Messages

1

Website Updates and Off-Topic Discussion / Re: Merry Christmas! Check in and say hello!

« on: January 05, 2011, 10:52:56 PM »

"BAT",

I actually started hyperventilating while walking down the gang plank to see the "Back".  A lot of good memories started flooding back.  Once inside I was really surprised at how much I remembered about the boat and its equipment.
When I sat at the old sonar console (it may have even been the one I operated) I really was taken back.  All of the equipment was there with some updated stuff that came after I left the boat.  What really surprised me though was how the boat appeared much smaller inside than what I remembered.  That's one of the things that happens when time goes by.

Enjoy your visit when you get to see the Cavalla.

Bill

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Website Updates and Off-Topic Discussion / Re: Merry Christmas! Check in and say hello!

« on: January 03, 2011, 01:24:16 AM »

Broken Arrow.....

Enjoy your visit to the Cavella!  It will be quite an experience for you.  I finally got to see my old boat, the Blueback in Portland this past summer.  It was a real treat to sit in my old sonar shack once again.  I hope you have a good docent to ask questions; it's important to have someone that knows the boat to explain what you are seeing.  I visited the Russian boat and the USS Dolphin in San Diego last year and there wasn't anyone giving the tour.  You just walked through.  The others that were touring didn't understand the what they were seeing.  Really a shame.

So have fun!

Bill

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Website Updates and Off-Topic Discussion / Re: Merry Christmas! Check in and say hello!

« on: January 02, 2011, 03:01:02 AM »

Well, the race is on to Christmas.  Christmas Eve is a week from right now! 

How are all of you doing?  It's been a while since I've heard from some of you.

I'm wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Lance

Hi Lance,

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas.  Have a great 2011.
Bill

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Website Updates and Off-Topic Discussion / Re: What browser are you using? (IMPORTANT POLL)

« on: November 10, 2010, 03:54:14 PM »

Firefox 3

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Website Updates and Off-Topic Discussion / Re: The navy

« on: November 10, 2010, 03:48:20 PM »

BA,

I joined the Navy at 17 years, 3 months.  I chose the Navy primarily due to my older brother being in the Navy when he was 18.  But the reason I chose to to join was due to personal issues at home, not because I wanted to be in the Navy sooner than later.  I wasn't doing well in high school and didn't get much support at home to improve myself.  It all came to a head and I "ran away" and joined after my father signed the approval form.  It wasn't planned, but it was probably the best thing I could have done at the time without knowing it.  I received my GED while in submarine school only because a buddy of mine was doing it.  I was too ignorant of how important this would be at the time.  I'm so fortunate that I did it.

I joined the Navy without any real direction or purpose.  I had no clue on what I wanted to do or be in the Navy.  I was thinking of being on an aircraft carrier because I thought it would be exciting, but one day in boot camp in San Diego I saw a submarine leaving port.  That was it; I knew where I wanted to be.  What rate I was going to be was determined when I saw some old WWII submarine films where the skipper kept going to the sonarman for the latest information about the bad guys.  I took the acoustics test and found that I had done well on both the sonar and radioman's exams.  I chose sonar and was never sorry I did.  It was a great rate to be in; very rewarding.

I have never been sorry about joining at such an early age due to the circumstances I had.  But I have to caution you about your leanings of joining early.  If you can finish high school, please do it.  You'll never be sorry.  It will help you in the Navy and later in life.  Don't be swayed by the "excitement" of joining.  After the second week in boot camp you'll wonder what the heck you did.  Just think it over before you make the commitment, BA.  Don't go for the glamor because the reality isn't the same.  Make the best educated decision you can.

Good luck with what ever you decide.

6

Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: Fate of the Russian B-39

« on: July 06, 2010, 06:37:41 PM »

It sounds like life aboard a submarine in the mid 60s when you were on really wasnt that bad. Beside spying on the Russian Submarines (i know some parts of the cold war are classified ) did you guys have missions you went on into dangerous areas.

I cant wait to visit the USS BLUEBACK after high school and the USS growler also

Being on board a US boat was truly one of the greatest things I've experienced.  The camaraderie with your shipmates is the best and the job was rewarding.  In answer to your question, yes, that's the role of a submarine.  I hope you get to tour the "Back".  She is the last of her kind.

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Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: Fate of the Russian B-39

« on: July 06, 2010, 05:06:52 PM »

OH i see now thanks the sonar equpiment would pretty much pick up anything in the ocean you just had to distingquish which ship or sub was friend or foe it seems like overall the russians really werent that far behind us in technology and towards the end of the cold war there subs were really quit like ours they had alot of the same technology weopons sonar and so on though we had more accomadations then them theres werent ment for that when you went to the B-39 what was the biggest differnce you saw in that then in the Uss Blueback?

The B-39 was smaller inside.  The crew's and officer's accommodations were very spartan.  Very little was built in for comfort.  The Blueback had outstanding accommodations (as did the rest of the Sub Fleet compared to the Soviets).  We had much more room in our sleeping quarters.  The crew's mess area, where we ate and congregated for movies, meeting and games, was palatial in comparison to the B-39. 

In addition to that difference, the Blueback was an extremely quiet boat.  Whereas the boats like the B-39 were louder and easier to pick up.

The soviets realized their shortcomings and later made huge advancements in their submarine design and the equipment used on board.  They were as good as a lot of the US fleet eventually.

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Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: Fate of the Russian B-39

« on: July 06, 2010, 03:01:30 PM »

Oh wow thats amazing when you were starting out the sonar technology as far as listening to vessels that was in its beggening stages right i know now its far technologically better. How good were you at what you did on the blueback? its really interesting to hear about this truly is thanks bill soo much

I was "battle stations" sonarman, which meant that if there was anything going on I was to man the sonar equipment.  Not because I was more experienced but because I had really good hearing (then) and could distinguish sounds quite well.  There is a lot of background "noise" in the ocean that you have to try to listen through to pick out the target.  I was able to do it well enough to be called upon whenever the occasion presented itself.  I still would handle my shift on the stack during routine times but would be called in to man the stack when needed.

