The Rebels of PT-218

September 1943, after four years of war,

the entirety of Europe is now under German domination.

However, with Allied victories in Stalingrad and El Alamein,

the tide of the war seems to be turning.

But it will never turn in full until

the Allied invasion of Europe.

With the French coast still an impenetrable fortress,

the best way in is the enemy's soft underbelly, Italy.

Fortunately, the landing in Sicily means British

and American forces are now lapping at the heels

of the Axis war machine.

Thus, Operation Avalanche is born.

On September 9th, 1943, the Allies will attempt to land

in the back door of the Nazi empire

along the coast of Italy at Salerno.

To punch a hole in the door means first clearing

the enemy waters of the deadly U-Boats and coastal guns.

For that, the Navy will rely on its smallest

and swiftest vessel, patrol torpedo boat,

also known as the PT.

While the Allied fleet moves across the Tyrrhenian Sea,

the only defense for the PTs are a single ship

of the Merchant Marines.

Comprised of civilian and Navy personnel U.S. Merchant Marine

fights for the supply and the men of the U.S. Armed Forces

with all the resources they'll need.

Tonight the fight, no less important than

the liberation of the free world,

will rest in the hands of that lone vessel,

the S.S. Lawton B. Evans and her brave crew aboard.

This is our story.

That's that German barge Irish warned us about.

We got bigger guns. Should we go in?

Not our job, Buck. It's a Liberty ship.

We can deliver 10 tons of K-ration,

lumber and cotton blankets to Palermo.

Let the warships take care of the war.

General quarters.

General quarters.

- Let's go! -

F-Lighter on target.

F-Lighter on target!

We're on target, on target.

Looks like he's going to fire the torpedoes.

Those F-Lighters are tough,

but nothing a couple of fish can't take down real fast.

Okay, man, prepare the torpedoes.

Starboard torpedo!

Fire!

Portside torpedo!

Fire!

Come on.

Yes!

There she goes.

Direct hit! Direct hit!

Good work, men.

Direct hit, direct hit.

Got him! Took about time!

Did you see that, Tommy?

I saw it. Beautiful, beautiful!

Couldn't have done better myself.

Four marks.

They got eyes on us!

Shit.

It's a coastal battery!

Get the hell outta here! Flank speed ahead!

Flank speed ahead!

Hard right rudder, 10 degrees!

Hard right rudder, 10 degrees!

Avoid fire!

Redeker! Redeker!

- Full speed ahead! - Full speed ahead!

All hands to battle stations! All hands to battle stations!

All under fire! We are under fire!

We're gonna lose that PT if we don't do something now.

Get ready! Get loaded!

- I need to be... - Load up! Load up!

They're sitting ducks out there, Skip!

Collective fire to the shore!

Repeat, collective fire to the shore!

Repeat, collective fire to the shore!

Fire on land! On land!

Flank speed ahead! Flank speed ahead!

Skip, that was the last of our escorts.

Damn it!

We gotta take out those guns!

It's no use, Skip.

I didn't start this fight, but I'm damn well gonna finish it.

Rapid continual fire at shoreline now!

Rapid continual fire on shoreline!

Repeat, rapid continuous fire to the shoreline!

Let's kick their asses! Come on! Come on!

100 degrees to port!

Lined up.

Fire!

Reload! Reload!

Recover! Reload!

Recover, recover, reload, reload!

Agh!

Go check the boilers for damage!

How is it?

Can't take another one of those, Skipper.

Charlie, go around for another pass.

- Hard left rudder. - Hard left rudder.

This is not a destroyer, Bill. We've gotta turn around!

Get us the hell outta here, helmsman.

Aye, aye, sir.

Let's pick it up, boys!

Wanna finish this detail before Christmas!

I don't see you helping.

Ah, you're working like you play chess, Moose.

Let's pick it up.

Think we're taking this baby all the way to Berlin?

That's not how depth charges work, Bauer.

All right, ladies.

You got five minutes, let's pick it up!

Couple of dents that could use hammering.

Otherwise, she held up okay.

This isn't what I had in mind.

Redeker, I didn't sign up to get shot at.

Krauts ruin everything.

This isn't the Navy! We're Merchant Marines!

Well, you'd think the Germans would grant us a deferment.

All those guardboys topside?

They're the ones trained for this nonsense!

I'm just here to keep this baby afloat.

Look, it's all a matter of luck.

When was the last time you were back home in Mill Valley?

Let's see. 1941?

Oh, I've been home since then.

And I'll tell you, you wouldn't like it.

You liar.

You got the prettiest little family I've ever seen.

That's what I'm saying! I am fabulously lucky!

You, on the other hand, not so much.

Look, it's like poker.

Out here, you're a respected sailor with a full house.

Back home, you maybe got a pair of sixes.

At sea, you ain't never getting these aces, kid.

Are you trying to make me feel better?

Not really.

Mission accomplished, chief.

Hey, I'm always here for you.

I'm like the ship therapist.

I'm gonna start charging you guys.

I heard things got a little hairy out there.

How's things on Lawton B. Evans?

Our last escort was destroyed and we barely escaped alive.

But the ship took the brunt of it.

We're leaking oil like a sieve

and we'll be vulnerable until we can repair it.

Sounds like it was hell.

I misjudged the situation, sir.

Oh, bullshit!

The Jerrys have that entire coastline armed to the teeth.

They been interrupting our movements

in that sector for weeks.

It's only a matter of time

'til you came upon a coastal battery.

Now listen, Snow, I know you had a bit of bad luck

back in Tunisia, but...

I wasn't cut out for convoys, sir.

I was trained to fight.

Yeah, well, those fighting instincts of yours

almost cost a thousand men their lives.

I take full responsibility for my actions, sir.

I alone am to blame.

That's why I'm gonna give you a shot at redemption.

Sir?

Landing troops on Salerno Beach in less than 48 hours.

The invasion of Europe?

Commander?

This is Major General Bradley.

General?

Listen. We're looking to stick it to Hitler

by taking out his buddy, Mussolini.

That sound good to you?

Great, sir!

Great. You might have noticed the coast around Salerno

is heavily armed with a battery of SS88s,

the toughest gun in their army.

Yes, sir.

We're sending in two PT boats with commandos

to take out those guns.

We're gonna need your men to provide

artillery support as needed.

The Lawton B. Evans, General?

That's right.

The Krauts are looking to get a foothold back in Italy.

Fact is, your little cargo ship

is the most powerful vessel that we have in that sector.

I won't let you down, General.

You're damn right, you won't.

This is gonna be the single most important mission

that you and your men on the S.S. Evans have ever conducted.

Thousands of lives depend on it.

Understood, sir!

You got 36 hours to get in there

and knock out all the enemy vessels before daybreak

or the invasion of Salerno will be in jeopardy.