1 00:00:03,536 --> 00:00:05,685 NARRATOR: This time on Combat Ships... 2 00:00:05,705 --> 00:00:09,442 Courageous captains lead their ships into battle. 3 00:00:09,462 --> 00:00:10,443 (SPLASHES) 4 00:00:11,244 --> 00:00:13,259 He didn't weigh the consequences. 5 00:00:13,279 --> 00:00:16,696 MAN: He just knew that he had to head straight for them. 6 00:00:16,716 --> 00:00:19,753 NARRATOR: Pushing their vessels and crews to the limit... 7 00:00:21,054 --> 00:00:23,356 This is a ship which is being held together 8 00:00:23,376 --> 00:00:26,506 almost against the laws of physics. 9 00:00:26,526 --> 00:00:30,497 NARRATOR: Risking everything to achieve their objective. 10 00:00:30,517 --> 00:00:33,650 It's the recognition of him as a hero, 11 00:00:33,670 --> 00:00:36,803 not as a Black hero, but as a hero. 12 00:00:37,837 --> 00:00:39,419 NARRATOR: With skill and courage, 13 00:00:39,439 --> 00:00:43,410 these captains left their mark on history. 14 00:00:44,277 --> 00:00:46,579 (THEME MUSIC PLAYING) 15 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:50,350 (EXPLOSIONS) 16 00:00:51,117 --> 00:00:53,720 (BLADES WHIRRING) 17 00:01:12,138 --> 00:01:16,342 NARRATOR: April 28, 1975. South Vietnam... 18 00:01:17,310 --> 00:01:20,113 During the final evacuation of Saigon, 19 00:01:20,133 --> 00:01:21,594 thousands of refugees 20 00:01:21,614 --> 00:01:25,465 are ferried to the aircraft carrier USS Midway. 21 00:01:25,485 --> 00:01:29,489 Her Captain, Larry Chambers has to manage the crisis. 22 00:01:32,192 --> 00:01:33,773 CHAMBERS: I thought we were prepared. 23 00:01:33,793 --> 00:01:37,130 Nothing that we thought about, planned about 24 00:01:37,150 --> 00:01:39,512 was anything like the onslaught. 25 00:01:39,532 --> 00:01:41,247 NARRATOR: To make matters worse 26 00:01:41,267 --> 00:01:45,071 dozens of aircraft land on Midway and crowd the deck, 27 00:01:45,091 --> 00:01:47,420 complicating the evacuation. 28 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:50,743 The captain is forced to make a fateful decision. 29 00:01:54,547 --> 00:01:57,664 Larry Chambers is an experienced officer, 30 00:01:57,684 --> 00:02:01,134 he had faced challenges throughout his Naval career. 31 00:02:01,154 --> 00:02:05,124 In 1952, he becomes only the second African American 32 00:02:05,144 --> 00:02:07,810 to graduate from the US Naval Academy. 33 00:02:07,830 --> 00:02:10,497 He faces prejudice from day one. 34 00:02:12,632 --> 00:02:15,835 CHAMBERS: I had a little trouble deciding who I could trust, 35 00:02:15,855 --> 00:02:18,685 and so I was pretty much of a loner, 36 00:02:18,705 --> 00:02:21,941 and my attitude was I'm gonna do the damn job 37 00:02:21,961 --> 00:02:23,423 so much better than anybody else, 38 00:02:23,443 --> 00:02:25,311 they'll have to have to recognize it. 39 00:02:27,146 --> 00:02:28,561 NARRATOR: Chambers' ambition 40 00:02:28,581 --> 00:02:31,664 is to command an aircraft carrier. 41 00:02:31,684 --> 00:02:35,635 In March, 1975, after 20 years of service, 42 00:02:35,655 --> 00:02:39,526 he is finally given charge of an exceptional combat ship... 43 00:02:39,546 --> 00:02:41,361 The USS Midway. 44 00:02:46,165 --> 00:02:48,535 It's like that sports car you wish you had, 45 00:02:48,555 --> 00:02:50,637 uh, now you got it and it's yours. 46 00:03:01,114 --> 00:03:03,716 NARRATOR: Captain Chambers is the first African-American 47 00:03:03,736 --> 00:03:05,318 in charge of the carrier. 48 00:03:08,655 --> 00:03:10,436 (SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY) 49 00:03:10,456 --> 00:03:14,550 NARRATOR: But in March, 1975, just days after his appointment, 50 00:03:14,570 --> 00:03:18,665 Midway is plunged into the chaos od the Vietnam war. 51 00:03:18,685 --> 00:03:19,799 (CLAMORING) 52 00:03:21,267 --> 00:03:23,870 NARRATOR: The fight against the communist North Vietnamese 53 00:03:23,890 --> 00:03:26,419 is drawing to a close. - (GUN FIRES) 54 00:03:26,439 --> 00:03:29,108 NARRATOR: Most American troops have been withdrawn. 55 00:03:30,343 --> 00:03:35,048 The South Vietnamese struggle as the North advances. 56 00:03:36,983 --> 00:03:39,085 (EXPLOSION) - They just broke the dams open 57 00:03:39,105 --> 00:03:40,767 and kept proceeding 58 00:03:40,787 --> 00:03:43,179 to the point where the South Vietnamese military 59 00:03:43,199 --> 00:03:45,592 was rapidly collapsing under their pressure. 60 00:03:46,359 --> 00:03:48,808 NARRATOR: By early April, 1975, 61 00:03:48,828 --> 00:03:53,666 it's clear the South's capital Saigon will soon be overrun. 62 00:03:53,686 --> 00:03:55,168 (SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY) 63 00:03:57,570 --> 00:03:59,619 NARRATOR: The US begins the evacuation 64 00:03:59,639 --> 00:04:02,642 of its personnel and local allies deemed at risk. 65 00:04:06,980 --> 00:04:09,716 They send the US Navy to assist. 66 00:04:11,117 --> 00:04:14,527 On the Midway, Captain Chambers receives orders 67 00:04:14,547 --> 00:04:17,660 to take on board 10 HH-53 helicopters 68 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,773 known as Jolly Green Giants, 69 00:04:20,793 --> 00:04:24,163 and to join a Task Force off the coast of Vietnam. 70 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,870 On April 29th the North Vietnamese troops 71 00:04:30,890 --> 00:04:32,205 reach Saigon. 72 00:04:33,139 --> 00:04:35,775 The US urgently orders the final phase 73 00:04:35,795 --> 00:04:37,256 of the evacuation to begin, 74 00:04:37,276 --> 00:04:41,014 codenamed, Operation Frequent Wind. 75 00:04:41,034 --> 00:04:44,183 (BLADES WHIRRING) 76 00:04:46,986 --> 00:04:50,603 NARRATOR: Helicopters from USS Midway and USS Hancock 77 00:04:50,623 --> 00:04:54,193 head to Saigon to rescue any remaining US civilians 78 00:04:54,213 --> 00:04:56,562 and high-ranking Vietnamese. 79 00:04:56,582 --> 00:04:58,044 (BLADES WHIRRING) 80 00:04:58,064 --> 00:05:01,824 NARRATOR: The city is overrun with people desperate to escape. 81 00:05:01,844 --> 00:05:05,605 There was this general fear throughout the population, 82 00:05:05,625 --> 00:05:07,373 that scores are going to be settled 83 00:05:07,393 --> 00:05:10,189 for all these years and decades 84 00:05:10,209 --> 00:05:13,046 of strife in that part of the world. 85 00:05:15,148 --> 00:05:17,557 NARRATOR: On Midway, Captain Chambers waits 86 00:05:17,577 --> 00:05:19,839 for the first helicopter to return, 87 00:05:19,859 --> 00:05:22,121 not knowing what to expect. 88 00:05:22,141 --> 00:05:23,289 (BLADES WHIRRING) 89 00:05:25,825 --> 00:05:30,019 CHAMBERS: When the HH-53s, the Jolly Greens landed onboard 90 00:05:30,039 --> 00:05:34,233 and over 200 people came out of those helicopters. 91 00:05:34,253 --> 00:05:37,150 Some of them were babies in arms, 92 00:05:37,170 --> 00:05:41,954 uh, little kids, uh, there was grandma and grandpa. 93 00:05:41,974 --> 00:05:45,084 CHAMBERS: If you had seen some big, tough Boson's mates 94 00:05:45,104 --> 00:05:48,194 pick up the little kids and the babies in arms, 95 00:05:48,214 --> 00:05:50,550 I... I want to tell you, you wouldn't have realized 96 00:05:50,570 --> 00:05:52,165 that those tough guys down there, 97 00:05:52,185 --> 00:05:55,168 had that instinct, but they were beautiful. 98 00:05:55,188 --> 00:05:57,837 NARRATOR: With Saigon just hours from falling, 99 00:05:57,857 --> 00:06:02,161 the evacuation to the carriers continues all day and all night. 100 00:06:05,898 --> 00:06:07,246 (BLADES WHIRRING) 101 00:06:07,266 --> 00:06:08,681 NARRATOR: The situation on Midway 102 00:06:08,701 --> 00:06:11,671 is about to get more complicated for its skipper. 