Fifty Plus (50+) - Run Silent, Run Deep

Was out for a long ride on Sunday, stopped at the Naval Undersea Warfare Museum near Bremerton, Washington.

Saw a couple of retired subs in the parking lot, like this:

http://i29.tinypic.com/4hwo7l.jpg

And this:

http://i27.tinypic.com/2mdl5q8.jpg

I then asked if I could see the Navy's current fleet in action, and the guard pointed me toward this:

http://i28.tinypic.com/vgn5dv.jpg

Spooky...

LOL That is funny!

I was on SSN 596

We had one stationary bike for 120 guys and a row machine...I am sure times have changed..

LOL That is funny!

I was on SSN 596

We had one stationary bike for 120 guys and a row machine...I am sure times have changed..

That's revision..........back in the civil war they had hand cranks for 8.....:D

LOL That is funny!

I was on SSN 596

We had one stationary bike for 120 guys and a row machine...I am sure times have changed..

wow! only one stationary bike and a row machine? how many knots would she do?

:-)

LOL That is funny!

I was on SSN 596

We had one stationary bike for 120 guys and a row machine...I am sure times have changed..

I was on SSN 757. We sometimes had 2 exercise bikes and a treadmill for 120 guys. They haven't changed that much. :)

That's cool.

We have a couple of subs out our way here in the middle of the country,

the Batfish in Muskogee OK,

http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/us_navy_pages/submarines/batfish_ss_310/01_uss_batfish_ss_310.jpg

and North Little Rock's own Razorback. Woo Pig Sooiee!

http://www.downtownlittlerock.com/storyimages/39A.jpg

This was my home away from home for about 6 years. SSBN623.

I was in Trickie Dickie's Royal Air Circus, so I've only been on board as a visitor. However, I wanted to comment on the title - I LOVED that movie! I got to see it (the 1st time) as part of a rich friend's birthday party. I've re-watched it many times over the years and often thought I'd enter the Silent Service, but my asthma kept me out of the Navy - neither the Army nor the AF had any qualms about that.

Thanks to all who have served.

Thanks to all who have served.

+1

I had a good friend who was a submarine officer - it sounded to me like a *ton* of work.

With mild claustrophobia I especially admire those who served in subs!

This was my home away from home for about 6 years. SSBN623.

Where was that photo taken?

That's cool.

We have a couple of subs out our way here in the middle of the country,

the Batfish in Muskogee OK,

http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/us_navy_pages/submarines/batfish_ss_310/01_uss_batfish_ss_310.jpg



somebody needs to double check their navigation.... she's run aground, sir!

Wow, lots of bubbleheads here.

I was a nuke MM on the 610 and survived a collision at sea:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_eJcfPH7iYEg/RsyfafDvZyI/AAAAAAAAAdk/IWEtfpz-zQY/s800/Edison%20Crash%201.JPG

(actually there were no casualties but I like the dramatic impact) We got run over by our own destroyer near Subic. We were a deconverted SSBN so there was some extra room between the missiles but we still only had one excersize bike.

Then switched to the 612, not nearly as much room.

Wow, lots of bubbleheads here.

I was a nuke MM on the 610 and survived a collision at sea:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_eJcfPH7iYEg/RsyfafDvZyI/AAAAAAAAAdk/IWEtfpz-zQY/s800/Edison%20Crash%201.JPG
Are those gang members spray painting the conning tower? Geez, nothing is safe anymore!

My college roommate, who just retired from the navy, commanded a Trident submarine for a while. I got a tour a couple of times, and was mightily impressed. Those things are longer than the Washington monument is tall.

Good grief excersize bikes. Fresh air 24/7 no snorkel what a bunch a wooosis. USS blenny SS-324 and USS corporal SS 346 now those were real pig boats. Especially if you were lucky enough to take one of the extended trips, where the heaters were turned off and the showers were full of potatoes for a couple a months. We were ripe on the return from those. USN CPO ret. 1980

BTW those are DSRV and research vessels not combat subs. Mostly civillian.

