THE USS Ronald Reagan can single-handedly take on a nation's armed forces but met its match in Moreton Bay's jellyfish.
The slimy invertebrates were being sucked into the 97,000 tonne ship at such a rate generators were constantly switched over and local fire crews placed on stand-by as the creatures disabled full on-board capacities.
I'm sure the crew (aside from the nukes) is really upset about another day in Australia. But being a nuke, I know what is in store for M Division.
Stranded German Sub Freed
It's a little hard to tell because Babel Fish translates things literally and, oftentimes, oddly. I'm looking for a German-speaker to help me out.
That all said,
it appears that the U-15 is free.
Here's the latest, via the
Rheinische Post (Babel Fish translation, and my emphasis):
Stranded submarine again freely
publishes: 27.01.06 - 11:37 notice Luck castle (rpo).
During a measurement travel a German submarine in the Eckernfoerder bay stranded. Meanwhile the "U15" was not free-free, of the 22-Mann-Besatzung anybody was hurt.
The action in the Baltic Sea took six hours, until the submarine was again drivingsuited. After first realizations the boat was not damaged. Divers examined the Havaristen in the Friday morning however still.
That emerged driving submarine had run before Aschau with dawn of about 150 meters far away from the Baltic Sea bank due to. The cause for the accident is still perfectly unclear. It determined, whether it concerns human failure or a technical defect, said the naval speaker.
According to data of the navy it concerns a submarine of older design. It is therefore about 50 meters long and has a displacement of 500 tons. The "U15" had returned in December from a six month's anti-terror employment in the Mediterranean to Eckernfoerde.
Here's my decidedly non-expert analysis: It sounds like they dragged the boat to a point where it was able to continue under its own power again. If anyone can read German, please look at the
original article and let me know if I'm correct.
Update: Eric at
The Sub Report came through with a German-speaker: his dad.
He adds...
Looks like the translation is pretty close accoriding to my father.
He says the boat was stranded or grounded not sunk.
The boat was only 150 meters from the shoreline.
Article also says it was not clear if it was a human error or techinical defect.
After 6 hours of being grounded Friday morning it was freed and underway.
Great news for everyone involved.
Update II: Thanks also to reader Stacy McMahon, who provided a full translation of the article in the
comments section.
Related Posts:
Cross-posted from The Noonz Wire
German Sub Runs Aground, Rescue Planned
Via
The Sub Report:
Germany's U-15, a
Type 206A-class diesel-electric submarine,
has hit bottom in Eckernfoerde Bay in the Baltic Sea, as she was returning to base.
No injuries are reported among her 22 crewmembers, and a rescue mission is being planned out of the submarine base.
I will update as details become available. For the latest news on this story, check
The Sub Report and
Ultraquiet No More regularly throughout the day today.
Update: Confirmation of the incident at
Der Spiegel:
Here's the rough
translation:
Submarine sticks in the Baltic Sea
The German submarine "U-15" ran in the Baltic Sea due to. Still in the night the boat is to be free-dragged.
Eckernfoerde - like the fleet command in the evening communicated, nobody was hurt. The ship was on a submerged operation and with the darkness of about 150 meters before the south bank of the bay on sand ran. Tractors want to release the submarine as fast as possible.
The story is dated yesterday (presumably last night). More info as it becomes available...
Cross-posted from The Noonz Wire.
[Intel Source:
The Sub Report] I'm not sure how much stock to put in this
single-source report that the
German Type 206A submarine U-15 is stuck on the seafloor with a crew of 22:
"The German Navy 206A class submarine U-15 has taken the ground in the Eckernfoerde bay, the Baltic Sea, RIA Novosti reports. U-15 got into trouble in obscured conditions, roughly 150 meters to the southern edge of the bay, when getting back to the military base in submerged mode.
"No one of the crew’s 22 sailors has suffered in the accident, according to the preliminary data. "Emergency services of the German submarine base are getting ready to rescue the vessel.The German Navy has twelve 206-206A class submarines. No longer than 48.6 meters and with displacement of around 500 tons, U-15 is the smallest of all combat submarines, which are in the operational service. Another peculiarity is the capacity to run in the shallow water, just 20 meters would be enough for it."This report comes from a Russian online paper; it says the reports come from the Russian news agency RIA, but
their website doesn't have anything as of 0700 MST.
