Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 853
| Subject: 1-17- history/incidents
Pacific 01/17/70: The USS Volador (SS-490) and the Japanese freighter Miyahime Maru are
lightly damaged in a collision at the mouth of Tokyo Bay, Japan.
note:
reading these incidents always intrigue me. All they give is a teaser of information. Enough to allow one to speculate and stir the imagination. I know there is more to the stories, and so it is with this incident, here is the rest of the story.
We had been on a specop in the Tonkin Gulf and off the coast of Hainan. The boat was headed for Subic. I had heard all the tales, had money in my pocket, and boy was I ready. The skipper came on the 1MC as we were close stating we were going to anchor out, take on the stores and fuel, and off load spooks. We did and then made max turns for Yokosuka. After pulling in we took on more stores and fuel. Coffee goes outboard of the rock crushers. Dry store was filled and then Hogans alley received a fair share of #10 cans. And, of course, we loaded four spooks and gear.
We left Yokosuka, turned North, through the Tsugaru Straits and into the Sea of Japan, then angled North. It was silent running, dead slow turns, rig for quit during the day, and snorkel/jam the can at night. We were only 12 days on station when the Skipper wanted a closer look (?). What do I know? I was only a 3rd class barely qualified. He failed to consult me. Our port screw clanged on some rocks, and the sonar dome (chin mount) scrapped on something and was damaged. We eased on out of there with a thumping leaking shaft and singing screw. Eventually we started to snorkel. The shaft flax packing was tightened down all the way, and the shaft locked. Even so, it was still leaking. We surfaced and started our return to Yoko on one shaft. I had a new watch station,The motor room. My new rating was leak monitor third class. As an aside, that emergency rubber boot shaft seal was ruptured when we tried to use it. Piece of garbage.
We were coming into Yoko at night in a driving rain storm. I do not know why lookouts and radar did not see the tanker. I do know I piled out of my ATR rack quickly when the collision alarm went off. Maneuvering was backing emergency on one shaft, and securing a charge. We drove our nose into the tanker bending it almost 90 degrees. A few seconds slower and we would have been cut in half.
Into dry dock #1 we went. New shaft, screw, sonar dome repairs. The nose job wasn't what I would call "minor" as reported. We were in there for 28 days. All in all it wasn't a good thing. We missed liberty in Subic and Kobe. The USS Medregal took our place and also lost some liberty. I was glad to get out of Yoko and thieves ally. The starlight took most of my money. When we got back to the states I was broke and had a pair of binoculars (which I still have).
Atlantic 01/17/89: The USS Norfolk (SSN-714) collides with the USS San Diego (AFS-6) on
the surface near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel near Norfolk, Virginia, as both ships are
heading out to sea, causing minor damage and no injuries.
1-17-1954 USS Nautilus (SSN 571), the first nuclear-powered submarine, is commissioned at Groton, Conn. After setting sail, it sends the message: "Underway on nuclear power."
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1-17- history/incidents
