Original subtitles

This is 1968.

That's you with this angel shark in the background.

My father was the skipper.

I was four years old. I worshipped my father.

I didn't want him to go.

Maybe I had some kind of premonition.

The angel shark never came home.

That was 34 years ago, and the Navy still hasn't told us what happened. I

that's unconscionable.

129 men on that boat, and they all had families.

We want to know.

The time's come.

As a member of Congress, you do understand that what you want is

information. Let me tell you something, Edward.

My mother died never knowing what happened to my father.

That's not going to be me.

I'll see what I can do, Lillian. I'm not asking for a favor.

You wanted something. I was able to help you get it.

Now that you're Secretary of the Navy, I expect you to do the same for me.

USS Angel Shark, SSGN 559.

Missing at sea in the Pacific, December 21st, 1968, the official court of

inquiry found she went down due to unknown mechanical problems.

Beyond that, what the Navy knows is classified.

Our new SEC NEV wants the classification lifted. He wants closure for the

families. Sounds like it's about time, sir.

I happen to agree.

Unfortunately, the Angel Shark was on a CIA mission.

The CIA is the original classifying authority, and only the OCA can

The CIA has refused.

On general principle, sir, or is there a reason?

No doubt there is. Unfortunately, that's classified as well.

I'd like to have one thing done quietly.

I've been authorized to convene a second court of inquiry into the loss of the

Angel Shark.

You three are appointed as counsel to the court to investigate, prepare

witnesses, present evidence with the objective of persuading the court to

recommend declassification.

CIA intends to oppose.

They put their top counsel, named Catherine Gale, seen her in action. She

not like to lose. Do not underestimate this woman.

Good morning. I'm Catherine Gale. You must be Colonel McKenzie.

Very nice to meet you. Commander Turner, it's a pleasure.

Thank you.

And Commander Rapp, I've heard a lot about you.

As a fighter pilot as well as a lawyer, you were quite a hero in the Kabir

incident. Well, I'm not sure if the Director of Central Intelligence would

agree. No, he does.

He does.

Just unfortunate there had to be a boundary dispute between the Navy and

over it.

Are you saying there's no hard feelings?

Wouldn't it be nice if it were that simple?

If the Navy insists on convening a court of inquiry, these proceedings will have

top -secret Level 1 protection.

Inasmuch as the Angel Shark mission was in fact classified top -secret Level 2,

that means that information and materials, which in accordance with

Order 12356, as well as Optivant 5510 .1 and DoD Directive

12043, require Level 2 protection, may not be presented in Level 1 proceedings.

Clear?

Oh, yeah, I think I get it.

We can't tell the court why it needs to be declassified because the reason it's

classified is classified.

You've got it.

Sign these, please.

Each of you has been granted interim SCI clearance, which means that you are

responsible for maintaining protected information in the interest of national

security.

What have you got for me?

Home movies.

Shot by the skipper's wife the day he left for his last appointment.

Sad.

There were 129 men on that boat.

All volunteer.

Most of them barely into their 20s.

About to spend three months under the surface.

Out of touch with their families.

On a mission so secret.

All but a few of them didn't even know what it was.

Keeper of the boat, take her down. Make your depth 150 feet.

Aye, aye, sir.

Depth 150 feet.

Chief of the watch on the 1MC.

Dive, dive.

Says here 43 were married, 16 had young children.

All of them had mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers.

Waiting for them to come home.

And they're still waiting.

May I speak frankly?

Please. I know you're doing this for the families of men who gave their lives

for their country.

But those men all signed oaths of confidentiality. I can get you copies if

like.

I'd hate to see the Navy and the CIA get into another ugly fight over this.

We should really try to make it go away.

What do you suggest?

Drop the court of inquiry.

Don't put us in a corner and we won't have to defend our turf.

Here's an idea.

Since we're a derivative class of fires, tell us why the CIA wants it kept

secret. Maybe we can come to a compromise, make everybody happy.

I can't do that.

Sorry. Why not?

You don't know why, do you?

I don't need to know.

You sure about that, Counselor? How do you know you're doing the right thing?

If I'm doing my job right, I'm doing the right thing.

