“The submarines could lick us” … 1950 – The submarine missile threat emerges

THE SUBS COULD LICK US With the Second World War less than five years in the past, Naval Authorities were sounding the alarm that technology was about to let the Soviets take a leap forward in the ever expanding chess game called the Cold War. As this article relates, the Soviets were already beginning […]

The Submariner Stereotype

How do you describe a Submariner? If you are a qualified submariner, you probably have a standard description when people ask about your life when you were on the boats. The most common responses I get are “Oh, I could never do that” or “Weren’t you afraid?” But nearly everyone of a certain age has […]

All that was new in 1952 – Submersibles – yesterday, TODAY, TOMORROW?

Reaching back once more into the time vault, we find the Navy struggling to determine what the next step for submarine warfare will be in 1952. The successes of the Second World War were obvious. A determined group of submariners had proven the lethality of the weapon in helping to defeat a powerful enemy. With […]

The Vision of a Man Named Nimitz – The American Submarine Story in the 20th Century

Arguably one of the most influential American Submariners that ever lived was Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. As a young man, he was significantly influenced by his German-born paternal grandfather, Charles Henry Nimitz, a former seaman in the German Merchant Marine, who taught him, “The Sea – like life itself – is a stern taskmaster. The […]

MEN AGAINST ICE – ALL HANDS January 1947 USS Sennet SS 408 and Operation Highjump

In 1947, the United States Navy was the predominant Navy in the entire world. The buildup of American naval forces during the Second World War resulted in an excess of ships when the war was finally brought to a conclusion. The quiet revolution that came to be known as the Cold War was just beginning […]

Tribute to a WW2 and Cold War Warrior – USS Sennet SS 408 (2019 Reunion Information included)

Every once in a while, a request comes across my desk that I just can’t say no to. Submarine reunions are one of my favorite past times since I know that the men who gather (and their ever faithful ever suffering wives) are going to get a chance to relive some of their younger […]

What’s in a name? : USS Clamagore SS 343

What’s in a name? : USS Clamagore SS 343 It’s been hard the last few years seeing the struggle of the Clamagore. There are so few submarines from her era still afloat and even the thought of losing one is hard for those of us who know their place in history. These articles are from […]

Oil, cabbages and very little oxygen… Life aboard a WWI Unterseeboot

May 7th is the anniversary of one of the most significant seagoing tragedies in the annals of submarine history. The sinking of the Lusitania in 1915. (Note: The article is a good read for a day when you can have some quiet… at the end of the article is a link to a classic documentary […]

“Why do Navymen volunteer for Submarine Duty?” one story from 1967

1967 – Five years before I raised my right hand for the very first time This article was written for the Navy Magazine ALL HANDS. As I look back at the history of the submarine force and what was happening during 1967, it is easy to understand why the Navy would want to put such […]

Ballistic Missile Nuclear Submarines in 1964

Nuclear Submarines at Ten Years This article from ALL HANDS MAGAZINE did a very nice job capturing the development of the Nuclear Submarine Navy during the first ten years. Looking back nearly fifty five years later, it is stunning to see what was accomplished considering the technology they had available at the time. Think about […]