"Spring, 1942" "Hitler's U-boats wreak havoc in the North Atlantic sinking over 1,000 Allied ships and threatening to destroy the supply line from America to England." "Unable to crack the new U-boat radio codes, the allies struggle blindly against the German onslaught." "Enemy speed, 8." "Angle to the bow, 60." "Enemy speed, 8." "Angle to bow, 60." "Enemy speed, 8." "Angle to bow, 60." "Mark is set." " Depth is set." " Depth is set." " Range, 500." " Range, 500." "Within firing range." "Torpedo speed, 35 knots." "Torpedo speed, 35 knots." "Spread shots from tubes 1 and 4." "Tubes 1 and 4 are ready." "Tubes 1 and 4 are ready." "Ready..." " Fire!" " Fire!" "Torpedoes launched." "5, 4, 3, 2, 1..." "Contact." " Yes!" " Yes!" "Great shot, Captain." "Yes, gentlemen." "We broke their back, gentlemen." "Fast screws!" "Bearing 1-8-0!" "A destroyer!" "Down to 90 meters quickly!" "Both motors full ahead!" "Seal torpedo hatches!" " Starboard rudder, 20!" " Starboard rudder, 20!" "Starboard rudder, 20." "Check all hull openings!" "Come about." "Passing 200 degrees." "45 meters." "Fast dive, Captain." "Both hydroplanes, please." " Bearing?" " Steady at 220 degrees." "Contact drawing right." "Port engine stop." "Port engine stop." "Port engine stopped." "Port engine half back." "Depth charges!" "Hold on." "The Tommies are crapping all over us." "Careful, that's fuel leaking!" "Stop that leak!" "She's dropped to 120 meters, Captain!" "Blow all tanks!" "Surface!" "Surface!" "Everything clear!" "Lookouts to the bridge!" "Diesel room, answer me!" "I need a damage report, Hans!" "They're all dead, Captain." "All our mechanics." "The Chief Mechanic, the fat kid, the whole engine crew." "All dead." "Port exhaust hatch broke." "Port diesel is flooded." "Crankcase is full of seawater." " Starboard diesel..." " ..." "Seized 2 days ago." " What about my batteries?" " Damaged." "300 amps bow, 200 stern." "It's useless!" "We have only enough power to dive and maybe maneuver." "Thank you, Hans." "Pass the word to conserve electricity." " Radioman!" " Captain?" "To Berlin:" "Location 85-32." "Diesel engines out." "Electric motors only." "Send help." "There he is!" "Hey, Andy!" "Where've you been?" "It's an all-hands function." "Come here." "I want you to meet Joanie." " Joanie, this is Andy Tyler." " Hello." " He's my best friend." " Hi." " We went to Annapolis together." " Nice to meet you, Joanie." " A pleasure to meet you." " Hey, I got you one of Larson's stogies." " To our navy's next sub skipper." " Thank you." "Lieutenant!" "You're gonna hoist up a few beers with the enlisted boys later?" " You got it, Griggs." " All right." "Mr. Tyler!" "Mr. Tyler!" "My mom is here visiting." "Can I bring her over to meet you?" "Sure thing, Trigger." "Sure thing." "That's the lieutenant I was talking about." "Lieutenant Tyler!" "Hello there, Prudence, Louise, Mrs. Dahlgren, Captain." "Where's your date, Andy?" "It's not like you to arrive stag like this." "I'm afraid I couldn't get one on such short notice, ma'am." "Captain, could I have a word with you?" "Certainly." "Darling, will you excuse us?" " Okay." " Be right back." "I didn't get my boat." "I know." "With all due respect, sir, there's only one way that could've happened, and that's if you withheld your recommendation." "That's right." "I just don't think you're ready." "What do you mean, I'm not ready?" "Sir, I have worked my tail off on the S-33." "I'm qualified in every area and then some." "No executive officer has higher marks than I do, Captain." "Andy!" "You're just not ready to take on a command of your own." "Now I've made my decision." "It's done." "Mr. Tyler!" "How're you doing, sir?" " Having a good time?" " Hell, yeah, Chief." " How about you?" " I'm looking forward to getting underway." "I'm a sea dog." "Need some salt, sir." "He torpedoed me, Chief." "9 months aboard the S-33." "Doing the best job I know how." "Doing everything once and then doing it again, just to make sure I didn't miss anything the first time." "You'll get your chance, sir." "There's other commands in the navy." "You knew." "Didn't warn me." "Ain't my place, sir." "Club's secured!" "Time to go!" "What's the meaning of this, Sergeant?" " You the senior man?" " That's right." "I'm the X.O. of the S-33." "These men have a 48-hour liberty pass." "No, sir, not no more." "What the hell are those yardbirds doing to my boat?" "Looks like a goddamn Nazi submarine." "Hey, Andy." "This is a fine navy day." "They wouldn't give me 5 minutes to consummate my marriage. 