navy subs

Nothing can be done about the poor souls that were on board, now........But I wonder sometimes what these & other sunken/lost ships / subs have done to our oceans in terms of pollution?

What have they done / are they doing,..... to the fish almost all of us eat?

Who knows what they were carrying when they went down?

The {Gov} sure draws attention away from them in a hurry. And no definitive answers are ever given.
 

These were terrible accidents. I toured a sub up in Connecticut years ago. I said then that I would never had wanted to be stationed on one. Just thinking about being hundreds or thousands of feet underwater gave me the willies. I also toured one in Hawaii. Same thing. No thanks!

I also recall the Russian nuclear sub K-19, which I watched the movie and I highly recommend it to those that like intense drama movies. This is a powerful movie and shows first-hand what can go wrong when scientists hurriedly put together a nuclear sub. Just a great movie with Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson.

When I first graduated from college, I interned at Allis Chalmers Inc., which manufactured nuclear reactors for Navy subs. I met Admiral Rickover, who was in charge of the U.S. Navy's submarine program. What an honor to meet such a distinguished man and Officer. He asked me if I served in the armed forces. I told him that I am a Marine. He shook my hand and thanked me. Just a really nice man that respected his men.
 
Oldman -- It seems curious to me that being under water is scary to many, but being tens of thousands of feet up in an aluminum tube going close to the speed of sound doesn't bother them.

I served on a diesel boat, but I wouldn't want to serve on a nuke. They go too deep and stay out too long.

Don
 
Grampa, I have a bit of claustrophobia and the idea of being down under the ocean in a sub is almost as scary as being down in a tunnel under the earth. I just couldn't do either one. When I was a kid we went to see Carlsbad Caverns and they had to bring me up early because I freaked out. Maybe it's not being able to see the sky? I do elevators, etc., OK though -- maybe it's because I'm not "under" something. I dunno.
 
Butterfly - Yeah, a sub is not a good place if you have claustrophobia. Maybe aircraft are easier because you can look out the window. I went aboard an aircraft carrier once, and I thought being down in the bowels of that thing was creepier than the sub. My wife came aboard the boat once. She made it to the after battery hatch and had to get out.

It is tragic that the two boats mentioned went down, especially if it was due to someone's incompetence. But, people die in all branches of the service. It's a risk those who enlist are willing to take.

Don
 
When I first joined the navy I toyed with the idea of applying for sub school. Had a friend who was in the original Blue/Gold fleet. In the end, I decided it would be too many guys in too little space for too long a period for me. Very cool duty, but it takes a very special sort of person . . .
:hatoff:
 
Grampa Don said:
Oldman -- It seems curious to me that being under water is scary to many, but being tens of thousands of feet up in an aluminum tube going close to the speed of sound doesn't bother them.

I served on a diesel boat, but I wouldn't want to serve on a nuke. They go too deep and stay out too long.

Don
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Don... Good point! I never thought about it, but I am glad that someone didn't make the same point back when I was flying. One big difference is that when I was up in the air tens of thousands of feet, I was in charge of the controls. It's like when you are driving with someone that takes risks and you wish that you would have drove instead. I think we have all been there.

I am not claustrophobic, but maybe I am when it comes to being stuck in a ship that you can barely walk through and you have to be there for days. Even the bunks are barely big enough to get your body on and I am 6'4". How long does a sub normally stay underwater? When I toured the U.S.S. Bowfin last summer in Pearl Harbor, it was a great experience.

The sub that I toured in Connecticut it was the U.S.S. Nautilus, the first nuclear powered sub. Even back then, I felt uneasy, but it was an interesting tour and museum. If I were Navy, I would sign on for an aircraft carrier. I would have really loved to have been selected to fly in the Marines and land on a carrier. Maybe even go to Miramar. Guys that flew in the service advanced much faster than I did. It took me 16 years to become a senior pilot and only about 8-10 years if they flew in the service and proved themselves.
 
no sub for me either even while serving onboard the proteus a sub tender. men who like subs and jumping out of planes are braver than me. hence my nick c=sea and well destroyer speaks for itself....
 
Oldman -- The diesel boats could stay down as long as the air held out. On patrol, we would snorkel after dark for fresh air and battery charge. In an emergency, there was CO2 absorbent, and we could let in bottled air. By the time we would snorkel, a match wouldn't stay lit. The nukes make their own air.

We took some marines aboard once. We dropped them off in rubber rafts to attack the beach at camp Pendleton and picked them up when they came back. A couple Seals went with them. Not something I would want to try.

Here's a shot of our boat tied up in Okinawa.

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Don
 
U.S.S. Bowfin in Pearl Harbor: Bunks inside. (I don't think I would fit.) The man in the picture wouldn't move. I think he was trying to read the markers.

U.S.S. Bowfin IV.jpg Bunks II.jpg
 

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I don't know who the man is standing there reading the markers, but I couldn't get him to move. In the other picture at the top, I used my software to rub him out, so to speak, but I could not delete the other two pictures with the man in them. DRAT!!
 
photos of fbm subs are not allowed so this is a painting of the uss ethan allen berthed next to the uss proteus

sub.jpg

the partial view of the square object above the sail is the overhead crane for loading polaris missiles.
 
The Bowfin is a Balao class boat, the same as the one I was on. So, the interior would be much the same. Our boat was a Guppy II conversion, which is why the superstructure looks so different. The sail is fiberglass, and puts the bridge some 30 feet above the water.

Are the markers commemorating boats that were lost?

Don
 
yes, they were nuclear with two warheads each sub carried sixteen and the ship stored more in a plug deck.. none are left to the best of my knowledge
 
Interesting chatter about submarines. My husband served 12 years in the USN. He was mostly out of Groton, on Fast Attack Los Angeles class. We spent a few years overseas in Holy Loch then back to Groton for some time on Boomers before he got out. What irritates me is that he was in the service BETWEEN "wars" so doesn't "qualify" for any military benefits. There are a few retailers that acknowledge military service, regardless (Thank you, Lowes) but unless we were at war, the guys are ignored! Have to say, they were just as ready to step up and fight but were fortunate enough to be serving during a time of peace!!
 
My only sub story is that I worked for a defense contractor that manufactured the reactor monitoring and control equipment. Government inspectors monitored our every operation to assure all the work was done properly and the results of testing recorded. The saying was that the job isn't complete until the weight of the paper work equaled the weight of the equipment. Failure of the equipment is not an option "twenty thousand leagues under the sea."
 
Victor said:
I am curious, what is it like living in a sub?
I'd like to take a tour. Is it claustrophobic?
How's the food?
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I can only speak for the old diesel boats. But, I expect it's not much different on the nukes.
It was a little crowded, about 80 guys in a boat about 300 ft. long and 14 across. But, you get used to it. They are well air conditioned so it's never stuffy. I never felt claustrophobic.
The food was excellent. The officers and crew ate the same food. The officers had a small pantry for snacks, and ate in the wardroom. There were stewards to cater to them.
When just transiting, anybody could visit the bridge for a little sunshine.

Don
 


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