Why did one of the U.S. Navy’s most advanced subs return to port with a pirate flag?

WaPo ^ | 9/13/17 | Thomas Gibbons-Neff

[Rebelbase]

[snip] An image posted to a Pentagon media site and tweeted by Scottish journalist Ian Keddie shows the USS Jimmy Carter, a Seawolf-class nuclear-powered submarine, returning to her home port in Washington Tuesday flying the American flag alongside the unmistakable pirate skull and crossed bones, known as the Jolly Roger.

The 450-foot-long vessel is one of three in its class and is specially modified to conduct some of America’s most covert underwater operations. That fact alone — as Keddie points out — makes the appearance of the black and white flag significant. The Carter, according to photos posted in April, also flew the Jolly Roger returning from its last patrol.

[oldvirginian]

“I wouldn’t have named a sub after him, but I have seen worse picks.”

It could have been named after Harvey Milk. Could you imagine commanding the USS Harvey Milk and have to give the command to Dive?

I know there is a navy ship named after HM, having a garbage scow named after that fruit is, is......I don’t have the words.

[InABunkerUnderSF]

Ivy Bells was in the days of copper cables and electrical inductance. Tapping fiber optic cable is a bit more challenging.

[Inyo-Mono]

What’s interesting is that during the heyday of pirates in the 1600 & 1700s, they actually flew a blood red flag just before attacking. The skull and crossbones “Jolly Roger” came later.

[huldah1776]

cool.

[oldvirginian]

Great movie to waste a couple of hours on. Pure entertainment.

I love the scene where the go between the props of the merchant ship to shake the sub hunting them.
And when the fat cook lets loose a humongous fart while they are trying to stay silent.

So many good scenes in that movie.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I noticed as well first thinking it to be a compromised hull.. But I think it could be a part of whatever camo pattern may be at play.

Aside from that, to my untrained eye, the condition of that boat looks deplorable. Rust on the head of the conning tower, rusted fittings and the foot of the railings, etc. Isn't there regular at-sea maintenance that gets done?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I thought that was tomorrow.

It's already tomorrow in Korea.

[dfwgator]

I thought that was tomorrow.

That's the pitcher's name.

[NorthMountain]

Bharf.

[Mat_Helm]

It means they completed their mission. It is the one special Sea Wolf that is extra long with ROV and other mini subs in her hull. They could have completed a clandestine mission successfully, recovered something from the ocean floor, tapped into some signal intelligence, placed something of significance on or near NORK, sunk something from the NORKS's, who knows. AAAaarrrggggghhh.

[Hieronymus]

Terrell County

---

My Dad was on the Windham County (LST-1170) from 1968-1970, and I’m pretty sure that I have heard him mention the Terrell.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

But Who is on First.

[Pollster1]

Which would you rather have when your covert submarine has to run on the surface:
- US Navy Milspec radar and comm gear that every enemy can immediately classify as a Seawolf submarine, or
- The same Furuno marine radar as 50,000 other ships at sea?

There is a reason for using commercial off the shelf equipment when surfaced, and it’s not just to save money.

[Pollster1]

I’m with you. Whatever the reason is for the flag, I’ll bet it’s on the bottom of the ocean, never to be heard of.

50-50. It may be something that disappeared elsewhere and the owners are still wondering what happened - while the USS Jimmy Carter brought whatever it is home.

[Pollster1]

Aside from that, to my untrained eye, the condition of that boat looks deplorable. Rust on the head of the conning tower, rusted fittings and the foot of the railings, etc. Isn't there regular at-sea maintenance that gets done?

That's just your untrained eye. They were under water - no painting gets done. They got beat around a little in the weather (there were storms out there, as you may have heard, even up North), and their paint chipped. If you come back looking pretty, you were playing and enjoying port calls. Come back with your acoustic tiles (absorbs active sonar and reduces noise) damaged or missing and your paint job trashed, and you were doing something real.

[CrazyIvan]

I’ve got a picture someplace of one of them pulling into port with a naked stripper on the dive plane.

[M Kehoe]

Arrrgh.

The crew of that boat either stole some “booty,” robbed a country or killed something.

Aye matey.

5.56mm

[xrmusn]

Yes, both part of the 1156 (Terrebone Parish) class built in 1953-54 and the Windham was part of the group of 8 1156 class that formed a squadron homeported in Yokosuka Japan in 1960.. TC went out of USN in 72, sold to Greece and was a 'target' in 2007 or therabouts.

It did eventually become a 'Long Slow Target'.

[Molon Labbie]

It’s their “90 days pregnancy free” flag.

[Hieronymus]

I missed being born in Yokosuka by about a month.