Down Periscope 1996

Lieutenant Commander Thomas Dodge, Kelsey Grammer, serves as the executive officer of the Los Angeles-class submarine USS Orlando, under its commanding officer Captain Knox. He is up for a third chance at earning a captain’s stripe, but his past behavior—an infamous “brushing” incident with a Russian missile submarine near Murmansk and a boozy, tattooed reminder reading “Welcome Aboard”—has kept him from full promotion. If he’s passed over again, he 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 contrast, Dean Winslow, the Commander of Submarine Force Atlantic, sees a bigger test for the Navy in the war game Winslow designs. He orders Dodge to bring a rusty World War II-era diesel submarine, USS Stingray, back 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 era, and 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 challenge, and Dodge will be given command of a nuclear submarine, the kind of assignment he’s dreamed of.

Graham assembles a challenging crew for Stingray, a lineup that seems almost fit for disaster. Lieutenant Martin G. Pascal is chosen as the executive officer, and the crew includes a civilian naval contractor, a chief engineer, and specialists such as Engineman Brad Stepanak, Seaman 2nd Class E.T. ‘Sonar’ Lovacelli, Seaman Stanley ‘Spots’ Sylvesterson, and Seaman Buckman. Also aboard is a female surface-qualified officer, Lieutenant Emily Lake, brought in to test whether women can thrive aboard a submarine. The roster even features sailors with nicknames and distinctive roles, all designed to push the Stingray crew to its limits.

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

As Stingray makes a second attempt at Norfolk, Dodge’s gambit takes a dangerous turn. Graham, determined to stop Dodge, steps ashore from the Orlando to override the mission, but 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 in, and 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 Harbor, thereby winning the war game.

Back in port, Winslow’s verdict lands hard on Graham. The admiral is chastised for attempting to sabotage Dodge, and his promotion is denied. In a sweeping gesture of reward, Winslow commends Dodge for the victory and confirms that Dodge will now command a new Seawolf-class submarine, along with a fully capable crew to occupy her. Dodge requests that his Stingray crew be transferred with him, and Winslow confirms that Stepanak is his son, albeit with a different surname, sealing Dodge’s rise within the submarine ranks. The ceremony of success gives way to a period of shore leave for the crew, signaling the end of one mission and the beginning of a new chapter in Dodge’s career.