Silent Service: Dace and Darter In Palawan Passage. 1950's US Navy Film + bonus vets reunion video

Transcribed from a VHS tape recorded by my grandfather who was a radioman, first class in the Navy, about his submarine the USS Darter (SS-227), which fired the first shot in the battle of Leyte Gulf and ran aground, later rescued by USS Dace (SS-247). This is one of the great untold stories of WWII which has been almost completely forgotten. Though it appears in many books in the years following the war, none of it exists on the internet and we figure if we don't preserve these memories they will be lost forever. Many thanks to my aunt who digitized this old video tape I remember watching as a kid.

[@billotto602]

God bless the men of the silent service. I was in the Navy but decades after WW 2 & I was a carrier sailor. There's no way I was going down in those things, even in the nuclear age.

[@SaltiDawg2008]

It has been fun to spot actors that later went on to bigger and better things - Leonard Nimoy, Dennis Weaver, Steve Garvey, DeForest Kelley, Joe Flynn, Harry Lauter, Dick Van Patten, Jack Lord,Chuck Connors, Richard Crenna, Werner Klemperer, etc, etc. *s/ Retired 24 Year US Navy Submariner - USNA Class of 1965 - Former Enlisted Man*

[@topgeardel]

I am glad I watched this video. Victory At Sea acknowledges the Dace & Darter in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. It says Darter was lost, but they sank 2 cruisers. What they don't say is the Darter had to self-destruct and the crew were saved. Good to know that.

[@kristineball5932]

Captain McClintock is my grandfather, Captain Grandpa as we called him. I have this on DVD as well but I am delighted to see this video on the internet. Thank you for posting!!

[@GIJeff1944]

Then my blog would be of special interest to you, my grandpa was the radio operator on the Darter when she ran aground. I digitized every piece of paper he had about it. grandpasnavy.blogspot.com/

[@kristineball5932]

Thanks - very cool indeed!

[@GIJeff1944]

There's 350 scanned documents and 155 photos of his other items in my digital archive. The blog has hardly begun to scratch the surface of his Navy career. I'm keeping the material relevant to WWII, but he worked on submarine communications until 1975 and attended DARTER reunions through the 1980's.

[@brett7802]

KM B i met your grandpa through mine. Both had cottages on lake superior near Buckroe. I grew up in Marquette.

[@orlandothings2403]

@@GIJeff1944 Jeff, if your grandfather was radio man on darter than he would have talked to mine, Phillip st. Laurent, he was one of the radio men on the Dace along with other jobs they cross trained on. I miss his stories, look forward to looking at your archives.

[@orlandothings2403]

So glad to find this, my grandfather P. St. Laurent served on the Dace 247 radio and torpedo man, from Rhode Island. I spent years listening to his sub stories, been 11 years since he passed, he spent his life working for GE and navy after the war.

[@firegrunt03]

Thanks to your Grandfather We Filipinos are free. I was born in Mindoro Island. Served in USMC 2001-2008.

[@orlandothings2403]

@@firegrunt03 his stories about the pacific were pretty crazy, he talked about how at end of service the sub was just swiss cheese and they could only stay down so long at a time. I wish I would have documented his stories better. Thanks for your service.

[@firegrunt03]

I grew up in Mindoro Island not far from Palawan. Thank you all those who served and to your grandpa we Filipinos are free. I also served in USMC. 2001-2008. Semper Fidelis.

[@jobpatyahoo]

Its where i was born and live, Palawan.. thanks for posting,

[@kpd3308]

The Darter was correct to take the chance of running aground. I'm glad they were able to be rescued.

[@23draft7]

Wow, a lot went into uploading this one. Hats off to you, grandfather and aunt. Thanks.

[@cliffmays442]

My mother in-law remembers the Japanese very well. She lived in the mountains and starved until the U.S. forces came. She was always worried of cobras and other deadly snakes. But she was lucky in that she was not in Manila.

[@door1754]

Pilipino

[@AdamosDad]

"Fair Winds and Following Seas" Brothers, from all that came home, to those who are Still On Patrol.

[@larryroeder8805]

Very excellent film. I love the series. Thanks for savings this one.

[@GermanShepherd1983]

What do you know, it's Chester from Gunsmoke and Otis from the Andy Griffith Show

[@rogertemple7193]

"Guest Performers: Murray Hamilton, Dennis Weaver, K.L. Smith, Carl Milletaire, Terry Becker, Julian Upton, Allen Emerson, William Hale, &: Chalky Williams."

[@mobile504]

Thank you for posting this. My grandfather served on Darter too. His last name was Allen.

[@GIJeff1944]

He might be in one of these crew photos then! I do see an S.E. Allen in the list of names he hand wrote. grandpasnavy.blogspot.com/2012/05/original-darter-ss-227-crew-photos.html grandpasnavy.blogspot.com is the online 'museum' I have started to compile from the huge amount of Navy materials my grandfather saved. You might find some of this stuff useful and/or interesting.

[@GIJeff1944]

Sorry, I couldn't read his handwriting. In a typewritten list in an earlier blog post he's listed as G.E.Allen and his rank was shortened to RM3c. grandpasnavy.blogspot.com/2012/11/uss-darter-lost-map-items.html?m=1 If RT is radio technician, then RM could possibly be Radar Man 3rd class.

[@rogertemple7193]

"Seems like everybody's grandfather served on this sub."-🤨🌐..