103 00:06:12,505 --> 00:06:13,953 (BLADES WHIRRING) 104 00:06:13,973 --> 00:06:15,154 NARRATOR: Dozens of Hueys 105 00:06:15,174 --> 00:06:17,110 appear from across South Vietnam 106 00:06:17,130 --> 00:06:18,511 looking for refuge. 107 00:06:19,612 --> 00:06:21,961 (BLADES WHIRRING) 108 00:06:21,981 --> 00:06:24,784 The deck was filling up because the Hueys 109 00:06:24,804 --> 00:06:26,432 that were coming back and forth, 110 00:06:26,452 --> 00:06:30,256 when they were outta gas, guess where they landed? 111 00:06:31,357 --> 00:06:34,026 NARRATOR: Midway's deck is soon full... 112 00:06:37,964 --> 00:06:40,399 Then a new problem arrives. 113 00:06:42,902 --> 00:06:47,740 A small Cessna plane flies low over the USS Midway, 114 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:50,823 the pilot is Major Buang-Ly. 115 00:06:50,843 --> 00:06:54,180 An intelligence officer with the South Vietnamese Army. 116 00:06:55,148 --> 00:06:57,864 ZINGHEIM: He knew very well that, 117 00:06:57,884 --> 00:07:01,110 with the new regime that was about to come into place, 118 00:07:01,130 --> 00:07:04,357 someone like him and his family would be on a death list. 119 00:07:04,377 --> 00:07:06,773 And so he packed everyone 120 00:07:06,793 --> 00:07:08,274 in his family, immediate family 121 00:07:08,294 --> 00:07:10,576 as best he could, and took off into the sky 122 00:07:10,596 --> 00:07:14,400 hoping that he might come across an American task force. 123 00:07:15,668 --> 00:07:19,552 NARRATOR: Major Buang-Ly finds the USS Midway. 124 00:07:19,572 --> 00:07:22,942 But as the ship's flightdeck is stacked with helicopters, 125 00:07:22,962 --> 00:07:24,977 he's forced to circle the carrier. 126 00:07:24,997 --> 00:07:26,025 (ENGINE WHIRRING) 127 00:07:26,045 --> 00:07:27,260 NARRATOR: In desperation, 128 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:29,729 he drops a note attached to his gun holster, 129 00:07:29,749 --> 00:07:33,653 asking for the helicopters to be moved so he can land. 130 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,069 It ends, "Please rescue me. 131 00:07:37,089 --> 00:07:40,640 "Major Buang, wife and five children." 132 00:07:40,660 --> 00:07:44,197 Captain Chambers is now faced with a dilemma. 133 00:07:44,217 --> 00:07:45,478 (ENGINE WHIRRING) 134 00:07:45,498 --> 00:07:47,223 CHAMBERS: There's no room on the deck for him. 135 00:07:47,243 --> 00:07:48,948 I couldn't make a ready deck at that point, 136 00:07:48,968 --> 00:07:53,039 there was just no place to push all of those helicopters. 137 00:07:53,059 --> 00:07:54,320 (BLADES WHIRRING) 138 00:07:54,340 --> 00:07:56,876 NARRATOR: But that is not the captain's problem. 139 00:07:56,896 --> 00:07:59,592 (BLADES WHIRRING) 140 00:07:59,612 --> 00:08:01,080 NARRATOR: When the Admiral in charge 141 00:08:01,100 --> 00:08:02,528 is told what's happening, 142 00:08:02,548 --> 00:08:05,418 he orders Chambers to let the plane ditch in the sea. 143 00:08:06,485 --> 00:08:09,468 For Chambers that is not an option. 144 00:08:09,488 --> 00:08:11,691 With all of those bodies in there, 145 00:08:11,711 --> 00:08:12,939 and nobody strapped in 146 00:08:12,959 --> 00:08:16,028 and we could see the lady in back holding, uh, 147 00:08:16,048 --> 00:08:18,981 what looked like an infant in her lap. 148 00:08:19,001 --> 00:08:21,342 You knew that, that it was gonna be death 149 00:08:21,362 --> 00:08:23,683 to all of those people if they ditched. 150 00:08:23,703 --> 00:08:25,962 NARRATOR: Chambers decides to follow his instinct. 151 00:08:25,982 --> 00:08:27,868 CHAMBERS: The admiral can tell me orders 152 00:08:27,888 --> 00:08:29,755 of what the things he wanna do, 153 00:08:29,775 --> 00:08:31,457 but I'm the Turkey in charge. 154 00:08:31,477 --> 00:08:33,312 But you gotta have enough of an ego to say, 155 00:08:33,332 --> 00:08:34,994 "I don't give a damn. It's my boat. 156 00:08:35,014 --> 00:08:37,583 "I'm in charge and I'm gonna do it." That's it. 157 00:08:37,603 --> 00:08:39,065 (ENGINE WHIRRING) 158 00:08:39,085 --> 00:08:40,843 ZINGHEIM: Ignoring an admiral's order 159 00:08:40,863 --> 00:08:42,602 is not routine in the fleet, 160 00:08:42,622 --> 00:08:44,737 the admiral did have valid points 161 00:08:44,757 --> 00:08:48,140 the Midway is packed with aircraft. 162 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,664 So, it wasn't like it was a wide open four-acre deck. 163 00:08:52,131 --> 00:08:54,480 (SEAGULL SQUAWKS) 164 00:08:54,500 --> 00:08:57,403 NARRATOR: Captain Chambers decides to save the family. 165 00:08:57,423 --> 00:08:59,939 He gives his crew a remarkable order. 166 00:09:00,907 --> 00:09:02,054 (ENGINE WHIRRING) 167 00:09:02,074 --> 00:09:04,357 I figured I'm gonna have to answer for this, 168 00:09:04,377 --> 00:09:06,692 but this is my only option. - (BLADES WHIRRING) 169 00:09:06,712 --> 00:09:09,282 CHAMBERS: And so we started pushing them over the side. 170 00:09:09,302 --> 00:09:11,550 (BLADES WHIRRING) - (INDISTINCT CHATTER) 171 00:09:15,954 --> 00:09:18,737 NARRATOR: April 29, 1975... 172 00:09:18,757 --> 00:09:22,374 The new captain of the USS Midway, Larry Chambers 173 00:09:22,394 --> 00:09:25,998 watches the crew carry out his extraordinary order 174 00:09:26,018 --> 00:09:27,983 to push to dozens of helicopters 175 00:09:28,003 --> 00:09:29,948 into the South China Sea. 176 00:09:29,968 --> 00:09:32,751 They are trying to make room for a light aircraft 177 00:09:32,771 --> 00:09:37,542 carrying Vietnamese officer, Major Buang-Ly and his family. 178 00:09:37,562 --> 00:09:40,312 Chambers is defying a direct order. 179 00:09:40,332 --> 00:09:43,362 (ENGINE WHIRRING) 180 00:09:43,382 --> 00:09:45,230 With the Admiral screaming in my ear 181 00:09:45,250 --> 00:09:48,153 about telling him to ditch, we cleared the deck. 182 00:09:49,154 --> 00:09:50,602 NARRATOR: Thirty helicopters 183 00:09:50,622 --> 00:09:54,332 worth over 10 million dollars are jettisoned. 184 00:09:54,352 --> 00:09:58,063 (BLADES WHIRRING) - (INDISTINCT CHATTER) 185 00:10:01,900 --> 00:10:03,382 I knew I was in trouble 186 00:10:03,402 --> 00:10:06,211 and I was gonna have to account for it when it was all over. 187 00:10:06,231 --> 00:10:09,041 NARRATOR: The Midway's flightdeck is clear. 188 00:10:09,061 --> 00:10:10,742 But there is another problem. 189 00:10:10,762 --> 00:10:12,424 He didn't have a tailhook. 190 00:10:12,444 --> 00:10:14,713 NARRATOR: Only combat planes designed to land 191 00:10:14,733 --> 00:10:16,061 on aircraft carriers 192 00:10:16,081 --> 00:10:19,618 have tailhooks which snag on large flightdeck cables 193 00:10:19,638 --> 00:10:21,787 that bring them to a swift halt. 194 00:10:23,021 --> 00:10:25,704 To stop the small plane once it lands, 195 00:10:25,724 --> 00:10:28,860 Chamber's needs some help from the elements 196 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:30,308 and Midway's engines. 197 00:10:30,328 --> 00:10:33,799 CHAMBERS: In order to stop this guy without a tailhook, 198 00:10:33,819 --> 00:10:36,501 I wanted 40 knots of wind over the deck. 199 00:10:36,521 --> 00:10:39,184 So I, uh, told the chief engineer, 200 00:10:39,204 --> 00:10:42,521 I was gonna need 25 knots out of the old girl. 201 00:10:42,541 --> 00:10:45,811 NARRATOR: Captain Chambers orders full steam ahead, 202 00:10:45,831 --> 00:10:47,893 into the wind. 203 00:10:47,913 --> 00:10:50,162 All eyes turn to Major Ly, 204 00:10:50,182 --> 00:10:52,884 who has never before landed on a carrier. 205 00:10:54,119 --> 00:10:56,468 (ENGINE WHIRRING) 206 00:10:56,488 --> 00:10:59,071 NARRATOR: It's a perfect landing. 