5 minutes!" " What's going on here?" " Hell if I know." " Put your cover on." " Yes, sir." " Mr. Tyler, call the crew to quarters." " Aye, Captain." "Quarters!" "Everybody fall in!" "Let's get in formation now!" "Let's go!" "Now!" "Formation!" "Prepare crew 3." "Muster with First Lieutenant." "Prepare crew 3." "Muster with First Lieutenant." "Captain Dahlgren, all crew members present and accounted for, sir!" "Very well." "At ease." "I'm sorry your liberty's been cut short, but our schedule's changed." "We have two hours to get stowed for sea and set the maneuvering watch." "Mr. Larson, have your torpedo men load the tubes with their four best fish." "Mr. Emmett, warm up the diesels and line up a battery charge." "Mr. Tyler, we have dry stores, ordnance and perishables to get belowdecks." "Gentlemen, it's our turn." " That's all." " Attention!" "Aye, Captain." " Crew dismissed!" " You heard the man!" "Stores load!" "You got 6 seconds to get on your boondockers and dungarees and turn to!" "Mr. Tyler, is this for real, or is it a drill?" "You know. "It's our turn." What does that mean?" "I don't know, I don't know." "But I'm gonna find out." "Get your jobs done now." "All off-going duty officers, report to the dock." "Captain Dahlgren, could you fill me in on what's going on, sir?" "I mean, we're obviously not going to the Caribbean Station." "No, we're not." "We're going on a special op." "You'll be briefed with Mr. Emmett and Mr. Larson once we get underway." " Aye, sir." " Andy, listen." "I'm gonna need the very best from you on this run, regardless of any differences you may have with me." "Are we clear on that?" " Yes, sir." " Good." "Now go find Radioman Wentz and quietly escort him to the materiel office." "Mr. Tyler." "How are you, son?" "I'm fine, Admiral Duke." "What brings you up here?" "He does." "That's Lieutenant Hirsch." "He's gonna be riding your boat." "You're not working for Sublant on this run." "Mr. Hirsch has operational control." "He's the boss." "Anything he wants, he gets." "Fine." "Is this him?" "I was told that your family's from Koblentz." "Good Rhine farming folk." "Do you understand me, Mr. Wentz?" "Yes, sir." "Can you speak passable German?" "Can you read and write it?" "Or are you just a farm boy with a German name?" "Just a farm boy, who can read, write and speak quite well." "I studied German literature at Brown University, before joining the war." "Thank you, Wentz." "He'll do." "Thank you, Wentz." "That's all for now." "Lieutenant, prepare the boat to get underway." "Aye, sir." "Admiral." "Mr. Tyler, please, don't tell the other guys I'm half German." "They'll hate me." "Yeah, sure thing, Wentz." "Prepare crew 3." "Muster with First Lieutenant." "Prepare crew 3." "Muster with First Lieutenant." "Duty Officer Lane to the paint shop." "Duty Officer to the paint shop." "You all right, Mr. Tyler?" "Tiptop, Eddie." "Tiptop." "Wanna thank you for that liberty pass." "My girl thanks you too." "You're a good man, Mr. Tyler." "Heart's in the right place." "Just need to give it some time." "Yeah, I heard about what happened to you." "That's one of the advantages of being seen and... not being seen." "You'd be surprised some of the shit we mess-doers hear." "Boy, don't go dropping my eggs!" "Damn!" "Excuse me, Mr. Tyler." "Look, all you gotta do is pick them up with both hands, boy." "Both hands!" "Tyler!" "When the hell were you gonna tell me?" "I hear about this from the chief!" "What do you want me to say?" "He shit-canned me." "Now you're gonna transfer to another boat." "Excuse me." "Either one of you two tell me where I can find the exec of this thing?" "Yeah, that's me, Mac." "Move your truck and we'll unload shortly." "Oh, you'll unload it now." "Here's the manifest." "Let's get those crates belowdecks." "Who the hell are you?" "Marine Major Coonan, Office of Naval Intelligence." "I'm going to sea with you boys." "That's my luggage." "You got a problem, talk to Mr. Hirsch." " Clear!" " Cast off all lines forward!" " Cast off forward!" " Take in all lines aft!" "Cast off aft!" "Rudder amidships, all ahead one-third." "All ahead one-third!" "Bridge hatch shut." "Engine room, secure the diesels." "Shift propulsion to the battery." "Engine room, secure diesels." "Shift propulsion to the battery." " Main induction indicates shut." " Aye." " Green board, Skipper." " Very well." "Passing the 100-fathom curve." "On course, on time, sir." "Engine room reports secured diesels, propulsion switched to battery." " Very well." "All ahead two-thirds." " All ahead two-thirds, aye." "Mr. Emmett, take her down." "Make her depth 150 feet, 10 degree down bubble." "150 feet, 10 degree down bubble." "Aye, sir." "Chief of the watch, sound the dive alarm." "Pass the word along to 1 MC." " Open the main ballast tank vents." " Aye, sir, passing the word." "Dive, dive, dive." "Sir, main ballast tank vents indicate open." " Aye." "Both planes dive, 15 degrees." " Both planes dive, 15 degrees." "Aye." "All clear!" " Decks awash." " Decks awash." "Aye, sir." "First time on a submarine?" "That's right." "60 feet." "Lower the scope." "Captain, engine room reports minor flooding from the shaft seals and brine pump." " Bilge is at 18 inches and rising." " Very well." "How deep does this thing go?" "She'll go all the way to the bottom, if we don't stop her." "Normally we try not to get below 150 feet." "Any deeper, the leaks overwhelm the pumps." "These S-boats are antiques, older than most of the crew." " 100 feet." " Aye." "Excuse