[@orlandothings2403]

Well each had about 85 men, that's 170 with who knows how many grandchildren and great grandchildren, I grew up hearing stories and seeing memorabilia from Dace, to find this online more than a decade past my grandfathers passing is one of the best things I could ask for. It connects me back and reminds me of my respect for these men I grew up hearing about.

[@JamesSavik]

Darter and Dace managed to sink Atago and Maya and put Takao out of the war for good. That was three out of four of the Takao class heavy cruisers. Chokai was sunk a few days later in the Battle Off Samar. It was in microcosm what happened at Leyte Gulf: the Imperial Japanese Navy was broken as an effective naval force.

[@GIJeff1944]

Darter sank the cruiser that Admiral Kurita was aboard that night, but Kurita survived.

[@Brucev7]

sounds like Pearl Harbor Revenge

[@paul-we2gf]

I,JS Takao was attacked in Singapore by Royal Navy X craft.

[@stevenhj3124]

As we say in the Navy: "Well done." ☮

[@walterb9450]

My father served as a MM on the Darter, and then the Menhaden, Walter Bialas (Snapper). Thanks for posting this.

[@GIJeff1944]

Check out these crew photos then, maybe you can find his face! "W. Bialas" is listed as #36 in the second photo, counting from the leftmost person on the top row. He's one of the men kneeling in front. grandpasnavy.blogspot.com/2012/05/original-darter-ss-227-crew-photos.html

[@walterb9450]

animedude237 By the way, I have several original Darter and crew pics from my father if that is of interest.

[@GIJeff1944]

Walter B

[@amadeusamwater]

Note: This series is from 1957. Episode #1 is Admiral Dykers story as a sub commander.

[@Rt254]

at 3:48 that is some tall periscope to get that shot.

[@MrTractor75]

salute to the Silent Service

[@josephpadula2283]

Mc Cloud! From Navy CO to New Mexican deputy …..

[@captainobvious9233]

Do you own a model of the Darter or at least a Gato Class sub with appropriate conversions/markings?

[@GIJeff1944]

I bought a model kit and put a 227 on it, his boat was officially the SS-227

[@mkely9032]

Thanks for posting. Have you any more?

[@GIJeff1944]

This is all I got on the Darter (and probably all there ever was). The Darter was a well-known story among WWII veterans and within the US Navy, but it was kept unknown to the public under of the shroud of wartime secrecy. Following the war, we also didn't want the Russians to learn of any weaknesses in our subs or intelligence capabilities. Even in the modern Navy, active duty submarine crewmembers never share the details of their service, it's one of the most top-secret jobs in the world.

[@nosoyono1081]

My grandfather was on one of theses submarines his Name was Lines Bloomberg US navy. He never talked much about it although I know he had earned a Purple Hear metal of honer.

[@oilsmokejones3452]

INSERT COMMERCIAL HERE

[@kentthepistol]

I REALLY HATE THAT SHIT......

[@GIJeff1944]

He was given an original film reel of this from the studio, it wasn't taped off TV.

[@JovitaMortel-po1gx]

❤

[@mobile504]

That is how my grandfather listed his name. What was that clip at the end of this video? A reunion? Again, thank you very much for this information.

[@GIJeff1944]

Yes, that is a portion of a reunion dinner for the sub vets in 1986. It happened to be on the same tape and I didn't realize it until I had uploaded this video. I don't see my grandpa in the video so maybe he was the one holding the camcorder.

[@nosoyono1081]

My grandpa was on one of these submarines too his name was Linens Blumenburg. US navy

[@alaskanharleyman7468]

The other skipper is the mayor from Jaws!

[@mikerossscuba]

And he's also "Mr. Robinson" from "The Graduate!" (Koo-koo-ka-choo, Mrs. Robinson....)

[@ronjones9447]

I love ww2 history, I always dreamed about being a submarine capt in the war. If I was on a US boat I prob would have survived, prob not on a u boat

[@mikewalrus4763]

Hardly call two boats a wolf pack!

[@fasteddie9055]

That s Dennis Weaver as the sub commander!!!!! Great dnload & T Y.

[@ciroalb3]

I thought the same. Can't miss that voice

[@michaeldobson8859]

Hollywood story. Too bad they can’t play it real.

[@okngarod7180]

Ain't the guy Chester , in BONANZA series.

[@apaulmcdonough2170]

Dennis Weaver played "Chester" on "GUNSMOKE" with James Arness.

[@okngarod7180]

Got confused,, yeah you're right " Gunsmoke"

[@IanG-uf2fq]

Really awful quality.

[@GIJeff1944]

A digital recording of a 35 year old VHS recording of an original 8mm film. That's as good as it gets.

[@michaelhenry7638]

I get sick to my stomach when i read about the odds of surviving a tour on a submarine in world war two. So many young inocent kids went to the bottom of the ocean. Say a prayer

[@southeastgasservices]

A bit strange seeing Chester on a sub.

[@travisgraham6083]

It has been fun to spot actors that later went on to bigger and better things - Leonard Nimoy, Dennis Weaver, Steve Garvey, DeForest Kelley, Joe Flynn, Harry Lauter, Dick Van Patten, Jack Lord,Chuck Connors, Richard Crenna, Werner Klemperer, etc, etc. s/ Retired 24 Year US Navy Submariner - USNA Class of 1965 - Former Enlisted Man

[@GIJeff1944]

Had no idea that was Leonard Nimoy!!