Anyway, in case the story is true, here's
some background info on
U-15 from the German Navy website, and
here's the website of the International Submarine Escape and Rescue Liaison Office, which would coordinate any international response. The location of the reported bottoming is a bay near Kiel in the Baltic; here's a small map showing the depth contours:
Staying at PD...
The diesel-electric Dolphin returns to sea this spring in its primary role as the Navy’s research and testing vehicle for submarine systems. The proliferation of diesel-electric technology, notably in smaller, quieter submarines, has made diesels a hot commodity, prompting the Navy to bring Gotland, a quiet Swedish diesel-electric submarine, to train with the fleet.
The Navy has spent more than $40 million to repair, modify and upgrade Dolphin, which was commissioned in 1968. This spring, it will begin acoustic torpedo testing and will likely join in anti-submarine and undersea warfare exercises.
With the additional systems and survivability upgrades, the community “will really look at Dolphin again as a really unique operational platform,” said the boat’s skipper, Cmdr. Andrew Wilde. “And we’ll have the capabilities to provide that again to the fleet.”
I'm sure my fellow bubbleheads have heard the old joke "we had a fire, but don't worry...the flooding put it out." This wasn't a joke for deep-diving Dolphin, where flooding caused a fire and significant damage.
Well, our one and only diesal boat is back in business. While some
letters to the most recent issue of Navy Times are debating the cost effectiveness of building nukes vice a return to some non-nuke subs, the fact remains that it's good to see a sister sub back in the water and ready for sea.
Caption Contest Winner
As usual, all the entries were good, but this week, Rob is the winner!
Naval aviators attempt to lift submarine out of the water in show of excessive machismo. In other news, Seahawk helicopters found deficient, lack "rig for dive" procedures.
Submarine Badge Alert: Swedish Fakes
Alert from Pär Flyghed:"[A seller on] ... e-bay is trying to push false Swedish submarine badges. I asume it would be ok if he said that they where replicas but the imposter claims that the badges are 100% authentic. I don´t know how it is in the States but in Europe that is a federal crime.The badges are well done but with small remarks if you know what to look for. ...I haven´t seen any of the badges back side but one thing to look for is the mark of the manufacturor "Sporrong" at the back side. The authentic Swedish badges also have a very special back side. (Looks like fish scales)One other thing that tells me that this person is a imposter is the price. No Swedish officer or crew member would let his treasure go for that price ($25) I can ensure you that. And the fact that all types of badges was for sale is another thing.Please spread the word to all you know! I am pretty sure that this person will try to sell more of them."----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Molten Eagle notes P.F.'s warning is consistent with
Prichard's Submarine Badges and Insignia of the World, 1997. (see
SWD-2me, above). Just checked and there are four of these currently listed on Ebay. (The one acquired several years ago when building my own collection was authentic, I just checked, because
I am not an expert, myself. Any Swede Navy types, comments welcomed).
The first submarine in Sweden's naval service was completed in 1904, when the HAJEN was launched. Sweden has operated 25 different classes of submarines since, designimg and building 80 percent of them. As we have read at UQNM, they offer their submarines for export and one has been conducting joint exercises with our Pacific Fleet.
As noted by CDR Steve Jones in his
Worldwide Submarine Insignia, some of the badges are serialized on the back while some are not. The pin is issued six months after a new officer has successfully completed his qualificaton/education in submarines.
TheSubReport.com Daily News Roundup 1-22-06
This Day in Submarine HistoryOn January 22 of ...
1941The
USS R-20 (SS-97) was recommissioned.
1942The
USS STURGEON (SS-187) endured two and a half hours of depth charges, but escaped undamaged.
1943The
USS PICKEREL (SS-177) began its sixth war patrol.
The
USS TAUTOG (SS-199) sank the
Hasshu Maru, a former Dutch passenger-cargo ship that had been taken over by the Japanese.
The
USS TRIGGER (SS-237) completed its third war patrol.
The keel was laid for the
USS ARCHERFISH (SS-311).
1944The
USS CAIMAN (SS-323) completed its first war patrol.
The
USS PIPEFISH (SS-388) was commissioned.
