THE EYES OF THE SEA WOLF

[Music] I'm Rear Admiral Thomas M duikers retired in this chapter the silent service we're going to take you on - dramatic cruises of the USS SeaWorld which helped to solve one of our most urgent and mystifying problems of the war at sea in the first year of the war far too many of our torpedoes were not going off properly skill and heroism went for nothing as torpedoes failed again and again our submarine has seized over this dangerous situation Lieutenant Commander Fred water of craft in West Virginia skipper of the United States submarine Seawolf executive officer Lieutenant William dragon of Albany New York early in 1942 sea wolf had opposed enemy landings near Bali and had panic Japanese convoys but Tokyo Rose had a different version of the affair a fuchsia our fleet has again shown its superiority over the allied submarines vainly trying to penetrate our water in a recent landing on the island of Bali our forces ran into an entire mess of American submarine our landings proceeded unabated and one American submarine was definitely destroyed dad dad dad dad Matt one enemy submarine was able to accomplish a successful attack oh come on Tom you know she's kidding it isn't funny not to me okay and while you brave Submariner Zinder the depth charging of our magnificent fleet your countrymen stay home with a lovely woman listen to the beguiling music listen to jenny was a lady from the great hip lady in the dark wine you huddled in your darkness and think it over boys why you engineer appears not that we aren't great sorry nice work lotion well thank you sir I could do a better job they had a good camera these are for you and the captain sir oh thank you very much sir Kent just picked up this dispatch from headquarters air reconnaissance shows transport destroyers and cruisers were broke to Lombok straits we're supposed to intercept huh they say that convoy was headed for Christmas Island and it's phosphates the enemy is hurting too bad we can't do a thing about it [Music] there it is Christmas Island flying Cisco it's like we got here ahead of the Japanese Imperial Navy we can blow off the dock nice tomatoes might get hurt we'll just cruise around a bit or hey or if you sleep well I'll wake you up you wanna know the truth you woke me up or if I'm better print of a certain picture can I get copies made of it I haven't you got the negative I told you what I got I just have this old print back the only good picture we've gotta hurt you can get a negative made of the print and then have all what prints made you want oh thanks all right my mother to do that sir don't feel like that Tom walk I feel what I feel you're letting me meet you I wanted to eat me they killed Burt didn't they it's a war look was a prisoner he was out of the war he didn't have to die like that yeah well you write your mom and have it take the positive in and then make a negative better get some sleep Tom captain except that convoy it's gonna be hot boy wait following day see woof made contact with the convoy and went into action angle on the bow 10 starboard mark brain mark 2 6 5 oh they're bad board troops set that 10 feet apart for tubes set depth and feet open outer doors open all the doors [Music] Patos running high screws merging with target screws got it [Music] take it out emergency right full rudder [Music] four hours to see whooping Dora merciless deaf judge betrayed by her own torpedoes all through March 31st into April first the battle continued Sea Wolf returning to attack the big convoy undaunted captain water watching his top peters seemed to score hips on three separate ships until at last contact was lost the Battle of Christmas Island was over one submarine against a heavily armed convoy and I think the submarine warfare had been written in smoke they will headed for Australia for rest and for a reckoning yes I believe every skipper the services reported torpedoes that explode prematurely don't explode at all he was running circles endangering our own trap along credit you aren't but we know however that the mark 14 torpedo is a fine weapon it's a bit sensitive and temperamental temperamental pre-madonna that exposes us all the very serious dangers are you observing the Bureau of ordnance regulations regarding the use of the we examine every torpedo we received from warhead tooth after body we maybe those fish outrageously about your truth what about them but do you have complete confidence in Utah feelin complete and absolutely isn't it possible the arrows and fire control our technique somewhere may be at the root of all this trouble the Excite would have combat inexperienced men it's possible but no amount of skill and experience is going to compensate for faulty torpedo oh come now captain I'll go further sir I'll guess that the Asiatic submarine force is inflicting no more than 