Mind your helm…

My first patrol on the USS George Washington was a blur in many ways. Being a new guy, I spent most of it completing my non-qual duty of mess cooking. I distinctly remember the hatches being shut for the last time, the diving alarm and the feeling of helplessness as the boat dove beneath the […]

"…the Italian Navigator has just landed in the New World…"

Compton: The Italian navigator has landed in the New World. Conant: How were the natives? Compton: Very friendly. December 2nd 1942 was the day the world changed forever. The title of this story is the coded telephone message confirming first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction on that day. On that afternoon, the Atomic Age began inside […]

Escape of the Casabianca

One of the most daring episodes of World War 2 submarining took place on November 27, 1942. That story comes from the French Navy in the port of Toulon in a most unexpected fashion. On that day, the officers and men of the Casabianca disobeyed the orders of the Vichy French and managed to pull […]

FBM Blue and Gold – The Beginning

Thanks to shipmate Tim Lutes STS2(SS) USS George Washington SSBN 598 for finding this little gem and posting it on FB. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HGrDJSHmXZU#! I sailed on the GW when she was about twelve years old and had clear memories about how old she was (at least every time something broke). At different points in my four […]

The Boats of NOVEMBER

The early days of nuclear submarine operation and development were fraught with opportunities for success or disaster. The United States Navy was first to the game with the Nautilus and the Soviets were not far behind. The major difference was the technology and insistence of safety on the American side. Admiral Rickover’s insistence on training […]

Big Bigger Biggest… US Navy Submarine Video

From the earliest days of submarine development to today, an awesome submarine video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TALsk2BpkB8&feature=related Enjoy

Shared Sacrifices

On the eve of Thanksgiving, please take a moment to think of all the men and women who will not be able to sit around a table with their families this year. Some are sitting in ready rooms on aircraft carriers waiting for an order to launch in support of ongoing operations in far lands. […]

I Used to Worry

“Man Battle Stations Missile”… dong dong dong dong dong dong You had only been asleep for about an hour, a deep sleep where the work that kept you awake for eighteen hours finally caught up with you. Maybe it was the leaking packing on the trim pump. Maybe it was a circuit board that eluded […]

Navy Proud: It’s in the blood

On the sixth of April 1917, the United States Congress declared war on Germany. The declaration came after the German government increased its belligerent actions against the United States. President Wilson who had campaigned on the strength that he had kept the US out of war from 1914 until that very moment had relented after […]

Stuck in the hatch

If I was going to design a submarine based on my experiences, I would design one with an extra hatch between each compartment. Logically, a real bubble head might question the wisdom of such a hatch since it might impede our ability to maintain watertight integrity under normal circumstances. If you have ever seen a […]