1945The
USS SEADRAGON (SS-194) completed its last war patrol.
The
USS BARB (SS-220) ...
... penetrated Namkwan Harbor on the China coast and wrought havoc upon a convoy of some 30 enemy ships at anchor. Riding dangerously in shallow waters,
Barb launched her torpedoes into the enemy group and then retired at high speed on the surface in a full hours run through uncharted, heavily mined, and rock-obstructed waters. In recognition of this outstanding patrol, Commander [Eugene B.]
Fluckey was awarded the Medal of Honor and
Barb received the Presidential Unit Citation. [original links removed, link added]
1966The
USS GEORGE BANCROFT (SSBN-643) was commissioned.
1973The
USS BATFISH (SSN-681) ran hard aground at Charleston, SC.
The Ship of the DayThe
USS GLENARD P. LIPSCOMB (SSN-685) (
Photos)
Bail denied for engineer arrested in military secrets caseSANTA ANA, Calif. - A judge on Friday
denied a request to free a Chinese-American engineer who was arrested for allegedly trying to send military secrets to China.
...
Prosecutors have said previously that authorities recovered from the disk restricted documents on the DDX Destroyer, an advanced technology warship. They also allege that they found two lists in Chinese asking [the engineer, Chi Mak,] to get documents about submarine torpedo technology ....
Former DoD analyst imprisoned for passing information to Israeli lobbyistsALEXANDRIA, Va. - A former Pentagon analyst who gave classified information to an Israeli diplomat and two members of a pro-Israel lobbying group was
sentenced Friday to more than 12 years in prison. ...
Guam expansion plan encounters resistanceHAGATNA, Guam - Guam Gov. Felix Camacho is leading local support for a planned
increase in the U.S. military presence on Guam, but a native Chamorro group says it will only create more problems for the tiny, remote U.S. territory. ...
[Guam is also
still in the running as home port for the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73). --ed]
12th Annual Polar Bear SwimThe crew of the USS HELENA (SSN-725), which recently
drydocked in the ARCO (ARDM-5) at Naval Base Point Loma, CA, should mark their calendars. They have arrived in the nick of time for the 12th Annual Polar Bear Swim! It is scheduled for
February 9 at Smuggler's Cove (scroll down) aboard Naval Submarine Base Point Loma.
***
Naval Base Point Loma, Calif. (Jan. 10, 2006) - The crew of the floating dry-dock, ARCO (ARDM-5), use mooring lines to pull the Los Angeles-class fast-attack nuclear submarine USS Helena (SSN 725) into the dry-dock. Helena is entering dry-dock for routine scheduled maintenance. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist Seaman Joseph Caballero (RELEASED)
For the first time since record-keeping began in 1913, a
whale has been sighted in the River Thames.
Read all about it. The incident has inspired at least two
submarine-themed spoofs.
***
A Northern bottle nose whale's progress along the River Thames is closely monitored in central London, Friday, 20 January 2006. It is the first time a whale has been spotted on the river since records back in 1913. The stranded animal's size has been estimated at between 5-6 metres in length. EPA/RICHARD POWELL
Sure. Everyone knows
Jimmy Carter was a submariner, but did you know that
Al Gore has been to the
North Pole on a U.S. submarine? In fact, he made two submarine trips with research expeditions.
This
article discusses
precautions to be taken by residents near the shipyard that is fueling the
HMS Astute. This just so happens to be the site of a horrible
nuclear reactor fire that occurred in 1957.
Hmmm! I wonder whether
this guy's Japanese captors needed a "
Royal Baby".... (Scroll down or search the word "cherry". This was too good not to take artistic license.)
Hurricane Katrina has
destroyed a
submarine memorial (
news link,
memorial group web site) in Mississippi. Fortunately, Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama, has
reopened. It had been
closed for 19 weeks!
His ship is in Bahrain. I never made a port call to that part of the world, so here's my question: Is the sailor in the
picture, in fact, "getting the good deal" while his shipmates are on liberty, but completely bereft of entertainment options?
-- CAV
TheSubReport.com Daily News Roundup 1-21-06
On this date:
21 January 1954
USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571) (the Navy's first nuclear submarine) was launched at General Dynamics "Electric Boat" shipyards in Groton, CT.
