Memories. Ahhh Yes, Memories of My Life

Life On Submarines, & The Inherent Dangers Of Being On One

Submarines

         I'm going back in time in this entry. Back to my previous life as I like to call it.

         If you've read anything I've written, you might remember that I served in the Submarine Service of the US Navy for 20 years. I thought I'd share with you a little about submarine life, and the inherent dangers of being on a submarine. First things first. Submarines don't have windows! There's no way to see where you're going underwater. The Navigation team uses charts to plot their course based on their location known when they were on the surface last. Knowing the speed of the boat, the direction they are headed, plus more that I'm not aware of, they can plot a course. So far, so good, more on this later.

         Once you're underway, life becomes routine really. A day is 18 hours long. It consists of 6 hours on watch, 12 hours off. In that 12 hour period, you have to get any needed maintenance done, work on your qualifications (if you haven't yet earned your dolphins, or needed to qualify on a different watchstation), be woken from a sound sleep due to alarm sounding, usually due to drills. We had drills almost every day from noon to 6 pm, mainly in the Engineroom where I stood watch. Oh yeah, and sleep. In that 12 hours, you might be lucky to get 4-5 hours of blissful rest. There were many times where I worked around the clock, standing 6 hours of watch, worked 12 hours, stood 6 hours more of watch, work a little more, then rest. I only did that when I was sure that no drills would be run. At least I never had to hot-bunk. That's where two of you share a bed, but not at the same time! One would be on watch, the other sleeping, and vice versa. I stood many a Port & Starboard' watch, that's where you stand watch 6 hours, have 6 hours off, and repeat. This would continue until someone qualified on that watchstation, allowing you to move to the 6 on 12 off schedule.

         The cooks served meals every 6 hours, coordinating with the change of watchstanders so you could eat before and after your watch. Submarine food is well known for being above average, so it was always good for me. I remember being in port one time, and having the general alarm sound. On my plate was about 3-4 Alaskan King Crab legs. But with the alarm sounding, I had to get up and 'do my duty'. It turns out that the alarm was due to a problem on the pier, but a problem with the electrical supply, which my division was responsible for. I didn't get back below deck until about an hour later, and of course my King Crab legs were gone. Such is life....

         Let's get back to the idea of cruising underwater without being able to see where you're going. Do this for me. Imagine you're driving your car, but the windows are all covered so you can't see a thing. You get in the car at your house and back out the driveway. Based on your speed and direction, you know how long to back up. Then you turn to straighten the car on the road, then start driving to the local store. All the while, you can't see where you're going, but based on your speed and direction, you know where you are. EXCEPT one day, the city has started doing maintenance, and you weren't informed. Instead of getting to the store safely, you end up hitting a post that was placed in road. It's the same for a submarine underwater. The charts being used must be up to date, or there's no telling what could happen. Maybe something like this.

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         That's the USS San Francisco after she collided with an underwater mountain at about 25 knots. The inner hull is intact, saving the crew from a grisly death. One crewmember did die in the accident, but he died when they tried to transfer him off the boat to a helicopter while still at sea. They had to shift the position of the stretcher so it was vertical to get it out of the hatch. Doing so caused the problems with his circulation, he died on that stretcher while being lifted. It turns out the charts they were using were out of date, and showed that underwater mountain to be about 25 miles away.

         If you hear of a submarine has gone missing, is late getting into port, or not heard from, say a prayer. Most likely the boat is on the bottom of the ocean in a few thousand pieces. About 99% of the ocean is too deep for any submarine to survive. When it goes down, it gets to a depth called 'crush depth'. It's exactly what it sounds like. The submarine implodes, then explodes. The explosion is caused by hydraulic fluid and oil that is compressed. It can only be compressed so much before it explodes. When that Argentinian submarine was missing a few years ago, several friends asked me what I thought. I just said, "Pray for the crew, because they're all dead." My friends didn't believe me at first, until I explained to them the 'facts of life' about submarines.

         Okay, enough of the class on submarines, and their inherent dangers. There's far more I could tell you, but you would get bored reading about it, nor is there enough room to get this all typed in. Till next time, y'all be good, take care of yourselves, and love those who love you.