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COLLECTION · Series · 1957

The Silent Service

The Silent Service was a 1957–1958 syndicated anthology television series based on actual events in the submarine section of the United States Navy. The Silent Service was narrated by Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykers, who retired from the Navy in 1949 after twenty-two years of service. He began each episode with this refrain: "Tonight, we bring you another thrilling episode of Silent Service stories, of warfare under the sea." Many of the episodes focused on the history of specific submarines, including: ⁕USS Sculpin ⁕USS Nautilus, the first atomic submarine ⁕USS Perch ⁕USS Tang ⁕USS S-38 ⁕USS Tirante ⁕USS Bergall ⁕USS Spearfish ⁕USS Triton ⁕USS Wahoo, and ⁕USS Gato, subject of the series finale. Actors appearing on The Silent Service included Russell Johnson, cast three times in the role of the character "Beach". DeForest Kelley and Leonard Nimoy appeared in two episodes each as Lieutenant Commander James Dempsey and as Sonarman, respectively. Jerry Paris and Liam Sullivan each guest starred twice. Eric Morris appeared in nineteen episodes identified only as "Soldier". Other guest stars included Joe Conley, Mike Connors, Lawrence Dobkin, Ron Hagerthy, Adam Kennedy, Robert Knapp, Paul Richards, Bing Russell, Craig Stevens, Dennis Weaver and Stuart Whitman.

Source: TMDB
* 8.0 (1)Drama
Soundtrack
Google
Runtime
30 min/ep
Release
05/04/1957
Score
8.0 / 10 (1)
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Seasons and episodes
Season 1
39 episodes · 1957

Documentary dramatic anthology about the US Navy's submarine fleet. All stories were based on fact and the realism was heightened by actual use of combat footage from the files of the Navy.

Episode 1. The Jack at Tokyo
1957-04-05 · 30 min

A submarine springs a leak while well into Japanese waters. An engineer takes on the dangerous mission of repairing it.

Episode 2. The Trout at the Rainbow's End
1957-04-12 · 30 min

A docudrama about a mission during World War II by the submarine USS Trout involving transporting a large amount of gold and silver.

Episode 3. The End of the Line
1957-04-17 · 30 min

The USS Thresher is caught at the end of a Japanese destroyer's grappling hook and attempts to shake itself loose.

Episode 4. The Sculpin Story
1957-04-26 · 30 min

After a damaged submarine is forced to surface, all hands are ordered by the captain to abandon ship, but he stays aboard.

Episode 5. The Spearfish Delivers
1957-05-03 · 30 min

A submarine is ordered to slip into Japanese-occupied Filipino waters to spirit out some important passengers from Corregidor.

Episode 6. The U.S.S. Bergall's Dilemma
1957-05-10 · 30 min

The USS Bergall, which has been badly damaged, is trying to get to port but three Japanese patrol boats are making it difficult.

Episode 7. The U.S.S. Batfish Scores
1957-05-17 · 30 min

The USS Batfish is ordered to intercept some enemy submarines that are carrying very important Japanese officials.

Episode 8. The U.S.S. Tigrone Sets a Record
1957-06-06 · 30 min

A submarine trying to rescue downed American pilots comes under attack from Japanese destroyers.

Episode 9. The Five-Ring Circus
1957-06-27 · 30 min

On the hunt for a Japanese convoy, the crew of the USS Gato discovers that an unexploded enemy depth charge has landed on its deck.

Episode 10. The U.S.S. Pampanito Story
1957-06-07 · 30 min

U.S. subs are about to close in on a Japanese convoy. What they don't know is that aboard one of the ships are Allied POWs.

Episode 11. The U.S.S. Tirante Plays a Hunch
1957-06-14 · 30 min

The commander of the submarine USS Tirante may lose his target in the shallow waters of a Japanese-held harbor if he doesn't surface.

Episode 12. The U.S.S. Tang vs. Truk
1957-06-21 · 30 min

With morale low, USS Tang stands by for rescue downed American pilots during the attack on the Truk islands.

Episode 13. The Wahoo Story
1957-06-28 · 30 min

The final mission of the USS Wahoo.

Episode 14. The Two Davids and Goliath
1957-07-05 · 30 min

Darter and Dace during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Episode 15. The Ordeal of S-38
1957-07-12 · 30 min

A submarine suffers a series of disasters: a broken prop, damaged instruments and an explosion onboard.

