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From: daver@nsc.UUCP (Dave Raulino)
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: Phasers that look like photons...
Message-ID: <3460@nsc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 6-Mar-86 13:03:02 EST
Article-I.D.: nsc.3460
Posted: Thu Mar  6 13:03:02 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 8-Mar-86 12:45:40 EST
References: <2055@jhunix.UUCP> <22@ur-tut.UUCP>
Reply-To: daver@nsc.UUCP (Dave Raulino)
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Organization: National Semiconductor, Sunnyvale
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This posting about "Balance of Terror" and the Photon Torpedo-like
Phasers got me to thinking about that episode and my theory (which 
follows) as to why they're like that.  I'm new to the net, so I'm not
sure if anyone else has looked at it this way.
 

"The Set Up"

It has always appeared to me that this episode's storyline was taken almost
directly from a WW II submarine story called "The Enemy Below".  I've 
both read the book and seen the movie (probably before I got into 
watching Star Trek) and have always enjoyed seeing ST's adaptation of
this story.

In the book, the battle is between a British destroyer and a German
sub, while the B/W movie uses an American destroyer in place of the 
British ship.  The movie stars Robert Mitchum as the American Captain,
while Kurt Jergens (sp?) stars as Mitchum's counterpart.  The story is
the same:  fast, maneuverable and heavily armed "visible" vessel versus a 
small, relatively slow adversary who is hard to find and packs a hell of
a wallop.  

The destroyer's captain first shadows the sub, then he begins to press
the attack, constantly hounding and outguessing the sub's commander.
In fact, some of the dialogue seems nearly the same.  There is a scene 
where both vessels go silent, each trying to wait out the other
and a scene where the sub tries to reverse course on the ship.
The sub is hoping to get close enough to the coast where it can pick
up air cover and constantly keeps coming back to the same course.  
The destroyer's pursuit is so relentless, and the depth charges are 
coming so often, that when a man is killed in an attack, the sub's
commander orders clothing, oil, mattresses and the body to be ejected
in the hopes of faking destruction.

The sub finally gets off a torpedo, damages the destroyer and comes up
for the kill.  This is where the stories diverge.  The destroyer has 
lost most of her maneuverability and some of her guns, so the captain
orders a course to ram the sub.  The ramming is successful, but both 
ships are mortally wounded and are sinking.  As all hands begin to
abandon ship, the American captain sees the German commander 
stranded on the top of the conning tower.  He rescues him and the two
of them climb into a life raft together, each respecting the other's 
abilities.  Roll titles.


"The Theory"

One possible answer as to why the Phasers looked like Photon Torpedos
could be that the writers and producers were using them like depth 
charges (set a depth, fire a pattern, and hope one gets close 
enough to do some damage).  This, of course, isn't consistant with
normal phasers, perhaps after this episode the writers decided to
call this type of weapon a "Photon Torpedo".  Either that, or someone 
screwed up.

If any of you in net.startrek-land get a chance, check this movie out
and see if you agree.  

.........................................

                                        Dave R.

                "They're not booing, they're saying

															'DAAAAAAAAAAAVE'"

................................................