me, Mr. Emmett." "Put a pipe patch on it, lash it with marline." " The yard can fix it when we get back to port." " Aye, sir." "Relax, gentlemen." "She's old, but she'll hold." "Last night, at 0300 hours, a British destroyer reported depth charging and sinking a German U-boat." "However, some time thereafter," "Allied direction finding stations triangulated a coded enemy radio signal to this position here, near the chop line." "We believe the U-boat was disabled, not sunk, and is drifting eastward on a 4-knot current." "Now, French resistance reported a resupply submarine sailed from the Lorient U-boat pens yesterday afternoon, with engine parts and mechanics." "We believe it's gonna rendez-vous with the disabled U-boat." "On board that U-boat is this." " A typewriter?" " An Enigma code machine." "It allows the German navy to communicate with its submarines in secret." "And our inability to decipher their messages is costing us this war." "Mr. Coonan?" "All right, this is basically a Trojan Horse operation." "The S-33 will rendezvous with the U-boat, posing as the German resupply sub." "I will lead a boarding party dressed in Kriegsmarine uniforms to the enemy submarine." "We will take it by force and secure the Enigma." "Any German survivors will be transferred to the S-33, and the U-boat will be scuttled." "The German resupply submarine will arrive at the rendez-vous and will assume that the U-boat succumbed to its wounds and sank." "The Germans must never suspect we have the Enigma." " That is vital." " So, it's a race?" " Yes, effectively." " Who's the boarding party?" "Well, since you're the X.O., you, sir." "Mr. Emmett, Mr. Larson, Mr. Hirsch and 9 of your ship's company." "The captain, of course, will remain onboard the S-33." "Mr. Coonan, our boys are submarine sailors, not combat Marines." "The boys onboard that U-boat are sailors too." "Your men'll be ready, Lieutenant." "I'll train them myself." "You've come to the right boat." "Okay, let's give it a test." "You said you could repair engines." "Captain, I apprenticed in my uncle's garage, fixing scooters." "I tried." "Damn it!" "I need a mechanic!" "Ahoy!" "Friends!" "We have many wounded!" " Take us prisoner, please!" " What are they saying?" "They desire to be our guests." "Impossible." "Shoot them." "What, sir?" "Standing orders of the Führer." "Pick up no survivors." "If they are found, they will report our position." "Go on." "I'm telling you, she was hotter than Dorothy Lamour." " Really?" " Yeah." "I could tell she was interested, but she was classy, you know?" "The type of girl that wants you to take her to a country club dance or something." "Yeah!" "Like you've ever seen the inside of a country club." "Like I'd even want to, all right?" "Anyway, I can see I'm not getting anywhere with her, so what I do is, I use my secret weapon." "I tell her about the S-26." "Does the trick right away." "You don't be talking about that while we're underway." " Why?" "What happened with the S-26?" " Yeah, what happened?" " You guys don't know?" " No." "She was running a test dive down off Norfolk." "Shaft seal failed." "She sunk to 400 feet." "Know how much water pressure there is that deep?" "Mazzola, you will be the first one eating powdered eggs on this cruise." "Keep it up, you hear?" "Come in." "This is our position, Captain." "We're still bucking some pretty heavy seas." "I estimate us to be about three hours behind schedule." "I told Mr. Emmett to run at flank speed and hold off a trim dive, until we make up the lost time." "That's fine, Lieutenant." "You're a first-rate X.O., Andy." "A damn good submariner." "I know the men like you." "I'd give my life for any one of them, sir." "I know you would." "I'm not questioning your bravery." "The question is, what about their lives?" "You and Mr. Emmett are good friends." "You went to the Academy together." "Would you be willing to sacrifice his life?" "Or what about some of the younger enlisted men?" "You know, a lot of those guys look up to you like a big brother." "You willing to lay their lives on the line?" "You see?" "You hesitate." "But as a captain, you can't." "You have to act." "If you don't, you put the entire crew at risk." "Now that's the job." "It's not a science." "You have to be able to make hard decisions, based on imperfect information." "Asking men to carry out orders that may result in their deaths." "And if you're wrong, you suffer the consequences." "If you're not prepared to make those decisions without pause, without reflection, then you've got no business being a submarine captain." "Tell Mr. Hirsch I'd like a word with him, would you?" "Aye, sir." " More soup, Captain?" " Thank you." "I wish I was going with you, gentlemen." "I feel the same way you do, Carson." "Gentlemen, I'd like to propose a toast." "To the officers and crew of the S-33 and our distinguished guests, Mr. Hirsch and Mr. Coonan." " Success, gentlemen!" " Success." " Captain Dahlgren, sir?" " What is it, Wentz?" "Chief says we've picked up a radar contact at 