Historic Submarine Documentary and Training Films DVD Collection
The Historic Submarine Documentary and Training Films collection features dozens of rare films made by and for the U.S. Navy. Found in forgotten archives and private collections, and painstakingly restored using digital technology, the films present a view of the U.S. submarine force as recruits, submariners and the public saw it during WWII and the Cold War era. Many of these films have never been seen before by the public and have only recently been declassified!
Volume 1 – SUBMARINES: THE SILENT SERVICE IN WWII – $24.95
Description: 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 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 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 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 USS Nautilus. All films are black and white. Running time: 90 minutes.
Volume 2 – SUBMARINES: THE NUCLEAR PIONEERS – $24.95
Description: In the wake of WWII, an atomic revolution transformed the submarine. Featured on this DVD are five rare films showcasing the Navy’s nuclear pioneers. Witness the launching of USS Nautilus the world’s first “true” submarine, capable of staying underwater for months without refueling or surfacing. Watch as Nautilus fulfills its destiny, traveling under the North Pole in 1958. See the twin-reactor USS Triton as it circumnavigates the globe in 1960 without surfacing. See the USS Tunny launch a Regulus nuclear missile off its deck in 1950. The DVD concludes with a rare look at the new nuclear attack subs including USS Albacore, tasked with an all important mission: anti-submarine warfare. Films are black and white and color. Running time: 90 minutes.
Volume 3 – SUBMARINES: THE COLD WAR BELOW – $24.95
Description: Features six rare films showcasing the Navy’s strategic capabilities during the Cold War, and some of the most daring underwater exploits of the era. In “Missiles of the Navy” learn about the coming of space age weaponry to the underwater and surface fleets, and the Navy’s air arm. See the Navy’s never-deployed Regulus II supersonic cruise missile being tested and then launched off the submarine USS Grayback. Two terrific films show the construction and launching of the nation’s first SSBNs, the Polaris submarines. Includes footage of the USS George Washington, USS Will Rogers, and other boats. The collection also includes a home movie shot by the crew of the USS Seadragon, and an official film showing that boat’s epic journey across the Northwest Passage in 1960. Black and white and color films. 105 minutes.
Volume 4 – SUBMARINES: THE CUTTING EDGE – $24.95
Description: Further profiles the Polaris SSBNs and shows some of the systems, including training facilities and tender ships, which supported the growth of the Silent Service during the Cold War. In “Undersea University”, see inside the Navy’s submarine school in New London as it appeared in the 1960’s. Watch “Submarine Physical Principles” — a technical film of the sort used to indoctrinate new recruits. Other films profile the development and refinement of the Polaris missile and submarines, and show the transition as the longer-range Poseidon missile was introduced to the fleet. In another movie, see the memorable day when First Lady Jackie Kennedy christened the SSBN USS Lafayette — one of the “41 for Freedom”. The DVD also contains a film about the nuclear powered USS Skate, the first submarine to surface at the North Pole. Finally, “Submarine Support Operations” showcases the capabilities of the Navy’s submarine tenders and describes the organization of the sub service as it existed in the early 1950’s. Films are color and black and white. Over two hours of material.
Volume 5 – SUBMARINES: ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE (ASW) – $24.95
Description: Features five rare films showcasing the Navy’s anti-submarine capabilities at the height of the Cold War. Includes technical descriptions of M.A.D. and FLIR detection systems, and shows the use of aircraft, surface warships and destroyers, and hunter-killer submarines in the ASW mission. In “To Catch a Shadow” learn how the co-ordination of Navy forces can result in the detection and destruction of enemy submarines. In “The Submariners” watch as the crew of the USS Shark engages in a deadly cat and mouse game with an enemy submarine, and scores a “kill”. In “Goblin at the Doorstep” and “The Hunter Killers” see Grumman P-3 Orion and Grumman Tracker aircraft as they sweep the seas for enemy boats. Finally in “Coordinated ASW” learn the tactics behind the ASW formations used by the fleet in combat situations. Films are color and black and white. Over 110 minutes of material.
Volume 6 – SUBMARINES: THE DEEP HORIZON – $24.95
Description: Features rare films showing the exploration of the deep ocean by U.S. Navy aquanots and submersibles. See the deployment of the SeaLab I and Sealab II habitats, and learn about astronaut Scott Carpenter’s record-setting stay below the sea. Watch as the mini-submarine Aluminaut, which played a role in the retrieval of a lost atomic bomb off the coast of Spain, demonstrates its proficiency as a salvage tool. The DVD includes a revealing profile of some of the world’s most sophisticated (for their time) submersibles, the Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicles (DSRV) designed to free trapped crewmen from a disabled submarine. The DVD concludes with “Submarine Salvage” which shows the techniques used to raise a sunken submarine. Black and white and color films. 90 minutes.
Volume 7 – SUBMARINE DOWN! – ESCAPE AND RESCUE – $24.95
Description: Featured on this DVD are four rare and historic training films showcasing techniques to be used in a worse-case scenario. You’ll see midshipmen training in the giant escape tank at the submarine school in New London, and witness a full-scale drill utilizing diving bells and rescue vessels in mid-ocean. Watch as instructors detail deck safety, and describe how to recover a crewman who has fallen overboard. Finally, see a rare and recently declassified film that describes how Navy frogmen and SEALs use the escape trunk to enter a submerged submarine. This film features never-before-seen footage shot aboard the special operations boat USS Grayback. Approx 86 minutes.
Volume 8 – SUBMARINES FROGMEN AND DIVERS – $23.95
Description: The U.S. Navy’s deep sea divers and frogmen are some of the most highly trained and specialized personnel in the armed forces. Featured on this DVD are five rare films showing the history of the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDTs) — predecessors to the modern SEALs — and some of the regimens developed to train them and the Navy’s deep sea divers. Special attention is given to the physical effects of diving and the potential hazards that lurk below the surface. Learn about the development of underwater photography techniques, and see early footage of the use of the aqualung by Cousteau. See how UDTs operated during WWII, and see them deploy for combat from a submerged submarine. Watch a film made by the Navy’s diving school showing salvage techniques utilized by hard-hat divers. Witness the exploits and accomplishments of those men who braved the fathoms deep. Approx 120 minutes.
Complete Set – All Eight DVDs – $149.00
Buy all eight and save over 25%!
Please note: The Historic Submarine Documentary and Training Films DVDs are produced in the DVD-R format. If you have an older DVD player, it may not be compatible with DVD-Rs. Please check your player’s manual prior to ordering.