Good grief excersize bikes. Fresh air 24/7 no snorkel what a bunch a wooosis. USS blenny SS-324 and USS corporal SS 346 now those were real pig boats. Especially if you were lucky enough to take one of the extended trips, where the heaters were turned off and the showers were full of potatoes for a couple a months. We were ripe on the return from those. USN CPO ret. 1980

I'll yield to your stories of diesel boat hardships chief, but fresh air on a nuke boat? Unh-uh. We came to snorkel depth (yes we had one) once a watch to ventilate and that didn't really do much for the cigarette smoke, coner farts, and amine atmosphere.

I wasn't on one, but my father was on the USS Baleo, a WWII vintage sub. It had two points of distinction: 1. it was buzzed by a Cuban fighter plane in, IIRC 1952, and 2. the conning tower was used in filming the movie, "Operation Petticoat."

I was Navy, but I sailed a chair on an Air Force base. There's just something wrong about boarding a boat you know will sink before it gets out of the harbor! :)

I've walked through a few subs at museums. There's one in Manitowoc at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. They manufactured Gato-class subs there during WWII and have one on display, in very good restored condition.

I can't imagine serving on that first sub you posted BengeBoy.

I can't imagine serving on that first sub you posted BengeBoy.

As noted above, I'm 99% sure they were research subs for ocean research, though I've always suspected that many "research subs" had military/intelligence applications as well.

"Run Silent, Run Deep" by Edward L Beach was one of my favorite books growing up. I so wanted to be in the submarine service. Then at age 16 when I reached 6'2'' I realized this was not such a good idea.

Run Silent, Run Deep is a great movie. Another one I never miss is Down Periscope. My family did not believe how true to life I said it was.
That second picture reminds me of the Triest.
I was a skimmer. The submariners say there's only two types of naval vessels, subs, and targets.:thumb:

USN MMC(Ret)

USS Parche SSN 683. We had 1 stationary bike, it didn't get used much it was above the reactor.

This is a great thread. It's nice to know there're a good number of mentally stable 50+'ers on this sub-forum... ;)


I can't wait for the Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb thread to draw out the Slim Pickins in us all. :D

As noted above, I'm 99% sure they were research subs for ocean research, though I've always suspected that many "research subs" had military/intelligence applications as well.

No way they lack the speed and endurance and are launched from a surface vessel.

Didn't say the nukes were a picnic, sub life was a hard row to hoe reguardless, battery or nuke. Took some very unpleasant trips. The long runs 56 days and 61 days on conventionals in the submerged mode snorkeling every day to recharge batteries and make water were not some of my favorite memories lol.
Good grief I just had to delete a bunch a stuff as I remembered why its called the silent service.

The movies mentioned were good but the one that bothered me most (and I did read the book) was the
"Hunt for Red October" so much accurate data and things that were considered or expermental were covered that I thought they might charge the author with treason.

Where was that photo taken?

That picture was taken as we were leaving Bremerton, Wa. heading for sea-trials.

The movies mentioned were good but the one that bothered me most (and I did read the book) was the
"Hunt for Red October" so much accurate data and things that were considered or expermental were covered that I thought they might charge the author with treason.

I once worked with a guy who was an officer on a sub. One day I asked him what was the range & speed of torpedos back in WWII and the 1950s. He wouldn't tell me.

Now we have wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpedo

And if I want to know something about the 4 different torpedoes in current use by the U.S.:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_46_torpedo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_48_torpedo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_50_torpedo
http://www.deagel.com/Torpedoes/Mark-54_a000963001.aspx

I was a sonarman. USS Lapon SSN661, USS Sirago SS485 and USS Trumpetfish SS425. The Sirago was the most fun a 20 year old kid could have and make $200 a month. What a crazy crew! DBF Diesel Boats Forever.

http://www.sirago.com/ Check the photos: Crew 69/72

Also a Sonarman and I know your an old fart also because we weren't tech's till later. Never figured out why we all had to become tech's. Was afraid to be an Et cause I figured I wasn't that smart, then went to key west and covered the same 31 weeks of tech data in 23 lol. Heck I was only 18 when I got to the Blenny fresh out of key west during the cuban crisis and sub school. Could of been 19 but was 17 when I enlisted. hmmm 200 a month not quite $99 seamans pay $55 sub pay and $9 sea pay =$163 lol. When I made E-4 $124 and got pro pay $50 sea pay $13 I was in tall cotton!!!

