THE SILENT SERVICE

[Music] I'm Rear Admiral Thomas M dicus retired the story you're about to see is the reenactment of a special mission assigned to the USS seahorse at this point in the war she was a veteran submarine with a record of 19 enemy ships under her belt however she had never had an assignment like this one all of her crew knew what the mission was but only her captain commander Harry H grid jr. knew why on March 19 1945 the USS seahorse reported at Guam which was now the advanced headquarters at the Pacific Fleet she was fresh from an overhaul in the States and had all the latest devices Vice Admiral Lockwood commander submarine force came aboard to check their performance I wanted very much to talk to you about something in private pleasure Harry just got the seahorse another cup of coffee sure thank you well sir now that you've witnessed the pests of the new mine detector what do you think of it it's a good one very good it's the first one you've ever seen no there are others well I guess I shouldn't be too surprised I've never seen anything so hush-hush the civilian scientists that we're installing and testing for the past couple of months wouldn't even discuss it with me I'm just the captain of the ship you had training with it at Pearl Harbor on your way out yes that's the first time I really knew what the black box was for that's the way I wanted it if you knew the weeks and months I've spent on this gear and what it means could appreciate the secrecy I do to get to my point ever since we waltz through the dummy minefields at Pearl without touching one of them the wheels have been going around in my head till I'm buzzing I want your permission to try to go through the mine fields that you chain of straights and make it patrol in the Sea of Japan not many men have makes such a request Harry I'm really sorry I can't give you the green light it's not that I don't think it's a good idea it's just that I've been working on one that suits our purposes better we call it operation Barney have you got a chart of the Japan see handy now there's not much shipping left out here in the Pacific thanks to you boys but back here in the Sea of Japan they hardly know the wars on they feel pretty safe behind the mine barriers that close off the only entrances from the outside the lighthouses are burning and ships using running lights just like in peacetime it's the last open sea lane they have for supplying the whole miles I don't understand sir that's the very reason I want to get in there and you'll sink some ships to think about it like this after that they'd make it pretty tough on anyone else who tried it now my plan calls for sending nine boats through at the same time they fan out the various patrol areas and when they started shooting all at once Jack said no it wasn't some isolated sub that managed to squeeze in we're trying to make them quit unless I miss my guess this is going to help I hope we're one of the nine sir I've gotta tell you know again Harry you see I can't send all those boats to a minefield without being sure and doubly sure that the new equipment is going to show them where the mines are and do it every time all right we're going through and like a skier on the slalom you couldn't want better results but some of the boys haven't been so lucky they're not ready to go yet you are and here's where you fit into the picture before we make the big attempt it is vital that we know where the first Lane of Mines will encounter are located at what depth they're planted and what the distance is between them [Music] hello ask mr. wills to come on the bridge hi [Music] yes I didn't interrupt anything important did i right well yes and no I just had Joseph are over a barrel and an acey-deucey game now he'll want to start all over the whole quarter riding on it well next time I beat him I'll donate the quarter to here but there's something I want you to do you know the intelligence report on the radar stations at the chimú yes they're evident the safe you pop them on the chart so we can figure our best approach to Sheila voting mine on starboard bow we better sing it 20 millimeter gun through on deck play millimeter gun crew on deck oh stop bring your right slowly oh stop rigor right clothing I will see if all that gunnery training pays off I guess I got a little too close to that one there's like about 300 yards just about let's let that be a lesson to us how's that yep I think what would have happened if we've messed with our bomb the Seahawk continued on of course towards the minefields of Tsushima as they approached the area became necessary to run submerged in daytime to avoid detection yeah I think it's gonna be pretty tough from here on in terrain Stevens take a sounding will yeah many fathoms hmm bottom showing up fast we could pick up our first mines any time I don't think there's much chance till we get into about 60 fathoms now the way I'd do without will find them right about in here we're going to be in range of all these radar stations when we service for battery charges tonight they have a defense in here we'll find it out pretty soon maybe we ought to run out submerged in the afternoon before we surface and back in in the morning we'd spend most of our time going back and forth we'd never get the job done that way we may have to fight to stay in here but we're going to stay hey Joe did you work over that deck gun last night yes sir lucky we did too saltwater was getting to it almost had it frozen okay now I say she's ready willing and able that's five minutes before sunset let's go up and take a look around before we surface I know you've just had a look but I'm one of those guys that always presses an elevator button no matter how many people are around obviously look for myself what all clear the boy very well say Vega since when do you become a lookout Oh captain told me this morning to put him on something about he can see better at night than the rest of us yeah I read something about these country boys being good possum on it this is being your first watch as some important things want to tell you I'll keep this strap around you so you don't drop the binoculars don't let him get wet now being a lookout is a very important job you're gonna be responsible for this 10 million-dollar submarine and maybe the success of the whole mission and more important than that of the lives of about 90 of your shipmates you understand that don't you there's something more important that you didn't mention sir what's that bigger who's me all clear on the radar lookouts to the bridge start low pressure blowers commence battery charge on two main engines all right if you go and remember my wife and kids are depending on you till the