In Harm's Way Page #2

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to repel an invasion.

- You mean wait, Admiral Broderick.

- We have no choice. Wait.

Seek out and destroy, if at all possible.

What can 12 ships do

against the Jap task force?

It would be a futile gesture.

It could give us time

to bring our carriers within range.

What if Torrey can't contact the Japs?

Suppose they slip by him?

He has no radar, one scout plane.

The risk is too great,

leaving our shores unprotected.

- I repeat, sir. We must wait.

- Thank you, Admiral Broderick.

Order Captain Torrey to assume

command of his task group

and seek out and engage

the enemy if possible.

- All your personal problems resolved?

- Let's say they're cut down a size.

Dispatch has come in

from Fleet Operations, sir.

- Burke?

- From CinCPac.

"Japanese believed retiring for refuelling.

"Proceed to latitude 18 north,

longitude 162 west.

"Seek out and engage the enemy.

Godspeed. "

- Well!

- Well!

Have all ships report

useable fuel aboard.

Break radio silence. Ask CinCPac

for a tanker rendezvous at first light.

- After you figure our projected position.

- Aye, aye, sir.

We'll play hell

getting a tanker out of Pearl.

If we don't, we'll be sucking air

instead of oil by midnight tomorrow.

Sir, the starboard lookout

has a ship on the bow.

A tanker, he thinks, sir.

She's riding high. She's empty.

She's going home,

if a sub doesn't get her.

At this rate, we'll have to head home

inside 10 hours.

We could reduce speed to save fuel.

Crawl at 10 knots?

We'd never find any Japs.

- If we stopped zigzagging...

- That'd be an invitation to enemy subs.

There may be subs out there, maybe not.

Whether there are

or aren't subs out there,

if we steer a straight course, we'd add

another six hours to our steaming time.

Resume our base course.

- Straighten us out, Commander Burke.

- Aye, aye, sir.

Rock, you just threw the book away.

How long will Torrey keep pushing?

We haven't enough fuel

to hold the keel down.

He'll run the rope out

and then add some string to it.

- Where'd you know him?

- He instructed at the Academy.

We call him the Rock.

Scared the hell outta you.

He's all Navy and nothin' but Navy.

He never left the campus,

like he had nowhere else to go.

Sonar contact, sir, bearing 0-2-0.

Range 2,000 and closing.

Make turns for 20 knots.

Set condition able.

Close all watertight doors.

- Tell Sonar to keep the ranges coming.

- 1800 and closing.

- Cline? You on the recorder?

- You know it!

Signal flagship we're about to attack

sonar contact.

Cassiday reports submarine contact.

- Have all ships resume zigzag.

- Aye, aye, sir.

- 0-1-5 it is, sir.

- Stand by to roll depth charges.

Stern racks. Roll one.

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