The Silent Service was a documentary style anthology TV 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 Narwhal’s Passenger from Mindanao” is episode 24 from season 1 of the show, which aired Friday, September 13th, 1957.

Directed by Jean Yarbrough and written by Robert C. Dennis, “The Narwhal’s Passenger from Mindanao” featured a cast of actors which included Ed Kemmer, William Bryant, Frank F. Scannell, Charles H. Gray, Douglas Bank, Eugene Iglesias, Rayford Barnes, Billy Lecher, James Parnell, Stuart Wade, Clarence Lung, Duane Cress, Gene Coogan, Joe Perry, Jack C. Titus, and Eric Morris. Together, this crew of actors bring to life the story of the USS Narwhal (SS-167), an older, larger, and slower submarine in the submarine service built in the 1930s, that was part of multiple successful patrols during World War II. One of the highlights from the sub’s career was the rescue of escaped POWs from Bataan on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. In 1942, the Bataan Peninsula, Philippines had been surrendered to the Imperial Japanese Army. As a result, the Japanese began rounding up POWs and subjecting them to brutal treatment, an estimated 17,000 men perished during and after the Bataan Death March. Later during the war, American troops captured the north coast of Mindanao, Philippines forcing the Japanese to relocate their POWs by way of freighter ships.

Following an introduction by Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykers (0:33), the episode opens to Lieutenant Commander Jack C. Titus being greeted aboard the sub as he assumes the role of captain in Fremantle, Australia July 1944. Captain Titus is then taken on a tour of the submarine by a member of the crew. The USS Narwhal departs from Darwin, Australia on September 14th, 1944 for its 14th patrol mission in the Sulu Sea (3:28). Groups of American POWs being transported in the hold of a Japanese freighter ships (4:12). Suddenly, the ships come under attack by US submarines, although fatigued and delirious, the POWs manage to escape and swim to the shores of Mindanao. Meanwhile, the USS Narwhal is patrolling off the south coast of the island, delivering supplies to guerrilla forces in the jungle, when they learn that the POWs are hiding out on a different part of the island (5:51). US military and guerrilla forces locate the POWs on the island and take them to a field hospital where they provide medical treatment until the USS Narwhal is able to pick them up (8:44). Crew aboard the Narwhal get word that another US ship, the USS Nautilus, is stuck on a reef (10:28). The crew contemplate the viability of rescuing both the Nautilus’ crew and the stranded POWs. September 29th, 1944 the USS Narwhal approaches the pickup point for the POWs after they get news that the Nautilus was able to free itself (12:24). Unfortunately, the rescue mission is delayed due to a high volume of enemy ships and planes patrolling the area by sea and sky. Finally, the US military official in charge of the field hospital makes it aboard the USS Narwhal and advises the crew on how to safely approach the island. The rescue mission begins, row boats are used to transport the POWs from shore to the submarine. While on the way to returning to safety, the USS Narwhal encounters an enemy plane and is forced to dive, however, the sub was nose-diving as it had dived at too large of an angle (17:15). Narrowly escaping winding up on the ocean floor, the USS Narwhal finally reaches shore on October 5th, 1944 and unloads the POWs (23:15). Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykers closing words and interview with Lieutenant Commander Jack C. Titus (24:10).

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