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Show rage six- " .. SYNOPSIS' Rear Admhal Stephen Thomas, USN. places Martin J. I I ."T H Mn ITII rT7H fl I fl 8" Adapted from the lZto hasten ! th-Tonta to It Commander ' ' "Of AMD DV rflD AP RM " bs-.3s I 01 BH 8 ElS l"' iffl 111 ill I 1 Picture by oJ(i P, Henry ;ohnso wfco served as Chiel Veoman on the Warren Ul flllO Li I I US! nU lUll GERTRUDE GEL31N MOW READ EP.SOOETHREE-BELOW t V f V-" ' , ' . - ' ri , . J ' ;Ji : F ' V'. V, ' I 1 I 1 F 11 hf'r ' v. fi 1 . - . ...... r-imt 11 -la-1 1 niTltTOj like knocking over clay pigeons." Cri-RK Masterman (Robert Taylor) soon proves that lie is worthy of Admiral Stephens' (Charles l.auiliton) belief that he will some day be a fine Naval Officer Gregg is expert at every assignment handed him during the shake-down cruise of the "Warren." But Gregg and Commander Roberts (Brian Donlevy) remain re-main at verbal swordspoints. Roberts commends com-mends Gregg's ability with irony and restraint, and Masterman, in turn, rides the ship's inefficiencies ineffi-ciencies at every opportunity. This is of no small concern to Roberts who realizes that despite de-spite his own experience and the courage of his crew, the "Warren" is just a hulk. He fears for her ability to stand up under heavy action. Only old Henry Johnson (Walter lirennan) is without doubts. He knows the "Warren" will be ctpial to any task in the present War. "The Jap plane will be on top of us in a minute!" Gregg refuses to maintain what Roberts knows to be the proper War attitude. He pretends pre-tends gun-practise is the same as shooting clay pidgeons and, being a crack shot, he is expert at handling the destroyer's guns. He parries Roberts' praise with glib wise-cracks, much to the latter's annoyance The afternoon arrives when, as they plough through the Pacific, a Japanese plane is sighted. Roberts orders Masterman Mas-terman to take charge of the guns. For the first time in his life, Gregg is faced with real responsibility re-sponsibility The clay-pidgeon game he has been playing fails him and he loses his head Only Johnson's quick thinking saves the "Warren" "War-ren" and brings down the Japanese plane. Gregg has learned his first lesson. "A Captain is the only one responsible." But the episode has a deeper responsibility. Unbeknown to Gregg, Roberts has received a radio command from a convoy which has lost one of its destroyers thanks to the. same Jap plane. The "Warren" has been ordered to join the convoy in its place by the commanding officer, Rear Admiral Stephens. Gregg's failure fail-ure at the guns and the ensuing chase between plane and ship have resulted in throwing the "Warren" off its course. The Admiral now radios a demand for an explanation Roberts is forced to give the true reason. Further, to Gregg's chagrin, Roberts assumes the blame. Gregg protests, but Roberts explains that a ship's commander is responsible for everything every-thing on board her even the failure of some other man to do his duty. This is Navy tradition. "You saved me Johnson! You're hurt!" Gregg begins to understand something of what it means to be a real Navy man. That night a terrific storm breaks loose. To make up for the time lost through Gregg's mistake at the guns, Roberts orders that the "Warren to proceed full steam ahead. Gregg protests that the ship can't stand up under the strain of great speed through heavy, storm-tossed seas; but Roberts is adamant. He assigns Gregg as navigator with Johnson as his assistant. assist-ant. A pounding waye all but washes Gregg overboard. Johnson saves his life but sustains a serious head injury in doing so. Gregg is beside be-side himself, he now realizes how much was involved in his bungling at the guns and feels - personally responsible for the accident to Tohnson. Robeits grimly hopes the lesson is well learned. Read tomorrow's chapter. 4P ;jU h? a f a wsi !-' '- 4 j HIIBIISIlei I w , 1 "He's delirious, sir " In saving Masterman (Robert Taylor), old Johnson (Walter Brennan) suffers a brain concussion with slight chance of recovery if the "Warren" continues at top speed through the storm. Roberts (Brian Donlevy) is distraught dis-traught at this news, but duty demands that the ship proceed to the convoy. Gregg, determined deter-mined that Johnson shall have his chance for life, orders the engines slowed down, insisting that the Navy owes something to the old man who has spent his entire life in service. .Roberts .Rob-erts explains that he has no choice as between Johnson's recovery and the lives of the men and women on the convoy toward which they are speeding. Some day Gregg will be a commanding com-manding officer and he, too, will have to show the courage and wisdom to make such decisions deci-sions despite his natural inclinations. Copyright 1042. Loew's. Inc. "Keep her at full speed." Masterman knows Roberts is right but he rebels against this inhuman decision. By morning morn-ing the storm passes. The "Warren" has weathered the fury of sea and rain with flying colors. Roberts is proud of his ship and his men, but Gregg repeats that the one man who should be on hand to celebrate, Johnson who has given twenty-six years of his life to the "Warren," lies below at death's door. Again, Roberts explains the difficulties of choice between be-tween sentiment and duty. Their discussion is interrupted by the news that a life-boat has been spotted. Masterman's first impulse is to rush to its aid but Roberts orders all hands to wait until he is sure that the boat is not a decoy for a Japanese ship. "The babies are your job." Again, Masterman is forced to concede the correctness of Roberts' action. The mbment the latter is satisfied that the life-boat is bona-fide, bona-fide, he rushes men to its rescue. The boat contains two sailors and two women almost dead from exposure ; but protected by the tarpaulin tar-paulin and little the worse for wear are its other passengers twenty-four babies. The boat-load represents the sole survivors of a torpedoed ship. Since ihere are no Navy rules covering women and babies on a destroyer, Roberts is thrown for a loss but only momentarily. mo-mentarily. With the utmost urbanity he assigns as-signs them to Gregg's care, under the ruling that a ship's Executive Officer is the man to take over in cases of emergency. And Gregg meets the challenge. '"Each of you choose three." He immediately assigns the eight married men on board to stand watch over the children. One of the women, Mary Collins (Marta Linden), Lin-den), wife of a naval aviator is able to offer , a little help. The other woman is desperately ' ill. Gregg soon learns why the ship's pharmacist phar-macist announces that the birth of her baby is imminent, and that he's completely unequal to the job. Gregg learns that the ship's carpenter (Chill Wills) once officiated in such an emergency. emer-gency. He assigns him the job. Not too long afterwards Gregg has a report for Roberts : It's a boy, and its mother is naming it Warrer in honor of the ship. Roberts, tongue in cheek, commends Gregg for his handling of the emer-' emer-' gency. Read tomorrow's chapter. |