On June 23, 1943, the Norfolk Ledger-Star published a rare look into one of the most secretive corners of the American war effort. Titled “Submarine Crews Submerge, Sweat, When Depth Charges Are Dropped,” the article gave readers at home a dramatic, carefully curated peek into life aboard a U.S. Navy submarine during World War II. For a service built entirely on secrecy, it was a surprising choice.

The story brings readers just close enough to the action. It describes the chaos and claustrophobia of a depth charge attack. The lights go out. The sub tilts and groans. Officers calculate courses, speeds, and firing angles in tense silence. Crewmembers hold their breath, literally and figuratively, as enemy destroyers hunt above them. And all of this unfolds without giving up a single operational detail.