Dating to 1958 and season 2 of “The Silent Service”, this episode “Mine for Keeps” is about the USS Trigger. The submarine is dispatched to lay mines along the coast of Japan, so as to force Japanese ships out into deeper waters where they can be attacked by submarines. The operation is risky, as the patrol will bring Trigger into shallow waters where the submarine can be easily spotted and sunk.

This episode was directed by Sobey Martin and written by Herm Lewis, It is hosted by Rear Admiral Thomas Dykers, and stars Carl Betz, Roy S. Benson, Russell Johnson, Ron Hagerthy, Robert Foulk, K.L. Smith, Stewart Bradley, William Henry and Robert Whitesel.

USS Trigger (SS-237) was a Gato-class submarine. From 3 December 1942 to 22 January 1943, the submarine conducted a combined minelaying and offensive patrol, in waters surrounding the Japanese home islands. On 20 December, she began planting a minefield off Inubo Saki, Honshū. Trigger planted the northern half of the field and was working on the southern part when a cargo ship passed her, heading into the newly-laid mines. Five minutes later, a violent explosion rocked the freighter which sank while an escort circled her. The submarine later heard another explosion from the direction of the minefield and, when she surfaced the next day, found the field was covered by smoke.

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