Messages

1

Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: gift shops

« on: April 12, 2008, 12:08:40 PM »

Travis:
Yes we all seem to have the same money problems.  It is hard to compete with a thousand other orgs. doing fund raisings these days, especially the damn politicians.  I used to ask Jay Martin if he had ties to the Mafia after he got a million dollars from an unidentified donor.  Hee Haw
K0EFV

2

Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: gift shops

« on: April 12, 2008, 11:54:05 AM »

Paul:
I really appreciated your comments on gift shops, and all of it is true.  This will give me a chance to add my two cents.  While gift shops vary widely due to the nature and makeup of the individual museums the measure of gift shop success is most often determined by the Museum Director, and the gift shop managers.  The museum at Manitowoc was blessed for a long time by having Dr, Jay Martin as their Director.  Although he had a masters degree in Great Lakes Naval history he understood that the Submarine Cobia was rhe bread and butter of the museum.  He was most responsible for the complete restoration of the Cobia and the multi-million dollar addition for the museum.  He appointed "Chico Franz, a local native, as the gift shop manager.  She knew that USS Cobia gifts and apparel would be a big revenue producer along with the other usual items associated with Great Lakes History, like jewelry, art, and ceramics, etc.  Whenever I visited the Cobia I usually left with $100.00 or more of caps, jackets etc.  She also had a good feel for what items would move and which ones had the best mark--up.  I am sorry to say that Jay Martin was replaced shortly before the Grand opening of the museum expansion.  Recently the new director replaced the gift shop manager.  We now have night and day at Manitowoc.  I am not alone in my opinions, as many of the Sub-Vets up there have expressed similar disatisfaction.  This is not to infer that the museum is not successful.  I fully realize that politics play a large role in the operations of some museums, so I won't comment more on that.  For you folks at the Batfish you might consider using a local full line supplier of gift shop items, located in Muskogee. (locally owned) I will give their web phone, etc if anyone is interested. Thanks for permitting me post this.
K0EFV     

3

Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: Books about our submarine museum boats!

« on: April 11, 2008, 07:23:02 PM »

In my previous post  I neglected to mention an important fact about the book.  Admiral Nelson was very adept at inserting liberal amounts of humor in his writings.  That makes it almost impossible to put the book down once you start reading.  Here is an example:  When negotiating a very sharp bend in the river the PETO and drydock  got sideways and ended up 70 yards or so in a farmers corn field. It was there several days tied up to an old willow tree waiting for the water level to drop.  "The farmer in whose corn field the drydock sat, a Mr. Peacock, was reportied as boasting that he was the only farmer in the world that had a submarine in his corn field.  It was rumored that he was charging admission for prople to pass through his property to view the submarine".
K0EFV  

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USS Cobia (SS-245) / Re: SJ-1 radar questions

« on: April 11, 2008, 06:50:09 PM »

Mark
Sorry I cannot answer the quetions.  Tom Aschenbrenner is the only source I go to, and he was in Manitowoc this past week, but a very hard person to get a hold of.  Their are other  vets up there that also can operate it.  I will try to find some place you can go to.  At one time I did operate airborne radar but thar will be no help here.  Also I was the dummy who was supposed to do a nite time radar navigation run up the Mississipi from Memphis and ended up on the Ohio River by mistake Har Har
K0EFV

5

Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: Books about our submarine museum boats!

« on: April 11, 2008, 06:23:33 PM »

I call this my "Manitowoc Bible".  Why? First it was written by a Manitowoc Submarine Commander, secondly it covers the entire Manitowoc story in a single book from the beginnings of the shipyards, details of the consruction of the 28 submarines, transporting them from the Great Lakes to the Gulf, and their war records.  I found that it had more "little known facts than I dreamed possible.  For instance the first sub Peto had the cylinder liners and rod bearings on all four diesel engines replaced while enroute downstream.  I never knew how many time the Peto and other subs were ran aground in the river. I never knew that all 28 subs were towed by the same Tug Boat the "Minnesota" and she was built in 1921 and almost sank on the first trip.  I didn't know the tug pilots operated from  memory, without any maps of the rivers.  I never knew the floating drydock was beached on her first return trip ,and the bow modified by plates and other parts prefabricated at Manitowoc, and shipped by rail to a downstream location.  I never knew the pieriscope and other structure parts that were removed for bridge clearances were hastily reinstalled before reaching New Orleans because of the German propaganda claim that one of their subs was successful going up the Miissisippi River for some distance and the peto had tobe prepared to fight if needed.  I never knew that the subs discovered by accident the fact that radios continued to receive while submerged in Lake Michigan because of the fresh not salt water.  Well that's only a few things in the book.  Because it is so well written both submariners as well as others can understand the text.  Also several nice photographs are included.  Rontini lists the book, and it is offered by phone from the Wisconsin Maritime Museum gift shop  (920) 684 0218

