Submarine Rescues Stranded Aviator | WW2 Hell Under the Sea

[music playing]

NARRATOR: September, 1944, south-east of Japan, USS Finback steams toward the crash site of an American plane. 10 miles away, a young pilot drifts towards the shores of a Japanese island from which enemy ships set out towards him. [music playing] The situation appears hopeless. [music playing] Until two American planes from his squadron appear overhead. [music playing] [shooting] The Avenger aircraft strafed the Japanese vessels. [shooting] And they retreat to the protection of the shore. But now low on fuel, the American planes must return to their carrier. [music playing] The Aviator is vulnerable and alone again. [music playing] To the south, USS Finback approaches the coordinates of the downed airmen, guided in by its air cover. [music playing]

LOOKOUT: Life raft, off the starboard bow.

NARRATOR: At last, a lookout spots a bright yellow object in the vast Pacific. [music playing] From the life raft after more than three hours of fear and struggle, the 20-year-old pilot believes he has started to hallucinate as he sees what he describes as an apparition. First a dark spot, then a submarine emerges. He worries that might be Japanese. [music playing] But he identifies the men on board with relief. They are American. [music playing] USS Finback's photographic officer rolls his camera. Five submariners gather at Finback's bow to recover the bobbing life raft. [music playing] Just before noon, more than three hours after the crash, they pulled the young pilot aboard. [music playing] He is safe. [music playing]