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Sea Stories by Jim, Spartanburg, SC (2026)

03/01/2025

Sea Story Saturday… We’re Gonna Need That…!!

This week, we return to my life UPON the sea, rather than under it. I spent 8 years on surface ships and only 5 on a submarine, so there will be a few (more) stories from the surface than there will be from the depths. This is one of them.

My second (of 2) cruisers was the USS South Carolina, CGN-37. I checked on board the “SoCar” in late 1997. The ship was already scheduled to be decommissioned in late ’98. We had ONE LAST Shebang… One Last Cruise to the Mediterranean Sea.

The story of that cruise is worthy of a whole other story, but this is the story of one port visit during that trip.

We were scheduled to pull into Toulon, France. The Wardroom and CO had made certain plans for events during our stay. There was… suffice it to say… some desire among the Wardroom to get into port on schedule…

So, we set a course for the port of Toulon. There was a fairly significant storm along the coast of France that day. It seemed as if the closer we got to Toulon, the worst the storm became. With determination, however, we pressed on…

At one point, the ship’s bell broke loose from its housing and fell to the deck. With the ship pitching and rolling (*), the Captain decided to direct the OOD to have two men go out onto the bow (both with safety harnesses) to retrieve the bell before it was washed over the side and lost to the Mediterranean forever.

About the same time a crack developed in the port side of the superstructure and a desk broke loose in the Chief Engineer’s office (desks were all bolted to the deck to prevent them from sliding around in heavy seas).

The “turning point” was when the top 15 feet of the after mast broke loose and we nearly lost the aft mast and the TACAN antenna (**). The only thing holding it from going over the side and into the sea was the cabling to the antenna.

Once that happened, the Captain decided enough was enough and we turned tail and headed back out to sea and away from the storm.

This was the one and only time in 24 years that I lost my cookies…!!! And it was the pitch that got me. We had been having some training in a space we used as a classroom. It was allllllllllll the way back in the stern of the ship. With the stern going uuuuuupppp and doooooowwwnnn, uuuuuupppp and doooooowwwnnn, uuuuuupppp and doooooowwwnnn, for a solid hour… Well, that did it. I made it back to my berthing area and head (bathroom for you land lubbers) just in time to fully evacuate the contents of my stomach…

Once we did finally pull into Toulon, the ship’s Hull Technicians (HTs) got to work welding the crack in the superstructure and welding the aft mast back in place. I’m sure they got ashore, but probably not as much as they would have liked to.

Toulon was nice and the smashed sammiches were great, but I’m not sure I wouldn’t have rather skipped it…

What do you remember from this trip, if you were on SoCar then? Did you have any similar stories from your time at sea?

(*) Pitch and Roll: Pitching is the movement of the ship similar to a teeter-toter, where the stern will be going up while the bow goes down and vice versa as the ship crests the waves of the sea. Roll is the movement from side to side as the ship cuts through an unstable sea.

(**) TACAN Radar: Tactical Air Navigation System – (Disclaimer – I am NOT a radar guy) In layman’s terms, it is my understanding the TACAN system is an air navigation support system, used by US air assets (planes and helicopters) to pinpoint their position. It is essentially a pre-curser to GPS. Planes can use triangulation from multiple points of contact from TACAN stations either on shore or on a ship.

The Day After… This is a video of the seas on the SECOND attempt to pull into Toulon. The seas were still heavy but far more navigable and we made it in this day. The buzz you hear in the video is from the ship’s radar systems. Video equipment are very good at capturing that interference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBN050O6jTE

02/22/2025

Sea Story Saturday… Are Those Liberty Cuffs…??

When I joined the Navy in 1978, the Service Dress Uniform (Class A’s for you Ground Pounders, Gy-Reenes, and Fly Boys) was a double breasted, Navy Blue, suit coat with 6 buttons (silver for E-1 to E-6 and gold for E-7 and above).

This was… somewhat of a let down for me. I was NOT a fan of the suit style dress uniform. Sure, it was “easier” to assemble, maintain, and wear but it was NOT the Traditional Navy Dress Uniform I saw Popeye wearing while I was growing up…!! Not by a longshot…!

