Operation Petticoat

- Good morning. - Good morning, Sir.

Good morning.

Good morning. I just came to look around.

- Yes, sir. - All right if I go below?

Certainly, sir. Can I get you some coffee?

No, I'll just go below and wait for the captain. Maybe later.

- Yes, sir. - Chief.

Who's he?

- That's Sherman. - Yeah?

And what is he doing here at six in the morning?

He came to make sure that you were comfortable.

Don't you know anything about submarines?

Yes, sure. I know Sherman. He's the boss of Submarines Pacific.

- He was the first captain of this boat. - Yes, I know that.

Then you should be able to figure out what he is doing here.

If you were the first skipper of the "Sea Tiger"...

and you ordered her sent to the junkyard at nine...

what would you be doing at six?

USN SEA TIGER CAPTAIN'S JOURNAL

December 10, 1941.

Moored starboard side to Machina Wharf. Cavite Navy Yard...

Philippine Islands, for provisions and fuel.

Directive received from Commander Asiatic Fleet...

"You will sink or destroy all enemy ships wherever encountered."

Have advised Commander Submarine Force, Asiatic Fleet...

that "Sea Tiger"...

...will be ready for sea at 19:00, 10 December 1941.

Captain! Captain!

Enemy planes over.

- Ready on engines? - The best we can, Sir.

Cut those lines!

Take cover!

I'm not denying we suffered minor damage, Sir, but...

Minor damage??

What does it take to convince you? You've been sunk!

- You ought to read your own report. - Yes.

“Bulkheads, main ballast tanks and pressure hull...

ripped by bomb fragments.

Engine room flooded, main induction and ventilation wrecked...

torpedo tubes, motor controls and reduction gear inoperable...

electrical equipment, wiring, gauges, gyro, radio."

All you've got out there...

is a periscope sitting on a couple of thousand tons of scrap metal.

What do you suggest, sir?

Should we underwater weld to jury patch the hull before pumping her out...

or should we raise her first and then work on the hull?

Matt, with major repairs and a complete overhaul

maybe Sea Tiger could be put back in commission.

- A functioning Navy yard might do it. - Sir.

My chiefs are pretty good hands. They know they're on their own.

And what we're up against. But we think we can get " Sea Tiger " back in the war.

Yes, on who's side?

We're due to evacuate back to Bataan on the 26th...

two weeks to do a job a yard couldn't do in two months.

We don't think we can get her into fighting trim right away...

repair it... just enough to reach the nearest sub tender.

That would be the "Bushnell", in Darwin.

Almost two thousand miles of ocean...

with the Japanese Navy roaming over it.

And you're going to make it in a sub held together with spit and bailing wire?

Sir...

the " Sea Tiger " deserves a better epitaph than...

"commissioned 1940, sunk, 1941.

Engagements: none. Shots fired: none."

You can't let her go that way, it's like...

a beautiful woman dying an old maid, if know what I mean...

by an old maid.

- Did you ever sell used cars? - No, sir.

I think you missed your calling.

Okay, Matt. You've got two weeks to get her out or we blow her up.

Fair enough.

By the way...

three of my officers and eighteen men have been transferred...

- ...How soon can I can get them back? - You don't.

You'll have to get by with a skeleton crew.

I'll get you what replacements I can.

Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.

All done.

Men, clean up later. That's all we can do now.

An odd job but might hold alright.

Yes, sir.

Do you think the No. 2 tank will hold?

All that we can do is try, sir.

- Which one are you holding? - The left.

Well hang on.

Okay, give her some air.

I found it, I found it!

- Found it. Look. - I give up. What is it?

The cake that my mother sent me.

Isn't that nice. Take it to the cook, maybe he'll warm it up.

Mothers.

Why couldn't she send something we need?

Like a universal coupling joint.

What is it, Molumphry?

I do not know, sir.

Have a look.

Looks like the Good Humor man.

- I wonder if he left his tie off. - What's going on?

- Take a look, sir. - Okay.

Holy moly.

What is it?

I hope I'm wrong, but with that suitcase I'd say he was one of the replacements.

