About this season
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.
Episodes (39)
1. The Archerfish Spits Straight
Aired 7 March 1958 • 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.
2. The Sea Devil Attacks Puget Sound
Aired 14 March 1958 • 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?
3. The Bergall's Revenge
Aired 21 March 1958 • 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.
4. The Unsuccessful Patrol
Aired 28 March 1958 • 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.
5. The Story of the U.S.S. Aspro
Aired 4 April 1958 • 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.
6. The Thresher Story
Aired 11 April 1958 • 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.
7. The Ugly Duckling
Aired 18 April 1958 • 30 min
8. Peto Plucks Some Chickens
Aired 25 April 1958 • 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.
9. The S-38 Story
Aired 2 May 1958 • 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.
10. Incident Down South
Aired 9 May 1958 • 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?
11. Mine for Keeps
Aired 16 May 1958 • 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 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.
12. Fish Out of Water
Aired 23 May 1958 • 30 min
The USS Baya operates in cooperation with Navy patrol planes in the South China Sea.
13. The U.S.S. Cod's Lost Boarding Party
Aired 30 May 1958 • 30 min
The USS Cod boarding party was stranded for 52 hours on a Japanese junk before they could be rescued.
14. The Triton's Christmas
Aired 6 June 1958 • 30 min
The Triton wardroom and torpedomen ensure a good Christmas is had by all.
15. The Hawkbill's Revenge
Aired 13 June 1958 • 30 min
The skipper of the USS Hawkbill vows revenge when a Japanese minelayer sinks the USS Lagarto.
16. The Tigershark
Aired 20 June 1958 • 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.
17. The Cavalla Story
Aired 29 June 1958 • 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."
18. The Growler's Captain
Aired 6 July 1958 • 30 min
A submarine captain sacrifices himself for the safety of his ship and crew.
19. The U.S.S. Tinosa Story
Aired 13 July 1958 • 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.
20. The Grayling Story
Aired 20 July 1958 • 30 min
A Lucky hat and a whale of a tale that contribute to an evasion.
21. The S-44 Story
Aired 27 July 1958 • 30 min
A renovated 18-year-old sub is sent to sink a Japanese cruiser.
22. The Pargo's Lucky Seventh
Aired 1 August 1958 • 30 min
On her seventh war patrol, the USS Pargo gets an assignment to land Australian commandos on one of the Paracel Islands.
23. The Crevalle's Mine Plant
Aired 8 August 1958 • 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.
24. The Sunfish Story
Aired 15 August 1958 • 30 min
The U.S.S. Sunfish endures 186 depth charges released by Japanese surface craft.
25. The Sunfish's Cook
Aired 22 August 1958 • 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 use during surface action.
26. The Nautilus and the Nuns
Aired 29 August 1958 • 30 min
Fourteen nuns escape from the Solomon Islands in the U.S.S. Nautilus.
27. The Sandshark Story
Aired 5 September 1958 • 30 min
American submarine is sent to rescue missionaries from Japanese held island, but one does not want to leave.
28. Operation Seadragon
Aired 12 September 1958 • 30 min
Appendectomy. No doctor. No surgical supplies. But American Submariners get the job done -- even as depth charges explode nearby.
29. The Harder at Woleai
Aired 19 September 1958 • 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.
30. The Tautog Story
Aired 26 September 1958 • 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.
31. The Swordfish Story
Aired 3 October 1958 • 30 min
USS Swordfish travels to the Lembeh Straits on Celebes to discover how an Imperial Japanese air base is being supplied.
32. The Gabilan Story
Aired 10 October 1958 • 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.
33. The Gato Story
Aired 17 October 1958 • 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.
34. The Silversides Story
Aired 24 October 1958 • 30 min
An egocentric young torpedoman matures as he his shaped by the harsh realities of submarine combat.
35. The Bowfin Story
Aired 31 October 1958 • 30 min
Today's theme is the Bowfin Story.
36. Royal Submarines
Aired 7 November 1958 • 30 min
A British sub commander in the Mediterranean intercepts enemy supply boats.
37. The Squalus Story
Aired 14 November 1958 • 30 min
USS Squalus sinks off of New Hampshire in 1939. New rescue equipment is used to rescue half of the crew.
38. Seanettle vs U-Boat
Aired 21 November 1958 • 30 min
American submarine skillfully tracks and engages a German U-Boat that is headed for Japan.
39. U-47 in Scapa Flow
Aired 28 November 1958 • 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.