 The Cavalcade of America sponsored by DuPont, maker of better things for better living through chemistry. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is the Cavalcade of America sponsored by DuPont. Tonight we bring you a story based on facts of our Navy in action with Edwin Jerome of the Cavalcade players in the role of the submarine commander in Diary on a Pig Boat, an original Saturday evening post story by Frederick C. Paynton, made into a radio play for Cavalcade by Stuart Hawkins. Ralph Bellamy, who was to have been with us tonight, will be Cavalcade star January 25th. As a special guest tonight, we will present at the close of our play Lieutenant Commander Willard A. Saunders, who recently was awarded the Navy Cross for distinguished service. With regulations, all names of ships, places and individuals mentioned in this broadcast are fictitious. The technical references and operational details are authentic, but are so employed as not to give aid or comfort to the enemy. Starring Edwin Jerome in Diary on a Pig Boat on the Cavalcade of America sponsored by DuPont. Zero, zero, zero, zero, two, zero, four, zero, zero hours. Sea calm, slight grounds well, wind force zero, barometric pressure 30-10, air temperature is 78-5, water temperature 80-0, cost 165, cruising up service. That's the terse prosaic way the Navy describes a calm and beautiful night in the western Pacific. And through the darkness, a long, low sliver of steel slides leisurely along. It's narrow deck awash, only it's cunning tower clear of the wall. Night is a respite for this ship. From dawn to dusk, she must prowl below the surface, for she is on offensive patrol in enemy waters and is the hunted as well as the hunter. On the cunning tower bridge, young Ensign Waller is watch officer. What time is it, quartermaster? 4.47, sir. Not long till dawn. The sky's beginning to lighten a bit in the east already. You better call a skipper. Yes, sir. No need of that, Mr. Waller. I'm up already. Morning, sir. Morning. Didn't get much sleep, did you? Very much. Excited anything? Nothing, sir. The ocean's been empty as a church on a Monday morning. How's she heading, Franklin? 165 on the nose, sir. Right. No trouble holding her on the mouth tonight, eh? No, sir. Easiest steering of baby buggy this weather. What do you know about baby buggy? You're not married, are you, Franklin? No, sir. But my sister's got a set of twins. I helped her wheel him when I was home last time. Oh, twins, eh? I thought I was the only man on board who'd wheeled a set of twins. Well, yours are your own, sir. Franklin's only a twin's uncle. Yes. I expect mine have about outgrown that double-barreled pram by now. Well, kids can do a lot of going in a year, I guess. They sure can. You'll see when you get one of your own. Oh, I won't worry about that till I've found out who's going to be its mother. That's still unsettled. This is well for you and her, too, until this business is over. I'm going below the control room. Keep her on the same course in speed until we submerge it. Sunrise, Mr. Wallam. Yes, sir. Same course in speed until we submerge it. Morning, Gallagher. What's that I smell? Coffee? It's just two with a fresh pot, sir. Hey, Warsh. Warsh, come on back with that jamoke. The captain wants some. Yeah, I'll be right there in a minute. You all right here, sir? No hurry. Three enemy destroyers. Three points forward on the stop at beam. Five thousand guys away heading straight for us, sir. Very well, Mr. Wallam. Being transferred to control, sir. Diesel stop. All ventilators closed, sir. Great to secure, sir. All ballast vents open, sir. Pressure in the boat. Take it to 60 feet, Mr. Mead. All dive on the bow diving plane. All dive on the bow plane. All right, sir. Ten degrees on the stern diving plane. Ten degrees on the stern plane. Aye, aye, sir. Motors ahead, two thousand aside. Motors ahead, two thousand aside, sir. Is that mark, sir? There were just three destroyers, Mr. Wallam? Yes, sir. Headed right for us. But it was still too dark for them to have seen us. I mean, I think it was. Forty-five feet. All ahead, no. All ahead, normal, sir. Propeller sounds. Bearing seven-four, sir. They're coming fast. Fifty feet. Fifty-five feet. Level off. Sixty feet. Sixty feet. Sixty feet. She's heavy forward. I'm from the forward to the aft trim tanks. Aye, sir. Final trim, sir. Level at 60. Propeller