THE TIGERSHARK

[Music] oh [Music] [Music] the silent service story you're about to see actually happened in world war ii for reasons that will become obvious the names of the submarine and the men who sailed her have been changed is the story of two extraordinary achievements one by the submarine the other by an individual member of her crew our story starts early in 1944 the ship we will call the tiger shark was in for a routine overhaul this was her last day in port before taking off on a patrol into the san bernardino straits area and some of her crew are at a ship service store aboard a submarine tender for a little last-minute shopping goody stopwatches my so little you didn't see me i'm in a hurry excuse me sir go right ahead can you stop watches he saw the last one just a few minutes ago huntly beat you to it did you just get yourself a stopwatch yeah i got a stopwatch i need it you need it that's right i'm real interested in hearing that mac i'll give you five bucks more than you paid for it it's downright friendly of your mac but it ain't for sale [Music] 10 bucks more who do you think you are come on i wanted i want to shove off mac why are you bothering me are you gonna give me that stopwatch negative now beat it go join the japanese navy all right you guys lay off why don't you be a good joe let him alone i offer him ten bucks extra look itty bitty buddy he don't want cash he wants to watch just like you do only he got to it first you read me [Music] me and guys the navy i had to draw him for a shipmate uh forget it hundley he's a good joe really oh yeah yeah sure it's just got an elephant on his back for some reason i don't know within a few hours tiger shark was underway [Music] you wanted to see me sir how about tompkins oh did you break the news to him yet i wanted to talk to you first tom uh you know the man better night what about him he's not the easiest person in the world to understand one thing for sure though he's a first-rate submariner sub seem to be the one interest he has in life aside from harassing his shipmates you mean you heard about that stopwatch incident at the ship store oh who made this i did i'm sorry sir i uh didn't know haven't come in he should be waiting out there now tompkins [Applause] pumpkins i think you know we've recommended you for a promotion yes sir i was wondering whether you fully understand the responsibility that goes with being a chief in charge i think i do sir i mean in the broader sense stirring up resentment among the crew it reduces their efficiency the energy of every man on board has to be directed toward one thing licking the enemy not 99 of the time but 100 permission to say something sir granted well sir i i've always tried to well try to do what you're telling me but i know it just doesn't come out that way it won't affect my promotion will it sir your promotions already come through just before we get underway your maid chief congratulations thank you sir thank you sir well you're a chief now it's a big opportunity for you now see you make the most of it yes sir [Applause] well i hope i got through to him we might be needing especially clear heads on this patrol he's always had a big urge to be chief now he's made it somebody paid attention to him gave him something he didn't have to take it might just be the turning point oh i hope so expecting a rough one sir well the japanese are riding a lucky streak making the san bernardino straits area pretty hot for submarines [Music] hey you get the hot skinny on topkins you made chief i'm shook that don't bug me i got some hot skinny on the patrol though it's gonna be a doozer well yeah where'd you hear what you hear a skipper in me way like that he's my adopted son you know that well i just hope mr big don't start pulling rank on us that's all we need if we start catching it are you worried about anyway tompkins made sea so the world's coming to an end it could for us on this boat who's to say it's not going to be good for him look at me for foreign joe blow then boom one of the fleet wrestling champions now meet somebody senior grade phil wilson yeah you made chief it gave you confidence see what i mean but tom considers nothing but a license to be a real heavy you like that he still thinks it's funny hey i ain't gonna say you're wrong ernie i just ain't gonna bet either way well take a look at an electric bookmaker senior grade i'm giving six to one even this guy gives us nothing but trouble for the next few days the tiger shark sail tarts are assigned patrol area without incident then on the morning of the 7th of april she approached the japanese-held san bernardino straits what do you got walker i don't know for sure sir well it could be smoke i think it could be one of those little rain squalls what do you think tom a little too far away to be sure sir well we'll know soon enough [Music] hundley hi uh fox schedule come in huh hey look uh dying latest news like they're uh having a rough time back home yeah real rough they look hundley i mean look i i i i uh i shouldn't make me such a federal case out of the stopover it's all right no no no no kidding i mean i said it's all right forget it okay [Applause] how about that trying to bury the hatchet he's a phony inside he's still a stinker you know i don't think it ernie all this milk and honey all of a sudden what do you got spaghetti for brains he's been playing mr i love everybody ever since he made chief maybe the skipper recommended for one officer see the picture yeah anybody fall for it you kidding smoke all right [Music] dive dive [Music] level up [Music] sixty feet fast off [Music] uh-oh convoy three ships escorted by tin can there you go now [Laughter] [Music] [Applause] i'm still [Music] bearing mark zero three three range [Music] mark fifty three hundred timescope [Music] message came in just before you go sir been decoded surgeon orders to evacuate the area immediately they say why sir didn't say they'll contact us saving it for the senior prom or something secure from battle stations secure from battle station top scope have a last look you monkeys must have luck up your smokestack but you got something sir it's a whole task force [Music] it looks like the whole japanese navy cruisers one two three four four columns of two heavies each screened by ten cans one two three four five six of them all two stackers i'll bet they're headed for the marianas tom downstairs yeah we've got a task force of our own there's a big battle going on those monkeys are going in to hit him from the rear we obey orders and evacuate they'll murder our ships [Music] if we stay here surf's in daylight and warning by radio i have to tell you tom we may be signing our own death warrant [Music] the captain of the tiger shark found himself in a position no commander would envy face to face with the choice between sacrificing the tiger shark or exposing our ships in the marianas to an undetected attack from the rail [Music] top scope see what they're doing changing course maybe you know i doubt it holding course alright for [Music] 150 feet rig for depth charge [Music] leveling off 150 feet [Music] the depth charges started to come thick and fast no