K0EFV

6

USS Batfish (SS-310) / Re: T-Post for wire antennas.

« on: April 09, 2008, 08:58:47 PM »

Mark:
I can only offer a guess #10.  If you look at the photo I sent the temp antenna  is RG-58 or 59U, and the long wire looks to be about the same size.
K0EFV

7

Museum Submarine Discussion / Re: Contacts?

« on: April 08, 2008, 10:20:14 PM »

Lance:
I have been doing posts almost on a daily basis.  I have tried to make them cover a wide variety of subjects in hopes it might scare up a few newcomers.  I will continue to do this, and see if I can come up with more new subjects.  Right now I am working on the 52 lost boats subject.  Hang tight this is one of the better sites. 
K0EFV Tom USMC 

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USS Batfish (SS-310) / Re: T-Post for wire antennas.

« on: April 08, 2008, 04:43:59 PM »

Mark;
You know I don't ever recall looking on the inside the bubble .  Bad news is I won't be going up untill June this year for the museum ships event.  I am not sure yet if Aschenbrenner wil be up there as we planned to put the WWII radios on for the event.  I will have to start a list of things to take pictures of.  Do you ever see Sam Whitley around the sub?  The Batfish puts out one hell of a signal when they put the beam ant on.  I still do the certificate requests for WW2SUB.  If you run intoSam say hi for me.  I have shirttail relatives living in Muskogee.  They operate a custom clothing production business, Tshirts, embroidery, caps, jackets, patches, uniforms and the whole nine yards.  I think I will have to have Linda do me an extra  special Batfish shirt.  I just turned 81 and wonder how much longer I can keep up the pace.  My best to all you guys

K0EFV Tom USMC    

9

USS Batfish (SS-310) / Re: T-Post for wire antennas.

« on: April 08, 2008, 04:01:25 PM »

Mark:
I have some better than these but couldn't find them real quick.  As I recall the entrance bubble was like a heavy insulator material.  I will look for a better view.

K0EFV Tom USMC

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USS Batfish (SS-310) / Re: T-Post for wire antennas.

« on: April 08, 2008, 12:35:20 PM »

Mark:
If you want I think I can find pictures for you from the Cobia.  The original long wire is installed and ran to the T-post on the stern.  It's feed thru is about in the center of the conning tower, and then appears in the radio room for distribution to many locations.  We have not tried to use this long wire since the appearance in the radio room is a bit complicated.  We use two end fed dipoles for 20 & 40, one to the T-post aft and the other to the bow light.  We must put them up for each event (not permanent).  But we usually get the job done in about 20 minutes.  We have on occasion put up an all band  vertical on the stern T-pole, and a 2 meter ant. on the conning tower.  Let me know if the pictures would be of any help.

K0EFV Tom USMC

11

USS Cobia (SS-245) / DECK LOGS

« on: April 07, 2008, 03:35:46 PM »

Boy what a controversial subject.  Critics of deck logs often complain they are not always factual accounts of events that happened.  Omissions of some events, and massaging of other events.  Let me express my viewpoints and opinions of deck logs:
1.  Some commanders were natural born authors, more like artists than writers, while others possesed lesser degree of skill.
2.  Lack of or little information was known at the time the log was written.
3.  Necessary massaging to avoid reprimands or criticism by certain groups of superiors.
4.  The skippers couldn't be everywhere on the sub during an event, and had to rely heavilly on input from their crew.
While these four items are not all inclusive I take them into consideration when viewing deck logs.  I also prefer to read deck logs that have inserts added by the commanders, crew members and Techs. at a later time via conversations and interviews etc.  An example of this was the posting I recently did here on the "Burial at Sea" of Ralph Huston.