sounds. Bearing eight-one, now, sir. Closing in fast two. I don't think they could have seen us. Bearing eight-four, now, sir. Looks like they'll go right over us. They had in their minds a nurse, Mr. Wallam. Ha-ha. Didn't think they saw us. You're Ed. Ed Frankman. Yeah. Didn't that not remind you of the Times Square subway station? Connors Gallagher. More things can remind you of Times Square. Propeller sounds. Bearing two-six-six, receding. Those destroyers are an awful hurry, Captain. Just what I was thinking. They're the advance guard for something. And something rather important, I should say. Oh, whatever it is. We're inside the guard ring, now. Stop all motors. Aye, aye, sir. All motors, stop, sir. Listen all round, Tom. Destroyer propellers. Still bearing two-six-six. But much fainter, sir. No. No, nothing but those destroyers, sir. You know, it's almost sunrise to upside. A few minutes more, it'll be light enough up there to use the periscope, Mr. Mead. Nothing on the sound detector, sir. Not even the destroyers, now. Very well. All ahead, normal. Aye, aye, sir. All ahead, normal, sir. Take her up to periscope depth, Mr. Mead. We'll rise in the bow plane. We'll rise in the bow plane, sir. Periscope, yes, sir. Up periscope. Up periscope. Aye, aye. Light enough to see anything yet, sir. Yeah. If there's anything to see... Don't look like he's fine or nothing. Quiet, Gilbert. Ah. He spotted something. Quiet. Enemy cruiser bearing zero-seven-five relative. Looks like a big one. Down periscope. Still a wet boat, Mr. Weill. There you are, sir. No. Ah, this is it. Japanese heavy cruiser over the hood of Tiger Class. One of their newest. And biggest. Up periscope. That's very all right. Angle on about 15 stop it. Ten thousand yards. Mark. Mark. Bearing two-three-two true. Course zero-forty true. You are twenty-six-hundred from the track. Enemy cruiser speed twenty. Enemy cruiser speed twenty. Down periscope. Aye, aye, sir. What do you make of, Mr. Mead? You've got twelve minutes to approach for a bow shot. A bow shot? Oh, baby. You're going to fire within a thousand yards, Mr. Mead. Right, sir. All ahead, three thousand aside. Twenty degrees right, brother. To course, three-one-zero. Aye, aye, sir. A bow shot? To lessen a thousand. Boy, this is going to be good. You are listening to Diary on a Pig Boat starring Edwin Jerome on the Cavalcade of America sponsored by Dupont. As our play continues, ten minutes have elapsed since Commander Haas has cited a Japanese cruiser and has ordered his men to make ready for attack. All two ready for firing, sir. Very well, well done. Enemy propeller sounds bearing zero eight. Up periscope. Aye, aye, sir. Come right to course three-one-five. Down periscope. Right to course three-one-five, sir. Hold her on it. Slow to fifteen hundred aside. Fifteen hundred aside, sir. Up periscope. Steady as she goes. Steady as she goes, sir. Stand by. Fire one. One fire, sir. Fire two. Two fire, sir. Three fire, sir. Fire three. Three fire, sir. Fire four. Four fire, sir. Down periscope. Full left rudder. Full left rudder, sir. Take her down to one hundred feet. Full dive on the bow plane. All ahead three thousand aside. Full dive on the bow plane, sir. Three thousand aside, sir. Watch out, them pencils don't slide off the chart table. Yeah, I got them. How'd you look at them? Big as a house. If I didn't miss completely, we were hearing something at fifty five seconds. Fifty seconds now. Fifty feet. Fifty five. Sixty feet. All ahead normal. All ahead normal, sir. Eighty feet. Eighty five. Ninety. Check her with the bow plane. Ninety five. Ninety eight. Level up. One hundred. One hundred. One hundred. Final trim at one hundred feet, captain. Nice dive, Mr. Mead. Stop all motors. All motors stop, sir. Listen all around, Thompson. Cruiser propeller sounds. Speed unchanged, sir. Sure is warming up in here. Quiet. Any second now. Hot doggy. Two explosions on the starboard beam, sir. We heard him, you lug. Quiet. Only two, I guess. Two out of four isn't so bad, skipper. Wow, what was that? That wasn't no torpedo. That must have been her magazines blowing up. Gallagher's right. You got a word. Hurt skipper. Enemy propeller sounds of sea, sir. Yippee. Honourable champion. Don't feel happy. Light down. Those destroyers will be back here looking for some hurry now. All ahead normal. All ahead normal. All right, sir. In the log book, the entry