The Thresher's last dance.

[actaeon277]

Before I start my next section, here are some videos. Note: these are not my videos, and I am not in them.

Here are what we call "angles and dangles". They only hit 29 degrees, but you can see what it looks like. 30 to 35 were high angles, but not unheard of. I've hit 45 degrees, on accident. 45 was NOT fun.
I did not embed the video, because of a small amount of language.
43 second video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGaEHd1QTuI


Here is a 3:23 minute video showing some of life on a submarine.
[video=youtube;ckLlpWNAguo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckLlpWNAguo[/video]

 

[actaeon277]

Tommy Cox was a submariner, sings folk songs.
If you don't like Folk Music, maybe play muted. There are some good pics in the videos.


Since Blind Man's Bluff was mentioned earlier, I'll post that one first.
[video=youtube;ybz_0JwuH58]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybz_0JwuH58[/video]



And since we just discussed the Scorpion, here is his song about it.
[video=youtube;PDQodj-HLFs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDQodj-HLFs[/video]

 

[actaeon277]

Here is some more Tommy Cox.

Big Black Submarine
[video=youtube;dy2jVX3GcMo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy2jVX3GcMo[/video]




And the last one I'm posting, "Tango Charlie".
(No pics in this video, just album art)
[video=youtube;zOdU3fdkrPM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOdU3fdkrPM[/video]

 

[oldpink]

I tried not to bog the story down with too much technical talk. I'm trying to reach the average reader. I throw in a little terminology, to set the backdrop. Too much and I lose people.

I remember, and was saddened by the loss of the Kursk. Some people thought I'd be happy, them being Russians. But they were submariners. I had more in common with them, then I did many of my own countrymen. Their loss was a tragedy. Even more so because they probably could have been helped if the Russians had accepted help.

Right you are about the Kursk.
It's worth commenting that, when our Navy recovered (part of it, actually) that Golf class sub, that they held a proper respectful burial at sea ceremony for the remains discovered in what they had retrieved.
You'll also remember the part of "Blind Man's Bluff" when one of our subs was closely shadowing a Soviet sub in the Med, with the Soviets towing (of all things) a diver on a sled.
The Soviet sub went out of visual contact for a few minutes, and when our sub found it, the sled was clearly gone, the tether snapped, and the Soviet diver was gone, unquestionably killed, probably dragged across some rocks or coral.
They were shadowing this sub, yes, but our men all expressed their sadness at seeing a fellow submariner getting killed in such a manner.
btw...I was surface Navy (1987-1991), aka target for a decent sub.

 

[GLOCKMAN23C]

Thanks act! This has been a good read, keep it up sir.

 

[actaeon277]

Bumping because today is the anniversary of the loss of Thresher.

I still plan on writing act 3 of Thresher's last dance. Hopefully this weekend.

 

[oldpink]

I can't think of anything else more suitable for this grim anniversary than this.

[video=youtube;d6IMK8ansIY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6IMK8ansIY[/video]

 

[actaeon277]

[video=youtube;WChTqYlDjtI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WChTqYlDjtI[/video]

 

[actaeon277]

Memorial Day bump.
Working on the third section. But it's not ready.
Instead of putting it out one part at a time, I'm trying to do the entire last section. Makes it easier for me to go back, edit and change.

 

[actaeon277]

Ok, still haven't finishec the 3rd section.
Putting it out in serial form meant I could put things out once in a while.
Downside was I would find an error, or the story needed to be tweaked, and it was already "out there".

But I found this today.
[video]http://www.businessinsider.com/life-us-navy-submarine-military-training-2015-5[/video]

 

[actaeon277]

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...instructions-if-govt-elimina.html#post5964820

 

[femurphy77]

Before I start my next section, here are some videos. Note: these are not my videos, and I am not in them.

Here are what we call "angles and dangles". They only hit 29 degrees, but you can see what it looks like. 30 to 35 were high angles, but not unheard of. I've hit 45 degrees, on accident. 45 was NOT fun.
I did not embed the video, because of a small amount of language.
43 second video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGaEHd1QTuI


Here is a 3:23 minute video showing some of life on a submarine.
[video=youtube;ckLlpWNAguo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckLlpWNAguo[/video]

If this rain doesn't stop soon I'll need a sub just to get out to my barn!

 

[actaeon277]

I figured I'd throw this in. It's WWII diesel/electric.


