“The men who go down into the waters in these boats must take their lives in their hands.” Holland’s Invention in 1898

Sunday, April 24, 1898, the San Francisco papers and papers across the country were filled with the latest news about the Spanish American War that was already underway. America woke up that morning to the realization that it had seacoasts that stretched from north to south in both the east and the west. There was […]

The Daring Gambler Held All the Cards – The Plunger Legacy

There are few other submarine names that show the progression of the growth of America’s submarine propulsion power as clearly as the family of boats named Plunger I wanted to end Submarine Month (April 2020) with a classic story and a tribute to one of the most decorated submarines of the Cold War at the […]

The Battle of Bull Run and the First Official Submariner

The Battle of Bull Run and the First Official Submariner Since April is Submarine Month, I thought I would add to the history of our great institution. Warning: This is a long article… I struggled to cut it down to size and even thought about doing a two part story. But the more I found […]

No One is Laughing Now Mr. Holland

April is submarine month in the United States and April 11, 1900 is traditionally celebrated as the day the submarine force was started with the purchase of the Holland Submarine. This year, I have spent a lot of time researching through the national archives for stories from 1900 or at least from the early part […]

“What nation will own the submarine monster is a question.” The Original Submarine Day Story

“What nation will own the submarine monster is a question.” I was watching the posts put up on social media about the “Original” submarine day recently (March 17th). My own tradition has always been to recognize April as the American Submarine month. I also have been pretty much centered on 1900 as the founding year […]

Promises made, promises kept – The Polaris Story 1967

Promises made, promises kept – The Polaris Story 1967 There have only been a few times that I have posted stories from shipmates. Each had value all by themselves but their content certainly made them worth sharing. The story of the installation of the AFDB 7 USS Los Alamos floating dry dock in Scotland, https://theleansubmariner.com/2014/04/04/afdb-7-los-alamos-holy-loch-scotland-in-the-beginning/ […]

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 […]

The Secret of the Art: The Holland in 1898

Its been a busy month gearing up for the holidays so its also been hard to sit down and post stories. I am finishing up a couple of other projects (including my book on Cassin Young) but ran across this story while researching old Navy stories. Traditionally, the official start of the American Submarine Service […]

Steam Will Replace Sails? Madness!!!

An Ohio class submarine slips its mooring next to the Delta pier in Bangor Washington. Silently, she glides down the flat calm waters of the Hood Canal on her way to the open ocean. This five hundred sixty foot vessel will soon submerge and begin her primary mission. For over fifty years, ships like this […]

122 Years of Continuous Improvement

Continuous Improvement for over 122 Years While submarines have existed in one form or another for a very long time, the US Navy formalized the marriage of technologies that would lead to the modern steel warhorses that range the oceans of the world today. After a series of trials in the late 1800’s, a man […]