 The DuPont Company of Wilmington, Delaware, makers of better things for better living through chemistry, presents the Cavalcade of America, starring Ray Malan, as Captain Kenneth Town in The Ship the Nazis Had to Get. My name's Captain Kenneth Town. I reckon if I go to sea for a hundred years, I'll never have another trip like we had when I was skipper of the sea train in Texas. The ship the Nazis had to get. On time, June 1942, across the Atlantic, the British Prime Minister picked up the phone and called our president. We've got to have armor. The answer was, hold on, fight for time, count on us. Across the country, the telegraph wires began to chatter with coded messages. To American production just beginning to roll, to the huge factories and arsenals throughout the country, small one-man subcontractors, urgent, clear the decks for emergency order R7. In the Midwest, the manager of a tank arsenal called in the leader of the local union. You wanted to see me, Mr. Hoyt? Yes, Harry. Come in. Close the door. Sit down. Have a cigarette. Thank you. Well, Mr. Hoyt, the boys are pretty happy about that notice you had posted. What was that? Which one? The one giving them a two-day holiday over the 4th of July? Well, Harry, it's all off. All off? Yeah. Now, Mr. Hoyt, the men were making plans. It's the first time. I'm sorry. Not only is it all off, but for the next 10 days, I want to ask you to forget all contracts and agreements on ours. Why? I can't tell you why, because I don't know why myself. I've got a AAA priority order here from Washington. It says, get these tanks built and get them built fast. 10 days to be exact. 10 days? Yes. It's going to mean 14 hours a day, maybe 20 hours a day from everybody. It might help if I could tell the men why, you know, that... Harry, as I said, I don't know why. But I read the papers. I listen to the radio, same as you do, same as the men do. To Brooke, British Eighth Army, Rommel, I think they can draw their own conclusions. 10 days? We're not the only ones in this, Harry. I understand there'll be over 200,000 men all over the country working on this job. We've just got to work on faith. How about it, Harry? Okay, Mr. Hoyt, let's get started. And the tanks rolled out on time. High-balled along by AAA priorities, special freight trains rolled across the nation, converging on the docks of Jersey City. But from there, the tanks were lighted across to Brooklyn, where the Army Transportation Corps had six freighters standing by to carry the goods to Egypt, ready to live up to their motto, enough and on time. Less than two weeks after the cry for help had flashed across the Atlantic, the convoy slipped away from the pier and was on its way. Seven days later, Captain Town, skipper of the Seatrain, Texas, was called to the office of the convoy and routing officer in the Whitehall Building on New York's battery. There you have it, Captain. Those six freighters left the port here seven days ago, loaded at the plimsel marks, but everything that the factories and arsenals could turn out for the British. Mainly, badly needed tanks. Well, good. I reckon they will be hearing some good news soon from the British Eighth Army, right? That's just it. In spite of this superhuman effort on the part of labor and management, the longshoremen, the Army, everybody. There won't be any good news. Not from the Eighth Army. I don't get it. The tanks and tank destroyers were the last to arrive at the docks. Most of them went on the Fairport. Yeah, I know the Fairport. You mean you knew her? What? Yesterday she was sunk by a Nazi torpedo in the Caribbean. And the others? They got through, at least so far. But those tanks were on the Fairport. Well, I suppose the rest of the stuff's not much use without them, huh? Captain, when you get back to your ship, you'll find that they've already started loading up with replacements for those tanks and tank destroyers. Loading the sea train, Texas? That's right. But where'd they get the tanks? The equipment? I told you that the arsenals and factories turned the tanks out on time. They did more than that. They turned out twice as many as we're called for. They've started to arrive in Brooklyn already. I see. Once we get them on board the sea train, Texas, the rest is up to you. In words of one syllable, here's the manifest. You'll be carrying 250 tanks, 50 tank destroyers, and assorted weapons enough to equip a division. And here's why it's important this cargo gets to the British. Rommel knocked them back because he's got ponzers carrying 88-millimeter cannon. All the British have are Sherman tanks with 77s. Now, the tanks you'll transport to Montgomery will top anything Rommel's got. They're equipped with 105-millimeter cannon, and that'll decide the issue. And that's why you've got to get them there. When do we sail? As soon as you're loaded. You'll get your orders on the dock. The most important orders you've ever received. They're being issued by the President himself. Well, I suppose we'll be going to Egypt a long way around? No other way. Rommel's reinforcement comes just across the Mediterranean. You'll have to go all around the Cape of Good Hope, 14,000 sub-infested miles. What am I getting for an escort? You're not getting an escort. What? That's right. We're depending on your speed. We've never traveled without an escort before. An escort didn't save the fairport. Yeah, but have you ever taken a look at the hull of the sea train, Texas? I know. She's not