In 1973, out of an overabundance of extremely poor judgement, some fool in the Dept of the Navy decided the time had come to replace the Traditional Jumper / Bell Bottom (a.k.a., Cracker Jack) Uniform with the one I was forced to wear when I left Boot Camp. The Cracker Jack uniform had been THE uniform of the U.S. Navy for a very long time (quite possibly since 1864 in one form or another) and existed in Navies around the world. It just screams, HERE IS A SAILOR…!

What about all those buttons…? Most Seafarers would tell you (confidently) that the 13 buttons on the broadfall of the Cracker Jack trousers are symbolic of the original 13 colonies of the United States of America (que the band). And although it surely sounds impressive and is really very believable, it is sadly just not true. The original broadfall (or flap) on the front of the trousers was held in place by only 7 buttons. The broadfall was expanded and 6 more buttons were added in 1894.

There was a silk tie in the back of the trousers to help cinch up the Bell Bottoms for a nice clean fit.

What’s the Flap about…? The flap, which begins in the front, lays over the shoulders, and ends in a boxed flap draped over the back has three white stripes and a five point star in each of the bottom corners in the back. In the days of old, sailors had long hair. It was not uncommon in the days of sails to grease your hair back with some tar. The original uniforms were white with a blue flap. The flap would protect the white jumper from the tar in the sailor’s hair. The original flap was indeed known as a “Tar Flap.”

How ‘bout that… Tie??...?? Not a tie, but a Neckerchief. Again, going back to the days of sail, the neckerchief was frequently used to tie the sailor’s hair back or used as a headband. Today, it is either made of fine cotton, a cotton-poly blend, or for the distinguished sailor, silk. It is a square piece of material, folded at opposite corners to make a right triangle, then rolled. It is tied with a standard Navy square knot. BONUS to anyone who remembers which way the knot lays… Comment below…!!

Why Three Stripes…? Once again, there is a “Story” and then there is the relatively boring truth. The “Story” is the three white stripes on both the flap (Tar Flap) and the cuffs of the jersey stand for the three great sea victories by Admiral Horatio Nelson of the British Royal Navy. Sadly… Not true.

The stripes are the final version of what began as an indication of enlisted men’s rank. Petty Officers had three rows of stripes, ordinary seamen had two rows, and landsmen and boys had only one stripe. In 1947, the stripes were standardized to three for all uniforms because the enlisted rank was by then worn on the left sleeve. The distinction of stripes at the cuffs and on the flap was deemed repetitive.

In 1980, the Navy finally came to their senses and brought back the Cracker Jack Uniform… Hallelujah, Praise The Lord, Thank You Jesus…!!!!

You can bet I wasted NO time in going to the uniform center and buying my first set of Cracker Jacks…!!! And when Cracker Jacks came back, SO DID LIBERTY CUFFS…!!

For those who may not know, liberty cuffs are a (roughly) 2” by 6” strip of decoratively embroidered material which would be (more correctly, could be) worn on the cuff of the Cracker Jack jersey to show a little flair…

Because Liberty Cuffs were BANNED in 1910, they had to be worn… discretely… When going ashore in uniform, you are always subject to inspection upon disembarking from the ship. If you wanted to wear Liberty Cuffs, you had to do it in a clandestine fashion. Your cuffs had to be sewn to the INSIDE of the cuff, upside down (so it will be right side up when turned out). Once you were well out of view of the ship, shore patrol, and anyone who may give a darn, you would unbutton your cuffs and turn them up to (proudly) display your Liberty Cuffs.

Did I have Liberty Cuffs…?? You bet I did. Sadly, I do not have any surviving pictures of myself in my Cracker Jacks (with or without Liberty Cuffs).

Did you have Cracker Jacks? Did you have Liberty Cuffs? If so, do you have any pictures of you in your Cracker Jacks? How about your Dad, Uncle, Grandfather, etc…

You can get a pair of really nice Liberty Cuffs here… https://theboatswainsmatestore.com/collections/liberty-cuffs

02/16/2025

Sea Story Saturday… Show Me Whatchya Got…!

