Product Details

• Directors: Various
• Format: Black & White, Collector's Edition, Restored, NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: Periscope Film
• DVD Release Date: July 18, 2005
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000AB0Z2W
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #181,063 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

The sneak attack on Pearl Harbor destroyed most of America's Pacific Fleet. Untouched were America's submarines. They would inflict catastrophic losses on the Japanese in World War II.

Featured on this DVD are five rare U.S. Navy films made in the WWII era — including a full COLOR film — showcasing the capabilities that led to America's triumph in the Pacific war. Watch a rare, silent newsreel of the recovery of the USS Squalus and its crew after a diving accident.

See recruits train for action in the pre-war silent service, and watch rare FULL COLOR WWII combat footage as U.S. fleet boats enter Japanese home waters, operating with impunity and sinking everything in sight.

Also featured is a film showing one of the great triumphs of the anti-submarine war in the Atlantic: the capture of the Nazi U-505 at sea.

The DVD concludes with a showcase of post-war developments including the launch of the nuclear Nautilus.

Digitally remastered and restored from original 16mm prints, many of these films have never been available to the public, and some have only recently been declassified. Please note, due to their age and rarity, image and sound quality can vary.

All films are black and white and COLOR. Running time: 90 minutes.

IMPORTANT: This DVD is presented in the DVD-R format. It may not be compatible with older DVD players. Please check your DVD player's manual for more information.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superior Early History Of United States Submarines, October 23, 2005

By 

Bob Prater (Concord, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Submarines: The Silent Service in World War II (DVD)

Without exception, "The Silent Service in World War II" is the absolute best depiction of the United States submarine fleet during this period. None of the footage that you'll see in this DVD is a Hollywood conception of what was. This is the real McCoy. As a veteran submariner and old smoke boat sailor, this is a DVD that you won't be able to stop watching. This is a must have for the any Naval historian, submarine sailor, school or anyone that would like to see how it really happened.

You'll see the exciting capture of an actual German U-boat and it's recovery. View the rescue and recovery of the USS Squalus and it's crew. Hear accounts from Japanese regarding the massive damage inflected by our pig boats after they attacked Pearl Harbor. I highly recommend this DVD to everyone. You're library just isn't complete until you own this one.

Bob Prater, USS Remora (SS-487)

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent U.S. Navy films from an historic era!, August 21, 2005

By 

FullFathomFive (Kings Harbor, Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Submarines: The Silent Service in World War II (DVD)

I just recently bought the "Silent Service in WWII" DVD and spent the better part of an evening watching it. If you're a fan of books like "The Hunt for Red October" or "Run Silent, Run Deep" -- or the movies of the same name -- this DVD is for you. It has five interesting films made by the U.S. Navy and featuring real-life footage of some of the most historic submarines of the 1930-1945 era. The "Submarine War Story" film is a special treat, in that it shows how the U.S. fought Japanese surface forces throughout the war with subs. It has some amazing footage from 1945 of subs sinking sampans and junks, and rescuing pilots whose crippled planes could not make it back to Tinian and Iwo Jima. Some of the other films show how sub crews were trained, and there is a short, silent newsreel that shows rare material from the Squalus accident (profiled in "The Terrible Hours" by Peter Maas). The DVD is one of a planned set of five discs, and I look forward to getting the other four when they are available (looks like only a couple have been released so far).

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Silent Service: Submarines of WWII, June 15, 2008

By 

Joe David Solis (TX, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Submarines: The Silent Service in World War II (DVD)

This beautifully packaged DVD is a revelation because it includes several different B&W films including actual full-color footage taken on the USS SCULPIN with its, then, Cmdr. who was later killed while on deck shooting at the Japanese enemy; Submariners between War Patrols relaxing at The Royal Hawaiian on Waikiki, etc. Also, the reproduction availability of WWII Fleet Type Submarine manual and supplement, as well as other products beautifully demonstrated. All in all, a great issue/find!