Get me copies and send me the witness list as soon as you can.

I want to accompany you on any preliminary interviews.

You're kidding.

Lieutenant Singer is still sick.

I'm telling you, sir, she picked up some kind of virus before she left the

States.

I'm serious.

I keep telling her she should go to sick call, but she won't do it. She's very

stubborn.

Sounds like Singer.

Hi, Steve, me.

Gotta go. See ya.

I'm in here.

Hey. Are you online with Coates again, gossiping about Singer?

Oh, yeah.

Lieutenant's having a hard time of it.

Why doesn't that surprise me?

Wish I had time for a pen pal.

You need anything?

Yeah.

Come here.

Sit down.

Sweetie, I'm in a hurry. I gotta be back by two o 'clock.

Are you hungry?

Starving. Great. I'll make you a sandwich before I go.

Hey, Harriet.

Hey.

Are you mad at me?

No. Should I be?

No.

I was just thinking maybe I should IM you once in a while.

You okay?

Thanks, Viv.

I was just talking

about you today.

Really? You hear about the angel shark, right?

Because we nailed Kabir together, now you can just tap me anytime there's a

problem. Look, Clay. I got a message for you.

The DCI is not going to declassify a top -secret Level 2 compartment -in

-operation just because the CETNAB wants them to.

Compartment -in -operation? So it wasn't black -off? Of course it was.

Submarines were the most important espionage tool we had in the Cold War.

Everything was a secret. Well, Cold War's over. Clay, why keep it up? I

a clue.

Angel Shark was a special project sub. If I had to guess, I'd say she was a

boomer modified to tap underwater telephone cables.

Something went wrong with the mission. What, why, or where? I don't know. Yeah,

but you could find out.

I've been very specifically instructed to stay out of this case and to stay

from you.

By the DCI, personally.

What's he got to hide?

I like my job, Rab.

I'm not going to be your guy on this one.

Leave me out of it.

Where did the first code of inquiry say the angel shark was deployed?

Deep ocean.

Pacific. Uh -uh.

Uh -uh.

If she was cable tapping, it was either in the Sea of Okhotsk or in the Barents.

The thing is, how she left out of San Diego, I'd say it was the Okhotsk.

Well, what's the big deal? Isn't this all out in the open now?

Well, uh, more or less.

The Russians found a tap we had in the Barents Sea in the 80s. They put it on

display in Moscow, property of the United States government stamped all

Granted. CIA had good reason to keep it secret then. Now they don't.

If there's another reason... What?

There was a rumor about the spec op boat. I didn't believe it, but... The

stories were they carried self -destruct charges.

What they were doing was so secret, they had orders to scuttle if they got

caught.

Scuttle a submarine.

Take her to the bottom.

With everyone on board.

We're ready to go.

You guys go on. I'll be right there.

How long is it going to take us to get there, you figure?

20, 25 minutes.

Morning, ma 'am, sir.

This is for you from Bud. It's everything you can find on the Internet

angel shark. Great.

Did we ask for this?

I did, unofficially. Anything that keeps me off the Internet is a good thing.

Here he is.

Morning, sir. Hey, how's Bud? Really good. He's making real progress with his

prosthesis, sir. How are you doing?

I'm okay. I'm just really tired.

The minute I put A .J. down, I fall right to sleep, and then Bud has

so he stays up all night.

We have to go.

Tell Bud thanks.

Yes, ma 'am.

I'll see you later. Thank you, sir.

Hey, are we sure we aren't getting Bud's hopes up too high?

We don't know when or if he's coming back to work.

Feeling useful helps with rehab.

Besides, I made Bud promise no conspiracy theories.

Admiral, as counsel for the CIA, I'm here to represent you in your former

capacity as Commander, Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet.

Am I allowed to answer questions?

Have they been cleared?

They've received interim clearance, Admiral. They know there's a difference

between what they might hear and what they can say.

Where was the Angel Shark deployed, Admiral?

Angel Shark was deployed to the Sea of Okhots.

On a cable -tapping mission, sir? Yes.

The mission had come down from the top.

It had Brickback 01 authority.