0-7-0." "Very well." "Mr. Larson?" "Signal lamp off the starboard bow!" "I see it." "Pass the word along." "Submarine sighted off the starboard bow." " Stand by to man battle stations." " Aye, sir." "All right, here we go." "One last time." "Lieutenant Tyler's raft gets from the conning tower aft." "My raft gets the gun crew." "And no one... no one shoots till I shoot first." " You read me?" " Yes, sir." "Outstanding." "Lock and load." "It'll be all right, son." "Captain, I estimate the German resupply sub has a 14-knot speed of advance." "My latest plot puts them at 12 hours away, sir." "Very well, Mr. Larson." "Captain, the boarding party's ready, sir." "Await your go-ahead." "I'll put her low in the water." "I wanna give that U-boat as little silhouette as we can." "Sir?" "Prepare to disembark the boarding party." "Aye, Captain." "If this thing goes south," "I will blow that Nazi boat right out of the water." " Understood, sir." " Very well." "All set, Captain." "Now you listen to me." "You get them their damn trophy and you get the hell outta there." "Aye, sir." "The boys are gonna be fine." "I know they will, sir." "Good luck, Andy." "Godspeed, Skipper." "Our comrades have brought us fresh eggs." "And even our mail." "Easy, Mr. Hirsch." "We're almost there." "We'll bushwhack them real good." "All right, we got 12 men topside, 3 on the bridge, 4 on the foredeck, 5 aft." "Now remember, both rafts need to be tied up before we move." "Jesus H. Christ!" "They got machine guns." "Steady, gentlemen." "Wait for the signal." "Welcome!" "Welcome!" "Mr. Hirsch." "Welcome!" "Have we got a job for you!" "Mr. Hirsch." " Hello the boat, you asshole." " Shut up!" "There is a lot of work for you." "Goddamn you, Hirsch, say something!" "Which of you are the mechanics?" "Who's the mechanic?" "We're all very skilled mechanics." "We'll have you underway before dawn." "Look at this!" " Who wants that junk?" " Me!" "Pornography and dirty letters, stinking of French perfume." "A sack of pure shit." "I should throw it overboard." "No!" "Come aboard." "Come on." "Welcome aboard." "Aren't you from Wiesbaden?" "Alarm!" "Board this thing!" "Board it!" "Board it!" "Get out of the rafts!" "Repel boarders!" "Emergency dive!" "Conning tower!" "Move, move!" "Clear the conning tower now!" " Man the hole!" " Another one there!" " Griggs is hit!" " Get him off!" " Move, move!" " Trigger, on the back, now!" "Griggs!" "Griggs!" " We gotta get inside!" " Griggs!" "Chief, Tank, come down now!" "Ready?" "Open it!" "Fire!" " Tyler, let's go!" " Inside!" " Cover your men!" " Go, go!" "Don't let them close it!" "Flood all the tanks!" "Let's drown these vermin!" "Move your asses!" "Attention!" "2, 3, 4, 5, shut it." "Let's go." "Go!" "Get down!" "Go!" "Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!" "Get off him, get off him!" "Don't move, don't move!" "Get back, get back, get back!" "Just drop it!" "Drop it!" "Get them outta here!" " Did they hit you?" " I'm okay, sir." "Stern team, go!" "Bow team, go!" "I'm outta clips, sir." "You go ahead." "Rabbit!" "All right, get them outta here." "Get them outta here!" "Let's go!" "Get down!" "Down, down, down, down!" "Get down!" "All right, who's the captain?" "Huh?" "Who's the captain?" "Kapitan?" "How about you, ugly?" "You the captain, huh?" "Trigger, if anybody moves, you shoot them right here in the forehead, you understand me?" " Yes, sir!" " All right." "Hirsch, we got it." "Get down, down!" "Down, down!" "Rabbit, check the bilge for a scuttling charge." "Give me your weapon." " Move, sailor, move!" " Aye, sir!" "Goddamn it, stay there!" "Hirsch, I think we got the code books!" "Andy, that ink's running." "Dry it." "It's water soluble." "Yeah, use the blankets, use the blankets." "Nothing but pipes and valves, Mr. Emmett." "Bow compartment secure." "Bunch of Marys." "How you doing?" "You're number 10." "There you go." "You're having a good night?" "Uh-huh." "You ain't gonna be none too happy you all lost his boat." "Lucky number 11, let's go!" "It's your first time looking at a black man, ain't it?" "Get used to it." "Let's go!" "Get over here!" "All right, hurry it up." "It's gonna be sun-up in an hour." "Fuse is burning, sir." "All right, she's burning!" "Let's go!" "Let's get this raft loaded!" "Let's move!" "Sir, we got all the prisoners transferred to the S-33." "Very well." "Hey, Andy." "Make sure you got everything!" "Get it in the raft!" "Get everything belowdecks." "Let's go!" "Everybody, belowdecks!" "Get down!" " Chief, take her down!" " Aye, sir!" " Let's go, Hirsch!" " The Enigma!" "Trigger!" "Grab hold!" "Trigger!" "Attaboy!" "Got it!" "Help me!" "Help me!" "Oh, no!" "We gotta get outta here!" "There's still men in the water." " Let's go!" " Chief, there's still men in the water." "Go!" "Andy!" "Andy!" "Go!" "Dive!" "Dive!" "Take her down!" "Dive!" "Tyler, let's go!" "Chief, you find those vents?" "Everything's in German!" " Rabbit, get to the torpedo room." " Sir!" "Where's the goddamn 1 MC?" " Trigger, get on the