time now to think about making decisions there was only one thought aboard the tiger shark survival [Music] as explosions came closer and closer tompkins tried once again perhaps for the last time he thought to make peace with his shipmates ernie yeah look i i've been thinking you know maybe we won't come out of this so so take it with you the kind of guy you've been let it eat you you don't come to me for any pastor heaven ernie i'm just trying to i mean you guys oh why don't you dry up huh all right drop that and that goes through the rest of you too i understand me i don't need any of you so don't talk to me anymore you hear me do you hear me [Music] finally the depth charge attack eased off and with it detention but now the need to make that decision stared the captain in the face and if you'd have asked him he would have told you he'd prefer the depth charges well the planes are gone the three airfields in the area will be gone for very long we're staying tom aye aye sir i don't mind telling you i don't like sending men up to die without a fighting chance this is one time i'm glad i'm not the captain well the least i can do is tell them what the score is this is the captain recited the big task force up there i guess you know their air cover spotted us and sent down its regards but what i wanted to tell you is this that task force is sneaking up behind our ships of the marianas they wipe them out unless we can get a message through warn them what's coming now when we surface it's going to be rough very rough in fact if any of you pray we can use all the help we can get player up 60 feet here's a message for the force commander urgent large enemy task force sighted latitude 1250 north longitude 124 45 east course zero eight five speed 16 knots apparently headed marianas i haven't code that get it off as soon as we surface aye sir and so the tiger shark made her first move towards the surface it wasn't going to be that easy however high speed screws bearing 337. turn on your speaker sound 60 feet sir hot scope [Music] [Applause] redestroys coming down fast [Music] directly over us sir take her up to periscope [Music] 60 feet sir [Music] radio will start sending soon as we surface if we have a service of pinning us down farmers and destroyers high speed screws coming back sir if we don't get the message off soon it'll be too late for the tiger sharks crew the deadly game of captain mouse was harrowing so much more so because there was little hope at the game's end all right we'll try again periscope [Music] 60 feet sir they're not so dumb what is it sir guess what i was afraid of task force going out of the marianas left the planes and cans to pin us down here well i've had it radio ready with the message coded and ready sir and here we go surface [Music] and so at 0 9 46 on the 7th of april 1944 the die was cast the tiger shark started for what by all odds had to be eternity there would be no turning back this time whatever there was to meet her on the surface so it would be she was a sitting duck the coated message of warning went out the moment the tiger sharks antenna saw daylight once twice and again and again because for some reason there was no acknowledgement no answer from headquarters nowhere to indicate they had heard the crew waited 72 men holding their breath time was running out but still no answer from headquarters to make the sacrifice to save their ships was one thing but to die without being able to warn them to give your life for nothing that was a bitter pill top side however the situation was surprisingly quiet it seemed the enemy destroyers and bombers were suddenly convinced they'd scared the tiger shark off and they were heading to rejoin their task force it looked like a prayer from the submarine had been absent but the enemy must have prayed too right [Music] a deep breath charge left full rudder [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the enemy farmer scored a rare direct hit and the tiger shark was settling fast i'll take a look through the boat sir [Music] the lieutenant hadley got no further than the control room with lieutenant walker the diving officer too badly injured to carry on the executive officer took over his station by the time the tiger shark was passing a depth of 280 feet the damage reports started to come in all compartments report damage sir forward engine room pressure hull dished inboard rudder jammed hard to port motor room taking water fast pressure hole on the cruise washroom dished inboard main induction drains show a full stream by all the standards of logic and engineering that should have been the end of the tiger shark but somehow she managed to cling tenaciously to life while the crew fought valiantly keeping their heads as they did their jobs watch your bubble watch the controls particularly lieutenant hadley who had accomplished the impossible by leveling off the boat [Music] then another report came through and it had the sound of doom [Music] fire in the maneuvering room lost fine in the moving room sir all car lost without power the tiger shark could only change her buoyancy and hope that she would neither sink to crushing depths nor pop into view on the surface there seemed to be no possible chance of regaining power the maneuvering room where the repairs had to be made was filled with a thick phenolic smoke poison but the poisonous smoke didn't stop tompkins with complete disregard for his own safety he insisted on staying in the compartment alone to make the repairs at least to try no man should have been able to stand it but chief electricians made pumpkins did somehow though actively and violently ill tompkins kept working repairing and replacing burned out wiring doing whatever was necessary to regain power on the shafts [Music] maneuvering home reports that you yes sir good boy [Music] with power on one of the shafts the tiger shark was able to crawl away from the scene of the disaster and head for home [Music] how are we doing catherine make it back to port with a little luck she's a good ship tough captain's recommending you for the navy cross tompkins [Music] well you saved the boat and everybody on board a couple of boys here like to see you [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] me and huntley we're uh we're a committee chosen to represent the crew we want to say that we appreciate this [Music] what we want to say is that you're a pretty great guy no kidding [Music] we've got a present for you [Music] stop watching get better fast kid huh looks like he might be all right now tom [Music] he's got an attention and something he didn't have to battle for and it came from where accounts captain the crew [Music] i'll be back in a moment the action of the man we call tompkins is considered one of the most outstanding examples of selfless devotion to duty in the annals of our navy those who knew the conditions under which he worked considered them virtually beyond human endurance his action will serve as an inspiration and a guide to generations of future submariners please join us again for another true story of the silent service [Music] future [Music] underneath [Music] underneath [Music] foreign