THE SILENT SERVICE

[Music] I'm Rear Admiral Thomas M Tarkas retired in this chapter the silent service we bring you the story of an exploit that occurred early in World War two we choose to tell it because it is an outstanding example of skills perseverance the ability to calculate a risk and to follow it with a command decision I didn't mention nerve this operation required plenty of it but the ship's company of the USS Phil fish had that too on the day our story opens the Spearfish had been on patrol off Luzon in the Philippines for 45 days under the command of Lieutenant Commander James seat Dempsey from Mystic Connecticut he had been a top flight box at Annapolis and he hadn't forgotten how to mix it the executive officer is lieutenant Charles speed Jackson jr. from Van Buren Arkansas the engineering officer was lieutenant M H Austin from Altus Oklahoma figuring that we've got the stay submerged during daytime until we get south of Java it's gonna take us 21 days to make Fremantle Australia I'm commencing to forget what daylight looks like yes you're gonna feel good to get that Sun on our back again yeah my heart's bleeding for you guys I noticed when you're in Port you never get up til the Sun Goes Down how old are you captain I'm 33 what's that done well I thought you might like to go with us sometime it's your age I uh I doubted you could take it that's for sure why I could be 20 years older and outlast you dudes at anything oh now wait a minute captain those Aussies have some games down there they don't even have a main four you know every time I look at the chart of Australia I can just taste that bitter beer how's it captain well it looks like you're gonna have to do your tasting by remote control a little while longer sight disorders have send a corridor tomorrow night to take out some important people rendezvous set for 10 o'clock suppose you could be McArthur I don't know could be let's take a look at the local chart Japanese are running a patrol around the rock that we ought to be able to move in on the surface to a point of about 20 miles for the course asunder we can give us a nice easy running tomorrow somebody yeah leave enough of the boundary to get out again if we don't get a chance to recharge well dive right here Charlie hey pop the chief of the boat knows everything why don't we get back to Australia we don't we why oh I know a rugged or and return the full speed to get there oh that's a mate's on the sailfish you'll beat me to it again they headed for the barn yesterday I'm the one who knows what gives who told you pictures of that same redhead in Fremantle they'll be doing your favor now wait a minute pop I got a great gal there so what everybody else the Spearfish headed for Corregidor under the cover of night since she could cover only about 40 miles submerged without recharging skipper had intended to run the last 20 miles underwater however the enemy had other idea [Music] [Music] you can't be at the diving point already no it's Japanese patrol out of destroyers they see us I don't think Social Security let's take a look they're little on the starboard bow captain I see him [Music] and if smelling your own out there well if they'd seen us they'd be barreling over this way by now yeah you're right well let's go deep knees by them take her down to 250 feet 250 feet high sir 10 degrees down bubble hey daylight in about an hour that means we'll have to stay submerged all the way into the rock now it'll be about 30 miles instead of the 20 we've figured on we'll make it in all right but we can't find a way to charge batteries we're gonna have trouble getting out may not be so bad in there they might even meet us with a brass band hmm ever occur to you they might not meet us at all what do you mean by that captain suppose the Japs captured the rock last week last night even today they'd have a reception for us but it wouldn't be the kind we'd like that's right the barcodes have been captured the Japanese could have sent the message requesting that we pick up these people in the first place it's not like it's possible well know better when we get closer to Corregidor [Music] captain to the conning tower captain to the conning tower captain no Japanese patrol boats up ahead they're more than five miles from Corregidor seems to me if the rock was still in our hands the guns would keep these buzzards further away Oh guns I've got a range of over twice that far maybe that patrol line this morning let us by on purpose it's closing in behind us but this is a trap and we fall into it will be the biggest suckers of the war I've been doing a lot of thinking about this the past couple of hours what you boys say is true but it's not conclusive patrol boats are no threat to the people in the rock they're running low on ammunition they can use it better someplace else well that's sure right but if we get in there and they jump us before we have a chance to recharge the battery we're gonna have some fun getting past these patrol lines on the way out right there's one thing you got to remember charlie if they hadn't needed us the force commander wouldn't vote hurt us in here we gotta take a