The president had to approve it. It was that sensitive.

If something went wrong, if the Russians had found our subs in their water

listening to their telephone conversations, it could have started

But something did go wrong, didn't it, sir?

Obviously.

Would you be willing to testify at a court of inquiry, Admiral? I want to

stress, sir, you're under no obligation to appear.

You want my testimony?

You shall have it. It goes like this.

Angel Shark's last deployment was top secret level two compartment admission.

Period.

That okay?

Sounds fine, Admiral.

We through?

One last question, sir.

Did the Angel Shark have a self -destruct mechanism on board?

I have heard that rumor.

There were no self -destruct mechanisms aboard special ops boats.

You really think that the Navy would sacrifice its men and send its nukes to

bottom of the ocean to protect its secrets?

Nice car.

Lawyer for spooks has his advantages.

Flood must have been up all night.

He printed this out at 4 a .m. He says he checked every website that mentioned

the Angel Shark and came up with nothing except maybe this one cross -reference

about a CIA agent who committed suicide in 1968, two days after the Angel Shark

went missing.

A double agent?

What would have happened if the Angel Shark's mission had been compromised?

The Soviets would have been lying in wait for her.

Probably with a Victor -class hunter -killer.

Skipper? We've got company, sir. I'm picking up faint screw noises.

Surface vessel.

No, sir. It's a sub.

Bearing 197 degrees, sir. All stop.

All stop.

Aye, sir.

Range?

He's closer, within 1 ,500 yards.

Left full rudder. Come to course zero, nine, zero. All ahead, one -third. Aye,

sir.

Left full rudder. Come to course zero, nine, zero.

All ahead, one -third.

Aye, sir.

Sneak us out of here, Cobb.

Nice and quiet.

He's going active, sir.

All ahead flank.

Aye, aye, sir. All ahead flank.

And the captain would have had no choice. He'd have tried to get out of

He could.

Yeah, what if he couldn't? What about the other sub?

Angel's truck was much slower than a fast attack.

Victor would catch her.

And sink her?

Might have.

Would the Navy have kept it a secret?

The CIA definitely would have.

The Admiral denied it, didn't he? Yes.

Convincingly? You could say he laughed it off.

Then why worry about it?

I don't like working in the dark like this. You better get used to it. It's

CIA. And you don't have to whisper.

We don't bug ourselves.

What can you tell me about Commander Rav?

What you see is what you get.

He doesn't give up.

Is there any way to rattle him, throw him off a game?

No.

What about Colonel McKenzie or Commander Turner? Catherine, I've been ordered to

stay out of this. That's what I intend to do. Okay. Sorry.

Any suggestions?

No. Keep up the good work.

Admiral, you were chief of naval operations when the Angel Shark was lost

68th. Is it possible the Soviet submarine sunk her while she was

Sea of Al -Quds?

I don't believe that's possible.

Why not, sir?

If the angel shark had engaged with a Soviet warship and been sunk by him, the

Soviets would have had to assume a hostile response from us.

They would have prepared for it.

There would have been indications and warnings.

There were not any.

Why do you think she went down, sir?

Admiral, if they're asking you to speculate, there's no reason to go

I have no opinion.

Is that because you know, Admiral?

Sir, if her mission was so sensitive that they could have started a nuclear

what were her orders if she were found out?

Her orders were to get the hell out of there.

What did you do once you knew the Angel Shark had been lost, Admiral?

We went looking for her and we found her.

You found the Angel Shark, sir?

She floated a radio buoy just before, well, just before the end.

Admiral, I have to caution you. You signed a non -disclosure agreement,

have a copy of. As you were, Miss Gale, I know what I signed.

The recovery was also led by the CIA, and I won't say anything more about it.

Thank you, Admiral.

This interview is concluded.

None of this can be presented before the court.

The SecNav called twice today to see how things are going, so what do you have

that can be presented before the court?

A spy sub that was somewhere she wasn't supposed to be.

No mission records and no survivors, no physical evidence, and no one in the

chain of command who can talk about it.

That's not very encouraging.

No, sir.

Any bright ideas?

Yes, sir.

We request permission to issue a subpoena for documents.

