In remembrance of the crew of the USS Thresher SSN-593

[WinterBorn]

59 years ago today the USS Thresher, SSN-593, was lost.

 

[StashMan]

Their great service and sacrifice to our country will always be remembered.

 

[Dekster]

Never heard of it/them. RIP and all that.

 

[HaShev]

Still looking for the name of the Sub or ship that lost the full crew to accidental mistaken friendly fire (by a British ship or sub?)
Around the 40's-50's?
I researched crew logs on a bunch and can't find my Zada's Brother listed to find which one.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

My submarine cruise almost ended in disaster through human error. We were doing a fire drill at general quarters. I was assigned as one of the helmsman/planes man. The trim and drain system is used as a the fire main, but in order to pressure it, a valve must be closed to the aft trim tanks. A check with the watch in the engine room shaft alley where the valve was located, verified it had been shut manually so the drill continued. Part of the drill was stopping and locking the propeller so we lost all propulsion. As we slowed, we kept noticing the bow continued to rise despite our still having some forward motion. I had my sail planes in the maximum dive position but we kept going up by the bow. The stern planes man also had full rise on his planes to try to level us out. (He was my college roommate BTW!)

We noticed our depth was slowly increasing, but that was expected. However, The bow continues to rise and the stern was sinking. We had been keeping the diving officer informed of our plight and it was now getting hard for anyone standing to do so. He told the Officer of the Deck (OOD) that we had lost control. The OOD had the engine room verify that the valve to the aft trim tanks were closed. A quick check showed it was not. The damage control training team had ordered it reopened because in their scenario, the location of the fire would not have been able to access the valve. No one notified the control room.

Out inertial navigation system now showed we were actually moving backwards as we sank. By this time our depth was approaching our test depth and we did not want to go further. The drill was ordered to be secured and the valve to the system was shut. We continued to slide backwards into the depths until the main engine shaft could be unlocked and the propeller could provide forward propulsion.

The end result was that we had exceeded test depth and had attained an almost 60 degree inclination from the horizontal. After they secured the drill, numerous people had to change their underwear! After 42 years, I still remember the number of that valve: TD17.

Outside of combat, submarines are still dangerous places to work, because of the environment, but the constant training in routine procedures keeps them from losing more subs. I also salute my brethren submariners for their service and making the ultimate sacrifice.

 

[Sunni Man]

 

[WinterBorn]

My submarine cruise almost ended in disaster through human error. We were doing a fire drill at general quarters. I was assigned as one of the helmsman/planes man. The trim and drain system is used as a the fire main, but in order to pressure it, a valve must be closed to the aft trim tanks. A check with the watch in the engine room shaft alley where the valve was located, verified it had been shut manually so the drill continued. Part of the drill was stopping and locking the propeller so we lost all propulsion. As we slowed, we kept noticing the bow continued to rise despite our still having some forward motion. I had my sail planes in the maximum dive position but we kept going up by the bow. The stern planes man also had full rise on his planes to try to level us out. (He was my college roommate BTW!)

We noticed our depth was slowly increasing, but that was expected. However, The bow continues to rise and the stern was sinking. We had been keeping the diving officer informed of our plight and it was now getting hard for anyone standing to do so. He told the Officer of the Deck (OOD) that we had lost control. The OOD had the engine room verify that the valve to the aft trim tanks were closed. A quick check showed it was not. The damage control training team had ordered it reopened because in their scenario, the location of the fire would not have been able to access the valve. No one notified the control room.

Out inertial navigation system now showed we were actually moving backwards as we sank. By this time our depth was approaching our test depth and we did not want to go further. The drill was ordered to be secured and the valve to the system was shut. We continued to slide backwards into the depths until the main engine shaft could be unlocked and the propeller could provide forward propulsion.

The end result was that we had exceeded test depth and had attained an almost 60 degree inclination from the horizontal. After they secured the drill, numerous people had to change their underwear! After 42 years, I still remember the number of that valve: TD17.

Outside of combat, submarines are still dangerous places to work, because of the environment, but the constant training in routine procedures keeps them from losing more subs. I also salute my brethren submariners for their service and making the ultimate sacrifice.

Damn! Glad you made it.

Yes, they are dangerous places to work. That is why Sub Quals are so difficult. The crew has to save themselves.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Damn! Glad you made it.

Yes, they are dangerous places to work. That is why Sub Quals are so difficult. The crew has to save themselves.

As an officer, I wore my gold Surface Warfare Officer insignia, my silver dolphins, and an FBM patrol pin. People would ask why I still wore my dolphins and patrol pin, and I would also say, because I earned them! Spending 3 months on a cruise with my being a former enlisted - now college freshman in NROTC, I received my silver dolphins after undergoing a ship's walk-though, ship's oral board, certification by the sub's Captain and an oral board by the squadron training officer, who has been CO of a similar class ship when we returned to port. It was a program that was not even announced until well after we left on patrol, so I claim to be the first Midshipman ever to qualify submarines way back in 1980. The other midshipmen who qualified did so during their summer cruise while I was back in college taking summer classes.

 

[WinterBorn]

As an officer, I wore my gold Surface Warfare Officer insignia, my silver dolphins, and an FBM patrol pin. People would ask why I still wore my dolphins and patrol pin, and I would also say, because I earned them! Spending 3 months on a cruise with my being a former enlisted - now college freshman in NROTC, I received my silver dolphins after undergoing a ship's walk-though, ship's oral board, certification by the sub's Captain and an oral board by the squadron training officer, who has been CO of a similar class ship when we returned to port. It was a program that was not even announced until well after we left on patrol, so I claim to be the first Midshipman ever to qualify submarines way back in 1980. The other midshipmen who qualified did so during their summer cruise while I was back in college taking summer classes.

Any man who earned his dolphins knows how tough it was. The men who signed the card did not give them anything. And the Qual Board and CO's Walk Thru were brutal.

Good job.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Any man who earned his dolphins knows how tough it was. The men who signed the card did not give them anything. And the Qual Board and CO's Walk Thru were brutal.

Good job.

I cannot recall, what was your rate?

 

[WinterBorn]

I cannot recall, what was your rate?

I was an SK. My bad color vision eliminated me from most of the ratings. I got out as an SK3/SS.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

I was an SK. My bad color vision eliminated me from most of the ratings. I got out as an SK3/SS.

Roger that! My first ship had an SKCS who was Filipino. None of the other officers could understand him well because of the accent. He loved me because he saw that I understood every word he said.

The SKs (as they were called back then) are the backbone of the Navy because you could not get anything done without them.

 

[WinterBorn]

Roger that! My first ship had an SKCS who was Filipino. None of the other officers could understand him well because of the accent. He loved me because he saw that I understood every word he said.

The SKs (as they were called back then) are the backbone of the Navy because you could not get anything done without them.

Everybody needs them, that is for sure. I enjoyed the duty.