Submarine: Life Under the Waves - British Documentary. (Non - Valkyrie Related)

[carolinarider09]

I saw the above on the Cold War Submarine Veterans Page on Facebook (yes I know).   

If got some good comments.  I have not looked at the video yet but, since most of the comments were positive, I thought I just let you all know it exists.

Will try and watch the first episode tonight. 

I had forgotten that "alcohol" was allowed on British Ships.   At least back in the 70's we got to smoke onboard.  It was finally banned on December 31, 2010 (Happy New Year). 

One more "thing", they hung signs on the torpedo tubes that had torpedo's loaded.  The sign said "Warning War Shot Loaded".   Made sense.  But on my first patrol (FBM), when I went to look into the forward torpedo room, just up from the Mess Decks, I saw the sign "Warning Egg Shot Loaded".  (W

I had to ask.  Answer:  The refrigerator was small on my boat so, to get as many fresh eggs on board as possible, they were also stored in the torpedo tubes.  Makes sense since not all tubes were loaded.  And it gets cool down where we were. 

Anyway,  just wanted to share the information for those who might be interested.. 

[scooperhsd]

I saw the above on the Cold War Submarine Veterans Page on Facebook (yes I know).   

If got some good comments.  I have not looked at the video yet but, since most of the comments were positive, I thought I just let you all know it exists.

Will try and watch the first episode tonight. 

I had forgotten that "alcohol" was allowed on British Ships.   At least back in the 70's we got to smoke onboard.  It was finally banned on December 31, 2010 (Happy New Year). 

One more "thing", they hung signs on the torpedo tubes that had torpedo's loaded.  The sign said "Warning War Shot Loaded".   Made sense.  But on my first patrol (FBM), when I went to look into the forward torpedo room, just up from the Mess Decks, I saw the sign "Warning Egg Shot Loaded".  (W

I had to ask.  Answer:  The refrigerator was small on my boat so, to get as many fresh eggs on board as possible, they were also stored in the torpedo tubes.  Makes sense since not all tubes were loaded.  And it gets cool down where we were. 

Anyway,  just wanted to share the information for those who might be interested.. 

Well , a cool space is a cool space. Eventually all the eggs in the tubes would get used (first, I would hope ?)

[carolinarider09]

Yes sir, you are correct.  Tube eggs first (never know when you might really need to really load one).   And I did ask that question, as memory serves.  But that was 1971.

[old2soon]

       Well Real eggs did NOT last long on the Yorktown when I served. Ate a Lot of yellow runny stuff that the "cooks" called eggs!   Never got sick from runny yellow stuff But there was NOT enough pepper or tabasco to make em halfway edible! There was also a 24 hamburger line! Ate A LOT of burgers and drank a Lot of Navy Coffee and warm Pepsi's! Flew when ever I could as the flight lunch was fried chicken and french fries! Even cool or semi warm were Way Better than yellow runny stuff!   Oh ate a LOT of those thick white iced sweet rolls with that Strong Navy Coffee!  RIDE SAFE.

[carolinarider09]

Watched part of Episode One tonight: 

Most of the stuff was realistic, hand loading stores, kid on the dive planes was too young to be able to drive a car (think about it), berthing area was as I remember.   

However, there was an issue (well two).  They were at sea for four (4) days and had to:

1.  Surface and off load the Engineer because he burned his hand on a hot pipe. 

2.  Loss of a reefer (Refrigerator) which put freon gas in the boat and they had to contain it and then had to eat all the food stored inside before it got spoiled (nope they did not mention using the Torpedoe Tube).

On our boat, I only remember one person getting hurt.  He got burned when he was working or a fuse box (in berthing) and some how got a short.  Burned his hand severely.  What I don't remember is where and when and if he left the boat. 

Oh, they also had a fire in the engine room in a motor, not sure which, and they had to return to port (well its hard to understand the English) and I am not sure which motor.  While lots of motors exist on board, pumps and fans and compressors, I don't remember one catching fire but..... 

Very, very different from my experience on the USS Patrick Henry, but that was years ago. 

So, in summary, not sure I would agree with the positive reviews.  But then that is me. 

[carolinarider09]

Watched Episode 2 last night.  They had to go back into port (after on a week or two at sea) for repairs.

When they got there they got a new Captain (Surprise!!!!!!).   

Went back out to sea and, after only a couple of days, the "crappers" had to be shutdown/not used. 

It lasted for at least five hours and I stopped watching.   But they were discussing the use of plastic bags to "protect" the toilets.  Now that would be fun....  And yes I know us Navy guys are spoiled since we usually had real live toilets (or at least a trough ).

Oh, I forgot during one of their "events" (don't forget they have only been at sea for a week at best) the XO had to take over the dive planes.   

Now, I don't have any disrespect for officers.  Warrant Officers were excellent, Lt jg and Lts were easy to work with.  They knew, that in most case we (enlisted) knew more about how the stuff worked than they did. 

So, puting the XO on the dive planes implying better performance is something I would not agree with. 

I may watch part of Episode 3 tonight because it is getting almost "funny". 

So, if you watch it, just remember that its not about "our" Nukes. 

[carolinarider09]

Ok,,, there is no episode 3 that I could find but I did find something.

If you are at all curious about what it was like being an enlisted man on a submarine, this video is spot on. (see link below)

Its just the training they go through is not something us nukes ETs had to do.   

And if you watch the video, just look at the faces of the men.  That is what is was like.  And at the end, the notion that we on the subs were family is true.  When at sea, we were family.

I swear some of those men looked familiar. 

Ok....  Enough of the yesterday stuff.   Here is the link.

https://youtu.be/2ycDINNZHBw