Thunder Afloat (1939) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Thorson was court-martialed for disobeying direct orders during his first patrol. Despite being ordered to stay with the fleet, he reasoned that a submarine would shelter in the lee of Nantucket Island and went there alone. He did successfully locate the German submarine, but his disobedience violated naval discipline, resulting in demotion to ordinary seaman and shore duty.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Thorson had already shown his rebellious nature by clashing with Blake over tugboat business practices in their pre-war rivalry.

• court-martial
• insubordination
• disobeying orders
• Nantucket
• submarine patrol

While captive aboard the German submarine, Thorson locked himself in a room and used a wrench to bang repeatedly on the hull. This created a distinctive sound that the listening sub chasers above could detect, revealing the submarine's location on the seabed and allowing Blake's fleet to mount a rescue attack.

Foreshadowing: This act of ingenuity mirrors Thorson's earlier intuitive decision-making, using his practical experience rather than formal naval training.

• signal
• wrench
• hull
• captive
• submarine location
• rescue

The decoy was a civilian fishing schooner fitted with a hidden radio. Its purpose was to pose as a defenseless fishing boat to lure German submarines into approaching, then secretly summon the waiting sub chasers. Thorson was assigned to this dangerous mission after his court-martial as a way to redeem himself.

Foreshadowing: The plan was born from wartime desperation, similar to how Thorson and Susan earlier used a ruse to trick Blake into enlisting.

• decoy ship
• fishing schooner
• hidden radio
• submarine trap
• lure

Susan and Pop Thorson used a ruse to push Blake into enlisting by pretending that Pop was about to enlist first. The tactic was designed to trigger Blake's competitive nature and sense of duty, getting him to join the Navy so that Pop could then secure the valuable government tugboat contract without his rival competing for it.

Foreshadowing: This deception set the stage for the evolving dynamic between the two men, where Blake would eventually rise to rank above Thorson.

• Susan Thorson
• Blake
• trick
• enlist
• Navy
• rivalry
• contract

Thorson ordered the decoy ship to ram the submarine after the German crew discovered the hidden radio. The collision damaged the decoy, and the submarine sank it, taking Thorson aboard as a hostage before diving to the seabed to escape the approaching sub chasers.

Foreshadowing: This desperate action followed the pattern of Thorson taking bold, risky initiatives throughout the film.

• capture
• hostage
• decoy ship
• ramming
• German submarine
• Thorson

Blake recognized that a direct, aggressive strike was the only way to end the standoff. The submarine was damaged but still capable of surfacing and escaping. Waiting would have allowed the submarine to repair and flee, so Blake chose to attack despite the risk to Thorson, understanding that prolonged inaction was more dangerous.

Foreshadowing: This decision showed how Blake had learned to balance Thorson's bold tactics with strategic thinking.

• Blake
• attack
• submarine
• hostage
• rescue
• risk
• decision

Thorson's tugboat sank while docked, and he suspected Blake sabotaged it to win a lucrative government contract for moving military barges. This sabotage suspicion fueled their pre-war rivalry in the New England port town, creating deep mutual distrust between the two tugboat operators.

Foreshadowing: The rivalry continued throughout the film, even as both men served in the Navy.

• sabotage
• tugboat
• sunk
• Blake
• contract
• rivalry
• suspicion

Thorson was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the decoy ship mission. After being taken captive aboard the submarine, he managed to signal his location to the sub chasers by banging on the hull with a wrench. This allowed Blake's fleet to locate and attack the submarine, ultimately rescuing Thorson and damaging the enemy vessel.

Foreshadowing: His instinct and experience, which had caused trouble with naval discipline, proved crucial to the mission's success.

• Medal of Honor
• award
• heroism
• signal
• submarine
• rescue
• wartime

Thorson reasoned that any submarine would avoid a violent storm and would shelter in the lee of Nantucket Island. His instinct told him this was the most likely hiding spot, so he deliberately disobeyed orders to investigate. His gamble paid off, he did locate the German submarine there, though the enemy escaped by releasing oil and sinking a lightship.

Foreshadowing: This demonstrated Thorson's intuitive, experience-based approach to warfare, contrasting with Blake's by-the-book methodology.

• Nantucket
• storm
• submarine
• disobey orders
• intuition
• patrol

Susan adored her father but also cared for Blake, which put her in a difficult position. She tried to maintain peace between the two men while balancing her loyalty to her father with her affection for his rival. This emotional tension complicated the men's squabbles and added a romantic subplot to the war drama.

Foreshadowing: Susan's dual loyalty was demonstrated when she participated in the ruse to trick Blake into enlisting.

• Susan Thorson
• Blake
• father
• love triangle
• loyalty
• conflict

The same German U-boat captain (played by Carl Esmond) appeared multiple times throughout the film. He first sank Thorson's tugboat and barge, then later evaded Thorson near Nantucket by releasing oil, and finally was pursued during the decoy ship operation. This recurring antagonist represented the persistent threat of German submarine warfare.

Foreshadowing: The captain's repeated appearances emphasized the personal nature of the conflict for Thorson.

• German captain
• U-boat
• recurring villain
• submarine
• enemy
• Carl Esmond