reads, Two explosions heard at zero, five, four, four hours. Another louder explosion believed to be cruiser's magazines heard at zero, five, five, six. Believe enemy cruiser badly damaged or sunk, as enemy propeller sounds ceased with last explosion. Sounds approaching, sir. Fearing two, seven, six. Stop all motors. More than one ship. Coming in fast. About 35 knots. The destroyer's all right. Rig for depth charge, Mr. Waller. Rig for depth charge. Pass the word to all compartments. Rig for depth charge. Rig for depth charge. Get them watertight doors closed. Lie over there. Franklin, pass out cotton for the men to put in their ears and see what they do it. Aye, aye, sir. All men not needed, lie down and brace yourselves. Get hold of something and hang on. We may be shaken up a bit. All watertight doors closed and out of security, sir. All right, Gallagher, stuff that cotton in your ears or you'll be minus your hearing. Franklin, board, Gallagher at your stations. Aye, aye, sir. And Thompson, of course. Yes, sir. But he'll slide down. Rig for depth charge, sir. Very well. Enemy propellers within a thousand yards, sir. Seat and bearing unchanged. He read. See what I mean about Times Square subway station? All right. Hang on, boys. I started laying their eggs. They'll remind me of Times Square at all, Gallagher. They've got the lights. Just made them flicker, that's all. Hang on. She'll write herself. Switch on the battle engine. Aye, sir. Oh, it's right, sir. He was starting to get the regulator valve. I had heard a little whack on the clock. They're moving away. How about those main lights? Main lighting circuit did, sir. Main lighting circuit did, sir. Main lighting circuit did, sir. Main lighting circuit did, sir. Main lighting circuit did, sir. It blew us down a bit, didn't it? All ahead normal. Aye, sir. What's the matter, Gallagher? No power on the starboard motor, sir. Only the port side's working. No power on the steering motor, sir. Shift to hand steering. Call the motor room, Gallagher. Aye, sir. Shift it to hand steering, sir. Shift it to hand control of both dining planes, sir. Main motor contactor panel on the starboard motor is broken, sir. Pressure valve's beginning to crumble, sir. We're well below test. We'll have to take a chance on the hearing us. Take us up away, Mr. Mead. We'll raise that on the port motor. We'll rise on the bow plane. Aye, sir. We'll rise on the bow plane, sir. Cripes, is that depth needle stuck there? Beginning to rise, sir. Level off at 160 feet, Mr. Mead. The flashlight on the chart table, Mr. Wall. Right here, sir. Aye, I thought so. Deep water here, but there's bottom at 180 feet, about 12 miles west. If we can get over there, we got a chance. We'll level off at 160, Mr. Mead. Enemy propeller sound's returning, sir. What's our depth? 170, sir. 168. Stop the motor. Listen all round. Enemy propeller sound's approaching. Bearing 182 relative. Distance now about... Enemy propeller sound stopped, sir. I thought it stopped to listen pretty soon. Well, we'll outweigh them, that's all. We won't be able to control our depth very long without headway, sir. Long enough, I hope, Mr. Mead. How'd you cut your hand, Mr. Wall? Oh, it's nothing at all, sir. We just scraped it against the aft elevator chain. We were being bounced around. You better have the farmersers make look at it as soon as we're secure. Yes, sir? No propeller sound, sir. Depth, 180, sir. 182. Losing steerageway, sir. No propeller sound, sir. Very well. 190. 193. Losing controller depth, sir. Very well. No propeller sound, sir. Are they going to start up their engines? Low test depth, sir. Settling fast. So I see. Propeller sound, sir. Bearing 185 degrees and going away. Full re-estat on the port motor. Pick her up to 100 feet, Mr. Mead. Depth funds bearing 185. Going away, sir. Those rats seem to be on the wrong scent now. Pass the worry to secure from depth charge, Mr. Wall. But in the locked book, it only says... Attack by two enemy destroyers at 0628 hours. Three depth charges moderately close. No casualties. Lighting and electrical control systems damaged by shock. Main motor contactor panel on starboard motor out of order. Attack ended 0652 hours. Well, we should be over the shallow bottom now. Take it down easy, Mr. Mead. Stop the motor. Half dive on the bow plane. Aye, sir. Half dive on the bow plane, sir. We should find bottom at 180 feet. Depth 175. As soon as we're on bottom, see that the men have paid, Mr. Waller. 