Episode 16. The Seahorse Story
1957-07-19 · 30 min

The USS Seahorse is in big trouble: it's deep in Japanese waters, it's been badly damaged and is in danger of being destroyed by a barrage of enemy depth charges.

Episode 17. The Salmon Swims Upstream
1957-07-26 · 30 min

In October of 1944. 100 miles off Japan. Salmon is damaged in a depth charge attack and must remain surfaced.

Episode 18. Cargo for Crevalle
1957-08-02 · 30 min

The crew of the USS Crevalle takes aboard a Filipino woman about to give birth to a baby.

Episode 19. Boomerang
1957-08-09 · 30 min

A sub being hunted by Japanese ships is forced to settle on the bottom of the ocean to escape detection, but it has been badly damaged and if it stays on the bottom for too long it may not be able to surface.

Episode 20. The Squailfish
1957-08-16 · 30 min

The Squailfish sinks a Japanese escort carrier, but that only seems to be what sets off a string of bad luck that begins to plague the sub.

Episode 21. The Grouper Story
1957-08-23 · 30 min

Prior to the invasion, the USS Grouper transports Australian raiders and their native guides to a hidden cove on New Britain.

Episode 22. The Eyes of the Seawolf
1957-08-30 · 30 min

When his ship's attempts to sink Japanese shipping fail, a seaman with an interest in photography produces evidence of faulty design.

Episode 23. The Sea Dragon Story
1957-09-06 · 30 min

The USS Sea Dragon's oxygen tanks are exhausted. Death by suffocation or enemy gun fire seems inevitable.

Episode 24. The Narwhal's Passenger from Mindanao
1957-09-13 · 30 min

A docudrama about a submarine mission during World War II, the rescue by the USS Narwhal of escaped POW survivors of Bataan from the island of Mindanao.

Episode 25. The Perch's New Role
1957-09-20 · 30 min

A docudrama about the submarine USS Perch on a mission during The Korean War to deliver British Royal Marines on a secret commando raid.

Episode 26. The Final War Patrol
1957-09-27 · 30 min

Concerns the Gato Class WWII Sub U.S.S. Barb (SS-220) and her Final WWII Patrol.

Episode 27. The Last Dive
1957-10-04 · 30 min

A broken propeller, an internal explosion and damaged instruments plague an outmoded American submarine assigned to attack Jap transports.

Episode 28. The Gar Story
1957-10-11 · 30 min

A docudrama about the submarine USS Gar on a secret mission with guerillas during World War II.

Episode 29. The Story of the U.S.S. Flier
1957-10-18 · 30 min

The successes and the sinking of the USS Flyer and the dozen who survived after 17 hours in the water and then had to sail to additional islands before finding food and rescue.

Episode 30. The Starfish Came Home
1957-10-25 · 30 min

Enemy bombers attack the U.S.S. Starfish, and a hatch cover sticks as it attempts to submerge.

Episode 31. The Sealion Story
1957-11-01 · 30 min

A damaged sub surfaces to attack a fleet of Japanese destroyers.

Episode 32. The Nautilus Story
1957-11-08 · 30 min

The Nautilus is assigned to observation duty at Tarawa and caught between U.S. and Japanese fire.

Episode 33. Hit 'Em Again, Harder
1957-11-15 · 30 min

The Captain of the USS Harder earns the Congressional Medal of Honor by aggressive tactics which sink a record number of enemy destroyers over a few days. As a result, Japanese planning for a major operation is upset leading to American…

Episode 34. The Seashark Story
1957-11-22 · 30 min

A photographer's mate is frightened by his assignment - to photograph submarines in action. The crew helps to make things unpleasant.

Episode 35. The Tshushima Straits Story
1957-11-29 · 30 min

At the urging of Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, civilian scientists developed an electronic device that enabled submarines to detect floating and submerged mines. With this apparatus, a wolf-pack of nine subs entered the Sea of Japan…

Episode 36. The Searaven
1957-12-06 · 30 min

A U.S. sub becomes a sitting duck to save Australian soldiers from Timor Island.

Episode 37. The Tang's Last Shot
1957-12-13 · 30 min

The USS Tang, after sinking an entire convoy, gets in the way of her own torpedo.

