Questions needing answers

[Chew]

including me, who was on Gary from 88-91

A quartermaster friend of mine from the Ranger served on the Gary around that time, Donald Cook. Did you know him?

[Count Zero]

The name doesn't ring a bell.  I checked my cruise books from the '88 & '89-'90 deployments and couldn't find him.  I left  in January of '91, so he might have come aboard after.

[Sus_pilot]

Tautog collided with a Soviet Echo class submarine in 1970.

Ah!  Blind Man's Bluff - great book.  Got it down from the shelf when I saw your reply.

[Obviousman]

Don't suppose anyone served in Swan, Kanimbla, Ipswich or Betano?  8-)

[nomuse]

What about Unity, Claribel, Assyrian, Stormcock, and Golden Gain. ?

[PetersCreek]

Back to "Red October"...

Just this week, I was inbound on the Glenn Highway, 'enjoying' my commute to work, when a truck towing a middling-sized fishing vessel approached me on the outbound side.  The boat's name was "One Ping Only".  Gave me quite the chuckle.

[mako88sb]

Back to "Red October"...

Just this week, I was inbound on the Glenn Highway, 'enjoying' my commute to work, when a truck towing a middling-sized fishing vessel approached me on the outbound side.  The boat's name was "One Ping Only".  Gave me quite the chuckle.

lol. Must be his way of paying tribute to a favorite movie of his.

My 15 year old daughter actually brought up the topic today about a game based on Rainbow Six and then when she looked up Tom Clancey, noticed he was an author(she loves reading). I mentioned about "The Hunt for Red October" being his first book and how it pretty quickly propelled him into a household name. I'll have to see if I can find my copy and let her read it. Well, maybe after I give it a go again. It's been a couple decades at least since I read it. My favorite of all his books was "Red Storm Rising"

[Allan F]

My favorite part is just where Ryan has been taken onboard the sub Dallas - and where a guy bumps a valve, and it is made from rubber foam.

[Ranb]

I was reading Hunt for Red October back in 1985 shortly after I arrived to my first submarine.  It was an interesting read.  I remember wishing I was in Clancey's Navy; the one in which there was no field day (4 hours of cleaning in a hot engine room) GMT, division/department training, hot racking, hazing, vulcan death watches, captain's mast, COB, duty with the midwatch followed by start-up then the maneuvering watch then first watch after leaving port, watching the coners leave while us nukes had to shutdown the reactor prior to going on liberty, ORSE, upkeep, SRE and everyone it seemed on he USS Dallas just loved being in the Navy.

Not sure how I made it 20 years.

Ranb

[mako88sb]

I was reading Hunt for Red October back in 1985 shortly after I arrived to my first submarine.  It was an interesting read.  I remember wishing I was in Clancey's Navy; the one in which there was no field day (4 hours of cleaning in a hot engine room) GMT, division/department training, hot racking, hazing, vulcan death watches, captain's mast, COB, duty with the midwatch followed by start-up then the maneuvering watch then first watch after leaving port, watching the coners leave while us nukes had to shutdown the reactor prior to going on liberty, ORSE, upkeep, SRE and everyone it seemed on he USS Dallas just loved being in the Navy.

Not sure how I made it 20 years.

Ranb

Since he never served a day on a submarine, it's not too surprising to read that. Not that I have, just saying. Still from all accounts he did a pretty phenomenal job with the technical details.

How about Edward Beach's "Cold is the Sea"? I read it way back in 1978 when it first came out. I had read his first 2 books "Run Silent, Run Deep" and "Dust on the Sea" so it was very interesting to get his perspective on nuclear subs. THey had one chapter that described the first question of the Captains nuke qualification test and my mind was a bit boggled by it I can tell you. Probably still would be if I read it again. Lot of respect for you guys behind the running of those beauties.

[Obviousman]

I was reading Hunt for Red October back in 1985 shortly after I arrived to my first submarine.  It was an interesting read.  I remember wishing I was in Clancey's Navy; the one in which there was no field day (4 hours of cleaning in a hot engine room) GMT, division/department training, hot racking, hazing, vulcan death watches, captain's mast, COB, duty with the midwatch followed by start-up then the maneuvering watch then first watch after leaving port, watching the coners leave while us nukes had to shutdown the reactor prior to going on liberty, ORSE, upkeep, SRE and everyone it seemed on he USS Dallas just loved being in the Navy.

Not sure how I made it 20 years.

Ranb

But it did mention many things that were not widely known. I remember reading a few things in there and thinking "But I'm not allowed to discuss that!", SCI kind of stuff.

[Ranb]

"How Cold is the Sea".  Hmmmmm.  I spent most of my time on subs in Hawaii, cold seas were something most of us in the engineering department looked forward to.  Low seawater injection temperature made a huge difference in the comfort (or lack thereof) of the engineering spaces.  As far as I know, cold seas were something only the diesel boat crews and surface Sailors disliked.  Some of the coners and officers on the nuke boats did have to occasionally stand watch on the bridge exposed to the elements though. 

For the junior enlisted nukes who stood watch in the hot engine rooms (their job was pushing the forward end) so the officers and coners could be awarded medals for bringing the fight to our enemies, Clancey's navy was alien to them.

Ranb

[mako88sb]

"How Cold is the Sea".  Hmmmmm.  I spent most of my time on subs in Hawaii, cold seas were something most of us in the engineering department looked forward to.  Low seawater injection temperature made a huge difference in the comfort (or lack thereof) of the engineering spaces.  As far as I know, cold seas were something only the diesel boat crews and surface Sailors disliked.  Some of the coners and officers on the nuke boats did have to occasionally stand watch on the bridge exposed to the elements though. 

For the junior enlisted nukes who stood watch in the hot engine rooms (their job was pushing the forward end) so the officers and coners could be awarded medals for bringing the fight to our enemies, Clancey's navy was alien to them.


Ranb

I think you completely misinterpreted my question. I was asking about the book by Edward Beach titled "Cold is the Sea"

http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Sea-Novel-Bluejacket-Books/dp/1591140560/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462807893&sr=8-1&keywords=cold+is+the+sea

[Chew]

"Vulcan Death Watch"

Even after 20 years I laugh when I hear it.

[Ranb]

I think you completely misinterpreted my question. I was asking about the book by Edward Beach titled "Cold is the Sea"

http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Sea-Novel-Bluejacket-Books/dp/1591140560/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462807893&sr=8-1&keywords=cold+is+the+sea

Sorry about that, I haven't read that book.  I was commenting on the title and how it might be a dislike of cold seas.

"Vulcan Death Watch"

Even after 20 years I laugh when I hear it.

Even today I think the 0000-0600, 0600-1000, 1000-1400, 1400-1800, 1800-2400 watches on a 3-section rotation was elitist; designed to get maximum work out of the junior enlisted/officers while the senior officers were still allowed to enjoy their 24 hour rotation.  Imagine standing watch from midnight to 6am, drilling for the next 8 hours as monitor/casualty assistance team, then going back on watch for 4 hours to be drilled again.    When your down time is 18-24, you'll sometimes find it filled with training and other activities that take priority over sleep.

But on the other hand there is no reveille on a sub like there is on surface ships.

Ranb