Hell Below

IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC,

AN AMERICAN SKIPPER CONFRONTS UNEXPECTED THREATS

TO HIS SUBMARINE...

AT THAT TIME, PROBABLY THAT WAS REGARDED

AS PRETTY SERIOUS DAMAGE.

AND TO HIS CREW...

I THINK THEY HAVE VERY FEW INFORMATION

ABOUT THE JAPANESE

AND THE EARLY WARNING PICKET SHIPS.

AS THEY SET OUT

TO THWART JAPANESE EXPANSION IN THE PACIFIC.

IN WORLD WAR II,

A SUBSEA WEAPON ALLOWS WARRIORS TO FIGHT FROM BENEATH THE WAVES.

WITH CUNNING, FORCE, AND TENACITY,

THEIR ENEMIES STRIKE BACK.

REVOLUTIONARY,

BUT STILL SOMETIMES PRIMITIVE,

IT'S A DESPERATE BID...

TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF WAR.

THEIR STORIES ARE LEGEND.

MAY 10, 1942.

AN AMERICAN SUBMARINE APPROACHES ITS ASSIGNED AREA

IN JAPANESE HOME WATERS.

LOOKOUTS SPOT AN ENEMY VESSEL ONLY 4 MILES AWAY.

GET THE CAPTAIN.

IT IS THE FIRST WAR PATROL

OF BOTH USS SILVERSIDES

AND LIEUTENANT COMMANDER CREED BURLINGAME.

37-YEAR-OLD BURLINGAME

IS ONE OF THE NAVY'S NEW GENERATION OF SKIPPERS.

HE WAS A SWASHBUCKLER.

IN FACT, "TIME" MAGAZINE HAD CALLED HIM THAT

DURING THE 1940s.

LIKE A LOT OF SKIPPERS DURING THIS TIME PERIOD,

HE LACKED ANY COMBAT EXPERIENCE AT THE START OF THE WAR.

BUT HE MORE THAN MADE UP FOR THAT

WITH A DESIRE TO WANT TO EXACT REVENGE UPON THE JAPANESE

FOR THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR.

BURLINGAME DECIDES THE SMALL BOAT

DOES NOT WARRANT AN EXPENSIVE TORPEDO.

HE EXPECTS SILVERSIDES' DECK GUN WILL DO THE JOB.

FROM ITS CREW OF 70,

YOUNG OFFICERS AND SAILORS HUSTLE TO THEIR BATTLE STATIONS

FOR THE FIRST TIME.

STAND BY, DECK GUN.

LEVELED OFF!

THEIR 3-INCH .50-CALIBER GUN

CAN FIRE 24-POUND ARMOR-PIERCING SHELLS

AT UP TO THREE ROUNDS PER MINUTE

AT A RANGE OF NEARLY 15,000 YARDS.

THE WEATHER IS AWFUL THIS DAY-

GRAY SKIES, HEAVY SEAS.

THE GUNNERS THAT ARE RACING AROUND ON DECK

ARE STRUGGLING BASICALLY TO STAY UPRIGHT.

BURLINGAME UNLEASHES HIS ATTACK.

- FIRE! - FIRE!

BUT THE JAPANESE BOAT RETURNS FIRE,

AND A GUN BATTLE ERUPTS.

ELEVATE 15!

- FIRE! - FIRE!

THE EBISU MARU NO. 5

IS A 131-TON WOODEN FISHING TRAWLER.

EVEN CIVILIAN SHIPS LIKE FISHING BOATS

HAVE BEEN ARMED TO DEFEND JAPAN.

FIRE!

JAPANESE MACHINE GUN BULLETS

WHIZZ PAST THE SAILORS AND PING OFF THE CONNING TOWER.

BURLINGAME HAS UNDERESTIMATED THE ENEMY.

SO, AT THIS POINT, IT'S ALL HANDS ON DECK.