low-pressure blow and all main ballast tanks [Music] this was a well-guarded area enemy radar had soon detected two seahorse news of her presence but transmitted immediately and patrols headed in a direction [Music] I played on the radar he's coming in [Music] Baker [Music] merchants 8,300 feet [Music] five times that night Japanese aircraft forces them under but Harry Greer stayed right in there he had a minefield charge [Music] barring a such a sake mark zero four nine one smoke good thick skip mine dead ahead right full rudder right full rudder [Music] study on your course steady course zero five zero [Music] it's gone by a beam now ah didn't ring we've ended the fear we've entered the field there it is fell off the port bow [Music] [Laughter] we're running parallel to a line in mind can you give me another fixed cap right [Music] [Music] Baron and Ozaki mark zero one five [Music] Oh trouble the trouble headed right for it maybe you'll pass by he knows we're here alright now they're probably listening boys as well as minds in this field well that does it really spills the beans how do you mean it won't biz wise him up to our whole plan not necessarily they'll probably figure that some dope stumble into their mind field by mistake anyway he's not gonna stop us now takes patience for gun action take service [Music] after polishing off the patrol boat the seahorse went back to the spine-tingling job right on the enemy's front doorstep but days they kept at it until they had a comprehensive plot in the first line of Mines I wasn't so beat I feel awful good about now all that open the bag and heading for the barn I won't be able to relax until I can get the information back to the Admiral sure wish we could use the radio too many Japanese direction finders around here they'd be on us in a flash forgetting some having an affair it's on the radar I'll drop down have a look it's coming from back at somewhere whatever radar it is it works on the same frequency ours does could be the crevalle she's on some sort of special mission up this way keep an eye on it I think it's a Crivelli ray let's wait and let him catch up all engines stop all bearing on the crevalle one five three range 6,000 yards I believe I've got him it's an enemy patrol boat oh I'm a stupid ass what you ain't doing commencing 12 and 6 1 MMO without running [Music] [Music] dive dive we're at 300 feet captain the ship is written for depth charge and silent running repellers have speeded up the short scale pinging dancing overhead now [Music] [Music] [Music] all the depth gauges are broken I think we're on the bottom there's a bad leak in the radio room repair party to the radio repair party the radio room where is he now I don't know captain this gears gone dead at the hours war on the Japanese worked over there stranded victim the seahorse was a shambles but depth gauge isn't listening gear were broken periscope smashed diving controls knocked out of line but worst of all her radio equipment was flooded out she was deaf dumb and blind they were deep in enemy waters and even if they could surface chances are getting back with a vital information almost cease to exist as the afternoon wore on the Japanese seemed to pick up a false scent their charges were further away [Music] gray you come up here a minute what time is moonrise 23:47 I want a surface as soon after dark as we can that'll give us time to get away from here before the moon comes out I hope moving away with their depth charging isn't a trick they could leave a sleeper up there with his engine snapped we'd never know it that's a chance we'll have to take do you think we could dive again if we had to not without some repairs can't even move the ball plane matter of fact captain we don't know whether the engines will run [Music] all I had blank [Music] thank God no radar we may be running right pardon Joe maybe so captain but this is what I'd call it improving it maybe we'll make it we have to make it if the Admirals gonna get the dope on the minefield maybe we better get it to him by radio as soon as we can just to be sure well that won't be too soon captain I just talked to the chief radio man he says he's got to tear the transmitter down completely watch all the pots of fresh water and reassemble how long does he figure I'm working around the clock three days three days the seahorse was in desperate shape she tried to dive to escape an enemy plane but the damaged ship went out of control and popped to the surface again luckily the plane went fine but they were still deep in enemy territory their destruction seemed only a matter of time if they could get their information to Admiral Lockwood their loss would not be in vain hey Thompson hook up that entertainment radio in the shack we'll try to receive on it new antenna sir look short though it is but I think it'll be all right for our frequency you got to be getting pretty close to it fry now we put so many homemade parts in the transmitter I can't promise anything you can the skip and keep the enemy office till then we'll get something out of this fence minute nobody just a puff of smoke I'm ready to try it now go ahead light off your transmitter here's the message hope this tougher gremlins holds together the transmitter putting out yes sir we're calling both foil hovering womp we raised somebody they said they'd go ahead with a message wait a minute what's another it's a Japanese I could tell by the way he's hitting the key he's been trying to fool me for three years I better switch to 8400 it's Pro Harbor they hear us loud and clear and I will give them the message now all we have to worry about his are skins [Music] I'll be back in a moment with our special guests the skipper of the seahorse commander Harry H Griz with us but now he is Captain Korea United States Navy Perry that's patrol of the seahorse is certainly a fine example of courage and tenacity you didn't allow the enemy's best efforts to chase you out until you had the information the Admiral sent you for thank you it was my first patrol as commanding officer of the sea horse and I was fortunate to inherit one of the finest ship's companies that will never gather together they could do anything it must be a strange feeling to go cavorting about in a minefield well of course it is things like this always look dangerous or even foolhardy from a distance but we had good detection equipment we were well trained in its use and we had the confidence that goes with knowledge your survey of the Tsushima minefields was a great contribution to the success of operation Barney we're honored to have had you here please sit in with us again when the silent service brings you another true submarine story [Music] Oh [Music]