helm." " Sir!" " Mazzola, take the planes." " Aye, sir." " Wentz, what about these?" " I don't know." "I don't know." "There's no label." " Okay, come over here." " Okay, those are the aft ballast tanks vents." "These are the midship vents, and these are the main induction valves." " Make sure they're shut." " Tank, Tank, I need speed!" "Get the screws turning." "The lights are on, so there's got to be some power left in those batteries." "I can't read this!" "Rabbit, find out how many fish we've got in the tubes and figure out how to launch them!" " Go!" " I can't read this!" "Go help Tank, Hirsch." "Go, Hirsch!" "Find the Christmas tree." "We've gotta make sure we don't have any holes in the boat!" ""Klar, klar, klar." Wentz, what the hell is "klar"?" ""Klar". "Klar" means "clear"." "All compartments secure." " White for green?" " White for green?" "No holes in the ship." "Dive the boat, Chief!" "Opening ballast vents!" "Opening midship valves!" "Opening midship vents!" "This is forward trim, aft trim." "These are auxiliaries." "Main motor." "Auxiliary, auxiliary." "This is in meters." "Everything's in meters." "Passing 15 meters." " Recommend shutting main vents." " Make it so!" " Wentz, get in the sound room!" " Yes, sir!" " Make depth 20 meters." " Depth 20 meters, aye." " Chief, take the dive." " I have the dive." "At 20 meters." "Bow planes at zero." "Control your depth with the stern planes." "Bow planes at zero." "Controlling down with the stern planes." "Aye." "Oh, shit!" "All ahead full, sir!" "Batteries are flat and draining fast!" "Mr. Tyler, I hear the S-33 breaking up." "Wait..." "I hold a submerged U-boat, 0-1-0." "Real close." "Less than 1,000 yards." "Goddamn resupply sub." " Helm, what's our heading?" " 2-8-0, sir!" "All right, right full rudder!" "Steady on 0-1-0!" "Aye, sir!" "Right full rudder." "Steady on course 0-1-0, sir." "Tank, starboard back full." "Rabbit, get back to me." "Starboard back full." "Aye, sir." " Watch your depth." "She'll squat." " Rabbit!" "We got four fish." "Tubes are flooded, but I can't open the muzzle doors until I'm equalized." " I can't find the valve!" " Wentz, help Rabbit!" "Enemy submarine close aboard." "Torpedo in the water!" "Torpedo in the water!" "All right, belay that." "Wentz, stay where you are!" "Hirsch, hotfoot it to the torpedo room!" " Helm, mark your head every 10 degrees." " Aye, sir." " Now passing 3-2-0." " Turn, baby, turn." "Turn!" "Equalizing valves." "Holy shit!" "What's what?" "This is crazy." "I can't equalize the tubes!" " What do you need?" " Equalizing valves!" " Valves?" " Equalizing valves!" " Gyro?" " No, drainage." " I've got no drainage." " No." "Now passing 0-0-0." "Swing, you bastard, swing." "Chief, stand by in case we have to flood forward trim." " Impulse?" " No." " Differential." "Pressure differential." " These!" "Turn them!" "Yes!" " Which way?" " Counterclockwise." "Yes!" "Torpedo missed." "It's in our baffles." "Two more torpedoes in the water!" "Best bearing to the U-boat: 0-1-0." "Aye!" "Rabbit, get ready to fire a spread." "Tubes 1 and 2." "Zero gyro." "Fire!" "Rabbit, fire!" "What's going on?" " What is that?" " Wrong one!" "Wrong one!" "The fish is stuck!" "We must have missed an interlock or something!" "Rabbit, get those fish out of the boat before they blow!" "Look for "impulse air" or "firing air"." "That was "impulse" there and there!" "1, 2, away." "Lining up tubes 3 and 4." "3 and 3, fire!" "All fish running hot, straight and normal." "I think they all missed, sir." "Shit!" "U-boat's breaking up." "I hear bulkheads collapsing." "The 33 boat, Mr. Tyler." "Let's take her up and look for survivors, Chief." " Give me some rise on the planes!" " Rise on the planes, aye." "Deploy main ballast!" "Gotcha, gotcha." "Oh, crap!" "Help!" "Help!" "Please, help!" "Help!" "Help!" "Do you speak English?" "English." "Do you speak English?" "What's your rank?" "What do you do?" "What's your job?" "Your job." ""Job"." "Mein beruf?" "I am an electrician." "You're an electrician." "Good." "You can us help squeeze some more juice out of them batteries." "Sir, I see the skipper." "Battery's dead." "Whatever juice was left we used up when we maneuvered." "What about the diesels?" "Starboard's a wreck." "We need to dry dock to fix it." "Port side diesel's the good news." "Whoever the Krauts had on it didn't know a piston head from his sister's titty." " I think I can fix it." " Okay, Tank." " Do what you can." " Yes, sir." "All right, listen up." "We've decided on a course." "We're heading for England, Land's End." "It's the closest, besides occupied France." "Rabbit, how many torpedoes do we have?" "Just one." "It's in the stern tube, which is busted." "The high pressure line is bleeding air from somewhere." " Sir?" " Yeah, what is it, Trigger?" "Can't we just use the radio... fire off a Mayday and wait for a rescue?" "That's impossible." "If we transmit, the Germans will direction-find our position to a grid with their missing two U-boats." "If they even suspect we