Simon Lake Was a Dreamer

“Every man seen was at his station” – The tragic loss of the S-51

Every man seen was at his station – The tragic lass of the S-51 Caution – The descriptions are pretty graphic. I have written about the sinking of the S-51 before but today is the hundredth anniversary of the beginning of her recovery and restoration. In their day, the U. S. submarines S-50 and S-51 were the latest and […]

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 Thirteen: While one Navy shrinks an enemy secretly grows

Chapter Thirteen: While one Navy shrinks an enemy secretly grows Between the years of 1920-1921, the United States was shedding the weight of the forces it had mustered to answer the call to action in the Great War. After the Wilsonian years and massive growth and investment, the Republican leadership clung to the new idea that […]

Every Moment Mattered – The Life and Death of Cassin Young, Captain, USN MOH Recipient – Chapter Ten: She married a Submariner

Chapter Ten: She married a Submariner There was a custom that existed when ships were at sea to drink a toast at dinner on Saturday night to officer’s wives and sweethearts. The second stanza to one of those toasts (that dated back to the Royal Navy) said: Sweethearts and wives, those precious names That make […]

In the beginning… building a submarine despite the odds (1900)

In the beginning… building a submarine despite the odds (1900) The 125th Anniversary of the United States Submarine force will occur in April of 2025. This is one of a number of articles related to that celebration. I spend a lot of time researching history and my favorite source material comes from the National Archives. […]

1908 – Submarines Floating on a Sea of Champaign

1908 – Submarines floating on a sea of Champaign In the winter of 1908, Connecticut House of Representative Member George L. Lilley brought a scathing accusation against members of the House of Representatives and a whole host of people who had been involved with the previous year’s submarine competition. The competition had determined that the […]