Dee: welcome to the secret world of the underwater warrior (surprised they didn't put you messcooking)...
if anyone wants to see what an 'emergency blow' entails, check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhs47KP01vk (Ya gotta love yardbirds...)
After THRESHER's loss decision was made to upgrade the blow system in submarines under the SubSafe program. Problem was two-fold. One was that the air blowing tanks had to traverse from air banks inside the ballast tanks through long lines to the blow valves in control and then back to the ballast tanks to blow them, resulting in lag and loss of pressure. Second was that the valves themselves had a tendency to ice up (pv=nrt) and throttle the air.
The fix was to parallel this system used in normal surfacing with an emergency main ballast tank (EMBT) blow system that had special valves just inside the pressure hull at each ballast tank capable, when activated with a pneumatic signal from control (the chicken switches), of dumping the whole air bank directly into the ballast tanks that housed it, no line lag, no icing. The ride is like an express elevator. It was in the test of this system in GREENEVILLE that she surfaced under the EHIME MARU and killed those nine kids in 2001.
Rubber Ducky - aaahhhhh! No messcooking !! That's the advantage of traveling with a Mustang submariner! LT Rutkowski was an ex- ET (SS). I think you beat me by a few years - my first NavFac was PacBch - right after the commissioning crew. I go back there every 3 years for a reunion. Last one, we had the CO from NOPF Whidbey come down, took us thru the TE Bldg w/dependents, & gave a Power Point briefing at our dinner in the old EM club. I was on the commissioning crew at Adak (Nov 1963) - as PO2 was the "leading Sonarman" of the FIVE of us that were first ordered in (early- coming on line) due to the Cuban Missle crisis.
One SO per watch section - myself on board 24/7 as relief & to maintain Admin/limited PA functions. Had all my meals brought in ....only glimpses of daylight for the first 30 days - till we got more sailors on board. Thanks for sharing..........Dee
P.S. By the way - never got my Plankowner Certificate from Adak. Any way you know of getting such an animal??
Thanks much for the information - Ed Rutkowski was Ops Officer in Bermuda. I was the OPS LPO at the time. We also worked together (for short time) at NAVELEX in Crystal City when he retired. I was with TRW under contract to PME-124. Capt Jerry Nifentoff was Program Manager (CDR at that time). Can't recall the specifics of Ed's time there. Thanks for the information on the plankowner certificate. Will follow up on that.
Irv, your story about having the rudder brought back memories. In 71 I was part of a US Det assigned to a Canadian AOR for the first RIMPAC exercise. One day I was delivering the next days flight schedule to the bridge and the helmsman asked if I wanted to try steering, before I answered the Capt. said "approved". So with the guidance of the helmsman I took the helm and quickly demonstrated my ability to zigzag. After about 30 minutes of my attempting to hold a steady course, the CO told me that we were not attempting to evade submarines. I did eventually get where I could hold, and change course smoothly. After that I would relieve the helmsman once or twice til the end of the Det. The Canadians sure had some different ways of ship life, but enjoyed every minute of my Dets with them.
Terry - never had the opportunity to serve with you, but I am sure we had some mutual friends that we served with. In 71 I was finishing up my second tour at Adak - on my way to OTM shool in Key West (1 yr CPO). I am glad I "jogged your memory" - and at my age I am lucky if I can "jog" anything !! I got to thinking about the initial posting by Capt Donovan - regarding Sea Dragon under the ice. I believe I can recall holding her during her northbound transit - was at Coos Bay at the time - came up there from SNI and met my "wife to be" (Linda Zumwalt)! No, that didn't have anything to do with my finally making Chief !! - That was when they put EVERYONE in the military on "indefinite extension" and I got orders to Adak. Wasn't supposed to be on line for another 4-6 mos - but we brought it up early & "put on our ears" !! thanks for your post.