207 00:10:59,091 --> 00:11:01,326 The family is safe. - (INDISTINCT CHATTER) 208 00:11:01,346 --> 00:11:03,261 (TRIUMPHANT MUSIC PLAYING) 209 00:11:04,262 --> 00:11:06,064 CHAMBERS: They brought him up to the bridge. 210 00:11:06,084 --> 00:11:07,846 I took off my wings 211 00:11:07,866 --> 00:11:10,348 and I pinned it, uh, on Major Ly 212 00:11:10,368 --> 00:11:13,271 and I made him an honorary Naval aviator right on the spot. 213 00:11:15,774 --> 00:11:18,857 NARRATOR: After the traumatic evacuation of Vietnam, 214 00:11:18,877 --> 00:11:23,014 the rescue of Major Ly and his family was a moment to savor. 215 00:11:23,034 --> 00:11:25,263 (INDISTINCT CHATTER) 216 00:11:25,283 --> 00:11:27,775 NARRATOR: They later settled in the United States 217 00:11:27,795 --> 00:11:30,288 and chose to keep their new lives private. 218 00:11:31,756 --> 00:11:33,805 Larry Chambers was never punished 219 00:11:33,825 --> 00:11:36,495 for giving the order to ditch helicopters. 220 00:11:38,396 --> 00:11:40,879 In 1984, after a successful career, 221 00:11:40,899 --> 00:11:44,516 he retired from the US Navy as a Rear Admiral. 222 00:11:44,536 --> 00:11:47,953 Larry looks back on the evacuation as a success. 223 00:11:47,973 --> 00:11:50,108 CHAMBERS: I mean, you can't help, but be proud. 224 00:11:50,128 --> 00:11:51,676 We got a hell of a lot of people out. 225 00:11:53,645 --> 00:11:56,248 (BLADES WHIRRING) 226 00:11:58,450 --> 00:12:01,019 NARRATOR: The USS Midway is now a museum ship 227 00:12:01,039 --> 00:12:03,635 moored in San Diego harbor... 228 00:12:03,655 --> 00:12:06,514 ...keeping alive the story of that brave flight 229 00:12:06,534 --> 00:12:09,374 and Larry Chamber's courageous decision 230 00:12:09,394 --> 00:12:12,497 to save lives no matter the consequences, 231 00:12:20,972 --> 00:12:22,854 March 2021... 232 00:12:22,874 --> 00:12:24,523 A team of explorers descends 233 00:12:24,543 --> 00:12:27,279 into the depths of the Philippine Trench. 234 00:12:27,299 --> 00:12:28,760 They are looking for a ship 235 00:12:28,780 --> 00:12:31,456 commanded by another courageous captain, 236 00:12:31,476 --> 00:12:34,132 an American World War II destroyer 237 00:12:34,152 --> 00:12:36,928 that took on the might of the Japanese Navy. 238 00:12:36,948 --> 00:12:39,724 The team is led by undersea explorer, 239 00:12:39,744 --> 00:12:41,706 Victor Vescovo. 240 00:12:41,726 --> 00:12:45,130 They travel into the deepest regions of the Pacific Ocean, 241 00:12:45,150 --> 00:12:48,280 21,000 feet beneath surface. 242 00:12:48,300 --> 00:12:51,303 Their yearlong search is about to pay off. 243 00:12:51,323 --> 00:12:53,652 They find their prize. 244 00:12:53,672 --> 00:12:57,699 To go down into that blackness for a couple of hours, 245 00:12:57,719 --> 00:13:01,726 and then, all of a sudden, out of the darkness, 246 00:13:01,746 --> 00:13:06,151 the USS Johnston, on the sea floor, upright, 247 00:13:06,171 --> 00:13:07,632 guns trained outboard. 248 00:13:07,652 --> 00:13:09,321 She looked like she was still 249 00:13:09,341 --> 00:13:10,902 in the battle. 250 00:13:10,922 --> 00:13:14,192 NARRATOR: The USS Johnston was a Fletcher-class destroyer. 251 00:13:14,212 --> 00:13:17,862 In 1944, a state-of-the-art combat ship. 252 00:13:26,938 --> 00:13:31,209 The captain of the USS Johnston is Ernest E. Evans. 253 00:13:31,229 --> 00:13:33,245 He is the ideal choice. 254 00:13:34,412 --> 00:13:37,482 LIN: Ernest Evans was very much a fighting captain. 255 00:13:37,502 --> 00:13:40,185 And he had come up through the US Navy 256 00:13:40,205 --> 00:13:42,320 as a destroyer man very early on. 257 00:13:43,388 --> 00:13:45,637 LIN: He survived numerous combats 258 00:13:45,657 --> 00:13:47,672 through the first few months of the war. 259 00:13:47,692 --> 00:13:50,575 He was rewarded for his staunch services 260 00:13:50,595 --> 00:13:52,510 with the command of one of the brand new 261 00:13:52,530 --> 00:13:55,367 Fletcher-class destroyers, the USS Johnston. 262 00:13:57,269 --> 00:13:59,427 Now for a destroyer man, 263 00:13:59,447 --> 00:14:01,586 this was a plum job. 264 00:14:01,606 --> 00:14:04,983 NARRATOR: The last time the USS Johnston saw combat 265 00:14:05,003 --> 00:14:08,380 was during the largest sea battle in history... 266 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:10,815 the Battle of Leyte Gulf. 267 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:17,969 October 20, 1944... 268 00:14:17,989 --> 00:14:19,804 The liberation of the Philippines 269 00:14:19,824 --> 00:14:22,093 from Japanese occupation begins. 270 00:14:22,927 --> 00:14:26,120 In just one day, over 130,000 men 271 00:14:26,140 --> 00:14:29,314 and 200,000 tons of supplies 272 00:14:29,334 --> 00:14:32,384 are landed on the island of Leyte. 273 00:14:32,404 --> 00:14:36,688 Victory will bring the allies a big step closer to Japan. 274 00:14:36,708 --> 00:14:40,812 Only the Japanese Imperial Navy can stop the American assault. 275 00:14:45,850 --> 00:14:48,600 The Japanese plan is to send two fleets 276 00:14:48,620 --> 00:14:52,290 to attack the US ships protecting the landing beaches. 277 00:14:52,310 --> 00:14:54,639 A third fleet to the north is a decoy, 278 00:14:54,659 --> 00:14:57,729 designed to draw out the formidable American Fleet 279 00:14:57,749 --> 00:15:00,265 under the command of the impetuous, 280 00:15:00,285 --> 00:15:02,801 Admiral William "Bull" Halsey. 281 00:15:02,821 --> 00:15:04,536 He takes the bait. 282 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:12,577 This gives the Japanese fleet under Admiral Kurita, 283 00:15:12,597 --> 00:15:15,046 a free run at the landing zone. 284 00:15:16,247 --> 00:15:18,350 ZINGHEIM: So, the Japanese they're thinking 285 00:15:18,370 --> 00:15:19,664 that they're about to fall upon 286 00:15:19,684 --> 00:15:22,267 the American transport force in Leyte Gulf, 287 00:15:22,287 --> 00:15:26,024 when all of a sudden they've come right into the midst, 288 00:15:26,044 --> 00:15:27,806 seeing on the horizon, 289 00:15:27,826 --> 00:15:29,861 an American carrier group. 290 00:15:30,962 --> 00:15:33,211 NARRATOR: Kurita believes the ruse has failed 291 00:15:33,231 --> 00:15:36,741 and that this is Admiral Halsey's third fleet. 292 00:15:36,761 --> 00:15:40,271 In fact, it is a small US Navy task force 293 00:15:40,291 --> 00:15:42,140 named Taffy 3. 294 00:15:44,309 --> 00:15:47,979 The Taffies were designed to provide support 295 00:15:47,999 --> 00:15:49,494 for amphibious operations, 296 00:15:49,514 --> 00:15:51,496 as well as anti-submarine coverage, 297 00:15:51,516 --> 00:15:55,620 but they were never intended to fight in a fleet engagement. 298 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:58,156 NARRATOR: Taffy 3 is made up of six small, 299 00:15:58,176 --> 00:16:00,171 slow moving escort carriers 300 00:16:00,191 --> 00:16:02,440 and seven screening ships, 301 00:16:02,460 --> 00:16:05,043 one of which is the USS Johnston, 302 00:16:05,063 --> 00:16:07,332 under the command of Ernest Evans. 303 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:12,016 By contrast, Kurita's fleet includes 304 00:16:12,036 --> 00:16:14,562 the largest battleship ever built, 305 00:16:14,582 --> 00:16:17,088 the 840-foot-long Yamato, 306 00:16:17,108 --> 00:16:19,844 armed with nine 18-inch guns. 307 00:16:22,647 --> 00:16:26,885 Its formidable firepower is clear to see on this scale model 308 00:16:26,905 --> 00:16:28,853 built for a Japanese Museum. 309 00:16:30,088 --> 00:16:32,437 The number one turret of Yamato 310 00:16:32,457 --> 00:16:35,373 weighed more then all of Johnston itself. 