The WW2 Submarine America Didn't Dare to Retire

USS Sea Devil, a Balao-class submarine, cuts through the rough waters of the Yellow Sea in April 1945. Her battle-scarred hull and seasoned crew bear witness to two years of intense combat in the Pacific. With over 50,000 tons of enemy shipping sent to the ocean floor, Sea Devil's victorious streak seems unstoppable.

Suddenly, the radar pings, revealing three armed trawlers on the horizon. In a bold, unorthodox move, the captain orders the submarine to surface.
The ocean's stillness shatters as Sea Devil's deck guns roar to life. The five-inch gun finds its mark, sending one trawler to the depths in a violent explosion. The 20-millimeter gun joins the fray, raking the second vessel and quickly turning it into a burning hulk on the sea's surface.

But Sea Devil's luck falters. The third trawler breaks formation, charging straight for the submarine. As if sensing the shift in fortune, the 40-millimeter gun jams. Worse still, new radar contacts appear on the horizon.

Sea Devil's crew scrambles to dive as the enemy closes in. The submarine plunges deeper, steel groaning under the increasing pressure. At 500 feet, depth charges begin to explode around them, each blast sending shudders through the hull. In the cramped confines of the control room, faces tighten with each concussion.

Gauges quiver, lights flicker, and sweat beads on furrowed brows as the crew waits in tense silence. The Sea Devil's unbroken chain of victories teeters on the edge of a watery grave...