Episode 38. The Loss of the Perch
1957-12-20 · 30 min

The perch starts wwii two engines down and doesn't keep them repaired long. During the opening of the war it suffers a series of mishaps (a circular running torpedo detonates close, loss of the comm gear, hole at the base of the sail,…

Episode 39. The Guardfish
1957-12-27 · 30 min

Action centers around the historic and very successful First War Patrol for the USS Guardfish. There is a side story that the Guardfish got so close to Tokyo Bay that her crew were able to watch a horse race, through the periscope.

Season 2
39 episodes · 1958
Episode 1. The Archerfish Spits Straight
1958-03-07 · 30 min

Submarine Commander questions his own judgment and beaches himself in administrative duty. He returns to sea and commands another sub to sink one of the biggest warship prizes of the war.

Episode 2. The Sea Devil Attacks Puget Sound
1958-03-14 · 30 min

US Submarine vs US ASW group consisting of Destroyers and aircraft in a Cold War era war game. Who will win the competition?

Episode 3. The Bergall's Revenge
1958-03-21 · 30 min

Follows the beginning of the Bergall's third war patrol to Lombok strait. The highlight of the patrol is to use the new "cutie" torpedo to eliminate escorts that threaten US subs passing through the straits.

Episode 4. The Unsuccessful Patrol
1958-03-28 · 30 min

S boats were early and older US subs. S34 was sent into Kiska, Alaska after Japan invaded. She barely survived. Nothing sunk, but she survived.

Episode 5. The Story of the U.S.S. Aspro
1958-04-04 · 30 min

US subs provided lifeguard duty. Saving downed allied pilots. The USS Aspro did that just outside Tokyo, Japan in Aug. 1945 at great risk to all aboard.

Episode 6. The Thresher Story
1958-04-11 · 30 min

Torpedo test goes wrong and fired with the outer door still closed. It has to be disarmed or boom. Thresher adds a 5" gun for surface action in 42. US Torpedoes were bad at that time. The 5" gun saved the Thresher in a duel with a Jap ship.

Episode 7. The Ugly Duckling
1958-04-18 · 30 min

No synopsis

Episode 8. Peto Plucks Some Chickens
1958-04-25 · 30 min

This episode starts with the New CO borrowing uniforms from one of his officers in San Fran. The Story ends with that JO resigning to be a priest. Plenty of soul saving in between late in the war.

Episode 9. The S-38 Story
1958-05-02 · 30 min

During the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies the S-38 attempts to rescue survivors from a British destroyer. She rescued 58 Royal sailors from the HMS Electra which had been sunk the day before.

Episode 10. Incident Down South
1958-05-09 · 30 min

In early 1942, the USS Tarpon is in bad shape. Then bad turns to worse when she is grounded on an uncharted reef. Can the ship float free in time to avoid the nearby Japanese?

Episode 11. Mine for Keeps
1958-05-16 · 30 min

When the Navy learns that Japanese freighters are hugging the coast of Japan in order to evade US submarines, the Trigger is sent to the area to lay mines to force Japanese shipping out into deeper waters. USS Trigger (SS-237) a…

Episode 12. Fish Out of Water
1958-05-23 · 30 min

The USS Baya operates in cooperation with Navy patrol planes in the South China Sea.

Episode 13. The U.S.S. Cod's Lost Boarding Party
1958-05-30 · 30 min

The USS Cod boarding party was stranded for 52 hours on a Japanese junk before they could be rescued.

Episode 14. The Triton's Christmas
1958-06-06 · 30 min

The Triton wardroom and torpedomen ensure a good Christmas is had by all.

Episode 15. The Hawkbill's Revenge
1958-06-13 · 30 min

The skipper of the USS Hawkbill vows revenge when a Japanese minelayer sinks the USS Lagarto.

Episode 16. The Tigershark
1958-06-20 · 30 min

Tigershark sights an enemy task force. The skipper has to make a decision: Follow orders and leave the area or surface and radio headquarters. His decision leads to one of his sailors being recommended for the Navy Cross.

Episode 17. The Cavalla Story
1958-06-29 · 30 min

On her first war patrol in June of 1944, the USS Cavala's captain obeys orders despite a tempting target. His disciplined conduct sets up the great American victory of "The Marianas Turkey Shoot."

