U.S. navy unveils secret Cold War submarine that could roll on ocean floor

Vancouver Province / AP ^ | November 13, 2013 | Staff

[canuck_conservative]

It could dive deeper than any other submarine, and when it reached the ocean floor, the one-of-a-kind U.S. navy vessel could roll on wheels with lights illuminating the depths outside its windows.

The nuclear-powered NR-1, launched in Groton in 1969, was one of the most secretive vessels in the U.S. undersea force.

[canuck_conservative]

Originally from about 3 weeks ago, but I didn't see any mention of it before (or in a search of "submarine").

Enjoy.

[Red Badger]

Toby Warson, who served as commander from 1970-73, said he once led the sub on a hazardous military operation in the Mediterranean.

Looking for that missing H-bomb no doubt................

[PeterPrinciple]

Here is more info released in 2002?:

http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/usw/issue_14/nr1.html

[headstamp 2]

“The 140-foot-long submarine — a pet project of Adm. Hyman Rickover, the father of the nuclear navy “

Good old Hyman.

[Daffynition]

7 crew? They had to sleep standing up!

I shudder at the photos...it's so tiny!

I've been on the *USS NAUTILUS* docked in Groton..it's a neat tour...but claustrophobic. Can't imagine how tight it would be on the NR-1

http://usmilitary.about.com/library/milinfo/navyfacts/bldeepsubcraft.htm

[YankeeReb]

I remember seeing it tied up at sub base New London in the late 90s. I didn’t know they decommissioned it. I thought I heard they used it off Moriches inlet (off L.I.) to search for wreckage of flight 800 when that exploded over the Atlantic for no apparent reason. I never heard whether or not the cause of that explosion was found.

[YankeeReb]

7 crew? They had to sleep standing up!

I shudder at the photos...it's so tiny!

And to think, now they have women aboard subs in Barry's Navy.

[Daffynition]

I kinda miss the Cold War

[Daffynition]

Oi!

[2ndDivisionVet]

USS Drum
http://www.drum228.org/

[Robert357]

Thank you for posting. This might explain an interesting electric power outage at McNeil Island many years ago. The submarine power cable to the island was damaged in a way that looked man made and when the repair was made, there were “track” on the seafloor like something had crawled/driven on the bottom.

Local gossip was that it was a soviet submarine. However, within Puget Sound, right across from McNeil Island was a top secret submarine listening station where subs were tested for how quite they were. Also the Bremerton Naval ship yard and the Bangor Trident submarine station are not too far away. So there could have been a lot of reasons for the Navy to test out their special submarine in this area.

Again, thanks for posting the story.

[headstamp 2]

Kept a lot of things centered I hate to say.

[V_TWIN]

From the article:

“a narrow, deep-diving hull and a retractable arm with a claw that could grab objects on the ocean floor.”

As a kid I remember watching an episode of Johnny Quest that featured the same type of vehicle...........................What a trip.

[Larry Lucido]

“roll on wheels”

Hope they carried a spare.

[headstamp 2]

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08547.htm

Good pics

[ReaganÜberAlles]

I served on subs, diesel & nuke, for 3 years in the early 70s, never heard of this.

[Hulka]

” I never heard whether or not the cause of that explosion was found”

What. . .you must have misplaced your tin-foil hat that day. . .

;-)

[Army Air Corps]

National Geographic had an article on the NR-1 many, many years ago.

[null and void]

It was a spark in the center fuel tank.

They promptly grounded the whole fleet for inspections and upgrades.