With all this said and to illistrate a classic example I offer the following from the deck log of USS Cobia.  This was taken from Jerry Calenberg's book "The USS Cobia at War".  The log showed only the following simple entry the year was 1944

April 4  Moved to degausing slip

[Tecch note:  The metal of the ship, while it is being built, stands in one position for a long time; and thusly becomes magnatized from the earth's magnetic lodestone located in northern Canada.  this makes the ship vulnerable to magnetic mines and torpedoes.  By draping electrical cables around the ship and energizing them for a short period of time it de-magnetizes the ship.]

[Becker:  The first landing I made, we were coming in to the degausing pier and coming along very slowly, everything was under control.  I had read that you put your conning tower next to the office when you were in proper position there so instead of looking at the bow I was looking at the office as we came up.  Suddenly, from up forward somebody hollered, "ten feet, five feet...." and about the time the bow went into the cage bar that crossed the head of the slip.  There was a head located there, and there was a guy in there sitting on the throne.  And the first thing you know there was a submarine bull nose in there with him.  And he came out with his pants at half mast hollerin like hell.  Well, nobody got hurt.  On checking I found out where I was supposed to put the conning tower next to the office was at Newport.]  wrong port

12

USS Cobia (SS-245) / Re: THE 28 BOATS FROM MANITOWOC

« on: April 07, 2008, 12:08:55 PM »

ADD to my Hammerhead posting.
In one of my early visits to Manitowoc I told Bert the Hammerhead Battle Flag he donated to the Museum was prominently displayed just inside the main enterance, and I would get a picture for him.  One of the museum workers took it down so we could take the picture.  On another visit I noticed the flag was missing and I asked why.  They told me someone told them it was a "replica" not an original.  I told them not only was it the original but it was also carried aboard Hammerhead II SSN-663.  On a later visit I asked where it was, and they said it was stored in the archives section, and would I like to see it.  They opened a large drawer and there it was laid out unfolded, and wrapped in a special storage paper, and not to touch it unless I put on special white handling gloves.  WOW

K0EFV Tom USMC  

13

USS Cobia (SS-245) / Re: THE 28 BOATS FROM MANITOWOC

« on: April 07, 2008, 11:05:44 AM »

How good were the Manitowoc boats?  An old amateur radio friend Bert Thompson (WA1NEZ) who was on the commissioning crew, and served on all six war patrols of the Hammerhead SS-364 sent me the following deck log entry by Lt Cdr J.C. Martin the skipper of her on the first three patrols.  I find it to be a fine tribute to the 7,000 dedicated workers at the Manitowoc Shipyards.  Some of them not only built submarines, but went on to serve on them.  This is the deck log entry:

"It is with great satisfaction that the commanding officer notes the pride the officers and Crew take in maintaining a good operating and clean ship.  It reflects the fine workmanship and cooperation of the building yard at Manitowoc in turning over the ship that is excellently constructed and finished.  This ship was by far the most complete and finished of any of the 4 submarines in which the commanding officer has assisted in fitting out.  It is also noteworthy that with the large number of days operating with little chance of dockside upkeep in the fact that the crew although tired prefer to do a lot of the work prior to reaching port instead of turning it over to the relief crew."

To some of my critics  please note that he uses the word "ship" not "boat".

K0EFV Tom USMC

14

USS Cobia (SS-245) / Re: BOY SCOUTS AND OTHER EVENTS

« on: April 04, 2008, 10:55:08 AM »

Paul:
Yes sometimes one wonders why we do these things, but then some event happens to make it all worth while.  Yes the boy in the photo was aboard but when time for picture taking came they were in a hurry to depart and I just couldn't let the moment pass by.  We have been fortunate to have a Marine Drill Sgt type handle the scouts.  He lines them up at attention reads them their do's and don'ts.  I am usually more impressed with the Scout Leaders. I suppose that comes with their dedication.  Thanks for all you guys do for scouting, and thanks for the reply
K0EFV 

15

USS Cobia (SS-245) / Re: BOY SCOUTS AND OTHER EVENTS

« on: April 03, 2008, 07:38:17 PM »

Two more photos
K0EFV