| DAKOTAS | Billy J Kramer's backing band, had own hit with "The Cruel Sea" (7) |
| SADIST | Sid sat around with the cruel man (6) |
| WILLIAMCONRAD | The show's narrator (who later had his own hit TV series) |
| SHADOWS | Sometime backing band whose own hits included Apache and Foot Tapper |
| EYESHADOW | Section in store, yes, had own make-up (9) |
| COVERBANDS | They don't play their own hits |
| ASCRIBE | Give credit to carry cot in cruel sea (7) |
| RECLUSE | From wild cruel sea, a character was withdrawn (7) |
| BADTOME | Some personal nastiness aimed at Billy J Kramer for this song (3-2-2) |
| JEZEBEL | In the Old Testament, the cruel, immoral wife of Ahab, whose name came to represent a shameless woman (7) |
| DABHAND | Exceptional band had very able performer (3,4) |
| TYRANNY | The cruel and arbitrary use of authority (7) |
| SLAVERY | They murder contrary clergyman in secret for the cruel subjugation of others |
| SADISTS | Followers of the cruel Marquis |
| OFFSHOREACCOUNT | The Cruel Sea possibly, just possibly, opened 3 of 25? (8,7) |
| PATHETICFALLACY | E.g. 'the cruel sea' or 'lonely as a cloud' (8,7) |
| MONSARRAT | Naval lieutenant commander who wrote the 1951 novel The Cruel Sea |
| INNES | Hammond ___, author whose 6s include The Cruel Sea (5) |
| DESTROYER | Type of naval vessel featured in The Cruel Sea |
| ELSE | Different excerpt from 'The Cruel Sea' (4) |