15% of the damage it's capable of with proper weapons we're going to lose men and submarines if we continue serving up and grave announcements in the form of does that give our position to the enemy well I'll certainly forward your report and your views to Washington and to the Naval torpedo station to Newport good when it can't happen too soon believe me send off a letter at once our letter good day and good luck thank you gladdens proud to be going out with this true in our seventh Patrol needless to say but I'm saying it I'm telling you this and a lot of luck and we've had some bad breaks with your help we're gonna find an explanation for the bad one one more thing going to get a big one this time and we're gonna watch it go down that's a promise [Music] what are we supposed to do Chris getting Japanese we find swimming but this year jump somebody I stood in Fremantle hey kitten watches cameras binoculars small arms valued at 3,000 bucks or more or less all right turn out your pockets maybe no questions asked no embarrassment oh okay I'll playing some cards yeah sure fine listen let's use your necks what's the difference um yours aren't so broke up oh right [Music] November 2nd 1942 Sea Wolf had penetrated into the bowel gone Mindanao in the Philippines looking for enemy shipping the final answers that's what he knows of the passing of the targets without exploring there's something wrong with our magnetic exploders going to prove it somehow I think I've got it Willy first we've got to find the target that presents absolutely no fire control problems so we can't possibly miss second the ship has to be in such a position that a missile to want to explode beyond her proving a brand straight can only meet her ship lying at anchor at anchor or at the dock until home evade of the exact among all her rowdy sisters cousins and friends dawn of November 2nd bouncy boat cruising cautiously towards to Lomo Bay and her perilous experiment [Music] when Dawn of my watch I mean when you get special permission now I wouldn't mind a new snapshot of glue trash to send home I'm Lew Trask remember I don't have my camera anymore you don't have your camera no I musta lost it in fremantle look I know film is in short supply I'll replace the fill make it my business but we're not on a pleasure cruise besides you're telling me what we are listen but keep your watch got a proposition for you Chum I'll keep my watch you keep your film [Music] out of a clear sky ideal for snapshots no camera unquote what's the gag you supposed you wouldn't live without some gun at the camera if he did lose his little camera in fremantle you mean to tell me he wouldn't get another one someplace was he trying to con I don't think yeah yeah did you ever find that goal like that your wife sent you with her kids pictures in it must be some place of in the ocean don't remind me dinky little silver pen knife I used to have used to blow my brother well nobody cares about 10 miles anymore unless it belong to your only a brother who happens to be dead now I wonder what ever happened to it what do you mean you're kidding or something aren't you you're the ones that are came aboard at night on your watch when he had Liberty in Fremantle yeah but yeah after that stuff got heisted and Tom so anybody can lose something Briscoe missed his funk and after that Jabba Brannigan gold Oh cut it out fellas would be such a Healy to high school Bridge battle stations any time now anybody want to start a pool it says when or you wouldn't have seen a silver pen knife or mine would you you asked me that before you can comb the board again I suppose never mind oh I know how much that penknife meant to you Tom forget it come on let's give it another whirl I said forget it [Music] on November the 3rd 12 miles from to Loma Harbor the captain gave the order to submerge [Music] cautiously the wolf belt out a channel clear of minds and then push ball at Todd's teeming Harbor Marine skippers prayer made the Orient worship heavy guns a friend Owain beautiful [Music] we're moving close so we just can't miss fern zero targets feet zero angle on the Bob 110 started how do your head 3:06 sir down left two three zero five my eye sir oops forward that all gyros at zero and disengage spindles troops forward said all Charles at zero disengage spindles we'll shoot a straight flower shot not taking any chances at top scope rain mark 1 3 500 djaro said it zero sir that that's 18 feet that definite DP figure that's a because about 20 feet allowing for our fish to run a little deeper than the setting they ought to explode magnetically right underneath that Maru right let's hope bow tubes ready sir yep set 18 feet stand by forward stand by forward final observation and shoot final observation and shoot bearing mark zero zero zero range mark 1 1 double oh yeah bye bye bye fire one slide