" THE SEADRAGON " 1957 SILENT SERVICE TV SHOW EPISODE 19024

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"The Silent Service" was a documentary style anthology series about the U.S. Navy's submarine fleet and their missions during World War II and the Korean War created by Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykers, who retired from the Navy in the late 1940s. Every episode was based on true historical events, with the realism of the show reinforced by the use of actual combat footage from the archives of the United States Navy. This particular episode titled “The Sea Dragon” is episode 23 from season 1 of the show, which aired Friday, September 6th, 1957.
Directed by Sobey Martin and written by Robb White, “The Sea Dragon” featured a cast of actors which included Murvyn Vye, Lance Fuller, Peter Hansen, Allan Nixon, John Crawford, Bernie Rich, Michael Hagen, Rudy Solari, Ray Hemphill, Richard Newton and special guest Capt. Charles K. Miller. Together, this crew of actors bring to life the story of those aboard the Sargo-class submarine USS Seadragon (SS-194) as they face impending doom - the ship’s oxygen tanks are exhausted and Japanese destroyers are on their tail. The crew face the risk of death by suffocation or enemy fire.
Following an introduction by Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykers (0:31), the viewer is transported to the evening of December 19th, 1942 aboard the USS Seadragon as the vessel comes under a relentless 16-hour attack by Japanese destroyers firing off depth charges. Although the destroyers have eased up, monitors reveal that a Japanese submarine is following the USS Seadragon and oxygen levels are falling to dangerously low levels - the captain orders the ship to surface (6:52). Once the submarine surfaces, it begins to exchange fire with the enemy ship but luckily manages to survive the battle unscathed (9:38). Two crew members meet with the ship’s captain to discuss strategy, where they learn the captain is taking them towards Rabaul Harbor - a Japanese Naval stronghold in Papua New Guinea “Would you expect to find a Japanese sub in Pearl Harbor? They won’t be expecting us either” (14:00). With no shortage of challenges, the USS Seadragon comes under attack by a Japanese Bomber while one of the submarine’s torpedoes becomes jammed in its tube (17:28). The captain realizes the submarine can neither surface nor flee the scene, as any sudden movement may cause the trapped tornado to explode. As a result, he orders the crew to blast air into the tube in hopes of dislodging the torpedo (20:20). After successfully dislodging the torpedo, USS Seadragon captain and crew members unwind to a game of cards, listen to a Japanese propaganda radio special reporting on the battle (22:53). The historical-reenactment portion of the episode has finished, Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykers welcomes Capt. Charles K. Miller, the torpedo and gunnery officer of the USS Seadragon (24:09).
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFi...

[@MichaelLeBlanc-p4f]

This was exciting evening entertainment for a young teen of the early 60's catching up on all the WWII re-runs of the 50's.

[@mikedrown2721]

I remember this show. I turned 11years old in 1957😊

[@daleupthegrove6396]

I got into this show from KZbin. I was two months old when it aired.

[@scotthaddad563]

Wow, I was born in ‘57 and have enjoyed these shows all my life. My father was a sub hunter on a B-24 in the south pacific. He never would tell me any stories.

[@oldautos251]

I turned 10 in 1957, I remember this show as well!!

[@mikedrown2721]

@@oldautos251 👍🙂

[@WelshRabbit]

I, too, turned 10 in 1957 -- about the time this episode of "The Silent Service" aired. I don't think I missed a single one. I had two uncles who were killed in WW II in their early 20's. On my birthday, I was really bummed out that I'd lived half my life and I had not done anything of note. At 10, I no longer had a single digit age. I was already getting old and turning "middle aged." Old people had 2-digit ages, even my grandparents and my great grandfather, and now I had a 2-digit age, too -- just like all old people. (I didn't know any 3-digit aged people.)

[@davewitter6565]

What a story. You can't write a story better than this. Respect to the silent service, past, present and future.

[@ypaulbrown]

Outstanding

[@mattving61]

Great plan captain 😂

[@thomasgoodwin2648]

Sea Dragon's first test, the dreaded commercial inserted here! 'We knew surviving the commercial would be tough, it doesn't get any tougher, but we were ready... we thought' 'They threw everything at us, cars, laundry soap, fast food... then came that one commercial... you know the one.' ✌🥸👍

[@ypaulbrown]

haha

[@trescatorce9497]

there's no end to google's greed.