[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]