THE HAWKBILL'S REVENGE

[Music] I'm Rear Admiral Thomas M Dyck has retired the overwhelming success of the United States submarines during World War two has been thoroughly documented in history and the most popular way of measuring that success was to reckon it in total tonnage sunk true this was the handiest way but far from the only one for tonight's story concerns the USS hawk bill which in its fourth wall patrol derived almost incredible satisfactions through the sinking of a single enemy vessel the one victory they wanted more than anything else in the world the USS hawk bill under the command of commander worth Scanlon began a fourth patrol in Fremantle Australia in early April of 1945 there's any change in his condition let me know yes yes [Applause] anything wrong Fred sonar man captain they just rushed into the hospital ruptured appendix is he in danger no he'll be all right but making our next patrol without our best operator I've got an appointment a squadron commander while I'm there I'll make arrangements for a replacement have you completed the check on a refit yet yes sir we're in fine shape all the way around glad to hear it I got a hunch we'll have to be nothing definite just not commander Scanlon had put the wheels in motion and two days later he had his sonar operator crema radioman first class reporting seven Tucker exec welcome aboard Kramer thank you sir yes Logan captain would like to see you below mr. Tucker oh very well this is Bill's replacement Kramer see what it gets bumped out yes sir son of a gun ho about this small world bit huh yeah well come on let me get you snow we got about four years talking to do you know come on everything ready Fred yes sir Hills replacement just showed an all-hands reward let's shove off then long way to go your rum punch work out there I think it has a fair chance a patrol area is the Java Sea shallow water lots of mines on 5 May 1945 the USS Hawke built slipped quietly away from its Fremantle glory the 45 day war patrol had begun some catching-up hot standing the same kind of watch you sure don't give us much of a chance at it well surely nobody can save the save with whom jerseys without representatives huh sure looks like it how long's it been odd for five years about that hey I heard you've done a lot of patrols yeah this is number fourteen fourteen and I guess this tops anybody on board yeah hey what's with us talk and shop you only number that little gadget used to go with little one Ruth yeah that's her real kilt you ever see it I'd like to I married her look Bonnie let's pick us up against some of the timer I got a watch coming up hey Barney see you looking happy never saw a change like that never funny thing about the years you never know what they're gonna do to a guy whatever they did to him I don't like it it'll work out well Kovacs we were buddies close to see the same guy not a nickels worth on 16 May 1945 Hawksbill out of the patrol area an extremely dangerous area for many reasons two of which were in caps Canlas own words shallow water and lots of mines looks quiet enough captain for the moment I've been looking at the church won't Frank glad to be in this area with the Bernardo you sure we'll all we get to see him it's been a long time much too long Blaine bearing zero to zero looks like a friendly aircraft I take no chances clear the bridge dive time [Music] level over 140 feet level off at hundred forty feet 140 feet sir still think he's friendly downright unfriendly ICO [Music] an hour later undamaged Hawksbill service coming up into low-lying fog the area showed no trace of the enemy but there were problems just the same the poor visibility being only one of them Fred in the conning tower a little while ago did you notice anything well odd solo man sir Kramer Craver what did you think I'm not sure captain there was something it looked like fear though God with his record he's had depth charges thrown at him before would you oh well what do you like it's quiet seems to keep pretty much to himself yeah too much now that I think of it everything else just an impression but you won't there's a resentment as close as I could come have a talk with him if he's got a problem I want to know about it captain ship bearing zero to zero can't make her off the visibility [Music] look at this twice in an hour you sure can't complain about the action on this pipe I'm doing much good if I did would it [Music] major [Music] study one six zero nine one six zero was hoping for better pickings take a look I got you a job first one close range to 3,000 yards then go up and get her let's go to battle stations aye aye sir battle stations gun action battle stations [Music] [Music] [Music] hah still had its first victory of the patrol but in combat a smile can quickly vanish captain Scanlon was to prove the point by nightfall the standard procedure of checking the status of a submarine suspected of being lost in action was simple but effective command headquarters in Perth with broadcast coded messages on schedule one of these would require a reply from the southern question for several days message number 78 addressed to the Lagarto had been repeated on every scheduled transmission [Music] nothing no sir and the gargle still doesn't answer captain I know how close you and Frank lad are but don't jump to conclusions maybe he's forced to maintain a radio silence maybe his radios out maybe any of a dozen things thanks Fred I know all the maybes they're just tougher to buy where Frank is concerned did you have a talk with that boy on sooner Kramer if you could call it a talk he listens answers he never steps out of line but there's always that Oh resentment I think I'll have a talk with him radio contact sir look Donald no the bear she's on her way home they'll pass us tonight about 0 to 20 captain Jarvis wants a rendezvous and sir affirmative aye aye sir captain it will be a long time till zero to 20 the bay and legato will working together [Music] I see no 220 payin Hawk Bell rendezvous welcome aboard Ben you know Fred Tucker my exec captain don't think a little coffee would do any harm do you Ben I'll help what give it a try how sure are you Ben you knew Frank and I were working as a twosome wolf pack he came up with his convoy escorted by a lifeline layer he was equipped with ten-centimeter radar picked up our approach and drove us off of gunfire Frank and I are on devoted and worked out a plan he was to dive on the convoys track at one point and I was to strike from a point 12 miles ahead I did and we were driven off I never saw the Lagarto again good razor on the radio and we don't really know Frank was is a great skipper maybe he are worth don't sure sure I knew you'd want to hear the person thing like that's kind of cold over the radio appreciate it then you can do one more thing that mine layer I want to know everything about her you can think of particularly her movements [Music] captain I want you to know how sorry I am about Frank ladder thanks for it I know how close you were what a fine man he was fine man great man's more like it I