There will always be that one love that defines you – Happy 711 Day

This is a love story. As someone who still considers himself a sailor, I also consider it one of my greatest love stories. (With apologies to my beautiful wife whom I have loved for almost as long as the one I write about today – to be fair, I would have never met her it […]

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 […]

Nuclear Submersible Aircraft Carriers – USS Permit and USS Halibut

In the time before Polaris Quick disclaimer: I am sure that the purists will be jumping up and down in their retractable arm chairs yelling at Mister Mac for misrepresenting the article and contents. But if you stick with the story long enough you will discover two things: It was someone in BUSHIPS in 1958 […]

July 4th 2019 Post Number 776 – USS Ulysses S. Grant SSBN 631

July 4, 2019. This is the 776th Post on theleansubmariner blog. Sometime in the early morning hours of this day, the blog counter for number of “visits” went over 500,000. A half million visits to the site since its founding in 2011. The number of followers on the web site, Facebook and Twitter has really […]

USS Robert E. Lee SSBN 601 PAX DETERRENDO

USS Robert E. Lee SSBN 601 Of all of the leaders in American Military History, very few reach the standard set by Robert E. Lee. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Lee was one of the most sought after men on both sides of the coming conflict. It is to his credit that he […]

USS Stonewall Jackson SSBN 634 – Unwavering Courage

USS STONEWALL JACKSON (SSBN 634) Today is July 2nd. In 1863, a great battle in and around a small town called Gettysburg was in its second day. This is not meant to be a story about the battle but the second day was a day when Robert E. Lee surely could have used the talents […]

USS Abraham Lincoln SSBN 602 – Pax Per Tridentum

USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (SSBN 602) I am writing this on July 1, 2019 which is the anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863. It’s interesting that the next four days will be dedicated to members of the 41 for Freedom Family who all had a direct connection to the Civil War […]

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 […]

How low can you go? (an unclassified accounting of the term Test Depth)

Test Depth Note: No classified material is contained in this unofficial story about submarines and the place in the ocean we call “Test Depth”. Every time someone hears that I served on submarines, one of the first questions that is always asked is “How deep can you go?” My answer is always the same: Not […]

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 […]