See how the CIA feels about defying a court order.

Be taking it public, press gets a hold of it, we lose, that man's not going to

be happy.

I feel it's worth the risk, sir.

You all agree?

Yes, sir. Yes, sir.

Permission granted.

Somehow I feel this isn't going to be a pleasant surprise.

Oh, you're very intuitive, Miss Gale.

He'll wait here.

How's the socket feel?

I could do this all day long.

Oh, well.

Been doing it for five minutes.

That should be long enough.

Why?

That's why.

Thanks.

Just when I thought I was getting the hang of it.

Let's take a break.

I'll make you a deal.

We can take a break if you let me take this home.

Absolutely not.

Oh, come on, Lieutenant. You know that I'm ready.

I know that you've overdone it already.

You need to set easy goals.

Everything takes time.

Yes, Mother.

I am serious.

You have a handful of shrapnel in your other leg, and you don't want to

overstress it.

Unless you're saying that my good leg isn't my good leg.

I'm just saying you can't climb Mount Everest in a day.

Take it one step at a time.

One step at a time.

We're complying with the request for documents.

Really? Really.

What are you doing?

There aren't any.

Why? What were they, lost?

Destroyed? Their top secret level two classified.

Since when? Five minutes ago?

i want a list of every piece of evidence and every document you're not producing

you'll have it in court

I thought you had orders to stay away from me.

Oh, that was before you went into open court to get that subpoena.

Now my boss is afraid you'll go running to the press.

Not a bad idea.

Might get the attention of the president.

You may wonder why the CIA has nothing better to do than to keep a secret

34 years old. Don't do it, Rab.

Either way it turns out, you lose.

This isn't about me, Clay.

And it's not about need to know either.

It's about real people with a hole in their lives that can't be filled with

anything other than the truth.

They need to know, because if they don't, it'll keep eating away at them.

need to know that they're not going to wake up in the middle of the night,

night for the rest of their lives, wondering what happened to the people

loved.

Some people give up that right to know.

Maybe not voluntarily.

Maybe it's taken away from them.

But it's gone, nonetheless.

That's the way it is for the families of the stars on this wall.

Yeah. Well, at least they have a star.

We're the stars for the crew of the Angel Shark.

Gentlemen, you have before you the findings of the original court of

which was held in 1969.

We intend to present testimony which will show that these findings were based

information which placed the Angel Shark in the Western Pacific when, in fact,

she was deployed in the Sea of Okhotsk.

We know why the cover story was issued at the time, in the interest of national

security. But that time has long passed, and what we do not know is why the

truth still remains hidden today.

Why there is a five -page list of evidence which still cannot be

years after the Angel Shark was lost.

Why the families of 129 brave men who gave their lives in the service of their

country are being kept in the dark about what happened to their loved ones.

I was the commander of the submarine force, U .S. Pacific Fleet, from 1967

retirement in 1970.

What can you tell us of the last deployment of the USS Angelshark?

Very little.

Is that because it was on a CIA espionage mission? Details of which you

need to know.

That is correct.

Sir, how did you feel when you learned the Angelshark had been lost?

I knew most of the men aboard that boat.

Joe Durning was my last XO before I was kicked upstairs.

They were my boys.

How do you think I felt?

Admiral, do you know of any reason why the fate of the USS Angel Shark and the

129 men in her crew should be kept secret from the families of those men 34

years after the fact?

No.

Thank you.

Nothing further.

Admiral, isn't secrecy an integral part of submarine warfare?

Yes. Because the great advantage of a submarine is surprise.

That is one advantage, yes.

And isn't the purpose of secrecy to protect your ability to surprise the

Well, that seems to be self -evident, doesn't it?

Yes, sir.

I believe it is self -evident.

And because the actual nature of the Angel Shark mission was in fact kept

even from you, there's no way you can know whether or not there's a reason for

it to remain a secret.

Is there?

No, Miss Gale, there isn't.

Thank you, Admiral.

And as chief of naval operations in 1969, were you responsible for recovery

the USS Angel Shark?

It was a joint Navy -CIA operation. My responsibility was to the Navy.

