SILENT SERVICE TV SERIES
At a recent Norfolk meeting of WWII Sub Vets, a number of us remembered a television series The Silent Service which appeared in the mid 50s. The Naval advisor was Rear Admiral Tommy Dyckers.
A number of us are collecting video tapes of stories about such ventures and would welcome a chance to purchase the above series.
The huge catalog at the Blockbuster Video store contains many tapes of interest but not The Silent Service. It’s my hope that your printing in the REVIEW of this request for information will prompt someone expert in such matters to come forward with some useful information. I think there would be a large market, at least among the 3000 Sub Vets.
I remember one chapter was named The Salmon Swims Upstream. Hollywood called me for permission to have an actor play my part as Exec; I gave it, of course.
When the show aired, we all giggled; the actor was a tall dark handsome glib guy who had too many girlfriends.
Sincerely,
Dick Laning
SVBRON FOUR DEACTIVATION
Following 64 years of dedicated and devoted service to our nation, Submarine Squadron Four will deactivate in March 1995.
I anticipate that some Naval Submarine League members may be interested in attending the Squadron’s deactivation ceremony. The ceremony is tentatively scheduled for 17 March 1995. I am also looking for a few stories, from former SUBRON FOUR staff members or from the SUBRON FOUR ships, either serious or humorous to provide a historical perspective during the ceremony.
I can be reached at the address below or via phone.
Sincerely,
CAPT Stanley R. Szemborski, USN
Commander Submarine Squadron Four
FPO AA 34099-5205
(803) 743-6065
HOLLAND BOAT COMPANY ARTIFACTS
November 15, 1994
We have purchased the site of the Holland Boat Company at the Sub Base in New Suffolk, New York and would like to display any items that may originally have been on site, or are characteristic of the period.
If any members of the Submarine League have artifacts which could be displayed from the Holland Boat Company era (1888-1906), please do not hesitate to contact me at the address below.
Sincerely,
Henry E. Raynor
P.O. Box 1459
320 Love Lane Mattitruck, NY 11952
(516) 298-8420
(516) 298-2127 (FAX)
WORLD WAR II-PACIFIC THEATER
I am researching stories on World Warn U.S. submarines, particularly those that served in the Pacific theater, and would like to correspond with any surviving ex -submariners of that era. I am particularly interested in career officers who continued to serve after the war. I know that several have published books of their experiences in the last few years, and I hope that some of them would be willing to respond to my questions.
Sincerely,
Tom McGouriln
2636 Newhall Street #32
Santa Clara, CA. 95050-6368
(408) 248-3461
HARD KILL ANTI-TORPEDO SYSTEMS
November 28, 1994
I read in the 1994-95 issue of Jane’s Book of Fighting Ships that the NIMITZ class of aircraft carriers are now being equipped with Mk32 torpedoes for anti-wake homer torpedo hard kill countermeasures.
The French Navy has also produced a wake homer version of the F-17 torpedo. No doubt it won’t be long before other navies purchase this weapon or the Russian competitor the Type 65 torpedo. The result is that many navies are looking at hard kill torpedo countermeasures.
When will the U.S. submarine community adopt a hard kill anti-torpedo for the SSN 21 and the 6881 class submarines?
A reduced force of submarines needs every edge we can supply them with. The resources contained in each hull would make it a national tragedy to lose a single sub to a older system such as a captor mine or a KILO class sub laying at wait near a choke point.
Sincerely,
Adrian DeVoe
3160 Hostetter Road
San Jose, C4 95132-1733
