Submarines, great for selling beer

I came across this video clip the other day while cruising around the internet for sub pictures and videos. It shows a Dutch submarine (Walrus(2) Class) surfacing near what I assume is the beer factory. Check out the X-rudder reminiscent of USS Albacore, an experimental platform used by the US Navy.

Submarine beer commercial

The Power of an ADCAP Torpedo

The torpedo warhead contains explosive power equivalent to approximately 1200 pounds of TNT. This explosive power is maximized when the warhead detonates below the keel of the target ship, as opposed to striking it directly. When the detonation occurs below the keel, the resulting pressure wave of the explosion "lifts" the ship and can break its keel in the process. As the ship "settles" it is then seemingly hit by a second detonation as the explosion itself rips through the area of the blast. This combined effect often breaks smaller targets in half and can severely disable larger vessels.

USS Parche Commemorative Coin

USS Parche was decommisioned on Oct 19, 2004. This is the coin porduced by Northwest Territorial Mint to commemorate the occassion. A total of 1,100 coins were produced from metal taken directly from the Parche itself. Eighty seven of the original 1,100 coins were presented to the members of Parche’s final crew. These eighty-seven coins contained a special reverse and were inscribed with the names of the respective crew members. The remaining 1,013 coins were distributed to Parche’s past crew members.

Remembering past watches...

Having moved on in my qualifications I know stand Auxialaryman of the Watch underway. About the only thing I miss from standing Helm/Planes is when we were on the surface someone had to be the Lookout (when the weather was good, that is). Below is a picture of a sunset (with a boomer) like many I've had the opportunity to see before diving. Sunset's just look better when there's nothing else around to see.

My latest award...

The good ship USS Providence (SSN-719) recently returned from completing our INSURV inspection. I am the Damage Control Petty Officer so I got to walk around with a full bird Captain and have all of my DC gear inspected for 3 days. Thinks went so well that the Friday after we were done I received a NAM for doing a good job.

I was quite surprised to say the least. This is my first NAM so it's pretty nice to be able to add another ribbon to my chest, especially one for something that I actually did as opposed to all the other I got because I was in the right place at the right time.

Colission between USS Philadelphia and Turkish freighter

Well as most people know by now the Philly hit a Turkish freighter during a surface transit to Baharain. I can't even begin to imagine how this is possible. How do you just not see another vessel with all the equipment onboard let alone your own two eyes? Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming either ship. It is entirely possible neither ship had room to maneuver. We won't know until the official report comes out. Here's an excert from The New London Day on the collision (free registration required; complete story is here:

"Sources said the freighter was coming up behind the submarine about 30 miles off the Bahrain coast and apparently ran right up over the back of the ship, scraping along the starboard side of the hull, the fairwater plane, the rudder and the housing for the towed sonar array. The sources said under international maritime "rules of the road," any vessel overtaking another must automatically yield the right of way, so if the M/V Yaso Aysen is found to have been overtaking the submarine, then legally the Philadelphia would be in the clear, which could mean the Navy is not responsible for legal damages to the freighter. But a Navy investigation could still conclude the Philadelphia captain and navigation team should never have let the freighter get close enough to hit it, and the captain and some members of the crew could still face some kind of punishment, the sources said."

Russian Juliett 484 Submarine: K-77

http://www.juliett484.org/juliett/index.html

I found this website the other day just by accident. It is for a Juliett class Russian cruise missle attack submarine. It has been turned into a museum at Providence, RI. Just before I reported to USS Providence (SSN-719), my division used to do volunteer work helping restore it.

Lego submarine

Here's a little insight to my other hobby besides submarines. I collect Lego sets. Only the Star Wars sets though. Yes, I know. I'm a dork. Oh, well, I enjoy it anyway. Check out this Lego representation of a submarine. Too bad it'd only sink with all the seams in the bricks.

Lego Submarine

Fellow submarine bloggers

Thanks to Xopher and chaoticsynapticactivity for adding my to their blogs. I've added links to their blogs in the right hand column. Pay them a visit and enjoy.

Radio controlled Typhoon submarine

Copyright © 2003 John T. VanderHeiden

So there I was just searching the Internet for some cool pictures to add to my blog and I came across this awesome site. This guy John decided to build a RC submarine from scratch. His website takes you thru it's entire construction for fabricating the hull to sea trials. It even has working missle tubes. As you can see from the picture this was quite an endeavor. Check out his site at the link below:
John's RC Boats

MM2(SS) Joseph A. Ashley and USS San Francisco (SSN 711)

By now we're all aware of the grounding of the USS San Francisco (SSN 711) on January , 2005. Visit this blog for the complete story:
Submarine Brotherhood

Also, in the right hand column I've added a link to MM2(SS) Joseph A. Ashley's Guestbook. Please visit and show your support to the Ashley family.

The Night Before ORSE

Any submariner out there knows the hell that is an ORSE work-up. Endless drills... constant cleaning... tests for the nukes... and LOK's for all of Engineering Dept... So here's a little something similar to "The Night Before Christmas" to raise your spirits.

