THE SILENT SERVICE "The Nautilus and the Nuns" 1958
This is the 65th episode of the U.S. war series, "The Silent Service". The series was about the exploits of the U.S. Navy's submarine fleet. Each episode is a stand-alone tale of the actions of a particular submarine. Most of the stories are about actions against the Japanese Navy and merchant fleet in the Pacific. There is also the odd tale from the Korean conflict. The series ran for 78 episodes during 1957 and 1958. The stories were all based on actual events. Some pretty good attention to detail here with the U.S Navy allowing filming on several WW 2 era Gato class subs.
Each episode started and ended with retired Real Admiral Thomas M. Dykers giving a breakdown of the action. Dykers became a writer, producer and technical adviser after leaving the service. He worked on films such as, TORPEDO ALLEY, FLAT TOP, THE FROGMEN, HELL AND HIGH WATER and SUBMARINE COMMAND.
This episode is the second episode about the submarine, the U.S.S. "Nautilus". It is Dec 1942 and the "Nautilus" is out on her 4th wartime patrol. The submarine is sent to pick up a group of American nuns who were stranded on the Solomon Islands. The pick-up is made late at night with the help of an Australian coast watcher.
The "Nautilus" then has to dodge several Japanese escort vessels out patrolling the area. While the submarine manages to evade the surface ships, the "Nautilus" is spotted by a Japanese bomber. The aircraft gives the submarine and their nun cargo a solid shaking with a brace of bombs. The submarine meets up with another submarine and transfers the human cargo before returning to patrol duties.
The "Nautilus" would complete 14 wartime combat patrols sinking at least 8 Japanese vessels and damaging several more. The submarine was at the Battle of Midway and fired four torpedoes at one of the Japanese carriers which all missed. The "Nautilus" was involved in the famous raid on Makin Island by the US Marine unit known as Carlson's Raiders. The submarine was decommissioned in June 1945 and sold for scrap in Nov of that year.
Check out episode 32 for another tale about this particular submarine.
This is the 65th episode of the U.S. war series, "The Silent Service". The series was about the exploits of the U.S. Navy's submarine fleet. Each episode is a stand-alone tale of the actions of a particular submarine. Most of the stories are about actions against the Japanese Navy and merchant fleet in the Pacific. There is also the odd tale from the Korean conflict. The series ran for 78 episodes during 1957 and 1958. The stories were all based on actual events. Some pretty good attention to detail here with the U.S Navy allowing filming on several WW 2 era Gato class subs.
Each episode started and ended with retired Real Admiral Thomas M. Dykers giving a breakdown of the action. Dykers became a writer, producer and technical adviser after leaving the service. He worked on films such as, TORPEDO ALLEY, FLAT TOP, THE FROGMEN, HELL AND HIGH WATER and SUBMARINE COMMAND.
This episode is the second episode about the submarine, the U.S.S. "Nautilus". It is Dec 1942 and the "Nautilus" is out on her 4th wartime patrol. The submarine is sent to pick up a group of American nuns who were stranded on the Solomon Islands. The pick-up is made late at night with the help of an Australian coast watcher.
The "Nautilus" then has to dodge several Japanese escort vessels out patrolling the area. While the submarine manages to evade the surface ships, the "Nautilus" is spotted by a Japanese bomber. The aircraft gives the submarine and their nun cargo a solid shaking with a brace of bombs. The submarine meets up with another submarine and transfers the human cargo before returning to patrol duties.
The "Nautilus" would complete 14 wartime combat patrols sinking at least 8 Japanese vessels and damaging several more. The submarine was at the Battle of Midway and fired four torpedoes at one of the Japanese carriers which all missed. The "Nautilus" was involved in the famous raid on Makin Island by the US Marine unit known as Carlson's Raiders. The submarine was decommissioned in June 1945 and sold for scrap in Nov of that year.
Check out episode 32 for another tale about this particular submarine.