311 00:16:35,393 --> 00:16:38,163 NARRATOR: The splash from one of the battleship's shells 312 00:16:38,183 --> 00:16:40,265 is as tall as the Eiffel Tower. 313 00:16:41,499 --> 00:16:44,836 Just before 7:00 am, the Japanese open fire. 314 00:16:45,804 --> 00:16:47,619 Taffy 3 had no idea 315 00:16:47,639 --> 00:16:50,448 that the Japanese fleet was about to pounce on them 316 00:16:50,468 --> 00:16:53,278 until the shells started coming over the horizon 317 00:16:53,298 --> 00:16:54,793 and landing amidst them. 318 00:16:54,813 --> 00:16:59,851 Completely outmatched, the crews of Taffy 3 try to escape. 319 00:16:59,871 --> 00:17:03,738 But Commander Evans decides to stay and fight. 320 00:17:03,758 --> 00:17:07,625 As soon as he was aware of these shells coming in, 321 00:17:07,645 --> 00:17:10,795 he did not hesitate for one instant. 322 00:17:10,815 --> 00:17:13,211 He came out on the bridge 323 00:17:13,231 --> 00:17:15,113 ordered the engines to flank 324 00:17:15,133 --> 00:17:17,836 and turn directly toward the enemy 325 00:17:17,856 --> 00:17:19,604 laying smoke the whole way, 326 00:17:19,624 --> 00:17:20,952 on his own initiative, 327 00:17:20,972 --> 00:17:22,887 without orders from anybody from above. 328 00:17:22,907 --> 00:17:26,578 NARRATOR: The smokescreen helps camouflage the carriers. 329 00:17:26,598 --> 00:17:29,480 Johnston then steams toward Kurita's fleet. 330 00:17:29,500 --> 00:17:32,266 A formidable force of eight cruisers, 331 00:17:32,286 --> 00:17:34,710 11 destroyers and four battleships 332 00:17:34,730 --> 00:17:37,155 including the giant Yamato. 333 00:17:37,989 --> 00:17:39,871 The Japanese take aim... 334 00:17:39,891 --> 00:17:40,892 (EXPLOSION) - ...at Evans' ship. 335 00:17:44,028 --> 00:17:47,778 At 7.00 am on October 25, 1942, 336 00:17:47,798 --> 00:17:51,775 Captain Ernest Evans races his destroyer, USS Johnston 337 00:17:51,795 --> 00:17:55,773 towards a fleet of 23 Japanese combat ships. 338 00:17:56,874 --> 00:17:59,857 He faces impossible odds. 339 00:17:59,877 --> 00:18:02,853 Johnston's five-inch guns were powerful weapons, 340 00:18:02,873 --> 00:18:05,850 but against the heavy armor of the Japanese cruisers 341 00:18:05,870 --> 00:18:07,598 and battleships she was facing, 342 00:18:07,618 --> 00:18:11,355 there really was no hope of her inflicting fatal damage. 343 00:18:12,656 --> 00:18:16,149 It was more important to deflect and to distract 344 00:18:16,169 --> 00:18:19,663 Japanese ships in their advance on the slower moving 345 00:18:19,683 --> 00:18:21,065 aircraft carriers. 346 00:18:22,700 --> 00:18:25,836 Here is a man who is going to sell his life 347 00:18:25,856 --> 00:18:27,585 as dearly as he can 348 00:18:27,605 --> 00:18:30,641 to protect the fleet that he's supposed to look after. 349 00:18:32,643 --> 00:18:35,846 NARRATOR: Evans has one lethal weapon in his arsenal. 350 00:18:37,515 --> 00:18:41,132 He mentions to his gunnery officer, Bob Hagen, 351 00:18:41,152 --> 00:18:43,988 "We cannot go down without launching our fish 352 00:18:44,008 --> 00:18:45,402 "our torpedoes." 353 00:18:45,422 --> 00:18:47,764 NARRATOR: Evans' target is the closest 354 00:18:47,784 --> 00:18:50,107 of the 23 Japanese combat ships, 355 00:18:50,127 --> 00:18:55,099 the cruiser Kumano, but it is out of range of his torpedoes. 356 00:18:55,833 --> 00:18:57,181 To get close enough, 357 00:18:57,201 --> 00:18:59,904 USS Johnston will have to run the gauntlet 358 00:18:59,924 --> 00:19:01,672 of the Japanese shells. 359 00:19:02,673 --> 00:19:05,022 He has a plan. 360 00:19:05,042 --> 00:19:06,610 HAGEN: Commander Evans was giving the order 361 00:19:06,630 --> 00:19:09,046 to basically steer at the splashes, 362 00:19:09,066 --> 00:19:11,615 counting on the fact that the Japanese 363 00:19:11,635 --> 00:19:14,185 would not fire in the same spot twice. 364 00:19:14,205 --> 00:19:16,000 NARRATOR: The tactic works. 365 00:19:16,020 --> 00:19:18,669 The Johnston gets within 10,000 yards 366 00:19:18,689 --> 00:19:21,158 of the Kumano without being hit. 367 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:25,262 Then Evans launches the fish. 368 00:19:25,282 --> 00:19:26,744 (CANNON BLASTS) 369 00:19:26,764 --> 00:19:30,834 He fires a spread of 10 torpedoes at Kumano 370 00:19:30,854 --> 00:19:33,904 and blows the bow off that cruiser, 371 00:19:33,924 --> 00:19:36,954 stopping her in the water. 372 00:19:36,974 --> 00:19:40,524 And in one stroke Johnston alone 373 00:19:40,544 --> 00:19:43,480 stalls the most immediate threat to Taffy 3. 374 00:19:44,515 --> 00:19:46,850 NARRATOR: Evans turns the Johnston around 375 00:19:46,870 --> 00:19:48,699 to re-join his comrades. 376 00:19:48,719 --> 00:19:51,689 At that moment his luck runs out... 377 00:19:53,791 --> 00:19:56,560 STEPHENSON: 18-inch shells from the battleship Yamato, 378 00:19:56,580 --> 00:19:59,413 the largest naval gun in the world, 379 00:19:59,433 --> 00:20:02,266 those three shells hit back aft, 380 00:20:03,133 --> 00:20:05,349 amidship portside, 381 00:20:05,369 --> 00:20:08,872 went into the port engine room, and exploded. 382 00:20:08,892 --> 00:20:10,187 (EXPLOSION) 383 00:20:10,207 --> 00:20:12,343 NARRATOR: Then, a salvo of Yamato's smaller guns 384 00:20:12,363 --> 00:20:13,824 hits the bridge 385 00:20:13,844 --> 00:20:18,071 causing more carnage. - (EXPLOSION) 386 00:20:18,091 --> 00:20:22,299 This was the area where a six-inch shell 387 00:20:22,319 --> 00:20:26,056 killed everyone that was standing around Evans 388 00:20:26,076 --> 00:20:28,572 and injured Evans himself. 389 00:20:28,592 --> 00:20:30,200 HAGEN: Commander Evans is there bleeding, 390 00:20:30,220 --> 00:20:31,848 'cause he lost a couple of fingers 391 00:20:31,868 --> 00:20:33,477 and his shirt was blown off 392 00:20:33,497 --> 00:20:36,767 and he's waving off the doctor and telling him 393 00:20:36,787 --> 00:20:37,982 "Don't bother me, 394 00:20:38,002 --> 00:20:40,484 "go check on the people who are actually hurt." 395 00:20:40,504 --> 00:20:43,874 STEPHENSON: Then Evans hears on the tactical radio 396 00:20:44,875 --> 00:20:47,691 that Taffy 3 was finally making a decision 397 00:20:47,711 --> 00:20:51,562 and sending the destroyers in on a torpedo run. 398 00:20:51,582 --> 00:20:54,318 NARRATOR: But the Johnston is out of torpedoes, 399 00:20:54,338 --> 00:20:56,133 and badly damaged, 400 00:20:56,153 --> 00:20:58,856 so Evans orders his five-inch gunners 401 00:20:58,876 --> 00:21:00,190 to take on the enemy. 402 00:21:00,824 --> 00:21:03,774 His ship is not dead yet. 403 00:21:03,794 --> 00:21:06,920 But the fearsome Japanese fleet of battleships, 404 00:21:06,940 --> 00:21:10,067 cruisers and destroyers is closing in. 405 00:21:10,901 --> 00:21:12,850 It was only a matter of time 406 00:21:12,870 --> 00:21:16,473 before the Japanese heavies were able to get close enough 407 00:21:16,493 --> 00:21:20,110 to practically wipe out all the escort carriers 408 00:21:20,130 --> 00:21:22,146 with their speed and gunnery advantage. 409 00:21:25,115 --> 00:21:28,686 NARRATOR: Johnston and the rest of Taffy 3 are doomed. 410 00:21:31,221 --> 00:21:36,694 Then a miracle. Admiral Kurita calls off the chase. 411 00:21:37,728 --> 00:21:41,879 They turned and basically retreated 412 00:21:41,899 --> 00:21:45,102 and commander Evans radioed my dad saying, saying, 413 00:21:45,122 --> 00:21:46,350 "I've seen everything now." 414 00:21:46,370 --> 00:21:48,472 NARRATOR: Some believe that Admiral Kurita 415 00:21:48,492 --> 00:21:50,387 decides to abandon his plan 416 00:21:50,407 --> 00:21:52,456 to stop the Leyte invasion 417 00:21:52,476 --> 00:21:56,153 because of the bravery of Evans and the crews of Taffy 3. 