NOT ONLY ARE THE GUNNERS WORKING TOPSIDE,

BUT CREWS DOWN BELOW

ARE LITERALLY RIPPING OPEN AMMUNITION BOXES

AND FORMING AN AMMO CHAIN

TO HAND THESE PROJECTILES UP FROM THE SUBMARINE,

ALL THE WAY UP SO THAT THEY CAN BE FIRED FROM THE GUN.

FIRE!

ELEVATE!

AS THE GUNFIGHT IS UNFOLDING,

THE CREW'S SHOTS ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE ACCURATE.

SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY PUNCHING INTO THE JAPANESE TRAWLER,

AND IT SUDDENLY ERUPTS IN FLAMES.

RATHER THAN RUN AWAY,

IT ULTIMATELY TURNS

AND STARTS CHARGING TOWARD THE SILVERSIDES.

THE EBISU MARU

CONTINUES TO FIRE ITS MACHINE GUN

ON THE SUBMARINE.

SO THE CREW ON DECK IS HAVING TO TAKE COVER

AS BULLETS ARE LITERALLY ZINGING PAST.

FIRE!

ONE OF THESE BULLETS

ULTIMATELY HITS ONE OF THE MEN IN HIS HELMET.

AND HE SAYS IT'S LIKE A SLEDGEHAMMER-

KNOCKS HIM DOWN, KNOCKS HIM OUT.

DESPITE THE INJURY, THE AMMO CHAIN CONTINUES,

WITH THE SHELLS PASSING FROM HAND TO HAND.

BUT THEN ANOTHER CREW MEMBER, MIKE HARBIN,

TURNS TO PASS A SHELL TO THE NEXT LOADER IN LINE,

AND HE IS HIT, TOO.

IT TAKES A SECOND.

MIKE HARBIN DROPS TO THE DECK,

AND THE OTHER CREWS CONTINUE TO HAND THE SHELLS OFF

ONE AFTER THE OTHER.

AND THEN EVERYBODY STOPS AND LOOKS DOWN

AND REALIZES THAT MIKE HARBIN HAS GONE DOWN,

AND THERE'S BLOOD COMING OUT ON THE DECK AROUND HIM.

IN SHOCK, THE CREW FREEZES,

DESPITE THE ONGOING FIREFIGHT.

TO SNAP THEM OUT OF IT,

WORTHINGTON UNHOLSTERS HIS PISTOL,

LOWERS IT BY HIS SIDE, AND HE SHOUTS TO THE MEN,

"GET BACK ON THAT DAMN GUN, OR I'LL SHOOT EVERYONE."

LET'S MOVE NOW!

LOAD IT! LET'S GO!

KEEP FIRING! FIRE!

FASTER! GO!

KEEP MOVING! KEEP FIRING!

FINALLY, ENGULFED IN FLAMES,

THE PICKET BOAT STOPS FIRING.

BURLINGAME CALLS OFF THE ATTACK AND EXPECTS IT TO SINK,

BUT IT DOES NOT.

IN THE FIRST BATTLE OF THEIR FIRST PATROL,

A CREW MEMBER HAS BEEN KILLED.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAUNTS BURLINGAME.

THE EBISU MARU WASN'T WORTH THE PRICE OF A TORPEDO,

BUT IN THE END, IT COST MUCH MORE.

THROUGHOUT 1942,

THE JAPANESE LOOK TO CONSOLIDATE THEIR HOLD ON THE PACIFIC.

TO HALT JAPANESE EXPANSION,

ON AUGUST 7th,

6,000 AMERICAN MARINES LAND ON GUADALCANAL

TO SEIZE THE ISLAND.

THE FIRST OFFENSIVE

THE UNITED STATES MOUNTS IN THE PACIFIC IS GUADALCANAL.

IN ITSELF, GUADALCANAL IS NOT WHERE YOU'D REALLY LIKE TO BE,

BUT GUADALCANAL IS A PLACE FROM WHICH YOU CAN GET FURTHER.

IF YOU KNOW IT MATTERS,

IT MEANS THAT YOU'LL FIGHT FOR IT.