_______________________________________________________
Ship of the Day
USS TANG (SS-306) (
Photos)
_______________________________________________________
Did you know?
Eight members of the U.S. Submarine Force have been recipients of the Medal of Honor.
_______________________________________________________
SubPac Battle "E" Awards go to Pearl Harbor SSN's USS La Jolla (SSN 701), Submarine Squadron One; USS Columbia (SSN 771), Submarine Squadron Three; USS Cheyenne (SSN 773), Submarine Squadron Seven; Guam-based USS Corpus Christi (SSN 705), Submarine Squadron Fifteen; San Diego's USS Topeka (SSN 754), Submarine Squadron Eleven; and Trident subs USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735), Submarine Squadron Seventeen, and USS Nevada (SSBN 733), Submarine Squadron Nineteen out of Bangor.
_______________________________________________________
Submarine movies -
Das Boot (1981). Nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Director.
_______________________________________________________
It's official,
USS Ohio is now an SSGN.
_______________________________________________________
What is "sea duty"? It's when you, well,
go to sea.
_______________________________________________________
USS Charlotte (SSN-766) and USS Dolphin (AGSS-555)
changes of command.
_______________________________________________________
Tires? Goodyear has the blimp, the Navy has
NR-1.
_______________________________________________________
Where are they? Who knows, but
as of today there are 16 submarines operating away from homeport, and 7 on deployment.
_______________________________________________________
Say hello to
Germany's new U-boats. Not nukes, but weeks underwater on AIP.
_______________________________________________________
New discoveries, and new questions, on the
Confederate submarine Hunley.
_______________________________________________________
Submarine heroes -
MM3(SS) James Smallwood, USS Sargo (SSN-583)
_______________________________________________________
Giant octopus
finds ROV tasty. Really.
_______________________________________________________
An entire destroyer
gets it's "dolphins".
_______________________________________________________
Effect of sonar on whales
inconclusive.
_______________________________________________________
It's cold in Maine...but not cold enough for a
hiring freeze at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, according to VADM Paul Sullivan (NAVSEA).
_______________________________________________________
EB chief
lobbying for increased sub construction; U.S. has no plans on new sub classes on the drawing board.
_______________________________________________________
Submarine rescue innovation...from an
11 year old British schoolgirl and a set of Legos.
Caption Contest!
You know what to do. I'll post the winner Monday morning.
Photo Source
TheSubReport.com Daily News Roundup 1-20-06
US:
DoD plan calls for taking GPS away from Air Force_______________________________________________________
On This Date: In 1917, the U.S. Navy Submarine School was formally established at the Submarine Base at New London, Connecticut. From that year until early 1920, USS H-1 was assigned to the base and patrolled Long Island Sound, often with submarine school students on board. Which brings us to today’s ...
Ship of the Day:
USS H-1 (SS-28) (
photos)
_______________________________________________________
On January 20, 1942: USS S-36 (SS 141) Suddenly ran hard aground, holed and flooded on Taka Bakang Reef in the Makassar Strait. Rigged to flood, she was destroyed and abandoned. No lives were lost.
_______________________________________________________
Executive Overview (article):
Jane’s Underwater Technology UK: Why submarines rarely publish
itenararies_______________________________________________________
ISRAEL:
Police find submarine part_______________________________________________________
US:
Spanish hacker broke into U.S. submarine baseSubmarine Memorial in Ocean SpringsSecNav to tour New England facilities_______________________________________________________
NZ: Former
British Royal Navy submarine commander controversy: argues
Chinese first to discover America, Australia_______________________________________________________
INDIA:
rare undersea experience latest tourist attraction
got your hacker card?
remember the deplorable movies we watched at sea? we used to call the really horrible ones hacker card punches, since you were a real hacker if you could sit through the entire movie.
here's my
post recounting hacker cards
TheSubReport.com Daily News Roundup 1-17-06
Spanish Hacker Cracked Defense Department - Computer used for submarine maintenance
_________________________________________
Sub captain cleared of bullyingMy rookie officers were third division, says 'bully' skipper
________________________________________
N.C. Aquarium to contain replica of the German U-352 submarinePhoto: Submarine Replica under construction________________________________________
Champlains' Immortal Story - Torpedoed by German submarine, U-223 Feb 1943
________________________________________
History on this day: January 17, 1955 11:00 EST "
Underway On Nuclear Power"
USS Nautilus SSN-571 (Source: US Navy)
Hot Racking for Prisoners in Idaho?
