Operation Pacific
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| Operation Pacific | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | George Waggner |
| Produced by | Louis Edelman |
| Written by | George Waggner |
| Starring | John Wayne Patricia Neal Ward Bond Scott Forbes Philip Carey |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Cinematography | Bert Glennon |
| Editing by | Alan Crosland, Jr. |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | January 27, 1951 |
| Running time | 111 min. |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Operation Pacific is a 1951 World War II submarine film starring John Wayne and directed by George Waggner. The technical advisor for this film was Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, the actual Commander, Submarine Forces, Pacific (COMSUBPAC) during World War II.
[edit] Plot
The executive officer aboard USS Thunderfish, Lieutenant Commander Duke Gifford (Wayne), assumes command of the boat when the skipper (Ward Bond) is killed. A scene where the crew solves a complex torpedo performance-design problem is based on fact, as are many others. The scene where Commander Perry (Bond) is killed in a surface action is a combination of two incidents involving Commander Howard W. Gilmore, captain of USS Growler. Mortally wounded on the bridge, Gilmore gave the order "Take her down", sacrificing himself to save his ship and crew, for which he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The ramming/sinking of the armed freighter depicted in the scene occurred on an earlier patrol prior to Gilmore's death.