armored. Why am I never up in Vermont could sink that ship with a 22? You'll have air coverage whenever possible. B-24s from the east coast and then from Bermuda. Well, thanks for that anyway. I know how you feel. Those subs love a ship alone. Any comforting last words? They're not very comforting. Personally, Captain Town, I don't think you have a chance. But I hate to think what might happen to us all if you fail. Good luck. And so I began my part of the story. The voyage of the ship the Nazis had to get. In the early dawn of July 29, 1942, the sea train, Texas, pulled out into the channel. Away from Brooklyn and the army's sprawling port of embarkation. Leaving the harbor, we trailed behind a convoy at 15 freighters bound for Ireland. On the bridge with me was my old friend Jimmy Murphy, the civilian pilot whose job it was to take us out of New York Harbor. Well, now, you didn't stay in part long, did you, Captain? Just long enough to get a hang ring for the sea again, Jim? Well, you're certainly traveling in grand style this time. 16 ships in all bound for Ireland. Who's your new bridge top? What's your name, son? McGuire, Captain. Phil McGuire. Well, glory be. Blessed is the ship that has a good Irishman on the bridge. You're all right, Captain. You're safe now, don't worry. You've been in sea before, McGuire? Not really at sea, Captain. You see how blessed we are, Jim. Well, son, you'll learn. There's nothing much to do up here. Captain Storger just listens on that headphone you're wearing and relays any messages I give you. Yes, Captain. Where do you from, son? Boston, sir. Ever been to Ireland before? No, sir, but my father was born there. I suppose you're a Red Sox fan. My father and I are standing bet on all our games. You four or against? Oh, I'm four. Well, in the quiet night watches, we get some of the baseball scores along with the other less important news. I'm a Yankee fan myself. What's your father do, McGuire? He makes something they use in tanks. I'm not sure what, but he's been pretty busy at it the last week or so. Yeah, I can imagine. All right, Helmsman. Aye, sir. Just bring her around to follow those other ships up ahead. Aye. You'll be going through a hell gate and up to meet for the strides of Black Island. Wrong way, Jim. What? Yeah. We'll be going the other way this time. And alone. Oh, you know. Hmm. And well, in that case, all I can say is good luck. Yes, good luck. When we dropped the pilot, I opened my sealed orders. Proceed the port so as by way of Cape Town. Crossing will be made at full speed, 16 and a half knots. And so we set out in the Atlantic alone to ship the Nazis had to get. The five days we had air coverage, B-24s flying along our course, looking out for subs. But on the fifth evening, Captain, you know, I sure breathe easy when those planes show up every morning. Well, take a long look at that one flying off to the west there now. It's the last you'll see till we get to the other side. The last? Yeah. We're heading out now. We'll be out of range of air cover. Oh, what do you know? Here are a couple of news bulletins. Well, let's forget it. Here's the ship's news. Let's see what your right side says. The port is that the Nazi drive on Stalingrad has been temporarily stolen. In Egypt, the land operations were limited. And it was felt that time was running out for the British. Time is all in favor of Field Marshal Rommel, who is daily being reinforced across the Mediterranean, while the British can only be reached over a long 14,000-mile route. Unless the British 8th Army can start moving west before Rommel starts moving east, disaster is inevitable. Sounds rugged. And that's the war news. Now on the home front, the only ball scores, the Tigers beat the Red Sox and the Twin Bill, eight to four and six to two. That's all for now. 20 cents more, I owe my old man. He's really cleaning up on you, isn't he? Yeah, Williams is leading the league in home runs, but it doesn't seem to do any good. Well, let me pull up. Captain. Yeah. If Rommel gets through at El Alamein and to Cairo, the British will have another Dunkirk, won't they? Something like that. She, uh, Dunkirk must have been something. I saw it in a movie just before we sailed. It misses Miniver. It can't be any Dunkirk at Cairo, McGuire. Wait a second. I've got the radio shack on the phone. Reg, hi. What is it? Some marine. Some marine report comes from the radio shack. They've got a decoder. Oh, I get it. Go ahead. Go ahead, radio. Radar, sunk, yeah? Write the position down here. Latitude. Yeah. Longitude. Okay, I got it, radio. Let me have it. Here you are, sir. I'll put it on the chart here. Latitude, 18. So it's longitude. There. Huh? Right where they got that fair part. Is it, uh, close to us, Captain? About 12 miles straight ahead of us. What do we do? We follow our orders. We keep to our course. For the next 10 days, we were sailing under our lucky star, I guess. However, there was very little sleep for anyone on the sea train, Texas. A huge cargo ship zigzagging its way across the subinfested South Atlantic. 