Down Periscope 1996

Lieutenant Commander Thomas DodgeKelsey Grammerserves as the executive officer of the Los Angeles-class submarine USS Orlandounder its commanding officer Captain Knox. He is up for a third chance at earning a captain’s stripebut his past behavior—an infamous “brushing” incident with a Russian missile submarine near Murmansk and a boozytattooed reminder reading “Welcome Aboard”—has kept him from full promotion. If he’s passed over againhe could be dismissed from the Navy’s submarine command program.

Rear Admiral Yancy Graham harbors a deep dislike for Dodge and is determined to thwart his career trajectory. By contrastDean Winslowthe Commander of Submarine Force Atlanticsees a bigger test for the Navy in the war game Winslow designs. He orders Dodge to bring a rusty World War II-era diesel submarineUSS Stingrayback into service and to use it to stage an “invasion” of Charleston Harbor. The plan is to prove that diesel submarines can still function in a modern eraand to sink a dummy warship in Norfolk Harbor with two live torpedoes if the mission succeeds. Winslow even offers Dodge a tempting wager: complete the challengeand Dodge will be given command of a nuclear submarinethe kind of assignment he’s dreamed of.

Graham assembles a challenging crew for Stingraya lineup that seems almost fit for disaster. Lieutenant Martin G. Pascal is chosen as the executive officerand the crew includes a civilian naval contractora chief engineerand specialists such as Engineman Brad StepanakSeaman 2nd Class E.T. ‘Sonar’ LovacelliSeaman Stanley ‘Spots’ Sylvestersonand Seaman Buckman. Also aboard is a female surface-qualified officerLieutenant Emily Lakebrought in to test whether women can thrive aboard a submarine. The roster even features sailors with nicknames and distinctive rolesall designed to push the Stingray crew to its limits.

To gain access to Charleston Harborthe Stingray crew improvises a clever disguise: they masquerade as a fishing trawlerusing signal flares to blend with the civilian traffic and avoid immediate detection. The mission hinges on timingstealthand a willingness to push the boundaries of conventional rules. Dodge and his crew face a tense clash with Pascalwho bristles at being bypassed and tries to contend for control of the operation. The tension inside Stingray culminates in a dramatic moment on deckwhere DodgePascal and the crew enact a dramatic “plank” sequence to discipline the mutinous officerobserved by Lake who stands by as a witness to the crew’s mood and decisions.

As Stingray makes a second attempt at NorfolkDodge’s gambit takes a dangerous turn. Grahamdetermined to stop Dodgesteps ashore from the Orlando to override the missionbut Dodge carries out a bold maneuver: he threads Stingray between the propellers of a passing supertanker to slip past sonar screens and the protective escort. The chase intensifies as the Orlando closes inand Dodge finally accomplishes the objective—opening fire with two live torpedoes from a distance of about 900 yards (820 meters) onto a target ship anchored in Norfolk Harborthereby winning the war game.

Back in portWinslow’s verdict lands hard on Graham. The admiral is chastised for attempting to sabotage Dodgeand his promotion is denied. In a sweeping gesture of rewardWinslow commends Dodge for the victory and confirms that Dodge will now command a new Seawolf-class submarinealong with a fully capable crew to occupy her. Dodge requests that his Stingray crew be transferred with himand Winslow confirms that Stepanak is his sonalbeit with a different surnamesealing Dodge’s rise within the submarine ranks. The ceremony of success gives way to a period of shore leave for the crewsignaling the end of one mission and the beginning of a new chapter in Dodge’s career.