AND THAT GRINDS DOWN A FAIR AMOUNT OF THE JAPANESE NAVY.

THEY INFLICT VERY SERIOUS LOSSES ON US.

BY NOVEMBER, THE NUMBERS ARE STAGGERING.

THE JAPANESE HAVE LANDED OVER 30,000 TROOPS;

MANY QUICKLY BECOME CASUALTIES.

THEY CONTINUE TO FIGHT TO RETAIN CONTROL

DESPITE THE BRUTAL STANDOFF.

REINFORCEMENTS WILL PROVE CRITICAL.

ON DECEMBER 17, 1942,

USS SILVERSIDES DEPARTS THE AMERICAN SUBMARINE BASE

AT BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA.

THEY HEAD TO AN AREA

SOUTH OF THE ISLAND OF TRUK

ON THEIR FOURTH WAR PATROL.

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER BURLINGAME'S SUBMARINE

MUST PREVENT JAPANESE SUPPLIES AND REINFORCEMENTS

FROM REACHING GUADALCANAL.

BURLINGAME AND HIS CREW HAVE COME A LONG WAY

IN THE EIGHT MONTHS SINCE THEIR FIRST PATROL.

THEY'VE GONE FROM BEING A YOUNG, INEXPERIENCED GROUP OF SAILORS

TO BEING HARDENED VETERANS.

THEY'VE SURVIVED DEPTH CHARGE ATTACKS,

AERIAL BOMBS,

THE LOSS OF ONE OF THEIR OWN CREW MEMBERS.

ALL OF THIS HAS MADE THEM A TIGHT-KNIT CREW.

FIVE DAYS INTO THE MISSION,

SILVERSIDES PASSES BY THE JAPANESE STRONGHOLD

OF RABAUL, NEW BRITAIN.

AS SILVERSIDES POWERS DEEPER INTO ENEMY TERRITORY,

22-YEAR-OLD PHARMACIST'S MATE TOM MOORE

HAS BEEN UP SINCE 4 AM.

HOW YOU DOIN'?

SEVERAL SAILORS HAVE BEEN SUFFERING FROM NAUSEA

SINCE THEY LEFT BRISBANE.

A PHARMACIST'S MATE'S JOB DESCRIPTION

IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT IT IS NOW.

IN WORLD WAR II, THEY WERE TRAINED IN FIRST AID,

THEY COULD SUTURE WOUNDS,

THEY COULD TREAT COLDS,

THEY COULD TREAT MINOR ILLNESSES,

THAT TYPE OF THING.

BUT ONE PATIENT IS DIFFERENT.

18-YEAR-OLD PETTY OFFICER 3rd CLASS FIREMAN GEORGE PLATTER

COMPLAINS OF SHARP PAIN IN HIS ABDOMEN.

MOORE ASSIGNED BEDREST, AS HE DID WITH THE OTHERS,

BUT HOURS LATER, PLATTER'S CONDITION WORSENS.

HIS PAIN IS MORE INTENSE.

THE PHARMACIST'S MATE STARTS TO WORRY.

MOORE THINKS

ACUTE APPENDICITIS-

A SERIOUS MEDICAL THREAT IN A WORLD WITHOUT ANTIBIOTICS.

IF YOU HAD AN ILL SHIPMATE

WHO HAD APPENDICITIS

AND YOU LET IT GO TO ANY LENGTH OF TIME,

IF IT BECAME ACUTE APPENDICITIS, THE APPENDIX WOULD BURST.

AND THAT WAS, ESSENTIALLY, A SENTENCE OF DEATH.

MOORE BELIEVES PLATTER REQUIRES SURGERY.

HE'S GOT APPENDICITIS.

HE ASKS BURLINGAME TO REQUEST A FLYING BOAT-

AN AIRCRAFT THAT CAN LAND IN WATER-

TO COLLECT PLATTER

AND FLY HIM TO AUSTRALIA FOR THE EMERGENCY OPERATION.