Hellcats of the Navy

In 1944,

when Japan's island empire

was still an impregnable fortress,

I approved plans,

as Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet,

for one of the most daring and formidable operations

in the history of naval warfare.

The problem was how to get past

the heavily mined entrances

into the Sea of Japan,

how to sever the vital link of supply

between Japan and the Asiatic mainland,

thereby breaking his will to fight

and ensuring his destruction.

My faith in this daring operation

was placed in men

like Vice-Admiral Charles A. Lockwood,

Commander of Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet,

and his faith was placed in men like Commander Casey Abbott,

Captain of the submarine Starfish.

This is the story of the life and death struggle,

fought not only beneath the surface of the sea,

but within the minds and hearts of a valiant group of men,

the "Hellcats of the Navy."

My favorite kind!

Bah.

Hey, Freddy,

I made these special for you.

Thanks.

Cookie, sir?

We should be sitting right off the Honshu Coast.

See if those frogmen are ready.

Aye, aye, sir.

We close enough to pick up

a couple of Geisha girls,

maybe, Mr. Landon?

Yeah. Nice fat ones, with horns on them.

Horns?

He means mines, dope!

We're right on the edge

of the minefield, captain,

according to the DRT.

Thanks, Don.

No sonar contact, Mr. Landon.

Huh?

Where's the minefield?

It's there, all right.

What do you see, captain?

Nothing but fog.

All ahead one-third.

All ahead one-third.

We're right on the edge

of the Japanese shipping lanes, Don.

Better take those frogmen

out through the escape truck.

Aye, aye, sir.

Where's Mr. Barton?

He moved into your bunk this morning

to get some sleep, sir.

Too much acey-deucy, I guess.

All right, see you up forward.

Aye, aye, sir.

Let's go, fellas.

Come on, Wes!

Come on, lover boy.

Dream sequence is over.

You're on.

You're the head man in this act,

so get into your gear.

Oh, what time is it?

Time for you to go out and get a couple Japanese mines.

Oh, ain't I the lucky one?

Yeah. You're lucky it's me waking you up

and not Captain Abbott.

You think he's sore?

Oh, no, no, he likes it,

when his girl's going out

with another guy, especially a J.G.

Well, look, was it my fault?

She practically sat down in my lap

and demanded attention.

Yeah. I hear she's just that type.

Look, don't let the quiet ones

fool you, Don,

I've been telling you for years,

you've got to open the oyster

to find the pearl.

Forget the oysters this trip, will you?

Just bring back two Japanese mines.

We've got to have them if we're going to make

this new sonar work.

Oh, the next thing you'll want

is a thing like television

so you can see where you're going.

I wish I could see where you were going.

That girl again?

Look, what's the big deal, pal?

Wes, I've seen you playing the field

ever since the academy,

but this girl is different.

She wouldn't fit into a notch on your belt.

Oh, Don, may I never live

to borrow your skivvies again,

if I'm telling a lie,

but I didn't break up this romance.

No, I got her on the rebound

from Abbott.

Are you satisfied?

Now, where does it say in Navy regulations...

Come on, they're waiting for you out there.

A few days from now,

we'll be sitting around

Wing Joe's,

listening to Wes Barton

tell us all about how he won the war.

Single-handed!

Hey, tell us about it, will you, Wes?

Aw, come on.

All right. Listen. Listen.

There I was,

right in the middle of the Sea of Japan,

surrounded by the entire Japanese Navy...

and all I had was a pair of flippers.

A pair of flippers, huh?

Will you tell us how you did it?

Hey, Cinderella,

here's your magic slippers.

You men all ready?

We're all set, sir.

How about time?

20 minutes out, 20 minutes back--

no longer.

We'll surface in 40 minutes.

What's so special

about these particular mines?

Well, the Japanese have done something to them,

so our sonar won't pick them up.

We have to find out what it is.

We lost the Needlefin last week

trying to get through these straits.

All right, let's make it.

Hey, Wes,

you'd better hurry back.

You've got a pair of my shoes.

I'm getting a new pair of heels put on them.

You know how it is being dragged out of those bars.

Just the thing for water polo, huh?

You're not kidding.

What happened to him?

Too much, too long.

Get him below!

Where's Barton?

He was with Cordice and Smith.

Hey, Cordice! Isn't Bart with you guys?

I thought he was with you.

Hey, Barton!

Wes!

That guy couldn't drown!

We'll go back after him.

Barton!

Lines secured, sir.

Very well.

Radar contact on the starboard bow, captain,

bearing zero-two-five.

How far?

About 3,000 yards.

Range closing fast. Could be a destroyer.

Hey, Barton.

Landon!

We'll have to dive!

But, captain, if you cut your engines,

they'll never find us in this fog.

They may have us on their radar already.

We've got to bring him in!

What's the position on that radar report now?

2,500 yards. Range closing fast!

Wes!

Clear the deck!

Captain, I see Wes!

Where?

About a hundred yards off!

I see him, sir!

I think.

You! Get below!

Barton!

Wes!

Clear the bridge!

Lookouts below!

What about Wes Barton?

2,000 yards!

We can't do anything for him now.

Hatch shut! Take her down fast!

Five-seven feet!

Ready all tubes!

Stand by forward and aft!

Left full rudder!

Left full rudder!

Green board.

Pressure in the boat. Main induction shut and locked.

She's heard our sounds.