This
news, coming right out of the home state of our fearless leader,
Bubblehead, is a real hoot!
BOISE, Idaho (Reuters) - With space scarce as the U.S. prison population grows, a top Idaho lawmaker is proposing that inmates share beds by sleeping in shifts, a practice sometimes used by the U.S. military.
"Why does every inmate need his or her own bed?" asked State Sen. Robert Geddes. "The military does it all the time."
The issue arises as Idaho and other states stiffen penalties for drug-related crimes, putting a premium on prison space. Idaho has nearly 7,000 inmates, and that number is growing by nearly 7 percent a year.
Somehow, I don't see this idea getting very far....
-- CAV
Are All Modern Submariners Really Pampered Wimps? Court To Decide
(Adapted in brief from original Molten Eagle posting, because Bubblehead posted earlier)
Regarding the UK court martial of former HMS Talent's commanding officer, here are a few tidbits Bubblehead does not mention in his excellent, as usual, coverage to date:
The influence of civilian lawyers on the military is growing:At a pre-trial hearing, a decision had been made to hold the court martial in camera (in private chambers) because the submarine was engaged in an operation concerning national security.
However,
after an application by Lucy Moorman —
a lawyer acting on behalf of The Times — emphasising the importance of avoiding secret courts, Judge John Bayliss,
the civilian judge advocate in charge of the trial, agreed to hold as much of the court martial as possible in open session.
One effect of the public trial:Little emerged from the opening statement to indicate why the incidents were allegedly taking place. However, Commander Towler referred to
several occasions when HMS Talent had to return to port to have defects resolved. Implications for eventual female submarine service are prominent in the proxy application of the following quotes (the court was told that these allegations had taken place between February 1998 and July 1999, although they only came to light in 2003) : "Lieutenant Ryan Ramsey, was so frightened that he used to vomit before going on watch. ""...his tirades made a lieutenant ill and reduced him to tears, a court martial heard yesterday. ""...Lieutenant Ryan Ramsey, who claims the constant 'tirades' made him physically sick when he had to begin his shift and led to his becoming withdrawn and losing weight. "And finally, a contrast from early American naval history (just twenty years before the submarine Hunley):Under command of Captain Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, the brig
USS Somers sailed for St. Thomas, Danish West Indies, on November 12. Two weeks later, Midshipman Philip Spencer (son of the US Secretary of War), together with the boatswain's mate and another seaman, were placed under arrest for plotting a mutiny to takeover the ship and convert it into a
piratical vessel.
Investigation by Mackenzie and his officers revealed that Spencer intended to seize the ship and kill the officers and any who sided with them.
For their crime, they were hanged at the yardarm, while still at sea, on December 1, 1842. The
Somers Lithograph, published circa 1843, shows the 3 mutineers hanging under the US flag. Although later
court-martialed, Mackenzie was fully acquitted of charges of illegal punishment, oppression, and murder despite the position of Spencer's father. More
here.
Cross-posted from
The Stupid Shall Be Punished:
Saturday,
I blogged about the upcoming court-martial of a former CO of the
Trafalgar-class sub
HMS Talent. The
proceedings started today, and it sounds like they're off to a rousing start! From
Times OnLine:
"THE commander of a nuclear-powered submarine delivered red-faced tirades of abuse to his young officers, reducing one of them to tears, during a secret operational patrol, a court martial was told yesterday.
"The victims of Captain Robert Tarrant’s “aggressive and humiliating” style of leadership on board HMS Talent, a hunter-killer submarine, were said to have felt scared and intimidated. One officer, Lieutenant Ryan Ramsey, was so frightened that he used to vomit before going on watch..."...Commander Towler said that Captain Tarrant’s behaviour changed completely when he was no longer “under scrutiny” while ashore. Lieutenant Ramsey was subjected at one point to a 20-minute shouting match, when Captain Tarrant’s face was “five to ten centimetres” from him. “His face would gorge with blood,” Commander Towler said.