chance well I just hate to look so fat dumb and happy that's all I'm not going to get caught that way we'll just go deep now and under this next Patrol well we get to the rendezvous point don't settle on the bottom I just hope the Japanese have in mind the area me too I have men standing by to destroy all the secret papers and equipment pop Anderson's reading some extra bunks in the torpedo room by Sai you know the arrangements for destroying the secret matter yes sir I know what no matter what happens up there I don't want you to come topside if the people who board us turn out to be Japanese or if we get shot up I just want you to close the hatches and die this ship must not be captured hi sir no how much batteries we got left no it's well over half gone it'll never take us past the outer patrol line we've got to charge dark in the control room and conning-tower hi sir get the gun crews ready gun crews assembled in the control room got the devil in the control room I can't hear anything captain it's all clear very well everything's ready captain all right let's go Julie surface [Music] [Music] then out here captain honest still a little early yet blink alight on the port beam they're making a recognition signal it's not the right one are you sure yes sir positive standby on the gun is that the Spearfish if that all the Japanese he's from South Nagasaki boy come on side you can start the battery charge now Charlie right captain afford your gentleman Donna's hatch here hey a dame hi it can't be it's just the army arm hello hello hey you know something this is just like hit the jackpot telling me where do we go you know we've been preparing for you girls all afternoon now here's a nice bunk right here yeah right here yeah right here you gentlemen will find your bunks in here you girls follow me we're gonna give you the Chiefs boys all to yourselves oh that sounds nice but what we be taking up too much room well now you haven't seen the Chiefs were dismissed we're all below decks captain the hatches are closed fine Anderson thanks tell the exact to stay right here for a couple of hours what we'll put a charge of the battery summertime army guys move around like my aunt Fenny what do you mean well he wouldn't lift anything heavy nice a she ain't around like dogs we had a good reason to they are dog they're nurses over half of them the rest of my army and navy officers women in a submarine it's bad luck yeah and we got 13 of them 12 army and one Navy Oh we'll never get out of here troll books we got to get out of here secure the charge [Music] [Music] what's that feels like we're sinking Japanese come we dive now I wish I'd stayed on Corregidor having picked up a cargo the submerged submarine now had to work her way past the evening patrol bring her around of course two three five you are heading for our own minefield captain that's right charlie we got there we gotta go right along the edge of it my guess the Japanese know exactly where it is they won't come anywhere near us now I just hope it's where we think it is I'm just as frightened as the rest of you there's nothing we can do about it there's only four bunks now how can 13 of us possibly sleep hey Stuart oh there's some other bunks for us no lady bunks all full captains say all nurses stay here then we can do about it we'll divide the day into three eight-hour periods with four of us sleeping at a time that only makes 12 good 13 others oh well we'll draw a lot whoever gets number 13 has to sleep on the floor I'm so tired I could sleep standing up we ought to turn right now captain what's the course to run parallel to the edge of the minefield 285 bring all right to 285 the patrol boats to stuff their propellers it's working they won't come any closer now I want you to rig the ship for silent running shut down the air conditioning ventilation blowers fans whatever else you can to save electricity we're still gonna have to be lucky to get out of here hi sir are you girls getting along all right fine I'm sorry we just can't spare the electricity to run the air conditioning well we can stand it if you can well there's one thing I can't stand I'm gonna do something about it right now where are those shears I saw haha you know that's an idea here let me help you well as soon as you're through miss would you please come forward I've got some gadgets in the torpedo room I've got to explain to you girls oh thank you we'll be with you in a minute sorry you shouldn't have any trouble with the shower a little wash basin or any of the rest of those gadgets I know it must seem like an awful lot of towels and gauges but they're all plainly marked any questions yeah how long did you say would take us to get the Australia I don't see a thing Charlie maybe this is our chance and I want to have before daybreak we can charge the battery stop long we get some on home tomorrow yeah propeller noise is very 1:05 up scope [Music] take it off 200 feet 200 feet [Applause] you started up the search gear staffing ever had the destroy apparently never knew that she had passed right over the Spearfish but for the submarine the chance to surface and revitalize her air and depleted