Episode 18. The Growler's Captain
1958-07-06 · 30 min

A submarine captain sacrifices himself for the safety of his ship and crew.

Episode 19. The U.S.S. Tinosa Story
1958-07-13 · 30 min

This was Operation Barney where 9 US Subs entered the Sea of Japan in June 45. They were the "Hellcats" squadron. They wreaked havoc on Japanese ships with the loss of only 1 sub.

Episode 20. The Grayling Story
1958-07-20 · 30 min

A Lucky hat and a whale of a tale that contribute to an evasion.

Episode 21. The S-44 Story
1958-07-27 · 30 min

A renovated 18-year-old sub is sent to sink a Japanese cruiser.

Episode 22. The Pargo's Lucky Seventh
1958-08-01 · 30 min

On her seventh war patrol, the USS Pargo gets an assignment to land Australian commandos on one of the Paracel Islands.

Episode 23. The Crevalle's Mine Plant
1958-08-08 · 30 min

Laying mines off the Japanese-held harbor of Saigon was a tough job at best; but, with one of your own mines stuck in the torpedo tube and an enemy destroyer closing fast, it was a downright nightmare.

Episode 24. The Sunfish Story
1958-08-15 · 30 min

The U.S.S. Sunfish endures 186 depth charges released by Japanese surface craft.

Episode 25. The Sunfish's Cook
1958-08-22 · 30 min

Fed up with his routine chores in the gallery, the cook of the USS Sunfish, Teddy Aldridge, requests an active combat station for the next engagement with the enemy. The ship's executive officer assigns him a Browning automatic rifle for…

Episode 26. The Nautilus and the Nuns
1958-08-29 · 30 min

Fourteen nuns escape from the Solomon Islands in the U.S.S. Nautilus.

Episode 27. The Sandshark Story
1958-09-05 · 30 min

American submarine is sent to rescue missionaries from Japanese held island, but one does not want to leave.

Episode 28. Operation Seadragon
1958-09-12 · 30 min

Appendectomy. No doctor. No surgical supplies. But American Submariners get the job done -- even as depth charges explode nearby.

Episode 29. The Harder at Woleai
1958-09-19 · 30 min

Extensive effort to rescue a downed pilot off enemy held island beach from a reef. Early success versus an enemy destroyer. CDR Samuel D Dealey commanding.

Episode 30. The Tautog Story
1958-09-26 · 30 min

USS Tautog was at Pearl Dec. 7th, 1941. She sank 26 Jap ships equating to 72,606 tons by the end of the war. She had one of the best records in WWII.

Episode 31. The Swordfish Story
1958-10-03 · 30 min

USS Swordfish travels to the Lembeh Straits on Celebes to discover how an Imperial Japanese air base is being supplied.

Episode 32. The Gabilan Story
1958-10-10 · 30 min

Submarine risks Japanese shore batteries to rescue downed airman less than a mile off coast of Japan. Then USN destroyers mistake submarine for Japanese ship. Galivan evades multiple attacks by "friendly" destroyers.

Episode 33. The Gato Story
1958-10-17 · 30 min

The captain of the USS Gato plays a hunch (or is it something more than a mere "hunch"?) to rescue downed American airmen.

Episode 34. The Silversides Story
1958-10-24 · 30 min

An egocentric young torpedoman matures as he his shaped by the harsh realities of submarine combat.

Episode 35. The Bowfin Story
1958-10-31 · 30 min

Today's theme is the Bowfin Story.

Episode 36. Royal Submarines
1958-11-07 · 30 min

A British sub commander in the Mediterranean intercepts enemy supply boats.

Episode 37. The Squalus Story
1958-11-14 · 30 min

USS Squalus sinks off of New Hampshire in 1939. New rescue equipment is used to rescue half of the crew.

Episode 38. Seanettle vs U-Boat
1958-11-21 · 30 min

American submarine skillfully tracks and engages a German U-Boat that is headed for Japan.

Episode 39. U-47 in Scapa Flow
1958-11-28 · 30 min

On 14 October 1939, Gunther Prien penetrated the Royal Navy's primary base at Scapa Flow where he torpedoed and sank the battleship Royal Oak and returned home to instant fame.

Cast by season
Thomas M. Dykers
Thomas M. Dykers
Host / Narrator
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