One thing I should clarify.  Sonar began before WWII.  That was the beginning stages of underwater detection.  While I was on boats, sonar had progressed to a much higher technological level where the sound was analyzed by the equipment more than by the operator.   It was the beginning of the computer age.

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Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: Fate of the Russian B-39

« on: July 05, 2010, 11:52:42 PM »

Wow! that must have been quite a sight to see once you heard a russian submarine could you tell pretty early on which class it was?

It was quite a sight.  We could recognize some of the subs by their acoustic signature.  All vessels have certain "sound" characteristics that are specific to that type of vessel, be it surface or submarine.  We were trained to recognize the specific traits that specific vessels had.  Remember the recording I mentioned.  Recordings like that are used as training aids for sonarmen throughout the fleet.  It allows sonarmen throughout the fleet to study the acoustic characteristics for a type of vessel and even a specific vessel if it was unique. A good sonarman could not only tell the type of vessel or specific vessel, they could also estimate distance and angle on the bow (direction the target was heading).  As sonar equipment improved, acoustic frequency printouts replaced the human ear. 

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Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: Fate of the Clamagore

« on: July 05, 2010, 05:44:36 PM »

Bill:

Some of us actually DID CRY over the fate of Greenfish!  Rich Pekelney of this BBS headed up a project to obtain parts for many of the museum boats from her... but some numbskull in the Brazilian scrap yard couldn't understand that Rich was serious about the program... and well, our hope for parts went up in smoke.. along with Rich's personal investment

Pass the tissues...   

No boat should ever end up like the Greenfish did.  It was gutted without any respect.

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Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: Fate of the Russian B-39

« on: July 05, 2010, 05:39:10 PM »

Oh Okay   thanks bill. I heard a story of the USS BATFISH (1970S) following a Foxtrot class for about over 2 months and the russian sub had no idea it was there just some of the maney stories of them good and bad.

BAT, (BrokenArrowtiger)

When I was battle stations Sonarman the old diesel boats were the ones the Navy sent out to do the work.  They had a long run on the snorkel to get to areas of interest and were extremely quiet on the battery.  Our boats excelled over the typical Soviet boat in stealth and sonar technology then.  At that time (mid-1960s), the nukes were still the prima donas of the Navy and were not the boats they sent into harms way.  The old (but still good) diesel boats were given the task of secreting themselves into enemy waters (and harbors) and following the bad guys without them knowing it (most of the time).  I remember following a Hotel class boat for an extended period, recording their "acoustic signature" so that the Navy had a tape of what a specific enemy boat sounded like.  They would be used as training tools for sonarmen.  There was one time when I was in the CON when the XO let me look through the scope.  Periscopes have the ability to pan their view up and down.  We were down about 200 feet and were directly below a Soviet sub, which I could make out easily through the scope.  it was about 130 feet above us on the snorkel.  It was so clear I could make out a lot of the detail.  That was something I would never forget.

Unfortunately, the Soviet boats became very stealthy very quickly and could follow our boats and ships undetected (most of the time).  It was a give and take at that time.  

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Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: Fate of the Russian B-39

« on: July 05, 2010, 01:48:00 AM »

How effective were these submarines anyway i know they patrolled along the californian coast and presumably still do

When I was a sonarman, I was trained how to identify specific Russian subs by their unique sound.  The B-39 is a Whiskey class sub that was one of the types I had to identify.  Some of the others were known as Hotel, Foxtrot and Alpha class boats.  Each were unique.  The Whiskey was a workhorse for the Russians.  There were a lot of them.  It was odd that after a number of years I was able to tour one.

As far as being effective, the Whiskey was a key player in espionage.  When on the battery they were very quiet but were very loud when on the snorkel.  The same with the others with the exception of the Alpha.  It was one of the most quiet boats out there.  Very hard to pick up.

The boat were extremely effective in that there were many of them and could cover a large area.  At first we were able to pick them up routinely, but the boats improved greatly, making them a larger threat.

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Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: Fate of the Clamagore

« on: July 05, 2010, 01:16:48 AM »

Bill:

Some of us actually DID CRY over the fate of Greenfish!  Rich Pekelney of this BBS headed up a project to obtain parts for many of the museum boats from her... but some numbskull in the Brazilian scrap yard couldn't understand that Rich was serious about the program... and well, our hope for parts went up in smoke.. along with Rich's personal investment

Pass the tissues...   

It's too bad that some of the old gal couldn't have been spared.  I think I would have felt better if she had been sunk.  At least she would have had some dignity.

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Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: Fate of the Russian B-39

« on: July 04, 2010, 10:38:36 PM »

The accommodations on the B-39 were very spartan.  The officer's area was hardly any improvement from the enlisted; cramped with little creature comforts.  And the head was a joke!  Take a look at the attached photos.

But you must remember; the sole purpose of the B-39 was warfare and not accommodations.

Here's the Officer's head.  The file is big so I have to try it this way. 

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Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: Fate of the Russian B-39

« on: July 04, 2010, 10:29:50 PM »

I have to ask this why were the russian submarines bad to serve on? I know most of the germen WW2 vessels were very bad to be on for those crew but thats the 1940s.

The accommodations on the B-39 were very spartan.  The officer's area was hardly any improvement from the enlisted; cramped with little creature comforts.  And the head was a joke!  Take a look at the attached photos.

But you must remember; the sole purpose of the B-39 was warfare and not accommodations.