Nuclear Submarine Runs Aground South of Guam

The Associated Press ^ | Jan 8, 2005 | The Associated Press

[Jet Jaguar]

HONOLULU (AP) - A nuclear submarine ran aground about 350 miles south of Guam, injuring several sailors, one of them critically, the Navy said.

There were no reports of damage to the USS San Francisco's reactor plant, which was operating normally, the Navy said.

Jon Yoshishige, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet based at Pearl Harbor, said the Friday afternoon incident is under investigation and the 360-foot submarine was headed back to its home port in Guam.

Details on the sailors' injuries were not immediately available. The sub has a crew of 137, officials said.

Military and Coast Guard aircraft from Guam were en route to monitor the submarine and assist if needed, the Navy said.

Guam is a U.S. territory about 3,700 miles southwest of Hawaii.

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On the Net:

U.S. Pacific Fleet: http://www.cpf.navy.mil

AP-ES-01-08-05 0343EST

[HRoarke]

I keep looking for the "Whoops I didn't mean to post THAT" button. I would've saved me a few times! I think AOL used to let you retract emails that hadn't been read yet. Lots of issues with that company but I've gotta say they had a great idea there.

[BluH2o]

Carriers restrick thier speed to the speed of thier escorts. The problem is physics. vesseles can only go as fast as the square root of thier waterline lenght times a varying factor which could be between 1.1 and 1.9.

Nimitz class nuclear carriers exceed 1000 ft. in overall length ... around 900 ft. at the waterline. As I stated in my earlier posts they are capable of speeds easily in excess of 35 knots. When they need to haul ass to get on station their escort vessels can't keep up ... that's a fact ... excluding nuclear powered attack submarines. As far back as 1980 the Eisenhower, deployed from Norfolk, VA, was on station in the Arabian Sea 14 days later ... she averaged 35 plus knots 24 hours a day for two weeks. The Eisenhower was sent in to back up, and eventually relieve, the Nimitz during the dust-up with Iran over the hostage crises in Tehran. Also, pal ... you might try hitting the spell check before posting.

[em2vn]

Yes I do. I think the greatest error was ordering his destroyers to pump out ballast to prepare for fueling as the fleet sailed into a typhoon. Seven tin cans capsized with the loss of hundreds of men.
He maintained his command.

[em2vn]

I have been out of the Navy a long time, 1970. What is sprint speed? Is it anything like flank speed?

[j_tull]

Don't forget Bangorilla.

[Doohickey]

It's more like "ludicrous speed".

[SS Guy]

Never been aft in a 688 though I've been aboard two, the Olympia and the Bremerton. As far as I am concerned the 688 are a mess inside. Little cubbies everywhere. The cewsmess's are smaller and have less tables than the 593's and 637's, but larger crews, plus no crews rec areas like we had, (593 streach hull).

593 and 637 had a tunnel that went over the top of the reactor compartment. No equipment that I remember in the tunnels. Aft of the RC was AMS and ENG.

Fwd of RC was OPS, 3 decks deep. Upper was conn and radio and sonar, CO & XO staterooms.

Mid was galley, crewsmess, wardroom and pantry, on my boat was 2 nineman berthing areas, Yoeman shack, storekeepers office and Corpmans office and crews head. Lower was a 21 man berthing and torpedoroom and Air Regen Room plus laundryroom.

Fwd of OPS was Bow with crews berthing and CPO quarters. Lower was Diesel gen and Sonar equipment.

[jbrock]

that would be central time, unless the officer was talking about his time, but i don't think my sister misunderstood him.

[rottndog]

For us nucs, the only good down time we had was at sea on station doing ops. In port all we did was try to get back to sea, and any transit time was spent on training, maintenance, and qualifications. Busy, busy, busy.

I loved it though.

As far as Charlie Oscar being relieved, nothing is certain until the BOI makes a determination of what happened. And even if the CO is found to have some responsibility, that doesn't mean he'll get axed. I've seen it too many times, where someone with connections gets a little extra latitude for things they do, which is one of the reasons I got out after 6 years.

Just have to wait for the facts to come out (which may or may not happen).

[jbrock]

thank you so much for the info and number. i'm calling my sister and giving it to her. again, thank you

[MEG33]

Prayers of thanksgiving for your son and of condolences for the loved ones of the one who was lost..

[Doohickey]

We call 'em 594's because of what happened to the 593. Nobody wanted to be on a "Thresher Class". Anyways, 637's had an 18-man berthing under the goatlocker, complete with a head that was always full of supplies.

The 637 stretch-hulls (678-687 minus the 685) were sweeeet. The extra ten feet was all forward of frame 57. Gave room for the 9-man to become a 15-man, there was an MES in OPSLL aft of the TR for to hide the Mk 19 and static inverter, extended radio shack with a back door that opened into the fan control room.

Yeah...

[shaggy eel]

,,, this thing was on its way to Brisbane when this occured. Just think, it could have run into the shark nets at Surfers.

[Aussie Dasher]

That'd liven up a Sunday arvo at the beach!

[shaggy eel]

,,, ha! You bet.

[MEG33]

Another prayer of thanksgiving..

[united1000]

Please add me to your list -

[lawgirl]

"oops"

[borntobeagle]

Just stopping back on this thread to check updates and I am so sorry to hear about your family members. I will offer my prayers for their safety and for the one whose life is lost.

Not sure if it has been mentioned on this thread earlier, but this will be a difficult blow to the morale of these sailors. A uniqie camaraderie exists on these boats compared to anywhere else in the USN. They truly are a special group of sailors.

I hope they will rebound from this quickly, and can overcome the difficulty they have encountered and will have to endure.

[borntobeagle]

I missed you in the last post, my prayers for your nephew as well....