Five chief petty officers were selected for ensign and ten first-class petty officers for chief, a striking result for a 159-person crew after intense preparation and watch standing. Beach recorded both the winners' celebration and the good sportsmanship of those not selected. He then summoned the successful men individually under a mock cloud of official displeasure before revealing the news. The joke worked best on the first men called because news moved quickly through the boat. The episode is a practical example of a captain using an unexpected opportunity to sustain morale during a long submerged mission.
Notable Point · 1:06:50-1:08:30
Promotions reveal crew quality and Beach's morale practice
An unusually large promotion list for Triton's 159-person crew becomes evidence of both careful crew selection and deliberate command attention to morale.