High resolution version here
Posted on 01/27/2005 12:42:24 PM PST by Boot Hill
The amount of damage is simply staggering!
That this boat ever made it back to port is a tribute to its designers, builders, and especially to the crew and captain. How does America keep finding men like these?
Take a look at this. Pretty nasty. This wasn't just a "routine" grounding. I'm guessing that they crashed into an underwater mountain moving at a pretty good clip.
Maybe the Air Force could learn a few lessons here. Most of the Air Force inventory is barely-flying junk and the corrupt people who run it are looking the other way because they're being wined and dined by corrupt contractors who are putting out parts that are barely a step above scrap metal. (And yes, I am in a position to know.)
They are the throttle valve controls. They control the flow of steam to the main engines, two big steam turbines connected to a common reduction gear and thence the shaft. The big wheel is the Ahead Throttle, turn it to the left (remember righty tighty - lefty loosey) and the sub goes forwards. The little wheel is the astern throttle, turn it to the left and the sub goes backwards. If I recall correctly there's a shaft torque indicator on that Steam Plant Control Panel (SPCP), it redlines at over 1 million foot pounds.
Late bump Tonk,Our Guys are hero's.
I know what you mean. A good friend of mine served on the USS La Jolla. He is a special kind of person.
Yes, the Higher Power makes the man; America makes the man "like these."
For when they go home. They man the other one. But seriously - one is the up down and one is left right (port, starboard).
I sent this to my Dad as he used to be in the Navy and then worked for NAVSEA for over 30 years. Whenever we watch movies with submarines, he points out the systems he worked on. Here is his reply to the photos I sent:
"Yes I have been following this sub--the USS San Francisco SSN 711--it hit an undersea seamount about 300 miles from Guam. Claims it was one of those uncharted types. I saw some video of the sub returning to Guam & then these photos in the SF shipyard drydock. Hard to believe they were able to stay afloat & not go down. The whole front end damage is where one of the main sonar transducer/hydrophones are located. The torpedo detection equipment ( the topside receiving hydrophones) I helped get approved for service use & in production & installed on every sub can be seen by the guy near the front of the sub--it is the black object protruding from the deck by his left side. "
And this one!
Yes, the drivers are harnessed for just this reason.
Why is the Navy showing pictures of the sub to the public ? I thought this kind of stuff was classified ?
The front of the sub is mostly a ballast tank which is why they survived and why this sub will be able to return to service. As for the shock it got from the collision messing things up further aft, this is a warship and it is designed for such shocks. I imagine they might have to straighted out a few things but I'd be surprised if this sub is not returned to service soon. If Clinton was still president they'd scrap it, just like what happened to my former, fully functional, sub.
Yes, he has been relieved of command but that is standard operating procedure for the Navy while there is an ongoing investigation. It doesn't necessarily mean that he's toast. He's needed by the investigators to answer questions, etc.
If they followed operating envelope, over 500 feet.
They put those on in the early 90's (steam leak concerns--HA!).
Looks like they just took that pic with the door in place to keep from showing EVERYTHING, but normally we ran with just the chain in place.
Oh, the hours and days I spent in that middle chair, both at sea and in port...ZZZZZZZZZZ....
I made a crack about sonar girls a week ago and had this 6'4 250 lb ex STSSC threaten to come over to my house.
And he was gonna hit you with his purse, right? LOL
HEY! Watch it! :-)
STS2 ( SS )
The entire story is found at this link - copy it and paste it into your browser...
http://www.submarineresearch.com/bull39.html
I was under the impression (wrong I guess) that carrier groups were pretty well protected. In a conflict, would our carriers be easily sunk by chinese or russian subs?
Thanks for the ping!! Terrible accident and the guys who saved the sub are heroes!
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