"Lieutenant Ramsey would dissolve into tears at the end of each watch. The “tirades” in front of everyone in the control room became known as “reemings”, and the lieutenant was subjected to more than most of the captain’s “aggressive” rebukes.""Reemings"? What the hell is that? I always thought "
reaming" was an Anglo-Saxon word, but apparently the term's not familiar to the average Brit journalist. (To be fair, the
Telegraph uses the right spelling.)
Anyway, it sounds like it'll be an interesting trial, and all the civilians involved will wring their hands about how horrible it is, and everyone with military experience will say, "Yeah, sounds like it musta sucked the big one. Now, what's the jerk charged with?"
Cross-posted from
The Stupid Shall Be Punished:
A year ago today, USS San Francisco (SSN 711)
ran aground on a seamount near the Caroline Islands, resulting in the death of
MM2(SS) Joseph Ashley. A lot of words have been written about who was to blame for this grounding, and what the Sub Force can do to prevent it from happening again, but today, I'd like to focus on what I think is important: the professionalism of the crew of the San Francisco in bringing their stricken ship home, and the brotherly love that they've demonstrated for each other throughout this trying year. As an example of this, here's a picture from "Cooter" Ashley's memorial service that the crew put together:
A San Franciso crewmember who was onboard for the grounding recently wrote: This is not a time for recriminations, but a time to honor Cooter's ultimate sacrifice, and the brave efforts of those who tried to rescue him - both on the ship and off. It's a time to remember that when we lost one of our own, we did the right thing and came together as Submariners.
No better example of the way submariners from all over came together is to read the 200+ pages of on-line "Guest Book" entries in honor of MM2(SS) Ashley, and consider that Cooter was the 8th most eulogized person on-line in 2005, right behind Peter Jennings.
What brought the rest of the submarine crew safely home? I submit that it was love of family and love of shipmates, but also, love of their ship. This is a difficult concept for many to understand, and I know that even many submariners don't like to admit it. A ship, believe it or not, has a soul; this soul comes from the blood, sweat, joy, and tears contributed by everyone who works on a ship, exults in her successes, and despairs from her shortcomings. You may want to toss some parts of her overboard, but the feeling a Sailor feels, deep down, for the home away from home that protects them from the elements while they sleep, and brings them to safe harbor, can only be described as "love". The closing speech in a recent movie said it best, in describing how the wounded ship was able to bring her crew home (change "in the air" to "under the sea" -- the meaning's the same):
"Love. You can know all the math in the 'Verse, but take a boat in the air you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of worlds. Love keeps her in the air when she oughta fall down, tells ya she's hurtin' 'fore she keens. Makes her home."
I've collected most of the ~70 posts I did about the San Francisco grounding in chronological order over in the May archives of our group submarine blog, Ultraquiet No More. Some of the links are broken, but as you read these posts, written between January and May of last year, I hope you'll understand one retired submariner's perception of the wonderful brotherhood that exists between shipmates on a submarine. I know the crew of USS San Francisco understands this.
Going deep...
2005 Sub Force Battle "E" Winners
SubPac:
CSS-1: USS La Jolla (SSN 701)
CSS-3: USS Columbia (SSN 771)
CSS-7: USS Cheyenne (SSN 773)
CSS-11: USS Topeka (SSN 754)
CSS-15: USS City of Corpus Christi (SSN 705)
CSS-17: USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) -- Blue and Gold
CSS-19: USS Nevada (SSBN 733) -- Blue and Gold
SubLant:
CSS-2: NR-1
CSS-4: USS Miami (SSN 755)
CSS-6: USS Scranton (SSN 756)
CSS-8: USS Newport News (SSN 750)
CSDS-12: USS Memphis (SSN 691)
CSS-16: USS Rhode Island (G) (SSBN 740)
USS Rhode Island (B) (SSBN 740)
CSS-20: USS West Virginia (B) (SSBN 736)
USS Wyoming (G) (SSBN 742)
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year from all of us at Ultraquiet No More to all our loyal readers. The year ended on a high note for us -- thanks to your support, we finished 4th in the
U.S. Navy category for the
2005 Mil-Bloggies awards. Here's to a safe 2006 for all submariners -- may they only make the news for good things!