180. 184. 186. Looks like the charts are wrong, Skippen. Our dead reckoning may be out of it. 190. Where the heck is that bottom? 193. We're down. Blood regulator. Pass the word on the bottom. Mr. Mead, detail your repair crew. All those will lie down and stay quiet to conserve oxygen. I wish they'd get that motor panel fixed. You've been here long enough for my money. Boyd, got any gum? I don't know what I'm chewing. I didn't feel so sick. It's so hot in the air. Got some chewing gum that might help my stomach. What's the temperature reading now, Mr. Waller? That over there. We used to get it 120 back in Kansas, but it never felt like this. Light a match, please, Mr. Waller. Look at that. Barely glowed for a second until it went right out. Spread the CO2-absorbent powder. Bleed all oxygen bottles for 30 seconds, Mr. Waller. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Perhaps a little. Four hours. Six hours. Nine hours. The air is still on the bottom. The air is so thick you could cut it into chunks. The heat under the pressure at this depth is like an oven. Men lie in note, stirring only when one of them coughs the queer straining cough. That's the preload do nausea. And the hours drag on. And the repair crew works doggedly, speaking in hoarse whispers that are clearly audible through the five compartments of the silent torture ship. The logbook merely says, Still on bottom affecting repairs. Bleed oxygen bottles at 1-8-0-5 hours. 1-8-0-5 hours. That's five minutes past 6 p.m. And still there there. 6.30. 7 o'clock. The sun has set up above. Down here there's only heat and silence and heads that ache from the closeness of the air. I don't know why I'm so long in that motor room anyhow. Maybe Gallagher is daydreaming about time squares for getting the work done. No. Fix them. The panelist has only chance of getting back to Times Square. He's working all right. It could be on the surface now if they'd snap out of it. The fresher they're coming down that hatch, the stars we can hide down. Hey, hey, lights. They've got them fixed anyhow. Lights, fellas. All right, skipper. Look, control, circuit, repaired. And so is the main motor panel. Very well. Stand by to surface. Stand by to surface. All hands to stations. Snap into it, men. Here we go, boys. Express to the roof, huh? 40 feet, sir. Stop. All motors. Aye, sir. Listen, all around. What the heck? It's dark topside now. What's the delay about? Yeah? Suppose we should pop up in the middle of a Jap convoy. You want to breathe fresh air, not shellfire, don't you? El Propeller sound, sir. All ahead, normal. Oh, number one tank. Yes, sir. Open the cunning tower hatch right here. Yes, sir. Man, you can taste the air. It's a fresh and cool. Transfer to the bridge, Mr. Waller. Let the men off watch go touchside by three. Aye, sir. Smoking lamps lit for 10 minutes below decks. Captain, aye, sir. Yes? What is it, Franklin? A fling debris on the port side, sir. The Japanese seamen's captain a lot of junk. They must be off their cruiser. The water is lousy with it. Aye, sir. Nice shooting, Skipper. It's midnight again. On the bridge, the skipper has to watch and is starting the new day's page of the logbook. He writes carefully, neatly. Sea calm, wind force two, barometric pressure 30-15, air temperature 76, water temperature 78. Another nice night tonight, eh, Gallagher? Yes. We sure been lucky in the weather this trip. A real nice run, I call it. Thank you, Edwin Jerome. Ladies and gentlemen, in a few moments, Mr. Jerome will return to the microphone to introduce our special guest of the evening, Lieutenant Commander Willard Saunders of the United States Navy. Before we hear from him, we have a story of chemistry in today's world. Army Navy E for Excellence Awards have now been announced for 17 DuPont plants in every part of the country, for their performance in turning out many different kinds of war materials. The latest presentation made a few days ago is so extraordinary that we think you'd like to hear the story. The latest Army Navy E went to the DuPont Company's Nylon Research Laboratory and Pilot Plant, one of very few awards made to a research group. These DuPont men and women aren't manufacturing tanks or planes on a production line. They're working with laboratory and research equipment, using their brains, their