Synopsis
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
1E1The Jack at TokyoA submarine springs a leak while well into Japanese waters. An engineer takes on the dangerous mission of repairing it.30m2E2The Trout at the Rainbow's EndA docudrama about a mission during World War II by the submarine USS Trout involving transporting a large amount of gold and silver.30m3E3The End of the LineThe USS Thresher is caught at the end of a Japanese destroyer's grappling hook and attempts to shake itself loose.30m4E4The Sculpin StoryAfter a damaged submarine is forced to surface, all hands are ordered by the captain to abandon ship, but he stays aboard.30m5E5The Spearfish DeliversA submarine is ordered to slip into Japanese-occupied Filipino waters to spirit out some important passengers from Corregidor.30m6E6The U.S.S. Bergall's DilemmaThe USS Bergall, which has been badly damaged, is trying to get to port but three Japanese patrol boats are making it difficult.30m7E7The U.S.S. Batfish ScoresThe USS Batfish is ordered to intercept some enemy submarines that are carrying very important Japanese officials.30m8E8The U.S.S. Tigrone Sets a RecordA submarine trying to rescue downed American pilots comes under attack from Japanese destroyers.30m9E9The Five-Ring CircusOn the hunt for a Japanese convoy, the crew of the USS Gato discovers that an unexploded enemy depth charge has landed on its deck.30m10E10The U.S.S. Pampanito StoryU.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.30m11E11The U.S.S. Tirante Plays a HunchThe commander of the submarine USS Tirante may lose his target in the shallow waters of a Japanese-held harbor if he doesn't surface.30m12E12The U.S.S. Tang vs. TrukWith morale low, USS Tang stands by for rescue downed American pilots during the attack on the Truk islands.30m13E13The Wahoo StoryThe final mission of the USS Wahoo.30m14E14The Two Davids and GoliathDarter and Dace during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.30m15E15The Ordeal of S-38A submarine suffers a series of disasters: a broken prop, damaged instruments and an explosion onboard.30m16E16The Seahorse StoryThe 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.30m17E17The Salmon Swims UpstreamIn October of 1944. 100 miles off Japan. Salmon is damaged in a depth charge attack and must remain surfaced.30m18E18Cargo for CrevalleThe crew of the USS Crevalle takes aboard a Filipino woman about to give birth to a baby.30m19E19BoomerangA 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.30m20E20The SquailfishThe 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.30m21E21The Grouper StoryPrior to the invasion, the USS Grouper transports Australian raiders and their native guides to a hidden cove on New Britain.30m22E22The Eyes of the SeawolfWhen his ship's attempts to sink Japanese shipping fail, a seaman with an interest in photography produces evidence of faulty design.30m23E23The Sea Dragon StoryThe USS Sea Dragon's oxygen tanks are exhausted. Death by suffocation or enemy gun fire seems inevitable.30m24E24The Narwhal's Passenger from MindanaoA 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.30m25E25The Perch's New RoleA docudrama about the submarine USS Perch on a mission during The Korean War to deliver British Royal Marines on a secret commando raid.30m26E26The Final War PatrolConcerns the Gato Class WWII Sub U.S.S. Barb (SS-220) and her Final WWII Patrol.30m27E27The Last DiveA broken propeller, an internal explosion and damaged instruments plague an outmoded American submarine assigned to attack Jap transports.30m28E28The Gar StoryA docudrama about the submarine USS Gar on a secret mission with guerillas during World War II.30m29E29The Story of the U.S.S. FlierThe 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.30m30E30The Starfish Came HomeEnemy bombers attack the U.S.S. Starfish, and a hatch cover sticks as it attempts to submerge.30m31E31The Sealion StoryA damaged sub surfaces to attack a fleet of Japanese destroyers.30m32E32The Nautilus StoryThe Nautilus is assigned to observation duty at Tarawa and caught between U.S. and Japanese fire.30m33E33Hit 'Em Again, HarderThe 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 victory.30m34E34The Seashark StoryA photographer's mate is frightened by his assignment - to photograph submarines in action. The crew helps to make things unpleasant.30m35E35The Tshushima Straits StoryAt 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 in June 1945 and wreaked havoc with enemy shipping, contributing materially to the end of the war.30m36E36The SearavenA U.S. sub becomes a sitting duck to save Australian soldiers from Timor Island.30m37E37The Tang's Last ShotThe USS Tang, after sinking an entire convoy, gets in the way of her own torpedo.30m38E38The Loss of the PerchThe 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, cracked and bowed shafts with only one engine providing propulsion. Scopes out, depth gauge out, numerous electrical grounds take sonar out, interior communications out-can't call for help., "Can't fight, can't run, - can't even dive. "30m39E39The GuardfishAction 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.30m
Cast
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