Anybody work in Naval submarines?

[recycled sixtie]

Just wondering if anybody has done this? Total respect for those folks that have done this. I have worked underground in a mine at the 2200 feet level. But this pales in comparison to submariners!

[fanaudical]

I have not. I used to work with some ex-Navy guys who were submariners. They had some interesting stories. All very level-headed, never got mad, never got rattled, just got the job done without drama. I'm with you - total respect for those who have served our country in this duty.

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

Total respect for those folks that have done this.

Yes, indeed! I've been aboard both WW2 era and cold war era submarines and can't imagine living/working in that environment...especially if engaged in combat. It takes a special sort of person for sure. Those with claustrophobia need not apply...

[zakthor]

I read a book: Operation Drumbeat, about the nazi submarine operation to strangle us shipping along the east coast. Quite a few interviews with people that served.

Thing that most surprised me, a guy was asked about the movie 'Das Boot' and to paraphrase, 'oh, movie was just completely unrealistic. They made it look so nice and easy and spacious. Everything was just so clean in the movie, in real life we were covered in greasy soot after the first day and constantly coughing. And that scene where people were screaming in fear with the depth charges? That would never happen. Everyone was there to do their job 100%, fear never crossed your mind.'

Most shocking was how they had no regret about sinking big passenger liners. I guess there's people today who's job is to launch h-bombs at cities, and that is worse in magnitude for sure, but they also don't need to listen to the people in the water screaming for help.

[zakthor]

Originally Posted by rcooled

Yes, indeed! I've been aboard both WW2 era and cold war era submarines and can't imagine living/working in that environment...especially if engaged in combat. It takes a special sort of person for sure. Those with claustrophobia need not apply...

Yeah that photo is without all the torpedos that would normally fill that space when they left port.

[RNajarian]

Agree 1000%

Submariners are in a class all by themselves!

Discipline, equanimity, and nerves of steel.

Thanks Guys/Gals for all you do, THAT WE HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT.

[fanaudical]

Blind Man's Bluff is a good book if you can find it...

[SpyderMike]

Yes, I worked for a few years as a civilian Nuclear Test Engineer on 688 Los Angeles Class and the older Skate Class (USS Sea Dragon and USS Swordfish) submarines (and some boomers) at Pearl Harbor as my first job out of college. We oversaw testing and maintenance of the reactor plant and related systems while in the shipyard. The technology difference between the classes of boats was amazing. The twin screw Skate class (1950's) were kept for special circumstances, but, oh boy, what a step back in time.

Wear your hardhat and watch your head!

You could tell Submariners by their scars...without sunlight they seemed to heal with a bluish-purple tint it seemed.

[Jeff Higgins]

My older brother spent six years in the Navy as a machinist's mate on the USS Pollock, a Permit class submarine. He has some very interesting stories.

[ramonesfreak]

Saw this a few months back. Cool tour

[Robert Coats]

My Navy Reserve squadron deployed to Barbers Point, HI back in 1985, and there were not enough beds on base for enlisted guys like me, so we had to stay at the Submariner's Barracks at Pearl Harbor. They had great chow and state-of-art facilities. After a week or so, we got invited to tour a fast-attack sub in port for a while. I recall how cramped it was, and had to imagine the Soviet boats I used to track were even worse, if not significantly less safe. The Chief Petty Officer (E-7) giving us the tour took us up where the periscope and antennas were deployed. As he started to move them around, we heard a cry up from below:

"Hey! Stop moving the sat antenna!"

The Chief bellowed back, "WTF do you care about that right now?"

A sheepish voice replied, "We just got dialed into the HBO West satellite and were watching 'Bachelor Party' with Tom Hanks!"

[MMARSH]

Son in law is on a Submarine. Currently been deployed about 5 months. Will probably finish his contract and get out.

[A930Rocket]

I had a friend and a coworker that served on boomers during the Cold War. I should’ve asked him about his experiences, provided he was willing to talk.

Submariners are definitely a breed apart

[70SATMan]

My youngest cousin retired as an E-8 after 25 yrs as a submariner. His last 5 or 6 was as an instructor.

[gregpark]

Originally Posted by fanaudical

Blind Man's Bluff is a good book if you can find it...

Excellent read. Well researched, informative and some great stories

[Arizona_928]

Iron Coffins is a great book...

[Jolly Amaranto]

While living on Guam, we could always tell when a Polaris Missile sub was in port at Apra Harbor by the pale looking sailors in town on leave. I had nothing but respect and admiration for those guys but never had the desire to sign up for that duty. My Jr High industrial arts (shop) class got to tour the submarine tender Proteus stationed at Guam, but could only look at the two subs tied up along side.
In early 1971 the USS Cavalla (SS-244) was moved to Seawolf Park on Pelican Island next to Galveston. Two of my buddies from high school and I decided to check it out. Found a gas mask in one of the lockers that needed
modeling.

[LWJ]

A neighbor and a good friend were both submariners. Those guys are very high performers.

Nothing but respect.

[Rusty Heap]

Showing the effects of compression at depth, some submariners played a prank on a group of Marines that was their first ride.

At the surface they'd stretch a length of string tight across the sub interior side to side.

At depth, the string would begin the sag and bow as the hull compressed deeper and deeper. wow.


My old neighbor was a retired Navy Seal. Told stories of exiting a sub while at depth with his stealth team, then walk to and enter a mini sub on the back of the mother ship to go do covert adventures, then land it back on the sub. Cool stories like that.

[Seahawk]

Like Mr. Coats, I chased the subs around. The Russian subs in the 80's and early 90's made more noise than bad brakes. The US subs were impossible unless they were "augmenting". They live in the water and know it better than anyone.

A few Quick Sea Stories:

Barking Sands ASW exercise against a Boomer. The conduct of the exercise brief goes well. I decide to game (cheat) the initial portion of the exercise by laying a series of DIFAR sonobuoy's (which are passive devices) in front of the sub transit lane in the exercise area, which is on the map. Inside the tactical area: I have standards.

It is early evening, the moon is up and I can see the Boomer on the surface transiting.

Muahahaha.

I am at maybe 2000ft when the Boomer goes sinker, right into the "chevrons" of DIFARs I have spit. I watch it.

Best AW in the world is in my crew, I am in digital data link with my ship, three other ASW operators are using the sonobouy data in conjunction with us.

Zippy.

The Boomer disappears without a trace...eerie. When they "augmented" with sound, we found them.

Next.

AUTEC (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Undersea_Test_and_Evaluation_Center) in the late '80's: Big ASW confab to test the "new" stuff to find the subs. AUTEC is a remarkable range that can recreate entire exercises.

The CO of the LA Class sub we will be chasing is a really good guy. At the pre-brief we yuck it up and he invites me to spend a day on his boat during the exercise period, which was a three day event.

I learned more inside baseball in 24 hours than I could have imagined. They are spectacular at what they do.

I also hit my head on sub parts more than Hagler and Hearns hit each other...my dome looked like the craters of the moon.