I might be a little too high on the pay. I was 18 when I enlisted and went to the Lapon as a first boat. Off to the Med for 8 months and when we got back to Norfolk were were scheduled to go to the yards in Philly. Zumwalt was CNO and had he had a duty swap program. I went up and down the pier and found a guy on the Sirago who was from Pittsburgh that had a pregnant wife. He wanted to go to Philly. I went to the XO and asked if he would help me out. He said why do you want to go want to go on that Pig Boat? I told him I was a sailor, not a sand crab, and the Sirago was going on a Northern run for 7 months and I wanted be on the patrol. He didn't say anything. The next day he says look at this and showed me my orders to the Sirago. :thumb: After all these years the crew is still tight. :thumb:

One day a mess crank was cleaning the coffee urn in the crew's mess. The COB started eating his azz about it... that pot is well seasoned and you're fuggin' it up. The mess crank pulled an old sock out of the bottom of the pot. The COB looked at his coffee cup and back at the mess crank and says I guess cleaning it once wouldn't hurt. :roflmao2: :roflmao2:

The After Battery Rat in the newsletter section of the web site is a hoot.

Thought this might be a good thread to identify a couple items I photographed on a recent club ride. We rode around Mare Island outside Vallejo, Cal. and stopped at a park there which displayed a number of weapons from when this was a submarine base. The first picture is a Polaris missile, the second is a Civil War period 'torpedo' (launched by attaching it to the end of spar and pushing), but the more modern torpedos (3rd picture) were not identified, nor the blue missile? in the 4th picture.

Anyone able to identify these last two items?
Thanks.

I once worked with a guy who was an officer on a sub. One day I asked him what was the range & speed of torpedos back in WWII and the 1950s. He wouldn't tell me.

Now we have wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torpedo

And if I want to know something about the 4 different torpedoes in current use by the U.S.:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_46_torpedo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_48_torpedo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_50_torpedo
http://www.deagel.com/Torpedoes/Mark-54_a000963001.aspxAnd did you notice just how much you still do not know?

Estimated
Estimated
Estimated
Estimated
Estimated

Served on
SSBN-623
SSN-651
SSN-579
SSN-609

And did you notice just how much you still do not know?

Estimated
Estimated
Estimated
Estimated
Estimated


I've been told that these "estimates" are very accurate and that one of the reasons they use the term is to avoid legal action.

I've been told that these "estimates" are very accurate and that one of the reasons they use the term is to avoid legal action.


They are generally conservative - for instance if a sub can go 31 knots they'll publish that it can go "greater than 30 knots"... Disclaimer: I just made those numbers up. ;)

I've been told that these "estimates" are very accurate and that one of the reasons they use the term is to avoid legal action.


They are generally conservative - for instance if a sub can go 31 knots they'll publish that it can go "greater than 30 knots"... Disclaimer: I just made those numbers up. ;)

Spent 5 years working WITH the sub community out of Pearl. I have a few days underway time. I'm NOT claustrophobic, but when the hatches close, you know it. I spent the rest of my 20 years in other communities, including 8 years on two different "targets".

Bremerton WA is just a beautiful area. You are fortunate to live there. I did allot of work out that way in the last 5 years on a (won't name it here) Submarine Conversion project. Having worked in the silent service for 24 years, I can tell you there is more truth to that last picture than you could possibly know ;)
Nice pics! Thanks for sharing.:thumb:

p.s. Our torpedo's from WWII were nothing special and had some "issues". ( Many were made within yards of my office) . Now the new stuff is very scary!

Served on
SSBN-623
SSN-651
SSN-579
SSN-609

When did you serve on the 623?

I was factory trained on the MK48 and harpoon. The Mk48 is an interesting weapon, the first really smart weapon and I'd heard from a reliable source it has been given significant upgrades since I left the Navy and it was scary in 1980. Harpoon was simply cool.

Harpoon was simply cool.

Amen! I cut my teeth as a young engineer on that project and worked on the (Submarine Version) for 10 years as a "sand crab". Very cool and sorely missed!