418 00:21:56,173 --> 00:21:59,830 But the USS Johnston pays a heavy price. 419 00:21:59,850 --> 00:22:03,153 The Japanese have stopped chasing the escort carriers 420 00:22:03,173 --> 00:22:05,903 but take one last prize as they retreat. 421 00:22:05,923 --> 00:22:08,959 Two shells from the Japanese battleship Kongo 422 00:22:08,979 --> 00:22:11,275 strike the wounded destroyer. 423 00:22:11,295 --> 00:22:14,788 So, now Johnston is dead in the water, 424 00:22:14,808 --> 00:22:18,282 no ability to, uh, control her guns. 425 00:22:18,302 --> 00:22:20,244 STEPHENSON: And the Japanese are just 426 00:22:20,264 --> 00:22:22,206 pumping shells into her at will. 427 00:22:22,226 --> 00:22:24,855 (EXPLOSION) 428 00:22:24,875 --> 00:22:29,713 NARRATOR: At 9:45 am Evans orders the crew to abandon ship. 429 00:22:32,616 --> 00:22:36,543 Twenty-five minutes later, the Johnston capsizes and sinks. 430 00:22:36,563 --> 00:22:40,491 It was the last time anyone saw Ernest Evans alive. 431 00:22:42,292 --> 00:22:43,774 HAGEN: My dad always kind of assumed 432 00:22:43,794 --> 00:22:45,476 that commander Evans went down with the ship. 433 00:22:45,496 --> 00:22:48,599 My dad talked about how he was a Navy man through and through, 434 00:22:48,619 --> 00:22:50,981 and he wouldn't have expected anything else 435 00:22:51,001 --> 00:22:53,570 from commander Evans than to go down with the ship. 436 00:22:55,606 --> 00:22:58,509 NARRATOR: A hundred and eighty-six men were killed, 437 00:22:58,529 --> 00:23:00,644 141 survived. 438 00:23:01,779 --> 00:23:03,293 For his incredible courage, 439 00:23:03,313 --> 00:23:06,083 Commander Ernest Evans was posthumously awarded 440 00:23:06,103 --> 00:23:07,551 the Medal of Honor. 441 00:23:09,253 --> 00:23:11,869 The discovery of the USS Johnston 442 00:23:11,889 --> 00:23:15,432 is a reminder that the success at Leyte Gulf 443 00:23:15,452 --> 00:23:18,996 was due in no small part to the heroism 444 00:23:19,016 --> 00:23:21,231 of men like Ernest Evans. 445 00:23:22,433 --> 00:23:25,209 Yamato was the world's largest battleship. 446 00:23:25,229 --> 00:23:27,985 And she had the biggest guns ever afloat, 447 00:23:28,005 --> 00:23:31,408 but Evans aboard Johnston had a more powerful weapon. 448 00:23:31,428 --> 00:23:34,445 And that was the ability of robbing the Japanese 449 00:23:34,465 --> 00:23:36,226 of the time they needed 450 00:23:36,246 --> 00:23:39,082 to successfully conclude their operation. 451 00:23:42,319 --> 00:23:43,734 NARRATOR: Extraordinary courage 452 00:23:43,754 --> 00:23:46,603 is not only shown in the heat of Battle, 453 00:23:46,623 --> 00:23:51,094 one Captain needed it in a fight for freedom. 454 00:23:52,829 --> 00:23:55,244 May 12th, 1862, 455 00:23:55,264 --> 00:23:57,480 the Civil War is raging. 456 00:23:57,500 --> 00:24:00,970 A steamer slips out of Charleston Harbor 457 00:24:00,990 --> 00:24:02,418 in the early morning. 458 00:24:02,438 --> 00:24:05,321 At the helm is no ordinary skipper. 459 00:24:05,341 --> 00:24:09,712 He is 23-year-old enslaved sailor, Robert Smalls. 460 00:24:09,732 --> 00:24:11,294 He is stealing a Confederate ship 461 00:24:11,314 --> 00:24:13,229 in a desperate attempt to give his crew 462 00:24:13,249 --> 00:24:17,266 and their families a chance for freedom. 463 00:24:17,286 --> 00:24:20,089 MOORE: It really was a life-or-death proposition. 464 00:24:20,109 --> 00:24:21,704 Robert bet everything 465 00:24:21,724 --> 00:24:24,794 that he had on everything he dreamed of that night. 466 00:24:25,461 --> 00:24:27,110 If they had gotten caught, 467 00:24:27,130 --> 00:24:30,747 they clearly would've been executed 468 00:24:30,767 --> 00:24:33,636 in probably in a particularly gruesome and public way. 469 00:24:39,776 --> 00:24:44,680 ELLIOTT: Robert smalls was born, in Beaufort, South Carolina. 470 00:24:44,700 --> 00:24:47,063 His, mother was an enslaved woman 471 00:24:47,083 --> 00:24:50,593 and it just understood that his father was his enslaver. 472 00:24:50,613 --> 00:24:54,123 Smalls had an affinity for the, the waterways. 473 00:24:55,458 --> 00:24:57,507 NARRATOR: Robert worked as a pilot, 474 00:24:57,527 --> 00:25:00,096 guiding vessels through the difficult and dangerous 475 00:25:00,116 --> 00:25:02,111 waters of Charleston Harbor, 476 00:25:02,131 --> 00:25:04,367 and the coast of South Carolina. 477 00:25:08,504 --> 00:25:11,087 In the Spring of 1861, 478 00:25:11,107 --> 00:25:14,677 the first shots of the Civil War ring out in Charleston. 479 00:25:17,713 --> 00:25:18,928 Robert finds himself 480 00:25:18,948 --> 00:25:22,118 on a Confederate side wheel paddle steamer... 481 00:25:22,138 --> 00:25:24,220 The CSS Planter. 482 00:25:35,031 --> 00:25:39,602 Although armed, combat is not the Planter's main role... 483 00:25:39,622 --> 00:25:42,318 Her real value lay in her shallow draft 484 00:25:42,338 --> 00:25:45,675 which meant that she was perfect for coastal operations. 485 00:25:45,695 --> 00:25:47,456 LIN: She could carry supplies, 486 00:25:47,476 --> 00:25:50,313 she could carry troops for amphibious landings. 487 00:25:54,283 --> 00:25:56,332 NARRATOR: Robert is the pilot of the Planter, 488 00:25:56,352 --> 00:25:59,702 under the command of white confederate officers. 489 00:25:59,722 --> 00:26:04,861 As the days pass an idea takes shape... Escape. 490 00:26:06,662 --> 00:26:11,000 Robert and his wife Hannah have two small children. 491 00:26:11,020 --> 00:26:12,648 As she too is enslaved, 492 00:26:12,668 --> 00:26:17,607 the family could be ripped apart at any time if Hannah was sold. 493 00:26:17,627 --> 00:26:20,910 So, Robert decides they all had to head north 494 00:26:20,930 --> 00:26:23,593 to find freedom. 495 00:26:23,613 --> 00:26:27,350 ZINGHEIM: The whole reason why he did this was for his family, 496 00:26:27,370 --> 00:26:29,919 to try to protect them, to keep them together. 497 00:26:29,939 --> 00:26:32,488 NARRATOR: He shares his plans of escape 498 00:26:32,508 --> 00:26:34,490 with rest of the black crew. 499 00:26:37,493 --> 00:26:39,442 They would steal the Planter, 500 00:26:39,462 --> 00:26:41,244 bring their families on board 501 00:26:41,264 --> 00:26:43,346 and sail out of Charleston Harbor 502 00:26:43,366 --> 00:26:46,602 towards a Union naval blockade off the coast. 503 00:26:50,439 --> 00:26:52,788 Michael Boulware Moore is retracing 504 00:26:52,808 --> 00:26:56,425 his ancestor's risky journey to freedom. 505 00:26:56,445 --> 00:27:00,116 MOORE: You know this was a really precarious venture. 506 00:27:00,136 --> 00:27:01,667 You know, there were so many things 507 00:27:01,687 --> 00:27:03,199 that could have gone wrong, 508 00:27:03,219 --> 00:27:04,777 each of which in themselves 509 00:27:04,797 --> 00:27:06,355 could have proved fatal. 510 00:27:10,726 --> 00:27:14,530 NARRATOR: In the early hours of May 12, 1862, 511 00:27:14,550 --> 00:27:17,500 Robert gets a chance to escape. 512 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:18,648 The Confederate crew left, 513 00:27:18,668 --> 00:27:20,883 went into the city to have fun to carouse, 514 00:27:20,903 --> 00:27:25,174 whatever, Robert and the crew, they saw the opportunity. 515 00:27:26,909 --> 00:27:29,378 NARRATOR: Luckily, the Planter's captain, 516 00:27:29,398 --> 00:27:31,027 Charles Relyea, 517 00:27:31,047 --> 00:27:34,163 leaves his coat and hat on the ship. 518 00:27:34,183 --> 00:27:36,299 Robert puts them on hoping to fool 519 00:27:36,319 --> 00:27:38,567 any Confederate lookouts in the harbor. 