Scorpion was a Skipjack-Class submarine. The Skipjack class was the nuclear-powered attack submarine class previous to the Thresher/Permit class. As such, they were not quite as deep-diving, although they did have a very sleek hull, which allowed for a high submerged speed. Skipjack-class submarines held (classified) speed records while using somewhat noisy 5-bladed screws, but lost this high speed when the screws were eventually replaced with quieter 7-bladed screws.
An advertisement-free blog about motorcycling, Northern life, home improvement, power plants, submarines, nuclear stuff, and a few other off-beat subjects. Comments are welcome. (Image is the Selway Crags in Northern Idaho)
Showing posts with label K-129. Show all posts
Showing posts with label K-129. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
Another excellent documentary on Cold War Submarines
This is an episode of Nova that interviews a lot of Navy and intelligence insiders, as well as the authors of the book "Blind Man's Bluff". Nice write up. Merry Christmas, too ;)
Speaking of Christmas, my two worst were in the Navy.
The second-worst Christmas was being underway on station, when the ship that was supposed to relieve us arrived several days late. It's one thing if you know and expect to be at sea during Christmas. It's another thing entirely to be ordered to stay put at the last minute. On the bright side, it wasn't much different than any other day at sea, and everyone accepted the bad deal with grace.
My worst-ever Christmas was at Nuclear Power School in Orlando, Florida. School let out for a week or two, and we were encouraged to go home and enjoy the holidays. I had no home other than the Navy, so I pretty much had to stay put. All my classmates and friends went home to spend Christmas with their parents. I hung out in a dark and empty base, stood lonely watches, and ate bland chow hall food for Christmas dinner.
Speaking of Christmas, my two worst were in the Navy.
The second-worst Christmas was being underway on station, when the ship that was supposed to relieve us arrived several days late. It's one thing if you know and expect to be at sea during Christmas. It's another thing entirely to be ordered to stay put at the last minute. On the bright side, it wasn't much different than any other day at sea, and everyone accepted the bad deal with grace.
My worst-ever Christmas was at Nuclear Power School in Orlando, Florida. School let out for a week or two, and we were encouraged to go home and enjoy the holidays. I had no home other than the Navy, so I pretty much had to stay put. All my classmates and friends went home to spend Christmas with their parents. I hung out in a dark and empty base, stood lonely watches, and ate bland chow hall food for Christmas dinner.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Documentary on Submarines during the Cold War
I found this cool documentary on submarine operations during the Cold War.
At time 22:40 they have a segment on the NR-1, the worlds smallest nuclear submarine, which I nearly re-enlisted for.
The segment right after that is about Navy divers doing special operations. Having been in the submarine service during that era, I can say that the documentary comes close to describing a couple of situations my ship found itself in. I was NOT involved in any of the specific incidents mentioned in the show.
Cool video below on how subs and the cold war were deeply connected.
The last segment on Sweden is interesting. It suggests that US submarines may have been creating fake "Soviet periscope sightings" to swing a neutral Sweden toward NATO. A false-flag operation.
For a really entertaining book on this subject, I recommend this: Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage. Disclaimer: I cannot confirm or deny anything... ;)
At time 22:40 they have a segment on the NR-1, the worlds smallest nuclear submarine, which I nearly re-enlisted for.
The segment right after that is about Navy divers doing special operations. Having been in the submarine service during that era, I can say that the documentary comes close to describing a couple of situations my ship found itself in. I was NOT involved in any of the specific incidents mentioned in the show.
Cool video below on how subs and the cold war were deeply connected.
The last segment on Sweden is interesting. It suggests that US submarines may have been creating fake "Soviet periscope sightings" to swing a neutral Sweden toward NATO. A false-flag operation.
For a really entertaining book on this subject, I recommend this: Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage. Disclaimer: I cannot confirm or deny anything... ;)
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