Author Topic: The "Kursk" (Read 581 times)

Wotan · « **on:** October 29, 2001, 04:20:00 AM »

Real Player Clip

I was on a 688 fast attack submarine and one of the biggest fears was fire. I cant imagine the hell these guys went through. Its not like the movies. Everything is black no glow of the fire. The smoke rises and pushes along the top of the hull while sucking air rushes to feed the fire from below. Reported temp on the kursk reached 8000 degrees.

I was a sonar technician and was in the Navy for 6 years.

Krusher · « **Reply #1 on:** October 29, 2001, 08:06:00 AM »

You submarine guys are somthing.. I cant imagine spending months on end without the sun.

streakeagle · « **Reply #2 on:** October 30, 2001, 08:10:00 PM »

Hey Wotan,

I was STS for 8 years. Enlisted May 89, SSN-687 from Nov 90 to Jan 94 (decommed), AGSS555 from Jan 94 to EAOS May 97.

Wobble · « **Reply #3 on:** October 30, 2001, 08:33:00 PM »

It said on the news that the likley cause of accident was a torpedo exploding in one of the tubes.. it seems that would put a rather quick end to it.. not some slow smoke inhalation firey death..

skernsk · « **Reply #4 on:** October 31, 2001, 08:36:00 AM »

you forget that the same news people mentioned they could hear banging from inside the hull.

I also remember that a man had written a goodbye note to his family too. Not that fast for some.....

Ripsnort · « **Reply #5 on:** October 31, 2001, 08:37:00 AM »

They are still not sure what caused it, and the Russians still have not ruled out 'collision with another sub'...could it be that the "Crazy Ivan" tactic employed by the Russians actually turned out to be quite crazy?

Eagler · « **Reply #6 on:** October 31, 2001, 08:55:00 AM »

<S> to the Russian sailors and their families, indeed a waste.

Professor Fate · « **Reply #7 on:** October 31, 2001, 10:27:00 AM »

This story might hit home for some scare the crap out of others
http://www.subsim.com/ssr/page44.html

Swager · « **Reply #8 on:** October 31, 2001, 10:52:00 AM »

I was a STS for 6 years. 4.5 years on the SSN694 for Jan 1981 to Sept 1985.

We had a fire onboard twice. Thanks god in port both times. One in the engine room and one in the torpedo room. Smoke and fumes spread in a submarine so fast it is unbelievable!

We had a guy onboard from the Uss Greenling after she had her major fire. He would not talk about it! He just told us to pray we never have to experience it.

But all the dangers aside, I would not ever change the path I took in my career. Submarine duty was the best decision I ever made. The crewmembers on the Groton were some of the most incredible people I ever had the pleasure of working with. Bar None!

Whenever a submarine has a major casualty such as this and people die, regardless of nationality, a piece of me feels ripped out!

PS. StrikeE, how did you manage to get those 'special' boats for a duty assignment??

[ 10-31-2001: Message edited by: Swager ]

streakeagle · « **Reply #9 on:** November 01, 2001, 02:58:00 PM »

It took three things to get on Richard B. Russell:

Honorman in every school I attended,
A successful Top Secret/SCI clearance check (which quite a few people didn't pass due to lying about drugs or previous criminal records),
and having the guy they sent to interview me like my personality.

As for Dolphin, Special Projects is like the Hotel California, you can check out but you can never leave: the clearances take too long and cost too much, so they recycle people whenever they can.

After Russell decommed, a friend wanted to do a tour on a normal 688, so they sent him to the LaJolla out of San Diego. He quickly found out why they sent him their: they were getting involved with special projects and besides his CO, he was the only person with enough clearance to do those operations

Naturally, he became the on-call Sonar Supervisor for super secret operations. After that boat, they let him do a tour as a recruiter then he went to USS Parche SSN-683, a radically modified sister of Russell. They tried to steal me off of Dolphin, but they couldn't make me volunteer for that kind of duty and this time I wasn't young and dumb. I just waited for EAOS. "Not one day more!"

qts · « **Reply #10 on:** November 01, 2001, 03:23:00 PM »

I think it was extremely brave and wise of the Russian general to not reveal the contents of the letter they've just found.

Gunthr · « **Reply #11 on:** November 01, 2001, 03:25:00 PM »

Whew, that is some story. <S> to all submariners. Training must weed out the claustraphobics right away...

Swager · « **Reply #12 on:** November 01, 2001, 05:30:00 PM »

A good fried of mine is a ACINT rider. Has been since 1985. I got out and he went to Washington. We went to Sub School and A School together. He just went over 22 years and is a STSCM.

I visited him a few times, he never told me anything and I never asked.

[ 11-01-2001: Message edited by: Swager ]

Wotan · « **Reply #13 on:** November 01, 2001, 05:32:00 PM »

ah we all have our stories

good times I'll never forget.......

S! swager
S! streak

streakeagle · « **Reply #14 on:** November 01, 2001, 06:01:00 PM »

The friend I mentioned in my last post just made Chief a couple of months ago, and is on his way to Washington D.C. to go ACINT.

Another friend from Russell was not as politcally adept and only recently made 1st class, but has already been in ACINT school for several months.

They promised me ACINT school ("call me when you make 1st class"). When I made 1st Class right away, they wanted me to get some sea time on a normal boat since I was too junior on Russell and Dolphin didn't count for tactical experience. I had already done 6.5 years of sea duty by EAOS and wasn't willing to do 9 years of sea duty straight hoping for a job that keeps you at sea for 2.5 months of every 3 for another 3 to 5 years

The worst day in port is better than the best day at sea

By the way, who was the ACINT Rider you know?

I met only 3 because even they had trouble getting the clearances to serve on Russell.

I remember an STSCS Adams, CM by now?
I was friends with STSCS Don Noyes and can still get in touch with him since my other friends still see him all the time.
I can't remember the 3rd guy's name. He was an STSCM on shore duty at SUBTRAFAC Pt Loma during most of my Dolphin career until Don conveniently relieved him.

I was at NRAD in San Diego (Dolphin's homeport) and San Francisco (Mare Island Naval Shipyard was Russell's homeport) and hardly ever moored at a normal pier with other submarines, so I don't know as many people as I should.

[ 11-01-2001: Message edited by: streakeagle ]