520 00:27:38,587 --> 00:27:40,670 At 3:00 am the Planter sets off 521 00:27:40,690 --> 00:27:42,705 from the harbor's Southern Wharf 522 00:27:42,725 --> 00:27:46,562 it's hold full of Confederate guns and ammunition. 523 00:27:47,463 --> 00:27:48,878 He basically made the decision 524 00:27:48,898 --> 00:27:52,201 that he was either going to be free that next morning, 525 00:27:52,221 --> 00:27:54,483 or he was going to be dead. 526 00:27:54,503 --> 00:27:56,872 NARRATOR: His first challenge is to pick up Hannah 527 00:27:56,892 --> 00:27:58,120 and their children, 528 00:27:58,140 --> 00:27:59,555 plus the crew's families 529 00:27:59,575 --> 00:28:01,884 from the harbor's North Atlantic wharf. 530 00:28:01,904 --> 00:28:04,193 MOORE: So, they had to stop here, 531 00:28:04,213 --> 00:28:05,971 even though it added additional risk. 532 00:28:05,991 --> 00:28:07,730 I mean, another opportunity 533 00:28:07,750 --> 00:28:10,519 for them potentially to have gotten caught. 534 00:28:11,754 --> 00:28:14,003 NARRATOR: With the crew's families now aboard, 535 00:28:14,023 --> 00:28:17,626 Smalls can finally steer the Planter towards freedom. 536 00:28:18,961 --> 00:28:21,544 But the route is treacherous. 537 00:28:21,564 --> 00:28:24,413 They must cross a vast, hostile harbor, 538 00:28:24,433 --> 00:28:27,503 peppered with gunboats and heavily armed forts. 539 00:28:27,523 --> 00:28:29,585 Each fort is a danger. 540 00:28:29,605 --> 00:28:31,420 There were a number of signals 541 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:36,201 that each Fort had that boats who were passing by 542 00:28:36,221 --> 00:28:40,983 had to successfully execute to be allowed to pass. 543 00:28:41,003 --> 00:28:42,798 MOORE: The boats had whistles 544 00:28:42,818 --> 00:28:45,868 in almost like a Morse code, dot, dash, dash, you know, 545 00:28:45,888 --> 00:28:49,625 kind of a configuration would have to execute these whistles 546 00:28:49,645 --> 00:28:53,009 to successfully be allowed to pass by. 547 00:28:53,029 --> 00:28:55,464 NARRATOR: After months of watching the officers, 548 00:28:55,484 --> 00:28:57,516 Robert knows each of the signals. 549 00:28:57,536 --> 00:28:59,548 And to help the deception, 550 00:28:59,568 --> 00:29:03,939 he imitates the way Captain Relyea behaves on deck. 551 00:29:03,959 --> 00:29:06,122 The Planter successfully passes 552 00:29:06,142 --> 00:29:08,811 four forts without raising the alarm. 553 00:29:08,831 --> 00:29:10,526 Then, as daylight breaks 554 00:29:10,546 --> 00:29:12,928 the Planter approaches Fort Sumter 555 00:29:12,948 --> 00:29:16,532 where the Civil War had broken out the year before. 556 00:29:16,552 --> 00:29:19,622 MOORE: This was the largest, most dangerous obstacle 557 00:29:19,642 --> 00:29:20,836 in the Harbor 558 00:29:20,856 --> 00:29:24,573 and it was the last thing that they had to overcome 559 00:29:24,593 --> 00:29:29,532 before reaching the union blockade and ostensibly freedom. 560 00:29:30,833 --> 00:29:35,337 It was a gateway, monitoring anything that came in 561 00:29:35,357 --> 00:29:37,473 or came out of Charleston Harbor. 562 00:29:38,808 --> 00:29:41,133 NARRATOR: Armed with dozens of cannons, 563 00:29:41,153 --> 00:29:43,459 including massive 42-pounders, 564 00:29:43,479 --> 00:29:46,549 the Fort could easily blow the Planter out of the water... 565 00:29:47,983 --> 00:29:52,655 I can only imagine just the being filled with fear 566 00:29:52,675 --> 00:29:54,970 and with anxiety and with hope, 567 00:29:54,990 --> 00:29:58,494 because in essence, they could likely see freedom 568 00:29:58,514 --> 00:30:01,130 just at the horizon. 569 00:30:02,231 --> 00:30:04,447 NARRATOR: But Robert's ruse works. 570 00:30:04,467 --> 00:30:07,276 The Confederate sentries let the Planter pass. 571 00:30:07,296 --> 00:30:09,408 Smalls carefully points the Planter 572 00:30:09,428 --> 00:30:11,520 towards the Union blockade 573 00:30:11,540 --> 00:30:13,843 and the clipper USS Onward. 574 00:30:16,345 --> 00:30:18,761 Suddenly a new threat appears. 575 00:30:18,781 --> 00:30:21,317 One that Smalls has not accounted for. 576 00:30:22,818 --> 00:30:25,627 MOORE: At just before Dawn here is this, 577 00:30:25,647 --> 00:30:28,457 you know, 150 or so foot side wheel steamer 578 00:30:28,477 --> 00:30:30,959 with an enormous Confederate flag 579 00:30:30,979 --> 00:30:33,462 sailing toward the Union unannounced. 580 00:30:35,331 --> 00:30:36,545 NARRATOR: The Union crew 581 00:30:36,565 --> 00:30:38,347 see what they think is a Confederate ship 582 00:30:38,367 --> 00:30:40,803 trying to break through their blockade. 583 00:30:40,823 --> 00:30:42,505 They ready their guns. 584 00:30:43,272 --> 00:30:44,753 Realizing the danger, 585 00:30:44,773 --> 00:30:48,277 Robert and Hannah quickly pull down the Confederate flag 586 00:30:48,297 --> 00:30:50,426 and replace it with a white bedsheet 587 00:30:50,446 --> 00:30:54,497 Hannah had brought. A sign of surrender. 588 00:30:54,517 --> 00:30:57,643 To their relief, the Union guns stay silent. 589 00:30:57,663 --> 00:31:00,584 Robert and Hannah know they are safe. 590 00:31:00,604 --> 00:31:03,526 The notion of freedom for enslaved people 591 00:31:03,546 --> 00:31:06,095 really was somewhat abstract. 592 00:31:06,115 --> 00:31:08,644 It... It... It was this dream, 593 00:31:08,664 --> 00:31:13,035 but for Robert and his family and the crew and their families 594 00:31:13,055 --> 00:31:15,384 as they approached the USS Onward, 595 00:31:15,404 --> 00:31:20,476 and as they boarded, they really were free. 596 00:31:24,079 --> 00:31:27,096 NARRATOR: Robert Smalls hands over to the Union Captain 597 00:31:27,116 --> 00:31:30,619 the valuable guns and ammunition from the Planter's hold. 598 00:31:32,054 --> 00:31:35,938 He also carried very important Intel 599 00:31:35,958 --> 00:31:40,669 and the ship itself that would help the union army 600 00:31:40,689 --> 00:31:44,419 secure their success in the battle of the civil war. 601 00:31:44,439 --> 00:31:48,170 NARRATOR: Robert Smalls becomes a Union hero. 602 00:31:50,206 --> 00:31:51,487 ELLIOTT: Robert smalls 603 00:31:51,507 --> 00:31:53,108 was one of those people that ran toward the fire 604 00:31:53,128 --> 00:31:56,258 to get people out of harm's way. 605 00:31:56,278 --> 00:32:00,182 And in this case, it was to pull people out of slavery 606 00:32:00,202 --> 00:32:02,264 and bring them towards freedom. 607 00:32:02,284 --> 00:32:03,866 MOORE: Robert was taken north, 608 00:32:03,886 --> 00:32:06,211 he was celebrated in parades 609 00:32:06,231 --> 00:32:08,335 up and down the east coast 610 00:32:08,355 --> 00:32:10,439 from Washington up to Boston, 611 00:32:10,459 --> 00:32:15,077 it was a big, you know, moral victory. 612 00:32:15,097 --> 00:32:17,172 NARRATOR: He is even given an audience 613 00:32:17,192 --> 00:32:19,248 with President Abraham Lincoln. 614 00:32:19,268 --> 00:32:22,694 MOORE: And at that meeting, Robert persuaded, 615 00:32:22,714 --> 00:32:26,141 President Lincoln to admit formally enslaved men 616 00:32:26,161 --> 00:32:29,678 into the United States union war effort. 617 00:32:30,980 --> 00:32:32,461 NARRATOR: Robert himself is eager 618 00:32:32,481 --> 00:32:34,463 to get back on the water and fight, 619 00:32:34,483 --> 00:32:37,386 this time for the United States Navy. 620 00:32:38,120 --> 00:32:39,722 His war isn't over. 621 00:32:42,358 --> 00:32:45,741 In June 1863, he is sent to South Carolina 622 00:32:45,761 --> 00:32:48,731 as the pilot of the ship he sailed to freedom 623 00:32:48,751 --> 00:32:50,733 the USS Planter. 