Can you tell us if you found her, sir? No.

Why not, sir?

The clearance level of this court is not high enough.

Top secret level one clearance isn't high enough, sir? No. The Angel Shark

mission and any recovery was and still is level two.

Do you know why that is, Admiral?

I do.

But you can't tell us that either, can you, sir? No.

One last question, Admiral.

Why did you agree to come here today when you knew that there would be so

questions that you wouldn't be able to answer?

Every year I hear from the families of the men who were lost, wondering,

Every year they're disappointed.

I'd like to see that end.

Thank you, sir.

Nothing further.

Ms. Gale?

No questions for this witness, sir.

Thank you, Admiral.

Next witness.

We called Norman Watts, director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Sir, we object to this.

Why?

Lack of relevance, sir. The DCI is no more free to testify to Level 2

matters than the previous witness.

We feel that the Judge Advocate General is attempting to play on sentiment in

the absence of evidence.

Point is taken and noted, Ms. Gale.

However, in light of complicated and inflexible regulations governing levels

classification, I think this court would like to hear from Director Watts.

Director Watts, do you have the authority to declassify information

to the disappearance of the USS Angel Shark in 1968 and any subsequent

operations undertaken since then?

Yes. Does anyone else have this authority?

No. Not Congress or the president?

Only the original classifying authority can to classify.

If Congress or the president had a need to know, then, of course, that

information would be made available to them.

Then you, sir, are in a position to keep secrets from the president of the

United States.

Theoretically, technically, yes.

Practically speaking, of course not.

So clearance level, top secret, whatever, isn't the determining factor.

It's need to know, period.

In the final analysis, yes.

And who decides who needs to know, sir? Is that the original classifying

authority again?

That's right.

Under what circumstances would you as OCA be prepared to declassify what

happened to the Angel's Shark?

I can't answer that, sir.

Because this court doesn't need to know?

As I understand this court of inquiry, the issues here are humanitarian.

I sympathize.

I'm sure everyone in this room does.

but national secrets are secret for a reason if we can't keep our secrets

especially in time of war and after 9 -11 then how can we expect our friends

allies to trust us

All right, dinner in 20 minutes.

I told you, I'll cook.

Mac, we're likely going to lose in court tomorrow. Tonight I want to feel like I

accomplished something.

Getting me to cook isn't an accomplishment.

Getting you to sit down is an accomplishment. I'll cook.

All right.

When did you get a TV?

TV?

Yeah. When did you break down and get one?

This isn't mine. Somebody put this TV here, Meg.

Somebody broke into your home and left you a television?

Well, they would have had to if they want me to watch this tape.

There's one civilian present.

Do you recognize him?

It's DCI Watts.

Your boss was the CIA agent in charge of the Angel Shark mission.

Maybe now you'll ask him why he refuses to declassify it. How did you get this?

That, Ms. Gale, you do not need to know.

What do you intend to do with it? Present it to the court of inquiry.

They'll refuse to see it. No, they won't. It's new and compelling evidence.

And it's not on your list.

I didn't know it existed.

Secrets within secrets.

Look, we think we know what happened.

There was a traitor in the CIA on your boss's watch.

The Angel Sharks mission was compromised. A Soviet submarine was

when she got to the Sea of Okhotsk.

But she wasn't torpedoed. And there were no self -destruct mechanisms. You've

already established that.

We think a collision.

It happened often enough during the Cold War, and when it did, the both sides

kept it secret. But not for 34 years.

Let me talk to the DCI.

Maybe we can work something out.

I have a suggestion.

Tell the DCI he can keep some of it secret.

Just let the families know what happened to the angel shark and let them see

this tape.

I'll get back to you.

I'm up here.

What are you doing?

What does it look like?

I'm in our bed for the first time.

Mommy. It's okay, sweetie. Go back to sleep here.

No, no, no, no.

Not here.

He has his own bed.

I know, but he's been sleeping with me since... Now is the time for him to

in his own room.

I'll be right back.

I'm not going anywhere.

This is great. It's got a great view. The fireplace is wonderful.

What were you thinking?

Why are you so mad?

How about you could have killed yourself?

