers off the trigger, right?

Sure is a real bright day up here.

Looks like you could see a million miles.

Yes, sir. Real bright day.

You figure the Japanese can see us, sir?

That's a good question.

- Sure is a bright day, all right.

- Weary, you've got a broken record.

Yes, sir.

- How come they call you Weary?

- That's my name.

Nickname?

No, sir. My real name.

I'm the youngest of 13 children.

I guess when I was born,

my mother couldn't think of another name.

Anything else for you, gentlemen?

- Not a thing. Thank you.

- No, thank you.

Captain say he was gonna run

surfaced all day?

That's what he said.

Don't worry, you can dive awful fast

if you're scared enough.

It isn't that. It just isn't in the book.

It is in his.

You've been sailing with him long?

I've been his exec over three years.

Not the friendliest type I ever met.

What's eating him?

- He lost a kid last time out.

- I heard about that.

A real nice kid.

- Just married.

- All right, Cy, lets cut it.

Let's bury that last patrol

and keep it buried.

Don't you have a little gardening to do?

Oh, yeah.

Thanks for reminding me.

What's the matter?

He say something wrong?

Good weather. Hope it holds.

How did the Captain take it?

- Take what?

- Losing the kid.

How would you take it?

I don't think I'd sleep very well.

Don't think he does either.

Any further orders you want

in the night order book, sir?

Nothing else, Pat.

Nothing about submerging at dawn?

Nothing, Mr. Malone.

Aye, aye, sir.

- Ready to relieve you.

- It's a pleasure.

Standard speed. Three main engines.

Course 2-0-0.

Right. Anything else I ought to know?

Look at the last page.

How you doing, Lieutenant?

Still cramming for final exams?

I hadn't looked at it quite that way.

You know, all that homework,

it's liable to kill you.

These days, what isn't?

Well, everybody waiting up for daddy?

- That's nice.

- What's topsides?

Still on the surface.

There's nothing in the Captain's night

order book about submerging at dawn.

Say, Lieutenant.

- May I ask you a personal question?

- Why not?

Are you important people?

Only to my mother.

Then how come the skipper is in such

a hurry to get you where you're going?

Is he?

He's got to be.

You ride surface during the daylight,

you're just begging for a little brown bird

to fly over and lay an egg

right down your conning tower.

And I know I'll be just the happy slob

standing there waiting for him.

You sure you're not important people?

Yeah, I'm sure.

Mui-Mui.

- Night, Mount.

- Yeah.

Night, Lieutenant.

Good night, Malone.

Good night, girls.

- You looking for me, Braden?

- About my OP plan, sir.

- Is that it?

- Yes, sir.

Come on in.

No, I will not enter the lagoon.

Fifteen fathoms.

Not in that water.

These back and forth trips are too risky.

I'm sorry, Braden, this won't work.

Do you mind telling me why, sir?

Here's Kusaie Island.

Here's the lagoon

you want me to bring you into.

The entrance could be mined or netted.

They could let us in

and then slam the door in our face.

And on that water,

a plane flying over could spot us

maybe a 100, 150 feet down.

We'd be a nice fat duck in a pond.

They'd have us

for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

That means I'd have to swim in

from the seaward side.

Those coral reefs

can chop a man up pretty bad.

They can chop a submarine up

pretty bad, too.

So far, you got me taking all the risks.

How close to the reefs

will you bring me, sir?

2000 yards.

I won't take my boat in less than

60 feet of water.

- 2000 yards...

- That's right, you heard me.

Captain, that's a pretty good swim.

With all the gear I have to carry,

distance is the kiss of death.

Mr. Braden, I'm concerned about

a $10 million submarine

and the lives of 80 men.

Navy regulations

direct court-martial proceedings

against any commanding officer

who recklessly exposes his ship

or his men to unwarranted danger.

Now, what would you have me do?

Do you mind if we took off the bar, sir,

and just lay this on the table

between you and me?

Yeah, sure. Go ahead.

What do navy regulations

say about a commanding officer

not giving a man proper support

and killing off a mission

before you even start?

I thought you were trained

for this mission, Mr. Braden?

I was trained to do it,

not kill myself on the way in.

You went by the book on your last trip.

You wound up burying a man.

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