The Silent Service
The Silent Service

The Silent Service

1957 2 Seasons 78 Episodes ⭐ 8.0 Drama

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.

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.

Seasons & Episodes

EP 1

The Jack at Tokyo

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

EP 2

The Trout at the Rainbow's End

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

EP 3

The End of the Line

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

EP 4

The Sculpin Story

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

EP 5

The Spearfish Delivers

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

EP 6

The U.S.S. Bergall's Dilemma

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

EP 7

The U.S.S. Batfish Scores

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

EP 8

The U.S.S. Tigrone Sets a Record

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

EP 9

The Five-Ring Circus

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

EP 10

The U.S.S. Pampanito Story

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 PO

EP 11

The U.S.S. Tirante Plays a Hunch

The commander of the submarine USS Tirante may lose his target in the shallow waters of a Japanese-held harbor if he doe

EP 12

The U.S.S. Tang vs. Truk

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

EP 13

The Wahoo Story

The final mission of the USS Wahoo.

EP 14

The Two Davids and Goliath

Darter and Dace during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

EP 15

The Ordeal of S-38

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

EP 16

The Seahorse Story

The USS Seahorse is in big trouble: it's deep in Japanese waters, it's been badly damaged and is in danger of being dest

EP 17

The Salmon Swims Upstream

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

EP 18

Cargo for Crevalle

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

EP 19

Boomerang

A sub being hunted by Japanese ships is forced to settle on the bottom of the ocean to escape detection, but it has been

EP 20

The Squailfish

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

EP 21

The Grouper Story

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

EP 22

The Eyes of the Seawolf

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

EP 23

The Sea Dragon Story

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

EP 24

The Narwhal's Passenger from Mindanao

A docudrama about a submarine mission during World War II, the rescue by the USS Narwhal of escaped POW survivors of Bat

EP 25

The Perch's New Role

A docudrama about the submarine USS Perch on a mission during The Korean War to deliver British Royal Marines on a secre

EP 26

The Final War Patrol

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

EP 27

The Last Dive

A broken propeller, an internal explosion and damaged instruments plague an outmoded American submarine assigned to atta

EP 28

The Gar Story

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

EP 29

The Story of the U.S.S. Flier

The successes and the sinking of the USS Flyer and the dozen who survived after 17 hours in the water and then had to sa

EP 30

The Starfish Came Home

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

EP 31

The Sealion Story

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

EP 32

The Nautilus Story

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

EP 33

Hit 'Em Again, Harder

The Captain of the USS Harder earns the Congressional Medal of Honor by aggressive tactics which sink a record number of

EP 34

The Seashark Story

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

EP 35

The Tshushima Straits Story

At the urging of Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, civilian scientists developed an electronic device that enabled subma

EP 36

The Searaven

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

EP 37

The Tang's Last Shot

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

EP 38

The Loss of the Perch

The perch starts wwii two engines down and doesn't keep them repaired long. During the opening of the war it suffers a s

EP 39

The Guardfish

Action centers around the historic and very successful First War Patrol for the USS Guardfish. There is a side story tha

EP 1

The Archerfish Spits Straight

Submarine Commander questions his own judgment and beaches himself in administrative duty. He returns to sea and command

EP 2

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 competit

EP 3

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

EP 4

The Unsuccessful Patrol

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

EP 5

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. 1

EP 6

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" gu

EP 7

The Ugly Duckling

EP 8

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

EP 9

The S-38 Story

During the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies the S-38 attempts to rescue survivors from a British destroyer. Sh

EP 10

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 th

EP 11

Mine for Keeps

When the Navy learns that Japanese freighters are hugging the coast of Japan in order to evade US submarines, the Trigge

EP 12

Fish Out of Water

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

EP 13

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.

EP 14

The Triton's Christmas

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

EP 15

The Hawkbill's Revenge

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

EP 16

The Tigershark

Tigershark sights an enemy task force. The skipper has to make a decision: Follow orders and leave the area or surface a

EP 17

The Cavalla Story

On her first war patrol in June of 1944, the USS Cavala's captain obeys orders despite a tempting target. His discipline

EP 18

The Growler's Captain

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

EP 19

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 w

EP 20

The Grayling Story

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

EP 21

The S-44 Story

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

EP 22

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.

EP 23

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 th

EP 24

The Sunfish Story

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

EP 25

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 st

EP 26

The Nautilus and the Nuns

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

EP 27

The Sandshark Story

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

EP 28

Operation Seadragon

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

EP 29

The Harder at Woleai

Extensive effort to rescue a downed pilot off enemy held island beach from a reef. Early success versus an enemy destroy

EP 30

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

EP 31

The Swordfish Story

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

EP 32

The Gabilan Story

Submarine risks Japanese shore batteries to rescue downed airman less than a mile off coast of Japan. Then USN destroyer

EP 33

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 airme

EP 34

The Silversides Story

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

EP 35

The Bowfin Story

Today's theme is the Bowfin Story.

EP 36

Royal Submarines

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

EP 37

The Squalus Story

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

EP 38

Seanettle vs U-Boat

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

EP 39

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

Popular Cast

Thomas M. Dykers
Thomas M. Dykers
Host / Narrator