down scope that's our pitot works like gorgeous says it will we'll bust that ship in half can't possibly miss they all here know that don't we for the record well that's for you purchase under point of aiming exploded on the stock pipe down hey that's under target and exploded on the beach damn by to stand by to sir captain I've been working with sort of an adapter with a new camera I got if you put it against a periscope you can take a picture come on help us prove things yes sir [Music] number two at zero depth set at eight feet [Music] all you do is put this against the IPS I click this and it should take a picture I hope am I bye-bye to [Music] very mark zero zero zero range mark 9 5 o fire - fire - [Music] [Music] bullseye how the devil knows he's rolling heavily but steady that fish went off prematurely you can't win standby three set that for four feet for standby three set that for feet number three I ran straight through didn't miss and it didn't dream it to it just didn't go off at all the fourth top veto was another dud and Seawolf and a heavy counter-attack spread it out in the bay not to escape but to reload promised the boys a big one and that's what they're going to get if I have to ran that through a half hour late a Seawolf reloaded was boring in a ganda within nine hundred yards of the enemy point-blank range and this time luck changed this time it was a hit Sagami marui heaved and almost broke into now let's go let's get out of here why don't you tell me you were sending that valuable film for the Thanksgiving game what you want to hold out for if some camera you got on we always thought your head just a little box camera yeah you've been holding out on us our motto is snapless while were yellow where'd you get the camera on let's have a look at her clothes huh keep out of my locker wasn't going in your locker thought you were nobody here to go into somebody else's locker just common courtesy what's the big production if he doesn't want to tell you about the camera he doesn't have to you act as if it's a crime to have a good can i I picked it up in Fremantle oh Sh oh Sh captain of like target yes sir my pal hemin lotion these pictures are excellent we fired six torpedoes four of them were defective these pictures will go a long way toward helping ordinance find out what's wrong with our mark fourteen torpedo with a fine idea Thanks thank you sir is that all sir that's all for now yes fine camera you were using wasn't it what kind is it certainly isn't the one you've been using no sir but I'd like to take a look at it sir I'm afraid of confession to make I've been broke all my life I've been wanting a good camera for a long time I get a big bang out of taking good pictures you know the day I had Liberty back in Fremantle you didn't buy one of those cameras that was reported stolen in Fremantle no sir I didn't find your stolen Camrys well alright I fell awful after I did it you know Tom Jessup for my best friend after his brother dying in a prison camp after I did it I realized what an insult it was to Tom and Burton that's Tom's brother Bert well I mean here we are war with Japan and after all the harm they've done us here I go and buy Japanese camera I feel like a dog sir a real dog camera I mean the boy that is so that's what the way they've been acting they must know the Japanese job I feel sick when your ocean yes yes accordian ism yes look Tom I never what the ADI ahead or something did you demote on the enemy with a Japanese gun would I be sore so you shot him with a camera but good is what the captain tells me good huntin kid oh thanks Tom thanks a lot I'll be back in a moment with our special guest I'm very happy to present Rear Admiral Fredrik the water director of the undersea warfare division and commander of the sea wolf on the patrols you have just witnessed Brad you're one of those sub marinas who had the impossible task of trying to stop the initial Japanese onslaught against the southern islands it must have been pretty rough going yes there were a lot of times when we didn't know when or where we were going to find our next count of bean piling up your top feet of trouble on top of that was quite a load well I wouldn't want anyone to get the impression let's see wolf the Battle of the dubious torpedo is alone our photographs proved very valuable proof but a lot of submarines took risk to get hits it didn't happen there are reports caused quite a stir both ashore and afloat but once the ordnance had the proof that began sending us the finest top heaters that could be built yes from then on it was only a matter of time before Japanese sea power was completely shattered congratulations to you on your great contribution to that success thanks Tom please be with us again when the silent service brings you another true and exciting submarine story [Music] [Music]