18 days after we left Brooklyn, we arrived off Cape Town, South Africa. Yes, McGuire. Radio received a message and code from Cape Town. We have priority over all of the ships for refueling. And we're to move to our designated berth at once. Good, anything else? Yes, we've been assigned the code name of treasure ship. Treasure ship? Not bad, not bad at all. We left Cape Town and steamed northward at the east coast of Africa. We began to relax. Soon we'd be in the Red Sea on our way to the Suez Canal. Captain Town began to relax too soon. At Aden, the British-controlled port at the foot of the Red Sea, the commander of the operating base called in his operations officer. Lieutenant, did you get this message that the treasure ship was off the entrance at Socotra Island? Yes, Commander. She'll be in the harbor at Aden in the morning. See that she's handled it once. Sir, we've just had a report from a patrol plane. There's an Italian submarine in the narrow channel between Cape God of Fuy and Socotra Island. What? Have you got it plotted? Sir, right there. Right in the path of treasure ship? Yes, sir. Not a chance in the world for her to slip by. No, sir. Treasure ship's due in the channel. We'll see. In less than an hour, sir, just at dusk. Waste possible time. And without an escort. What's the situation on the other side of Socotra Island? As if this noon that was reported clear. Well, then if treasure ship changes course and comes around that side of the island and sits through the channel, she has a chance to escape the sub and make port and safety. To the best of our knowledge. All right, then. Send her this message. Urgent. Submarine lies in channel directly in your course. Change course. Come around outside of the island. Right. Code it up. Get it right off. Yes, sir. Send the patrols around the outside of the island and give her whatever protection you can. Alternatively, if this ship doesn't get through, it'll be the end. And I mean the end. Tonight on the Cavalcade of America, Rameland is starring as Captain Kenneth Town in the ship the Nazis had to get. The British commander at Aden in the Red Sea has received a report that an Italian submarine lay directly in a channel through which the sea train Texas has to pass. He sent a message to the ship to change course and go around the outside of Socotra Island into the harbor at Aden. It is night now. On the sea train Texas, known by the code name of treasure ship, Captain Town stands on the darkened bridge, preparing to head through the channel. Hey, McGuire. Sir. You got any money in the anchor pool? Yes, Captain. I put my money on dropping the hook at Aden at 0955 tomorrow. You think I'm anywhere near right? Well, you could be, but don't ask me. I've never won an anchor pool yet. Wait a minute. Excuse me, sir. Fridge, aye. Go ahead, radio. What's that? Message from radio, Captain. Go ahead, radio. What is it? Yes. Yes. Right. The radio says that Aden has just sent us an urgent message, sir. But everything after the address is garbled by interference. The operator wasn't able to get anything they can decode. Couldn't they get anything out of it? Radio from bridge. Couldn't you get anything out of it? No, Captain. Just an urgent message from Aden for us. Urgent, huh? Radio wants to know if you wanted to ask for a repeat. No, no, by no means. You're observing radio silence. I'm certainly not going to open up now and expose my possession. Radio from bridge. Captain says keep radio silence. If it's that important, Aden will repeat the message. He can get it the next time. All right, Radio. Captain says keep on the alert for a repeat. Which circuit connects me up to the office and charges the armed guard? This one here, Captain. Lieutenant Anderson is the captain. I've just received a garbled, urgent message from Aden. Can't make out what the message is, but it is urgent. So keep your men at battle stations. We're going to a narrow channel here. I might want to do anything. Meanwhile, in the Ataldum submarine at the far end of the channel, the radio operator reported to his captain. Captain. Yes? We have just intercepted a message from British head for the Aden from an ally to an allied ship. Good. What is it? From commander naval operating base Aden to the commanding officer treasure ship. Urgent. Treasure ship? Code name, huh? Must be a cargo vessel. What's the rest of the message? Enemy submarine lying in your course in channel. Good, good, good. A periscope. Yes, Captain. Keep a lookout for American ship coming through this channel here. Go ahead. It says, change course. They're being ordered to change course and get out of this channel because it is known that we are here waiting for them. Very well. Then we'll change course also to wherever they are ordered. Stand by to change course. See you, Captain. The message tells them to change course. Don't go through this channel, it says. Pass around the outside of the island. Outside the island, huh? Is that all? That is all, Captain. Ah, this is what I always dream about. The big fat sea cow. Well, we'll get out of the channel and wait for her outside the island ourselves. All engines ahead. Oh, this will be so easy. And meantime, at the operating base at Eden, the British commander called in his operations officer again. Lieutenant, I stress to you the importance of treasure ship. Sir, our patrols are out covering the outside of the island looking for treasure ship, but she hasn't come around it. You sent the message? You marked it urgent? Of course, sir. But did you get it? We can only assume she did, sir. She's maintaining radio silence. She can't acknowledge receipt. Oh, you may be assuming the wrong thing. Send it out again. Send it out until you're sure she's received it. And now, aboard the subject of all this concern on the bridge of the seat frame in Texas. Captain Town, radio says they're getting repeat