have the Enigma, they will change their entire coding system." "And that would completely negate the purpose of our mission." "Mr. Tyler, if we head for England, we're gonna go straight through the western approaches." "He's right." "I mean, that's Jerry's backyard." " Listen, guys." " It's full of U-boats." "And we've got nothing to defend ourselves with." "Do you think I got all the answers here?" "You think I know how we're gonna get out of this mess?" "I don't." "I don't know how." " I say we use the radio." " Nobody asked you." "Yeah, we use the radio and take our goddamn chances." " Yeah." " I said can it." " It's what the captain would have done, if he was alive." " Captain's dead!" "This is crazy." "This whole thing is crazy." "Risking our lives over a typewriter." "It's not a typewriter." "The hell it ain't." "It's got buttons like a typewriter." "Yeah, well, it's not." "Yeah, well, whatever it is, I say it's crazy we get ourselves killed over it." "The navy says it's important, it's important." "The navy says it's more important than you, him, me, fine." "We're gonna die trying." "And that ain't crazy." "That's our job." "What I don't seem to understand, Chief, is how come you're not in charge?" "Scuttlebutt is Dahlgren was kicking Tyler out of the navy anyway, and everybody here knows that..." "You stow that shit right now, sailor!" "Lieutenant Tyler is your commanding officer, and you will respect that man as such." " Do you understand?" " Yes, Chief." "Look at them sons of bitches." "You know my pop was a fisherman?" "He had this old 60-footer he'd run all over the gulf." "Noisy two-stroke diesel." "Rotten to the gunnels, that thing." "I could scrub that deck three times a day, and it still stunk like fish." "And I swore I'd never skipper a boat like that, Chief." "I saw myself standing on the bridge of a battleship." "A real sea captain." "Mr. Tyler, permission to speak freely?" "Of course, Chief." "This is the navy, where a commanding officer is a mighty and terrible thing, a man to be feared and respected." "All knowing, all powerful." "Don't you dare say what you said to the boys back there again, "I don't know"." "Those three words will kill a crew, dead as a depth charge." "You're the skipper now." "And the skipper always knows what to do, whether he does or not." " Aircraft off the port bow!" " Shit!" "Real sorry, sir." "It dropped right out of the clouds." "Rabbit, Trigger, stand by the flak gun." " Sir." " Sir." "It's German." "Looks like long-range reconnaissance." "What the hell's it doing way out here?" " Jesus, here it comes!" " All right, sit tight." "As far as he knows, we're all playing on the same team." "Everybody wave." "Wave?" "Sir, we're sitting ducks." "If we shoot first, we can blow them out of the sky." "We shoot and miss, he's gonna radio us in." "That plane's gonna be the least of our problems." "This is crazy." "You're gonna get us killed." "He's coming around!" "He's attacking!" "For Christ's sake, Rabbit, do something!" " Mazzola, shut up." "Rabbit, ignore him." " Do something!" "He's coming straight for us, Rabbit!" "He's coming right at us!" "Do something!" " Acknowledge me, Seaman Parker!" " What are you waiting for?" " Yeah, Rabbit!" "Shoot him!" "Shoot him!" " Seamen Parker, I'm ordering you!" "Do not fire that weapon!" "Get your finger off that trigger!" "Pull the trigger!" "Pull the trigger!" "We're gonna die!" "Do it!" "Do it!" "Come on!" "Goddamn it, can't you see him?" "What the hell are you doing, huh?" "This is not a goddamn democracy!" "Mr. Tyler, I see a mast on the horizon!" "Shit!" "That's a Nazi destroyer." "That plane must have been running a recon screen for it." "Clear the bridge!" "Chief, secure the diesel and dive the ship!" "Dive the ship!" "Aye, sir!" "We don't have a green board, sir." "The engine room's not ready." "Vents won't open." "We lost hydraulics." "Tank, secure the diesel and rig the engine room for dive!" "Tank, acknowledge!" "Goddamn it!" "Mazzola, go see what the hell's going on back there." "Drop it, you Nazi son of a bitch!" "Drop it!" "Goddamn it!" "I'm real sorry, Mr. Tyler." "Took me right off my feet." "Listen to me." "You've got to secure the diesel." "And find out why the vent valves won't open now!" " Yes, sir." " Goddamn it!" " Eddie!" " Yes, sir." "You get this son of a bitch out of here." "Chain him up to the bunks." "Make sure his hands and feet are secure." "Put him into submission!" " Lieutenant, we have a big problem!" " Take care of it, Eddie." "Oh, shit!" "Tell Tank to finish those repairs." "The destroyer is sending a launch." "He needs five minutes, Mr. Tyler!" "We don't have five minutes, Chief." "Lieutenant, the deck cannon." "If we fire a shell below the water line..." "It wouldn't do a goddamn thing." "No, that tub could take a hundred shells." "What we need is a working torpedo, which we do not have." "Trigger, stand by on the flak gun." "And when I give you the word, turn that launch into driftwood." " Aye?" " Yes, sir." "Gonna find out who we