Cold War Stories – Prepare to Snorkel

Cold War Stories – Prepare to Snorkel When the word is passed “Prepare to Snorkel” on a submarine, a number of actions need to be taken immediately. The boat has to be at the correct depth, valves need to be adjusted and of course, the diesel operator needs to do some preliminary actions. The snorkel […]

Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Twelve: Pig Boats at the Panama Canal

Chapter Twelve Pig Boats at the Panama Canal From the Annual Report of the Navy Department (1921/22), an accurate description of life on board any of the submarines of the day: “Submarines, from their size and peculiarities of construction and operation, are far less habitable than the usual types of surface craft. They do not […]

“Information from other sources sheds rather a different light on the matter.” Underestimating any enemy can be dangerous

“Information from other sources sheds rather a different light on the matter.” Underestimating any enemy can be dangerous. Recently, I was browsing through the national archives and found some declassified documents dating back to the 1920’s about submarine development abroad. During that time frame, there was a great desire on all parts of the world […]

Diesel men are like connoisseurs of old hams or juleps

This story from the Washington Star Newspaper from May 18, 1942, brought back a lot of memories for me. The first part certainly takes me back to all of the training I received as a young man in the Navy. Over the course of my career, I attended over 60 Navy schools related to […]

“The sea – like life itself – is a stern taskmaster” The Story of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz

The sea – like life itself – is a stern taskmaster. This was the early childhood lesson taught to the boy who would later become one of the most influential leaders in the United States Navy. He was significantly influenced by his German-born paternal grandfather, Charles Henry Nimitz, a former seaman in the German Merchant […]