on that urgent message from Eden. All right, tell them to give it to us as they break it. Radio from bridge, give it to us as you break it. I'm guard. This is the captain. We're nearing the end of the channel now. Narrow his part. Keep a sharp lookout. Here's some of the message now, Captain. All right, let's have it. Enemy submarine. Yeah. Submarine lying in York, course in channel. Yeah, go on with the message. Change course. Don't enter channel but pass around outside of island. We can't. It's too late. We're almost through the channel now. You're practically at the Aden end of the channel as it is. You suppose by any chance we've passed right over the sub and it didn't notice us? Either that or she's waiting for us just ahead there. In which case I should play safe and go back through the channel around outside as ordered. Well, tell the engine room to stand by. We may come around. Engine room, this is the bridge. Stand by. We may come around. If I play this wrong. Or if I play this wrong. Engine room standing by, sir. You're practically through the channel now. If we go back and around the outside of the island and oh no, I can't see turning around going back. On the other hand, the sub may lie in a quarter mile ahead. I hope I'm right. I'd better be right. What are your orders, Captain? We go straight ahead. Straight through the channel. Finally then, at Aden, the British commander enters the radio communications room. Still no word on treasure ship lieutenant? None, sir. The patrols still haven't been able to locate her on the outside of the island. Why didn't we have a report on this other submarine lieutenant? The one that suddenly appeared outside the island. The patrols didn't report any, sir. She was probably submerged when they were out. When will we know? When will we know about the treasure ship? At daylight we can send planes out, sir. Furthermore, if she's safe, she'll open up on high frequency voice radio when she gets within range. There's nothing we can doodle in? Nothing. I can try calling her myself on voice radio, but we've been trying that. Well, try it again. Yes, sir. Hello. Treasure ship. Treasure ship. This is free boot. This is free boot. Come in, please. Over. No answer. No, sir. If there's an answer, sir, you'll catch it from the speaker there. Why don't they give us more patrols and protection? Here we sit at the mouth of the Red Sea, the only possible route to supply the 8th Army. There are submarines out there, 10 deep. If they can block this channel, they can cut off all supplies. Hello. Maybe that's treasure ship. Now. Too much static. Can't make it out. Hello. Hello. This is free boot. I do not hear you. Come in again. Treasure ship. This is the last. This is treasure ship reporting. We've cleared that channel OK. Ready for any orders for the rest of the voyage. From Aden, the ship raced up the Red Sea. On the morning of September 2nd, exactly 35 days out of Brooklyn, we eased into the harbor at Port Tufik, at the Red Sea end of the Suez Canal. And before the dock lines were fastened, the ship's own boom started swinging the tanks out of the hulls to the docks and the British drivers, waiting to speed them to the desert front. When the first tank touched the dock, I left the bridge and went to my cabin. I went to bed for the first time since we left Brooklyn. Three days later, the last of those tanks was unloaded and Montgomery sent the American armor into battle against Rommel. Along the dusty roads leading out of El Alamein, weary soldiers of the Eighth Army rose from their foxholes and cheered as the tanks thundered and roared past. In the six weeks of bitter desert fighting which followed, these tanks spearheaded the British attack. The 105-millimeter guns in those tanks were the weapons that helped the British stop the German advance before El Alamein. They were the decisive factor that turned Rommel's advance into a retreat to mark the beginning of the end of the Third Reich. America, our production genius, and the sea train Texas had against almost impossible odds delivered the goods for victory. All thanks to Ray Maland and the Cavalcade players for tonight's DuPont play, the ship the Nazis had to get. Next week the DuPont Cavalcade will present the popular Hollywood star Diana Lin. Our play, Loyal Lady, is the story of a girl forced to choose between her country and the man she loved. Be sure to listen. Ladies and gentlemen, here is a special message of the gravest importance. The supply of blood and blood plasma is almost exhausted by the demands of the war in Korea. The need is urgent. The need is now. So call up your local Red Cross chapter and make an appointment to donate blood to our armed forces. Thank you. Tonight's DuPont Cavalcade, the ship the Nazis had to get, starring Ray Maland, was written by Robert Anderson, based on the article of the same name by James H. Winchester, published in the American Legion magazine. Music was composed by Arden Cornwell, conducted by Donald Boris. Directed by John Zoller. Ray Maland appears at the courtesy of Paramount Pictures and may currently be seen in the Paramount Picture, Rhubarb. This is Sy Harris speaking. Don't forget next week, our star, Diana Lin, our play, Loyal Lady. The DuPont Cavalcade of America comes to you from the Belasco Theater in New York and is sponsored by the DuPont Company of Wilmington, Delaware. Makers of better things for better living, through chemistry. Next, it's Hollywood Theater on NBC.