can't stop thinking about something that happened a few years back my wife and son were living in Hawaii so were Frank and his wife [Music] no you made a Goodfella Frankie take the pills I'm gonna leave with your mom don't do it fine dad what kind sugar in water psychological pills you might call them but she'll think they're helping what's wrong with him nothing at least nothing that I can do anything about see a lot of this mrs. Gavin in plain English the boy misses his father he's having a hard time adjusting to being without him you say your husband is in Asia for a year duty I've tried so hard to be both parents I'd ever haven't done a very good job no of course you have it's just that it's an impossible job especially with a sensitive the friction of youngster wish there was a pill for there's business again and one that would work the doctor has no solution and somebody else did the moment he heard about it Frank letter every day for a solid year no matter what his duties were he made it a point to spend a couple of hours with my boy be a substitute father I never had a chance to pay him back for it I think now I know how here's the way I figure it thread the mine layer that got the lagarde oh she originated her voyage here in Singapore across the Gulf this way on the northern journey logic says she should be making her return trip via the same route now if we hang around in this position here we might just be able to do a little paying off [Music] sure worth the try captain [Music] less than 24 hours later Hawk billet reached a selected position a position northwest of pool Oh tangle Island just inside the mouth of the Gulf of Siam well well not the mine layer sir first crack out of the box this will have to come first northbound convoy to small freighters kamikaze class destroyers the escort and the target let's get her battle stations down scope you were right about a being shallow captain there's only 40 feet under the keel fel I'll scope make radial torpedo tubes set depth at 4 feet [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] very mark three one zero range mark due to the low shoot by three [Music] he's taking evasive action stand by stair jumps she's trying to ram take a deep imagine teeth [Music] Barna bond stern planes cooking the hand can hold it down I need more speed all ahead full fuzzy opportunity from sea [Music] she's holding now 80 feet 8590 off bill bottom heavily 210 feet and remain there for four grueling hours during which the Kamikaze made three deliberate attacks passing directly overhead each time dropping her depth charges and deadly county survival with little short of a miracle but Hawk Bill was meant to survive [Music] guess he figured he'd nail this you should try hard enough prepares coming along captain's that best will still have gyro angle regulators radars and one antenna out of commission Fred we've got every right to hit home but I still want that nine later I've got the Huns this time captain we'll get him [Music] [Music] right boy I spent plenty of time saying goodbye to forsake their how about you they wait a minute I'd miss wait a minute I think it's about time we had us a little talk now what's with you I want to know old times gives me the right right everybody's got rights Bonnie everybody but me me and Ruth what all right you asked now you listen and listen good did you ever hear of an Rh blood factor no okay ask a doctor I'll give it he won $12 words oh what a boiled down to is this it's dangerous for Ruth to have kids real dangerous we know we already lost two and now she's having another one where am i Bonnie I'm just thinking tub when I should be back there with him I'm sure he almost made it 13 patrols I was on my way home to be with us some poor guy gets a case of appendicitis where does that leave me nice huh are they're tough but it's the breaks it is huh what is it listen there's more a shellacking like we just took we turn around ahead for home because we got a glory hound the cunning teller he wants to get himself a mind way now wait a minute you mean wait a minute setup Kramer glory hound a man who already holds the Navy Cross three Silver Stars the Legion of Merit and two Unit Commendation ribbons it makes sense to you he needs glory sir you're too wrapped up in your own troubles dreamer forget the next man sure the skipper once that mine layer more than anything else in the world I don't have to Kramer but I'm gonna tell you why if anyone should be able to understand you're the one there was no way of knowing it but Hawke bill had only a very short time to wait a matter of hours Oh your captain my lair what do you know might even be the right one down scope make ready all torpedo tubes heads up to three feet sixteen thousands is much work through but we're gonna get this guy we have to put wheels on the boat [Music] we're doomed razor death set of three beat very well final observation and shoot bearing mark zero to eight range mark one five below that fire one [Music] either fish be there second five [Music] more uncertain with bases-loaded hit amidships [Music] now we can go home then I got a radio this is John one sent right away come in you sent for me sir thought you might appreciate a little tip the chief of board is a great cigar smoker you can get them from him sir save me one when you pass them around six pound boys pretty good so I don't know how to thank you already told you save us again that's all thank you sir you look for him sir he looks like a man who got what he wanted that makes two of us Fred I'll be back in a moment with our special guests you have just seen the story of the hawk Phil's revenge now I'd like to introduce the man who is actually her commanding officer doing that patrol captain worth Scanlon welcome aboard Werth thanks for a most provocative and memorable story thanks for telling it so well it brought back a lot of memories satisfaction as well from the look on your face while you were watching the film in more ways than one Tommy being able to avenge Frank while there just aren't any words to describe the feeling that's easy to appreciate but there is a feeling I can describe gratitude my gratitude to the officers and men of Rockville we were a close-knit team and this was a job all of us wanted to do and you certainly did it to Tommy if I may I'd like to touch on one more things something you're very familiar with from your own days in the conning tower I'm pretty sure I know what's on your mind but I wish you'd say it anyway for both of us well it's the wonderful spirit of closeness that might be called a hallmark of Submariner officers and men living working and fighting as a trained combat unit I know it exists in all branches of the service but I think it comes into sharpest focus in a submarine I'm very proud to have been a part of it you're really speaking for both of us worth I want to thank you for the fine story as well as your personal visit wouldn't have missed it for anything be with us again when we bring you another true an exciting submarine story of the silent service [Music]