Don't tell me that!

- Oh, for heaven's sake! - Do you know anything about him?

Only from the society pages of the Honolulu newspapers;...

- His name is Lieutenant Nick Holden. - Holden.

He's the darling of the high-class social set.

- I'll bet he is. - He and the Admiral's wife...

won the rumba championship two years in a row!

Okay, fellows. Come on, knock it off. Back to work.

Lieutenant Nick Holden, reporting for duty, sir.

Excuse the misunderstanding, Mr. Holden...

It's unusual to see an Admiral's aide without the Admiral.

He was scheduled to be transferred. I was sent to make arrangements...

- then the war broke out... - And you're stranded?

Yes, sir. Captain Henderson assigned me to you...

He said to hurry... before you left.

The bearings are okay sir...

but if we don't come up with an oil pump shaft we will only...

- ...get out of here by rowing. - Didn't Hunkle follow up the requisition?

Requisition? That's all we do. But we never get anything.

We might as well write a letter to Santa Claus.

Ya. Well, thank you, Tostin.

- Have you ever been in a submarine? - No, sir.

We need a torpedo and gunnery officer. Any experience?

- Guns? I'm afraid not, sir. - How about navigation?

- Terribly sorry. - Communications?

Wish I could help, sir.

Tell me.

Before becoming an Admiral's aide What did you do in the navy?

Well, sir, I was primarily an idea man.

I see. Well...

Tell me... what does an idea man do?

I coordinated the Navy day parade in Milwaukee...

and I was the special liaison officer for the Eleventh Naval District.

- Liaison? With what? - Hollywood.

I coordinated the design of admission posters.

From there I transferred to Fleet Headquarters Honolulu.

Is that where they gave you sea duty?

No, sir. I was the Recreation Officer at the Royal Arms Hotel.

Just for my information...

What does an idea man do in a hotel?

The Navy took over the hotel for officer's training...

and I saw that entertainment was provided.

- Have you ever been to sea? - Yes, sir, destroyer duty.

- How did you find time for it? - It was a mistake, sir.

A week after I left Honolulu they got it straightened out.

Who, the Admiral or the Admiral's wife?

She must be upset with you out here ;...

that will cost her the rumba championship this year.

Holy!

Here you go, my man. Will you take this bag and clubs to the submarine?

Thank you, son.

Hunkle.

What about that oil pump?

Well, I put in four requisitions.

- Did you put stamp them urgent? - I put a requisition in for one, sir.

- For what? - An urgent stamp, we haven't got one.

Haven't we received anything from supplies?

The only requisition that's been filled

is the requisition for more requisition paper.

Captain, I got the trim pump broken down. Want to look at it?

- Yes. - All right, Hunkle.

Can I help you, sir?

No, not really. My name is Lt. Nick Holden.

- I'm Ernest Hunkle. - Pleasure to meet you.

Would care for some coffee?

- Yes, thank you. - Follow me.

- Who is that? - It's " The Prophet ", sir.

His he always that cheerful?

That's just the way he is, sir. Don't mind him.

- Cream and sugar? - Yes, thank you.

"Why even try?...

If you're lucky enough...

to live through today...

tomorrow...

you will die."

I don't know...

From the looks of things around here he knows what he's singing about.

- Your coffee, sir. - Thank you.

- Excuse me, I must get back to my work. - Certainly.

Thank you.

Sir.

- Sir. Look at this. - What?

Last June, when we were here, I requisitioned toilet paper.

Every time we've been back I sent through a follow up...

according to the book through channels I even submitted a sample.

So what happens?

They responded: " Cannot identify, requisition cancelled ".

Not that I'm complaining, sir, but this what I've been going through.

All right, Hunkle. Relax...

Take a letter.

Let's see.

- Are you ready? - Yes, sir.

From Commanding Officer " USS Sea Tiger "...

To Supply Officer, Navy Yard, Cavite, Philippines...

Dear Commander Submarine Forces, etc...

Subject: Toilet paper.

One:..

On 6 June, 1941...