The Night Before ORSE

For all you who hate PMS

Here's a little something for all of you who know the pain that PMS can be. Just yesterday my entire division's liberty was secured till all the PMS for the week was done. I know it has happened to you to. (You'll need Adobe Reader to view file)

MRC D-1R Perform bowel movement

"Qualified in submarines"

The wearing of Dolphins is a longstanding naval tradition. Earning Dolphins is a significant event in submariner's career; a special high point that instills tremendous personal pride and a sense of accomplishment.

The origin of the U.S. Navy's Submarine Service Insignia dates back to 1923. On 13 June of that year, Captain Ernest J. King, USN, later to become Fleet Admiral and Chief of Naval Operations during World War II, and at that time Commander Submarine Division Three, suggested to the Secretary of the Navy, via the old Bureau of Navigation, that a distinguishing device for qualified submariners be adopted. The design chosen consisted of a bow view of a submarine proceeding on the surface, with bow planes rigged for diving, flanked by dolphins in horizontal positions with their heads resting on the upper edge of the bow planes.

The Officer Insignia was then and is now a gold plated metal pin, worn above the left breast pocket. Enlisted men wore the insignia, embroidered in silk, on the outside of the right sleeve, midway between the wrist and the elbow. In mid-1947 the embroidered device shifted from the sleeve of the enlisted man's jumper to above the left breast pocket. Subsequently, silver metal Dolphins were approved for enlisted men.

Dolphins are earned through a rigorous qualification process. Individuals must learn the location of equipment, operation of complex systems, damage control procedures and have a general knowledge of operational characteristics of their boat. Dolphin wearers qualify initially on one boat and must requalify on each boat to which they are subsequently assigned. Once Dolphins have been earned, they are awarded to the individual by the Commanding Officer in a special ceremony.

The qualification certificate reads: "Having successfully completed the rigorous professional requirements for qualification in submarines, having gained a through knowledge of submarine construction and operation, having demonstrated his reliability under stress, and having my full confidence and trust, I hereby certify that he is Qualified in Submarines"

Profile of a Submariner

(Written by Dr. Joyce Brothers following the loss of THRESHER in 1963) The tragic loss of the submarine Thresher and 129 men had a special kind of an impact on the nation.....a special kind of sadness, mixed with universal admiration for the men who choose this type of work.
One could not mention the Thresher without observing, in the same breath how utterly final and alone the end is when a ship dies at the bottom of the sea....and what a remarkable specimen of man it must be who accepts such a risk.
Most of us might be moved to conclude, too, that a tragedy of this kind would have a damaging effect on the morale of the other men in the submarine service and tend to discourage future enlistment.
Actually, there is no evidence that this is so.
What is it then, that lures men to careers in which they spend so much of their time in cramped quarters, under great psychological stress, with danger lurking all about them? Togetherness is an overworked term, but in no other branch of our military service is it given such full meaning as in the "silent service".
In an undersea craft, each man is totally dependent upon the skill of every other man in the crew, not only for top performance but for actual survival. Each knows that his very life depends on the others and because this is so, there is a bond among them that both challenges and comforts them.
All of this gives the submariner a special feeling of pride, because he is indeed a member of an elite corps.
The risks, then, are an inspiration rather than a deterrent.
The challenge of masculinity is another factor which attracts men to serve on submarines. It certainly is a test of a man's prowess and power to know he can qualify for this highly selective service.
However, it should be emphasized that this desire to prove masculinity is not pathological, as it might be in certain dare-devil pursuits, such as driving a motorcycle through a flaming hoop. There is nothing daredevilish about motivations of the man who decides to dedicate his life to the submarine service.
He does, indeed, take pride in demonstrating that he is quite a man, but he does not do so to practice a form of foolhardy brinkmanship, to see how close he can get to failure and still snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
On the contrary, the aim in the submarine service is to battle danger, to minimize the risk, to take every measure to make certain that safety, rather than danger, is maintained at all times.
Are the men in the submarine service braver than those in other pursuits where the possibilty of a sudden tragedy is constant? The glib answer would be to say they are. It is more accurate, from a psychological point of view, to say they are not necessarily braver, but that they are men who have a little more insight into themselves and their capabilities.
They know themselves a little better than the next man. This has to be so with men who have a healthy reason to volunteer for a risk. They are generally a cut healthier emotionally than others of the similar age and background because of their willingness to push themselves a little bit farther and not settle for an easier kind of existence.
We all have tremendous capabilities but are rarely straining at the upper level of what we can do; these men are.
This country can be proud and grateful that so many of its sound, young, eager men care enough about their own stature in life and the welfare of their country to pool their skills and match them collectively against the power of the sea.

In the beginning.....

Just started this blog adding to my other blog. I'm in the US Navy on the USS Providence (SSN-719) and pretty busy at work so it'll be slow for me to get this up but I'll keep on posting new stuff when I can. Right now I hope to get some thing up that we can all laugh about and enjoy. Then I'd like to add pictures and other things. Hope you all enjoy.