Submarine Raider

A Japanese aircraft carrier is en route to Hawaii and sinks a civilian yacht, triggering the chain of wartime signals. Survivors are left adrift as the threat of a broader attack grows closer. This violent opening sets the film’s tension against the looming Pearl Harbor confrontation.

An American submarine picks up the distress signal from the sinking yacht and moves to reach the survivors. It faces the danger of Japanese forces and the fog of war as it closes in. The stakes rise as rescue becomes a mission with uncertain odds.

Three crew escapees reach a lifeboat but are fired upon by a Japanese Zero. Only one female survivor remains afloat, fighting to stay alive amid the chaos. The moment crystallizes the cost of war for the few.

The female survivor is rescued by the U.S. submarine, but the carrier’s position cannot be shared because signals are jammed by the Japanese. Intercepted messages reveal that someone has survived, heightening the cat-and-mouse game. The submarine crew must cope with isolation and mounting tension.

The submarine surfaces and detects a Japanese plane approaching. They manage to shoot down the pilot and execute a crash dive as bombs rain down and their radio transmitter is damaged. The pilot crashes into the ocean, cutting one more line to the outside world.

Attempting to warn Pearl Harbor about an imminent attack, the submarine fails to establish contact due to interference and distance. The warning never reaches the base, prolonging the island’s vulnerability. The crew steels themselves for what may come next.

The Japanese carrier presses on toward Hawaii and declines to rescue the stranded pilot. This choice underscores a dangerous prioritization and sets up a potential confrontation. The decision marks a grim divergence between survival and duty.

An American naval officer, brother to the submarine captain, returns to Pearl Harbor with his date. He is shot at, but the shot misses, and he chases the car that fired it as the culprits escape. He senses that Pearl Harbor’s safety may hinge on the coming attack.

At a dance club, the officer leaves a message for his brother to contact him upon arrival at Pearl Harbor. The scene hints at many Japanese spies on the island, and the officer is knocked out by one of them. He awakens early on December 7, 1941, with the looming threat of a surprise strike.

Local news reports Pearl Harbor being attacked by Japanese planes. The captain learns his brother Bill has been killed in a taxi, along with the driver, heightening the personal cost of the war. The mood is grim as the island braces for more turmoil.

The submarine captain sees a chance for revenge by baiting the carrier with a decoy rescue request. He has a crew member who speaks Japanese deliver the message and hints that he holds crucial information about enemy ships and the sub’s true position. The carrier closes in on the bait as the trap tightens.

The sub releases a marker buoy without a cable, which the carrier spots and responds with depth charges, exposing its position. The submarine sinks the carrier in a final, decisive strike. The captain's closing line, remember Pearl Harbor, seals the film's motive for vengeance.