are in about 60 seconds." "Trigger, ready on that weapon?" "Chief, tell Tank he has one minute." "And get Wentz and Rabbit up here with the machine gun." "Hirsch, what happens when they find out we're not German?" "After they shoot us as spies, they'll radio into headquarters." "They'll tell them the Enigma's been compromised." "What if we take out their radio, before they can notify anyone about us?" " How?" " With that deck gun." "It's gonna be one hell of a shot, but we can do it." "Then we dive." "We dive like hell, and we get under them quick." "We lure them a little bit closer to the continent, in range of Allied air cover." " Then we call in an air strike." " Mr. Tyler?" "Yeah, we call in an air strike." "Son of a bitch cut off pressure to the hydraulics." "We need to find the stop valve." "Damn!" "See that structure topside just after the flying bridge with the big antenna sticking out of it?" " Yes, sir." " That's the radio shack." "You and Wentz get on the deck, and, on my command," "I want you put a shell right through the goddamn porthole." " Get to it, gentlemen." "Get to it." " Yes, sir!" "Hello, gentlemen." " Give us a hand." " Yes, gladly." "What are they doing?" "Something's wrong." " Tell them to go away, Mr. Hirsch." " Go back!" "Go back!" "Back to the ship!" "Faster, faster!" "Talk to me, Rabbit!" "Deck gun manned and ready in all respects, sir!" "Fire!" "Clear the deck!" "Get the forward gun!" "They're firing!" "Who, sir?" "The submarine." "They blew up our radio tower!" "Come on, come on!" "Dive!" "Dive!" "Dive!" "Dive!" " Why aren't we diving?" " Repairs aren't complete, sir." " Eddie, man the planes." " Aye, sir!" "Tank, all ahead full." " Aye, sir!" "Manning the planes!" " All ahead full, aye!" "Nice shot, Rabbit." "That radio's history." " We're heading right towards them!" " That's right." "Their deck guns can't get to us, if we're in close enough." "Let's hope we can dive and clear her keel." "That's it." "Hydraulics restored!" "Thank you, Tank." "That did it." "We're going under." "Passing 5 meters." "Passing 10 meters." "15 meters." "20 meters." "Trigger, left full rudder." "Tank, all ahead two-thirds." "Contact maneuvering." "Heavy cavitation." " Splashes." " Shit!" "Short intervals." "Prepare charges." "Set depth at 25." "Step away from that bulkhead, Mr. Hirsch." "The shock wave from one of these explosions can snap your spine." "Chief, you ever been depth charged?" "Once, off Murmansk, back in World War I." "One charge came so close, it rattled four teeth out of the skipper's head." "Wasn't even close." "Control, starboard E-motor's seized up." "The German must have sabotaged it." "Goddamn it!" "There's no way we make it to Allied air cover creeping along on one shaft." "Eddie, help Chief." "Yes, sir." "Mr. Chief, I got that." "Tank, you alive back there?" "Yes, sir." "Good." "Port ahead two-thirds." "Port ahead two-thirds." "Aye, sir." "Tank, can you fix the stern tube?" "I don't know, Mr. Tyler." "I don't want an "I don't know"." "Can you fix the torpedo tube, yes or no?" "Yes, sir." "I think I can." "Thank you, Tank." "Chief, make depth 1-6-0 meters." "That's more than 500 feet." "Take us down, Chief." "Aye, sir." "160 meters." " 20 degrees dive, both planes." " 20 degrees dive." "Aye, sir." "Mr. Tyler, sir... do you plan on going up against a destroyer with only one fish in the tube and a busted motor?" "Yes, I am, Eddie." " How wise is that, Lieutenant?" " Not very." "But have a look." "Chief." "There is no way a 2-knot submarine can get in firing position against a 30-knot destroyer, unless we go deep." "At 160 meters, we can shoot out a bunch of junk from the forward tubes." "It will resurface and create a debris field." "Now the destroyer's gonna go to the center of that debris field, shut off its engines to make it real nice and quiet, and do an acoustic search to make sure we're dead." "But we're not." "See, we're here, on our way up to periscope depth." "Principle of ascent velocity." "Our positive buoyancy pulls us up and away from the destroyer." "And when we surface, we'll be showing it our ass at 700 yards." "That is a perfect set-up for a stern shot on a stationary target." "Boom!" "It don't get much prettier than that." "All right, Mr. Tyler." " Passing 130 meters." " Very well." "Rabbit, I need you to load Mazzola's body into tube 3, and put an escape jacket onto him to make sure he floats." "We're ganna shoot him out like garbage?" "His body is gonna save our lives." "I'll say a few words for him." "Hirsch, go with Rabbit." " Eddie, can you man both planes?" " Yes, sir." " Mr. Tyler?" " Yeah?" "If you can't take out that destroyer, the danger is not that some of us may die." "It's that some of us may live." "These men have seen and heard things that must not be revealed to the enemy." "Our secrets, such as our radar capabilities and our understanding of German encryption." "If we fall into German hands alive, we will be tortured without mercy." "Either you succeed in sinking that ship, or you must