One of the measures of a Warship is the Arms it brings to the Battle. I have served on a variety of ships, each with their own select contribution to the weapons of war (or deterrence and… Peace).

Although I was not engaged in any of any ship’s weapons systems, the “guns” you are “packing” can (still) be a source of (unit) pride.

Here is what I “brought” to bear…

Nashville: The Nashville (LPD-13) was my first ship, albeit a brief stay of only a few months while awaiting the start of nuclear power school. She was not meant as an assault ship, so her armament was somewhat limited to mostly defensive weapons. She had:
- 2 – 25 mm Mk 38 Chain Guns
- 2 – Phalanx CIWS Gun Mounts
- 8 – 50 cal Machine Gun Mounts
Although that may not seem like much, she could carry 900 marines (and all of their gear and weapons) as well as up to 4 landing craft and 2 choppers or Marine Corps Harrier Jump Jets.
Nashville was meant to deliver her punch to the beach.

Bluefish: The Bluefish (SSN-675) was my one and only submarine. Submarines are (of course) unique in their armaments. Modern submarines don’t spend much time on the surface, so gone are the days of having a deck mounted 3- or 4-inch Gun Mount and one or two machine gun mounts. Modern submarines simply carry torpedoes or torpedo tube launched missiles. Bluefish was an attack submarine, so she did not have any ICBMs. The latest classes of submarine (Virginia Class) do have vertical launch tubes for a wider variety of missiles.
Specifically, Bluefish had:
- 4 – 21” Torpedo Tubes (Forward) capable of firing Mk 48 Torpedoes, SUBROC missiles, Harpoon missiles, or laying Mk 57 or Mk 60 mines.

Mississippi: The Mississippi (CGN-40) was my first cruiser. She was a formidable warship and carried a wide range of guns and missile systems, including the ability to launch long range, guided tomahawk missiles. She proved her usefulness during Operations Desert Sheild and Desert Storm.
Her weapons included:
- 2 – Mk-26 SAM/ASW Missile Launchers (68 missiles at full load out)
- 2 – 5” / 54 cal (Rapid Fire) Naval Guns
- 6 – 12.75” Torpedo Tubes (2 sets of 3 mounted one on each side) (Mk 54 Torpedoes)
- 2 – Armored Box Launchers (4 Tomahawk Missiles each)
- 2 – Phalanx CIWS Gun Mounts (4500 20 mm rounds / min)
- 2 – 50 cal Machine Gun Mounts (01 Level Aft)
- 2 – M60 Machine Gun Mounts (Port and Stbd Bridge Wings)

South Carolina: The South Carolina (CGN-37) was my second cruiser. She carried an impressive load of weapons for anti-air, anti-submarine, ship to ship, and ship to shore missiles. She did, however lack any long-range weapons.
- 2 – SAM Missile Launchers (80 missiles at full load out)
- 2 – 5” / 54 cal (Rapid Fire) Naval Guns
- 1 – ASROC Missile system (24 missiles at full load out)
- 4 – 12.75” Torpedo Tubes (2 sets of 2 mounted one on each side) (Mk 54 Torpedoes)

Truman: The Harry S Truman (CVN-75) was my final ship. An aircraft carrier’s primary purpose is to deliver air supremacy to the battle field. The ship’s weapons are primarily of a defensive nature.
Her weapons included:
- 3 – Sea Sparrow Surface to Air Missile Systems
- 2 – Phalanx CIWS Gun Mounts

As stated, my job had nothing to do with any of these weapons systems, but I did get the opportunity (on occasion) to see them in action.

They are all loud and impressive, to say the least.

Firing a torpedo uses high pressure water and high-pressure air in a rapid sequence to flush the torpedo out of the tube and on its way. One of the racks (beds) I had on Bluefish was directly inboard of the port torpedo tubes. There is no sleeping through firing a torpedo.

The CIWS (Close In Weapons System) is a buzzing / burring spray of bullets. At 4500 rounds per minute, it really is a spray (that is 75 rounds per second). So much heat is generated by firing the CIWS that it can only be fired for a second or two at a time. However… When in fully automatic mode, it will lock onto and fire at a target until there isn’t anything big enough to track anymore.