Today is the day the USS Harder SS-257 begins it's "Eternal Patrol"
It was operating in a wolf pack, and it was last seen by USS Hake SS-256.
On Eternal Patrol - Loss of USS Harder (SS-257)

At 0453 on the morning of 24 August HAKE dived not far from Caiman Point and about four miles off Hermana Mayor Island, west coast of Luzon, with HARDER in sight 4,500 yards south of her. HAKE heard echo ranging to the south and soon sighted two ships. At first they appeared to be a three stack light cruiser and a destroyer, but upon later inspection were identified as a three stack Thailand destroyer (the PHRA RUANG, of 1,035 tons) and a minesweeper of less than 1,000 tons. HAKE broke off the attack and headed north when the target zigged away apparently to enter Dasol Bay, while the minesweeper stayed outside.

At 0647 upon coming to a northerly course, HARDER's periscope was seen dead ahead at about 600-700 yards. Sound also reported faint screws on this bearing, so HAKE turned away toward the south. At this point the minesweeper gave three strong pings, whereupon HAKE saw her 2,000 yards away swinging toward the two submarines. HAKE figured he had sound contact and went deep. The enemy kept pinging, but seemed to have the two targets located and to be undecided what to do about it. At 0728, HAKE heard 15 rapid depth charges, none close. Two sets of screws were heard and each continued pinging on either quarter of HAKE as she evaded to the westward. By 0955 all was quiet.

HARDER never was beard from again. Her periscope was last sighted at 15° 43'N, 119° 43'E. Japanese records reveal that an anti-submarine attack was made on the same day at 15° 50'N, 119° 43'E with 440 pound depth charges. The enemy said, "much oil, wood chips and cork floated in the neighborhood".
Presumably HARDER perished in this depth charge attack.
HARDER was officially credited with having sunk 20.5 enemy ships, (The half credit was given for a ship sunk cooperatively with HADDO). This gave HARDER a total of 82,500 tons sunk and she damaged seven ships for 29,000 tons. [Editor's note: The numbers in this paragraph are based on the SORG scores. According to SORG, the number of ships damaged was five, not seven.]

It's difficult to judge submarine effectiveness in a list.
Do you go by number of ships sunk? Tonnage? Torpedo hit efficiency? Difficulty of targets?

In tonnage, the Harder doesn't come close to the top.
Because Harder liked to kill Destroyers. Most subs would go after the merchant ships, cause their scores to go up.
But Harder knew the Japanese were short of escorts, so killing some would make them more short of escorts.
It has been postulated that when Harder was lost, she was going after the destroyer attempting to sink the Hake.

Here is a list by number of hulls.(note Harder was not commissioned till one year into the war, and lost almost a year before the end)

Appendix C

[SIZE=+1]Submarine[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Commanding Officer[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Ships Sunk[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]1[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Tautog[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Willigham, Sieglaff, Baskett[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]26[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]2[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Tang[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]O'Kane[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]24[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]3[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Silversides[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Burlingame, Coye, J.C. Nichols[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]24[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]4[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Flasher[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Whitaker, Girder[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]23[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]5[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Spadefish[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Underwood, Germerhausen[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]21[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]6[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Seahorse[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Cutter, Wilkins[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]20[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]7[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Wahoo[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Kennedy, Morton[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]20[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]8[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Guardfish[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Klakring, N.G. Ward[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]19[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]9[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Rasher[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Hutchinson, Laughon, Munson[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]18[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]10[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Seawolf[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Warder, Gross[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]18[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]11[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Trigger[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Benson, Dornin, Harlfinger, Connole[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]18[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]12[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Barb[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Waterman, Fluckey[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]18[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]13[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Snook[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Triebel, Browne[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]17[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]14[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Thresher[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]W.L. Anderson, Millican, H. Hull, McMillan, Middleton[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]17[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]15[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Bowfin[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Willingham, Griffith, Corbus, Tyree,[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]16[/SIZE]
	[SIZE=+1]16[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]USS Harder[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]Dealey[/SIZE]	[SIZE=+1]16[/SIZE]

 

[spencer rifle]

I believe Harder was a "down the throat" specialist, IIRC. Against a destroyer (especially the well-armed, aggressive and effective Japanese) that took some serious cajones.

 

[Woobie]

I have really enjoyed reading this thread Acteon. My hat is off to the Patriots of the sub service.

 

[actaeon277]

 

[IndyDave1776]

 

[Frosty]

Oddly enough I've found this on the anniversary of the Thresher. Very good writing ing act! I'd love to read more, I enjoy reading about your experiences in the submarines!

 

[actaeon277]

So, today April 10, 2016 is "National Sibling Day".
I'd like to introduce you to some of my brothers.

 

[IndyDave1776]

So, today April 10, 2016 is "National Sibling Day".
I'd like to introduce you to some of my brothers.