see to it that none of us survive to be captured." "We commend his soul to God and commit his body to the deep." "Release charges!" "Mr. Tyler, contact is zigging." "Splashes." "Contact getting closer." "More splashes." "Tank, line up to pump engine room bilge to sea." "Yes, sir." "Rabbit..." "Fire the tubes." "Bye, Mazzola." "They're setting them charges too shallow." "Secure that air valve!" "Chief, what's our depth?" "160 meters." " Zero the planes." " Zero the planes." "Splashes!" "They're too close together!" "I can't count them." "Chief..." "Take us to 200 meters." "We're gonna get under these damn things." "Chief..." "Take us to 200 meters." "Aye, sir." "Making my depth 200 meters." "10 degrees dive, both planes." "10 degrees dive." "Aye." "170 meters." "Tank, what's the status on the stern torpedo tube?" "There's a couple things wrong." "I can operate the muzzle door now, but I'm still working on the impulse air." "180 meters." "Mr. Tyler, depth gauge back here says 180 meters." "Thanks, Tank." "I know." "Keep working." "190 meters." "200 meters." "Zero the planes." "Zero the planes, aye." "Mary, mother of God." "Those Krauts sure know how to build a boat." "Chief, take us up!" "Blowing negative!" "Planes full rise!" "Clockwise, Hirsch!" "Clockwise!" "Rabbit, help me out!" "Chief, are you seeing this?" "Needle's off the scale!" "We have to blow main ballast tanks!" "Do it, Chief!" "We're still going down!" "Ballast tanks are bone dry!" "I'm gonna try the trim tanks!" "Come on, come on, come on!" "She's going up!" "Mr. Tyler, we're coming up." "But I've lost control of the ballast tanks." "I can't stop our ascent." "Where are we with the stern torpedo?" "Piping's damaged." "There's a break in the air line, so there's no pressure to launch the torpedo." "I tried to bypass the leak, but it's way back in the bilge underwater." "There's no way to reach it." "I can't fit." " Can somebody else get to it?" " I don't know." "Maybe somebody smaller." "That's Rabbit or Trigger." "Coming up on 200 meters." "You gotta pick one." " Trigger." " Trigger..." "Lay aft with Tank." "Move it, son." "You got a job to do." "See, here we got no air pressure to fire the torpedo." "One of these pipes is busted and it's leaking air." "How am I gonna find it?" "You'll see bubbles coming out." "A lot of them." "Find the isolation valve aft of the leak and crank it down." " Got it?" " Yeah." "I rigged this hose, so you can breathe through it." "Now listen to me." "As soon as you finish, you get out of there." " Okay?" " Yeah." "I can hear her." "Making slow turns." "She just stopped her screws." "I think they see the debris." "I think they're buying it." "180 meters." "Chief, can you slow our ascent some?" "We are not ready." "Can't, sir." "We got a one-way ticket topside." "If we surface without a torpedo to fire, we're dead." "There's two air leaks." "I got one, but the other one's way in the back." "I need some more slack on the hose to get to it." " That's all there is." " Shit!" "150 meters." "I hear Morse code." "What the hell is it?" "Are they signaling us?" "What's it saying, Wentz?" ""I am U-571." "Destroy me."" "Coming up on 90 meters." "Sir, she's started her engines again." "No go, Mr. Tyler." "He can't reach." "Trigger, in one minute we're gonna hit the surface." "Do you understand me?" "Now, you've got to go back in there and try." "I wouldn't ask you, if our lives didn't depend on it." " I'm sorry, sir." "I can't reach it." " No, no, Trigger." "Now listen to me." "You can reach it, and you will." "Now you are gonna close that valve." " But I can't!" "I can't do it!" " You're the only chance we've got!" "Now you're gonna go back down in that bilge, and you're gonna do your job, sailor." "Report to me the instant that torpedo's ready to fire." "Yes, sir." "30 meters." " Talk to me, Wentz." " Destroyer is under way." "Steady bearing." "They're closing our position." "Shit!" "Come on, Trigger!" "20 meters." "Hold on." "We're gonna surface." "Raising scope." "Got her." "She's heading right for us." " Helm, come right 10 degrees." " Helm, come right 10 degrees." "Aye, sir!" " Watch your bow planes." " Aye, sir." "Watching my bow planes." "Tank, start the diesel." "All ahead full!" "Port diesel ahead full!" "Shit!" "They've got us bracketed." "Incoming!" "We're hit!" "We're hit!" " Wentz, get in here!" " Eddie, secure that hatch!" "Tube still not ready!" " Request permission to abandon ship!" " Not yet, Chief." "Control, aft torpedo tube ready in all respects!" "Hold us right there, Rabbit." "Hold us steady right here." "Steady on bearing 80 degrees, sir!" "Fire!" "Tank, fire right now or we die!" "Come on, come on." "They fired a torpedo!" "That blew them right in half." "Hell, Mr. Tyler, if you ever need a chief," "I'd go to sea with you anytime." "Thank you, Chief." "Tank, you okay?" "Trigger drowned." "That kid didn't give up, did he?" "Neither did you, Mr. Tyler." "We can't keep her afloat much longer, sir." "Let's abandon ship." "Mr. Tyler." "Mr. Tyler."