technical know-how, exploring the complicated process known as polymerization to increase constantly the military uses of nylon, now most widely used in parachutes. What the Army and Navy think of this kind of brain work as a contribution to winning the war is revealed by the words of Brigadier General Benjamin W. Chidlaw, who presented the award. Standing in the research laboratory where nylon was born, General Chidlaw said, the production of new equipment must keep ahead of the needs of the armed forces. The weapons must be ready and waiting for the man, not the man for the weapons. Thus, in a very real sense, the research laboratory is the first line of defense, the first front, the point where victory begins. General Chidlaw went on, in presenting to the men and women of this company the Army-Navy E. Both services are bestowing on you an official citation for distinguished service on that first line. And in concluding, the General said, here you have created and developed nylon. Here and in other DuPont plants you manufacture it. The Army and the Navy need it. They need it quickly and in large quantities. It has been and will continue to be tremendously important to our air forces as a replacement for no longer available silk. The armed forces gratefully acknowledged this fact. Our millions of men in cocky and blue look to you for equipment to be used on the battle fronts, land, sea, and air. And they are thankful to you for your efforts." With this nylon award, 17 Army-Navy penance now fly over DuPont plants. These penance are symbolic of the wartime performance records of the DuPont Company, peace-time maker of better things for better living through chemistry. And now our star of the evening, Edwin Gironde. Ladies and gentlemen, we of the Cavalcade players have great pleasure in welcoming tonight and now in presenting to you a young naval officer who has himself commanded the submarine. Lieutenant Commander Willard A. Saunders, United States Navy. Lieutenant Commander Saunders was awarded last November the coveted Navy Cross for distinguished service. Ladies and gentlemen, Lieutenant Commander Saunders. Thank you very much. Our submarine service has long been known as the silent service. That is, we're not giving the same much about ourselves and we don't have a great deal of publicity. Tonight you have heard that silent service speak through the actors in this dramatization. Of course they cannot really convey to you all that takes place, nor all that passes through our minds as we cruise beneath the surface. But this play has struck me as realistic and gripping. After hearing it, you will agree with me, I think, that too much credit cannot be given to the officers and the misted men who are backing up the captain all the time. Their fighting spirit can't be beaten. Our submarines, and incidentally, because the public has clung to the name Pigboat, don't think they are not clean, powerful, large, and pretty comfortable, for they are. Our submarines are carrying the war right to the enemy. They are continually on the offensive and getting results. This story tonight has shown you that our subs are sinking the rising sun. Ladies and gentlemen, before telling you of next week's program, I want to give a special message to young women between the ages of 18 and 35. Nursing is one of the critical woman power shortages of the war. 15,000 nurses have been taken from our hospitals into the Army and Navy Nurse Corps since Pearl Harbor. Thousands more are needed, both at home and in the field. If you are a citizen and have graduated from high school, won't you join the fight to help people keep well and get well? Next week, ladies and gentlemen, Cavalcade of America sponsored by Dupont presents Soldiers of the Tide, a story of the United States Marines on Guadalcanal. Our star will be the popular screen actor, Dennis Morgan. Don't forget next week, Dennis Morgan in Soldiers of the Tide, an exciting story of the fighting Marines on an island in the Pacific. The orchestra and original score on tonight's program were under the direction of Don Voorhees. This is Clayton Collier sending best wishes from Dupont. The appearance on this program of Lieutenant Commander Sunder does not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sponsor's product by the Navy Department. The program came from New York. This is the National Broadcasting Company.