Is it that or is it something else, Harriet?

What do you mean?

I'm in bed.

You're here.

Why don't you go over and close the door?

Does the idea repulse you?

No. Of course not.

Because if it does, I understand.

I mean, it's probably normal.

No.

It just took me by surprise. That's all. I mean, I have thought of it. Harriet,

it's okay. It's okay. You're just not ready.

No, I am.

I mean, I want to.

I'm just... So am I.

I'm not a freak.

I just lost a little weight, finally.

You are awful.

I'm not awful.

I understand a compromise has been reached.

Yes, sir.

The original classifying authority has agreed to a partial declassification of

materials pertaining to the loss of the USS Angelshark in the interest of

closure for the families of the men who lost their lives on her final mission.

And this is satisfactory to the Navy?

It is, sir.

Ms. Gale, does the OTA concur?

We do, sir.

Please tell the court, for the record, what the families are now entitled to

know.

Sir, on December 21st, 1968, USS Angel Shark SSGN

-559 collided with a Soviet Victor -class fast -attack submarine in the Sea

Okhotsk.

Bearing 165 degrees, range 900 yards and closing.

Sir, he said full power, making so much noise, cavitating, I don't think he

knows exactly where we are.

Ping him.

Going active. Aye.

No change in target bearing range. 800 yards and closing.

What's his depth?

I can't tell, sir. Above us or below us? I can't tell, sir. He's coming in too

loud and too fast.

Give me a guess.

Go down, sir. Down. He's right on top of us. 20 degrees down angle on the bow.

20 degree down bubble. Aye, sir.

He's going to hit us, sir. Sound the collision alarm.

Ring the ship for impact.

Damage report.

Sir, we have a problem.

Third planes are jammed to full dive position and the fair water planes

responding. Just get the hell out of here, Helm.

We'll worry about the planes later.

Damage from the collision made it impossible to control the ship's depth.

In other words, to go forward, the submarine also had to go down, and at

point, she would reach crush depth.

Passing 1 ,000 feet.

Where is he, Sonar? He circled back to her, bearing 2, 6, 0, and slowing.

Now he knows where we are.

What's her speed?

15 knots and climbing, sir. Steady as you go.

What the hell was he doing there?

I didn't know we were coming.

Passing 1 ,200 feet.

Captain, passing 1 ,300 feet.

Passing 1 ,400 feet, sir.

All stop.

Aye, sir.

All stop.

All stop, aye.

Equalize the balance tanks.

Neutral buoyancy.

Neutral buoyancy, aye, sir.

Equalize ballast tanks.

Tanks drift.

Mr. Boyce, the ice.

Sonar. He's right about that, sir.

His depth is 800 feet. He's hovering.

He's waiting for us to give up.

Are we going to give up, Skipper?

Hell no.

We'll wait him out.

Commander Darning was left with only one choice.

To hover at 1 ,400 feet, perilously close to crush depth.

and wait for the Soviet victor to give up the chase.

In that event, they plan to deploy the radio buoy, make an emergency

transmission, giving their location, then a wait rescue.

But before that could happen, the ship's pressure hull, also damaged by the

collision, ruptured.

Sir, we have flooding in the foreign compartment.

All back emergency!

Blow the ballast tank! Aye, sir, all back emergency! Blow the tank!

Deploy the buoy, Cobb.

Deploy the buoy.

Start emergency transmission and keep it going.

I don't know what's happened.

The recovery effort was immediate.

The cable -tapping equipment had to be secured, and it was.

Your father saw to that.

Thank you, Edward.

It is no small comfort.

There's more, Lillian.

They didn't just bring up the equipment.

They brought up bodies, too.

And they gave them a military funeral and burial at sea with full honors.

They couldn't reveal it at the time. It had to be kept secret.

But it was filmed by the CIA.

And it's all on here.

I hear your boss gave you a new son.

He was not happy.

Somewhere in South America?

Anywhere I know?

Deputy Chief of Station.

Paramaribo.

Where's that?

Suriname.

Just 200 miles from Devil's Island.

Ouch.

Well, it could have been worse.

It could have been Canada.

This is better than stars on a wall.