Thomas M. Dykers
Host / Narrator
The Silent Service (1957)
Season 2
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.
Released April 5, 1957
Episode 30 min
None+
Keywords: imdb.based-on-true-story, imdb.submarine, imdb.u-s-navy, imdb.1940s, imdb.world-war-two
Country: United States
Languages:
English
S2E1 - The Archerfish Spits Straight
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.
March 7, 1958, midnight
S2E2 - The Sea Devil Attacks Puget Sound
US Submarine vs US ASW group consisting of Destroyers and aircraft in a Cold War era war game. Who will win the competition?
March 14, 1958, midnight
S2E3 - The Bergall's Revenge
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.
March 21, 1958, midnight
S2E4 - The Unsuccessful Patrol
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.
March 28, 1958, midnight
S2E5 - The Story of the U.S.S. Aspro
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.
April 4, 1958, midnight
S2E6 - The Thresher Story
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.
April 11, 1958, midnight
S2E7 - The Ugly Duckling
April 18, 1958, midnight
S2E8 - Peto Plucks Some Chickens
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.
April 25, 1958, midnight
S2E9 - The S-38 Story
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.
May 2, 1958, midnight
S2E10 - Incident Down South
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?
May 9, 1958, midnight
S2E11 - Mine for Keeps
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 Gato-class submarine. From 3 Dec 1942 to 22 Jan 1943, the submarine conducted a combined minelaying and offensive patrol, in waters surrounding Japan. On 20 December, she began planting a minefield off Inubo Saki, Honshū. Trigger planted the northern half of the field and was working on the southern part when a cargo ship passed her, heading into the newly-laid mines. Five minutes later, a violent explosion rocked the captain of the Trigger gets to see the freighter while an escort circled her. The submarine later heard another explosion from the direction of the minefield and, when she surfaced the next day, found the field was covered by smoke.
May 16, 1958, midnight
S2E12 - Fish Out of Water
The USS Baya operates in cooperation with Navy patrol planes in the South China Sea.
May 23, 1958, midnight
S2E13 - The U.S.S. Cod's Lost Boarding Party
The USS Cod boarding party was stranded for 52 hours on a Japanese junk before they could be rescued.
May 30, 1958, midnight
S2E14 - The Triton's Christmas
The Triton wardroom and torpedomen ensure a good Christmas is had by all.
June 6, 1958, midnight
S2E15 - The Hawkbill's Revenge
The skipper of the USS Hawkbill vows revenge when a Japanese minelayer sinks the USS Lagarto.
June 13, 1958, midnight
S2E16 - The Tigershark
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.
June 20, 1958, midnight
S2E17 - The Cavalla Story
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."
June 29, 1958, midnight
S2E18 - The Growler's Captain
A submarine captain sacrifices himself for the safety of his ship and crew.
July 6, 1958, midnight
S2E19 - The U.S.S. Tinosa Story
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.
July 13, 1958, midnight
S2E20 - The Grayling Story
A Lucky hat and a whale of a tale that contribute to an evasion.
July 20, 1958, midnight
S2E21 - The S-44 Story
A renovated 18-year-old sub is sent to sink a Japanese cruiser.
July 27, 1958, midnight
S2E22 - The Pargo's Lucky Seventh
On her seventh war patrol, the USS Pargo gets an assignment to land Australian commandos on one of the Paracel Islands.
Aug. 1, 1958, midnight
S2E23 - The Crevalle's Mine Plant
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.
Aug. 8, 1958, midnight
S2E24 - The Sunfish Story
The U.S.S. Sunfish endures 186 depth charges released by Japanese surface craft.
Aug. 15, 1958, midnight
S2E25 - The Sunfish's Cook
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 use during surface action.
Aug. 22, 1958, midnight
S2E26 - The Nautilus and the Nuns
Fourteen nuns escape from the Solomon Islands in the U.S.S. Nautilus.
Aug. 29, 1958, midnight
S2E27 - The Sandshark Story
American submarine is sent to rescue missionaries from Japanese held island, but one does not want to leave.
Sept. 5, 1958, midnight
S2E28 - Operation Seadragon
Appendectomy. No doctor. No surgical supplies. But American Submariners get the job done -- even as depth charges explode nearby.
Sept. 12, 1958, midnight
S2E29 - The Harder at Woleai
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.
Sept. 19, 1958, midnight
S2E30 - The Tautog Story
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.
Sept. 26, 1958, midnight
S2E31 - The Swordfish Story
USS Swordfish travels to the Lembeh Straits on Celebes to discover how an Imperial Japanese air base is being supplied.
Oct. 3, 1958, midnight
S2E32 - The Gabilan Story
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.
Oct. 10, 1958, midnight
S2E33 - The Gato Story
The captain of the USS Gato plays a hunch (or is it something more than a mere "hunch"?) to rescue downed American airmen.
Oct. 17, 1958, midnight
S2E34 - The Silversides Story
An egocentric young torpedoman matures as he his shaped by the harsh realities of submarine combat.
Oct. 24, 1958, midnight
S2E35 - The Bowfin Story
Today's theme is the Bowfin Story.
Oct. 31, 1958, midnight
S2E36 - Royal Submarines
A British sub commander in the Mediterranean intercepts enemy supply boats.
Nov. 7, 1958, midnight
S2E37 - The Squalus Story
USS Squalus sinks off of New Hampshire in 1939. New rescue equipment is used to rescue half of the crew.
Nov. 14, 1958, midnight
S2E38 - Seanettle vs U-Boat
American submarine skillfully tracks and engages a German U-Boat that is headed for Japan.
Nov. 21, 1958, midnight
S2E39 - U-47 in Scapa Flow
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.
Nov. 28, 1958, midnight
Episode Runtime: 30 min.
Season Runtime: 30 min.
Released: April 5, 1957
Last Air Date: Nov. 28, 1958, midnight
Status: Ended
Certification: NR
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