624 00:32:51,634 --> 00:32:53,649 It's mission is to support 625 00:32:53,669 --> 00:32:56,305 a Union attack near Folly Island. 626 00:32:57,172 --> 00:32:58,621 (EXPLOSION) 627 00:32:58,641 --> 00:33:01,043 The Planter comes under fire from a Confederate battery 628 00:33:01,063 --> 00:33:02,391 at Secessionville 629 00:33:02,411 --> 00:33:06,395 and there's cannonballs landing very close nearby. 630 00:33:06,415 --> 00:33:10,025 MOORE: And the captain lost his nerve and actually went 631 00:33:10,045 --> 00:33:13,408 and hid under the deck and Robert very quickly, 632 00:33:13,428 --> 00:33:16,792 very deftly seized control of the Planter, 633 00:33:16,812 --> 00:33:18,340 and skillfully sailed it 634 00:33:18,360 --> 00:33:20,743 even while receiving cannon fire, 635 00:33:20,763 --> 00:33:24,039 sailed it to freedom and it was a result of that endeavor 636 00:33:24,059 --> 00:33:27,316 that he was named, the captain of the Planter. 637 00:33:27,336 --> 00:33:30,572 He became the first African American captain 638 00:33:30,592 --> 00:33:31,654 in the Navy, 639 00:33:31,674 --> 00:33:33,666 but then also the first African American 640 00:33:33,686 --> 00:33:35,678 to command a United States Naval vessel. 641 00:33:37,012 --> 00:33:40,329 It's the recognition of him as a hero, 642 00:33:40,349 --> 00:33:44,620 not as a black hero, but as a hero, an American hero. 643 00:33:47,589 --> 00:33:50,499 NARRATOR: It's not just the captains of combat ships 644 00:33:50,519 --> 00:33:53,429 who steered their vessels into harm's way, 645 00:33:53,449 --> 00:33:55,944 a vast army of merchant seamen 646 00:33:55,964 --> 00:33:59,001 also faced the full horror of war. 647 00:33:59,021 --> 00:34:00,669 (EXPLOSION) 648 00:34:02,504 --> 00:34:05,680 The Mediterranean Sea, Summer 1942... 649 00:34:05,700 --> 00:34:08,877 The Allies, and the Axis powers 650 00:34:08,897 --> 00:34:10,292 Germany and Italy, 651 00:34:10,312 --> 00:34:12,160 battle to supply their armies 652 00:34:12,180 --> 00:34:14,996 fighting for control of North Africa. 653 00:34:15,016 --> 00:34:19,254 German Field Marshal Rommel, known as the Desert Fox, 654 00:34:19,274 --> 00:34:20,502 threatens to inflict 655 00:34:20,522 --> 00:34:22,490 a humiliating defeat on the Allies. 656 00:34:23,525 --> 00:34:25,373 The ships of both sides 657 00:34:25,393 --> 00:34:29,197 transporting vital troops, machinery and ammunition 658 00:34:29,217 --> 00:34:30,845 are prime targets. 659 00:34:30,865 --> 00:34:36,538 Both sides are trying to supply forces in this theatre, 660 00:34:36,558 --> 00:34:39,908 so the British supply lines are running east west 661 00:34:39,928 --> 00:34:42,357 from Gibraltar to Egypt, 662 00:34:42,377 --> 00:34:46,815 and the axis supply lines are running north-south, 663 00:34:46,835 --> 00:34:48,396 so they cross, 664 00:34:48,416 --> 00:34:51,900 and where they cross is very close to Malta. 665 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:54,422 NARRATOR: The British-controlled island of Malta 666 00:34:54,442 --> 00:34:56,424 is a key part of the Allied strategy 667 00:34:56,444 --> 00:34:57,792 in the Mediterranean. 668 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:00,608 Malta's a vital base, 669 00:35:00,628 --> 00:35:03,898 both as an air base, but also as a base for British submarines 670 00:35:03,918 --> 00:35:07,349 to actually range out into the Mediterranean 671 00:35:07,369 --> 00:35:09,804 and begin to try and intercept those convoys. 672 00:35:11,373 --> 00:35:12,687 NARRATOR: The Axis powers, 673 00:35:12,707 --> 00:35:15,090 hit Malta with relentless air attacks, 674 00:35:15,110 --> 00:35:17,812 hoping to force the island to surrender. 675 00:35:20,415 --> 00:35:23,064 In the spring of 1942, 676 00:35:23,084 --> 00:35:25,100 the Luftwaffe bombs Malta 677 00:35:25,120 --> 00:35:28,570 for 154 consecutive days. 678 00:35:28,590 --> 00:35:31,593 Three times longer than the London Blitz. 679 00:35:31,613 --> 00:35:33,675 (CONTROLLER BEEPS) - (EXPLOSION) 680 00:35:33,695 --> 00:35:36,277 BENNETT: By the summer of 1942, 681 00:35:36,297 --> 00:35:38,780 Malta's running short of almost everything. 682 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:42,737 The situation for the civilians is quite desperate. 683 00:35:42,757 --> 00:35:44,539 The situation of the Malta Garrison 684 00:35:44,559 --> 00:35:46,341 is similarly very, very difficult. 685 00:35:46,361 --> 00:35:47,976 (EXPLOSION) 686 00:35:49,477 --> 00:35:51,746 (ROCK MUSIC PLAYING) 687 00:35:53,481 --> 00:35:56,284 NARRATOR: In a last-ditch attempt to save the island, 688 00:35:56,304 --> 00:35:58,419 the Allies launch a rescue mission 689 00:35:58,439 --> 00:36:00,535 codenamed Operation Pedestal, 690 00:36:00,555 --> 00:36:03,738 a convoy consisting of 14 merchant ships 691 00:36:03,758 --> 00:36:07,362 guarded by nearly 40 Royal Navy warships. 692 00:36:08,463 --> 00:36:11,446 The most important merchant ship in the convoy 693 00:36:11,466 --> 00:36:17,505 is carrying vital aircraft fuel. The tanker, SS Ohio. 694 00:36:31,719 --> 00:36:35,390 So, the Ohio is the only bulk delivery of fuel 695 00:36:35,410 --> 00:36:37,358 that the island is going to get, 696 00:36:37,378 --> 00:36:39,074 and without fuel, 697 00:36:39,094 --> 00:36:42,320 and we're talking about aviation fuel, 698 00:36:42,340 --> 00:36:45,547 the aircraft on Malta can't fly. 699 00:36:45,567 --> 00:36:47,368 So, that means there's no fighter defense 700 00:36:47,388 --> 00:36:50,254 and there's no torpedo bombers 701 00:36:50,274 --> 00:36:53,141 to attack Axis supply shipping. 702 00:36:54,776 --> 00:36:57,812 NARRATOR: SS Ohio needs an experienced captain 703 00:36:57,832 --> 00:36:59,247 to steer it safely to Malta. 704 00:37:00,515 --> 00:37:03,298 The British choose a merchant navy veteran 705 00:37:03,318 --> 00:37:05,954 who'd been at sea since he was a teenager. 706 00:37:05,974 --> 00:37:08,803 Forty-year-old Dudley Mason. 707 00:37:08,823 --> 00:37:12,327 This is a man who's shown great resourcefulness. 708 00:37:12,347 --> 00:37:14,008 He's very experienced, 709 00:37:14,028 --> 00:37:16,264 and he's a very reliable pair of hands. 710 00:37:20,702 --> 00:37:21,916 NARRATOR: The Ohio 711 00:37:21,936 --> 00:37:24,339 and the other Operation Pedestal merchant vessels 712 00:37:24,359 --> 00:37:26,387 are turned into combat ships, 713 00:37:26,407 --> 00:37:28,877 reinforced with machine guns, 714 00:37:28,897 --> 00:37:30,658 a 40mm Bofors, 715 00:37:30,678 --> 00:37:35,250 and six 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns. 716 00:37:36,751 --> 00:37:39,300 In early August 1942, 717 00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:41,946 the convoy gathers off the coast of Scotland 718 00:37:41,966 --> 00:37:44,592 and makes its way to the Mediterranean. 719 00:37:44,612 --> 00:37:46,708 Captain Mason warns his crew 720 00:37:46,728 --> 00:37:48,843 their mission will be "no picnic" 721 00:37:48,863 --> 00:37:53,234 but reassures them they had a massive escort as protection. 722 00:37:54,435 --> 00:37:58,219 In the early hours of August 10th, 1942, 723 00:37:58,239 --> 00:38:01,189 the convoy slips into the Mediterranean. 724 00:38:01,209 --> 00:38:04,325 But the Axis powers know they are coming. 725 00:38:04,345 --> 00:38:06,261 German intelligence has been tipped off 726 00:38:06,281 --> 00:38:08,750 that a large convoy is heading south. 727 00:38:10,451 --> 00:38:12,834 The attacks are opened on the 11th, 728 00:38:12,854 --> 00:38:17,492 when a German submarine, U-73 sights the convoy. 