batteries before sunrise was lost and a surface in those waters and daylight was suicide it was bad enough on the old hands and the passengers were having a rough initiation I haven't had a chance to welcome you girls aboard my name is Dempsey I'm the commanding officer are you comfortable comfortable this heat I've never been so uncomfortable in my life I wish those Japanese would just come and get it over with well I won't really hurt you to be uncomfortable for a little while you know we'd like you've had any sleep for a week yeah captain you've risked your life to take your data there and it sound like I don't appreciate it the last time you did sleep pretty rough out there on the rock none of us is slept much for ten days well you'll feel better when you get your turn in the bunker I don't get one see there's four bunks thirteen but I'm the lucky one I to the floor or why didn't you say so well I'm not dizzy stop it I'll tell you what we'll do I have to be up when we own the surface and enemy waters so I won't be using my buck at night you're welcome to it you need your wrist you just be out of it by 7:00 I'll sleep in the daytime you just don't know how good that sound oh don't worry able to get clear these patrol boats are able to surface and recharge our batteries I won't be using that bunk at all it'll take at least another 18 hours so you're welcome Twitter's right now watch faces there so just make yourself at home at last the welcome cover of darkness descended I don't know how we met it doesn't figure battery company must have built in some good gremlins god bless them let's get some air surface [Music] this fresh air sure feels great and as the smell so get that ethic I'm willing to get used to it well this market down to unexpected pleasures all at fault [Music] yeah who is it Stewart lady oh you want coffee oh here clean clothes oh nice whose are they Cruz then all ladies they take shower now Oh shower that's for me what's the cannon for we on surface no maybe I get seasick [Music] hi permission to come on the bridge rabbit my pretty night so quiet sure is fine night all right real quiet no sign of trouble the best kind yeah I'm the ignorant but just how does trouble show itself well I keep a sharp eye out for smoke for mass planes but usually the first warning comes from the lookouts they can't afford to take their eyes off the ocean for a second up there [Music] under normal circumstances they can normal circumstances guess was pretty rough back there was it was just horrible I can't seem to stop thinking about those guys we left there yeah how close we came to look how do you get used to thing I think you don't get used to it the same way for all of us just have to learn to live with it alright you guys won't see any smokestacks down here right in Oh lettuce I've been waiting six months for this [Music] is Corregidora splendid [Music] when the Spearfish reached the relative safety of the Indian Ocean two phenomena occurred both natural the weather was cooling off and the eternal feminine emerged every time I look at my face I shudder give me the lipstick well I'm sorry it's all gone Oh God well how long do you think one lipstick and lasts with thirteen of us using it well don't worry I'll have the artilleryman make you something out of red left no joking matter it's bad enough to go ashore with cutoff dungarees shorts and then field shoes kimono lipstick they say it's cool in Fremantle at this time of the year - no mr. Jackson says the breezes blow up the river that's right they do maybe we can sneak ashore when it gets dark now how can you disappoint a thousand men you meet a thousand men will be on that dock when we get there why sure maybe more Oh [Music] have the communications officer send that out right away guys [Music] we'll be alongside the dock in one hour All Hands shift to clean uniform of the day of the day you do it with a fashion is now properly uniform the Spearfish finally entered the great ally face and free man goodbye captain we'll never forget you [Music] hmm that's from all of us to the whole ship's company [Music] captain MH Austin United States Navy who is the engineering office of the USS Phil fish is with us and is with a great deal of pleasure that I introduce him to you hello sigh it must make you feel good to think that your ship save those 25 people from the rock yes it was one of the most satisfying things we did in the whole war they must have been a really fine group they were a fine group after hearing what this loon went through on the 10th Craig adore I felt like a submarines were having it easy the women were enduring the same hardships the men were watching out of a helmet and working around the clock when it was necessary the nurses had such a nice life in peacetime that we used to wonder whether they could take it when the going got rough they showed they could throughout the whole war and my hats off to him yes and I'm sure the nation's hat is off to you and the fine crew of the USS Spearfish it has been a real honor to have hat you with us please be with us again when the silent service brings you another exciting submarine story [Music]