The Silent Service Season 2, Episode 31: The Swordfish Story

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.

30 min

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?

30 min

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.

30 min

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.

30 min

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.

30 min

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.

30 min

The Ugly Duckling

30 min

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.

30 min

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.

30 min

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?

30 min

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.

30 min

Fish Out of Water

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

30 min

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.

30 min

The Triton's Christmas

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

30 min

The Hawkbill's Revenge

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

30 min

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.

30 min

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."

30 min

The Growler's Captain

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

30 min

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.

30 min

The Grayling Story

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

30 min

The S-44 Story

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

30 min

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.

30 min

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.

30 min

The Sunfish Story

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

30 min

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.

30 min

The Nautilus and the Nuns

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

30 min

The Sandshark Story

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

30 min

Operation Seadragon

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

30 min

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.

30 min

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.

30 min

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.

30 min

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.

30 min

The Silversides Story

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

30 min

The Bowfin Story

Today's theme is the Bowfin Story.

30 min

Royal Submarines

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

30 min

The Squalus Story

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

30 min

Seanettle vs U-Boat

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

30 min

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.

30 min