729 00:38:17,512 --> 00:38:20,044 REDFORD: It fires three torpedoes 730 00:38:20,064 --> 00:38:22,577 and they hit HMS Eagle. 731 00:38:22,597 --> 00:38:26,768 HMS Eagle rolls over and sinks inside eight minutes. 732 00:38:28,169 --> 00:38:29,994 NARRATOR: A hundred and sixty men 733 00:38:30,014 --> 00:38:31,819 on the aircraft carrier perish. 734 00:38:31,839 --> 00:38:34,642 Sixteen vital fighter planes are lost. 735 00:38:37,278 --> 00:38:40,662 Dudley Mason and the Ohio sail on. 736 00:38:40,682 --> 00:38:43,785 The loss of the Eagle is just the opening salvo. 737 00:38:47,622 --> 00:38:51,292 On August 12th, it is the Luftwaffe's turn 738 00:38:51,312 --> 00:38:52,727 to hit the convoy. 739 00:38:54,829 --> 00:38:57,966 REDFORD: The first mass air attack occurs, 740 00:38:57,986 --> 00:38:59,747 on the 12th at around midday, 741 00:38:59,767 --> 00:39:03,277 by German JU 88s and JU 87 dive bombers. 742 00:39:03,297 --> 00:39:05,943 One merchant ship is hit and damaged 743 00:39:05,963 --> 00:39:08,594 and is forced to drop out of the convoy. 744 00:39:08,614 --> 00:39:11,246 NARRATOR: The attacks keep coming. 745 00:39:11,266 --> 00:39:12,760 Ahead of the convoy, 746 00:39:12,780 --> 00:39:16,240 six Italian submarines are waiting. 747 00:39:16,260 --> 00:39:19,701 At 7.55 pm one sub, named Axum 748 00:39:19,721 --> 00:39:22,237 fires a deadly salvo of torpedoes 749 00:39:22,257 --> 00:39:25,393 which hits three ships, including the Ohio. 750 00:39:28,997 --> 00:39:32,614 The Explosion rips a hole in her port side, 751 00:39:32,634 --> 00:39:36,771 but Captain Mason and his crew manage to keep the Ohio afloat 752 00:39:36,791 --> 00:39:38,219 and heading to Malta, 753 00:39:38,239 --> 00:39:41,242 which is still 150 miles away. 754 00:39:46,514 --> 00:39:49,384 By August 13th, seven merchant ships 755 00:39:49,404 --> 00:39:50,898 and two combat ships 756 00:39:50,918 --> 00:39:53,655 have been sunk and many more badly damaged. 757 00:39:55,757 --> 00:39:58,773 Then, the Luftwaffe strikes again. 758 00:39:58,793 --> 00:40:02,103 26 bombers launch low level attacks on Ohio. 759 00:40:02,123 --> 00:40:05,570 BENNETT: This ship is getting battered. 760 00:40:05,590 --> 00:40:09,017 This ship is getting absolutely hammered. 761 00:40:09,037 --> 00:40:11,839 Mason's a guy who's got to manoeuvre his ship (CHUCKLES) 762 00:40:11,859 --> 00:40:14,489 while it's on the continuous aerial attack 763 00:40:14,509 --> 00:40:17,912 during some stages of the Ohio's journey. 764 00:40:19,147 --> 00:40:20,838 NARRATOR: Then a bomb from a Stuka 765 00:40:20,858 --> 00:40:22,550 knocks out the tanker's engines. 766 00:40:26,154 --> 00:40:28,002 The bomb that hits the Ohio, 767 00:40:28,022 --> 00:40:30,191 hits in pretty much the same area 768 00:40:30,211 --> 00:40:32,476 that had already been damaged 769 00:40:32,496 --> 00:40:34,742 by the earlier torpedo hit. 770 00:40:34,762 --> 00:40:36,778 BENNETT: Her back has been broken. 771 00:40:36,798 --> 00:40:39,600 This is a ship which is being held together 772 00:40:39,620 --> 00:40:41,803 almost against the laws of physics. 773 00:40:43,338 --> 00:40:44,986 NARRATOR: August 14th... 774 00:40:45,006 --> 00:40:48,409 Dudley Mason calculates that Ohio will hold together 775 00:40:48,429 --> 00:40:51,159 for 12 hours before she sinks. 776 00:40:51,179 --> 00:40:53,748 Just enough time to get to Malta. 777 00:40:54,449 --> 00:40:57,091 But there's a huge problem... 778 00:40:57,111 --> 00:40:59,734 Ohio has no power. 779 00:40:59,754 --> 00:41:01,069 To keep her moving, 780 00:41:01,089 --> 00:41:04,405 the convoy crew comes up with an ingenious solution. 781 00:41:04,425 --> 00:41:08,029 They strap the stricken tanker between two destroyers 782 00:41:08,049 --> 00:41:11,579 HMS Penn and HMS Brennan. 783 00:41:11,599 --> 00:41:14,025 This is a really courageous thing to do 784 00:41:14,045 --> 00:41:16,451 because although destroyers are fast ships, 785 00:41:16,471 --> 00:41:20,641 when you're moving a huge, great dead weight of a tanker 786 00:41:20,661 --> 00:41:22,557 you are not going to go very fast 787 00:41:22,577 --> 00:41:26,627 and you are a plum target for enemy air attacks. 788 00:41:26,647 --> 00:41:30,385 NARRATOR: The unusual flotilla moves slowly forward. 789 00:41:30,405 --> 00:41:32,900 A third destroyer, HMS Ledbury 790 00:41:32,920 --> 00:41:36,791 drops depth charges every 20 minutes to deter enemy subs. 791 00:41:38,693 --> 00:41:39,694 (EXPLOSION) 792 00:41:44,499 --> 00:41:48,009 NARRATOR: Finally, on the morning of August 15th, 793 00:41:48,029 --> 00:41:51,539 Ohio limps into Malta's capital Valletta. 794 00:41:52,740 --> 00:41:54,188 LIN: Like a miracle, 795 00:41:54,208 --> 00:41:57,011 the tanker comes through against all the odds, 796 00:41:57,031 --> 00:41:59,260 the Ohio steams into harbor 797 00:41:59,280 --> 00:42:03,151 and there's wild cheering and wild celebration. 798 00:42:04,519 --> 00:42:06,367 NARRATOR: Within minutes of arriving, 799 00:42:06,387 --> 00:42:09,323 Dudley Mason instructs the crew to start unloading 800 00:42:09,343 --> 00:42:12,206 Ohio's precious cargo of fuel. 801 00:42:12,226 --> 00:42:15,176 A few hours later, mission accomplished. 802 00:42:15,196 --> 00:42:18,289 The battered tanker finally breaks in two 803 00:42:18,309 --> 00:42:21,382 and sinks to the bottom of the harbor. 804 00:42:21,402 --> 00:42:24,338 Of the 14 Operation Pedestal merchant ships 805 00:42:24,358 --> 00:42:25,987 that began the convoy, 806 00:42:26,007 --> 00:42:29,090 only five made it to port. 807 00:42:29,110 --> 00:42:31,526 Three escort ships were sunk, 808 00:42:31,546 --> 00:42:37,618 34 aircraft were downed, and 500 men lost their lives. 809 00:42:39,454 --> 00:42:40,868 HEASLIP: Those five ships 810 00:42:40,888 --> 00:42:44,532 that did make it through we're crucial to the survival. 811 00:42:44,552 --> 00:42:48,196 They brought tens of thousands of tons of food, 812 00:42:48,216 --> 00:42:49,847 and supplies, and ammunition 813 00:42:49,867 --> 00:42:51,479 for the population, 814 00:42:51,499 --> 00:42:54,715 but also, crucially, the arrival of SS Ohio 815 00:42:54,735 --> 00:42:57,872 brought with it the fuel that was needed for the RAF 816 00:42:57,892 --> 00:43:00,188 to continue launching raids 817 00:43:00,208 --> 00:43:03,324 on the convoys heading across to Rommel. 818 00:43:03,344 --> 00:43:06,481 And in that way, they cut Rommel's supply lines 819 00:43:06,501 --> 00:43:08,429 just in time for the turnaround 820 00:43:08,449 --> 00:43:11,365 on the land campaign in North Africa. 821 00:43:11,385 --> 00:43:13,634 NARRATOR: Dudley Mason's unwavering determination 822 00:43:13,654 --> 00:43:17,892 to bring Ohio into port earns him the George Cross, 823 00:43:17,912 --> 00:43:21,145 the highest civilian award for courage. 824 00:43:21,165 --> 00:43:24,378 He accepts it on behalf of his crew. 825 00:43:24,398 --> 00:43:26,547 The merchant marine in the Second World War, 826 00:43:26,567 --> 00:43:29,871 they are the true unsung heroes of the war at sea. 827 00:43:35,543 --> 00:43:38,853 NARRATOR: War at sea produces many brave captains. 828 00:43:38,873 --> 00:43:42,163 But there are times when a courageous few 829 00:43:42,183 --> 00:43:43,965 have gone above and beyond... - (EXPLOSION) 830 00:43:43,985 --> 00:43:48,956 ...the call of duty to protect the life and liberty of others. 831 00:43:48,976 --> 00:43:52,726 The daring deeds of these extraordinary captains 832 00:43:52,746 --> 00:43:56,497 deserve to be celebrated and remembered.