Any missile system is loud and very fast. Blink and you’ll miss it. The launchers we had on Mississippi could bring two “birds” up onto the rails, swing to firing position, and launch both missiles in a matter of only a few seconds. That was always impressive to watch.

The 5” gun mounts are (of course) loud as hell and when fired, spit the spent shell out of the top of the mount and onto the deck. You DO NOT want to be anywhere near the 5” gun when it is fired.

On Mississippi, we had the opportunity to follow behind the Battleship Wisconsin (BB-64) during Desert Storm. I recall one day, after getting off of watch in the engineroom, I decided I would go up on deck and get a glimpse of her. We were about a mile behind her at the time. What I didn’t know is that she was about to fire her 16” Guns. As I came up the port side of the ship and approached the forecastle (bow or “focsle”), the Wisconsin fired her guns. The massive “BOOM” and resulting shockwave knocked me back and down on my behind. I decided I was done sightseeing for that day…!

I was also able to witness the launch of a few of the Tomahawk Cruise Missiles we had on Mississippi (from our Armored Box Launchers). One of them even made the cover of “Soldier of Fortune” magazine. Ironically, the one that made the cover flew for about a mile or two and then dropped into the sea. It was a dad gum dud.

What do you recall from firing weapons…??? Comment below…

CIWS in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsf38NYzo5Q

02/08/2025

Sea Story Saturday… Bluefish’s First Torpedo Attack…

I proudly served on the USS Bluefish, SSN-675, a Sturgeon Class Nuclear Attack Submarine. She was the second ship to bear that name. Her predecessor was the SS-222, a Gato Class Fleet Submarine.

Bluefish’s keel was laid on June 5th, 1942 at the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut. She was launched in February, 1943 and commissioned on May 24th, 1943 (*). Bluefish successfully completed nine war patrols and was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with 10 battle stars for her service during WWII.

Last month, I told the story of her first victory at sea. Today, I’ll continue the story of her first war patrol with her (disappointing) first torpedo attack and the follow-on redemption and victory.

Just before dawn (0448) on the 21st of September, 1943, Bluefish submerged about 30 miles east of the entrance to Kendari Bay and set course for the entrance to the bay. Seas were calm, skies were clear, and it was a warm morning.

In the early afternoon, at 1350, the OOD spotted smoke from a ship in the Wowoni Strait. The control room watchteam decided it would be possible to shoot as the target rounded middle Saponda Island.

The OOD ordered up full speed at a depth of 120 feet and set a course which would put him one mile north of middle Saponda Island. The boat came to periscope depth twice during the approach to make quick observations. The target appeared to be a large (approx. 10,800 tons) troop transport similar to either the Kusimi Maru or Suwa Maru.

At 1454, well before sunset, the run to put the ship in firing position left the battery at the low voltage limit for the one-hour rate. The range to the target was 4400 yards. The torpedo run was 4700 yards. It would be impossible to further close the target. The target was due to make an expected course change towards the entrance to Kendari Bay. It was now or never and the OOD decided to fire a four-torpedo spread with one set to one quarter target length ahead of the target, one at the foremast, one at the mainmast, and the fourth one quarter target length astern of the target.

Twenty-five seconds after firing the first torpedo, one of the torpedoes (the crew believed it to be the second one fired) exploded well short of the target. The premature explosion spooked the target who then turned 90 degrees, presenting a 180-degree posture and headed away. This prevented any further pursuit of the target ship.

At 1500, two more explosions were heard. These were likely torpedoes striking the reef on the south side of the Kendari Channel. At 1505, we set a course which would put us on the opposite side of Bungutoko Island, believing today’s activity would drive ships to the other entrance to Kendari. Reduced speed to conserve remaining battery and at 1837, we surfaced with the sunset and commenced charging the main battery.

Four days later, on the 25th of September, Bluefish’s luck would change for the better. While running on the surface, about an hour and twenty minutes before dawn (0340) we had a radar contact at 7900 yards, making 8 knots on a course of 085 degrees. We began tracking the target.

The sun rose at 0501. We submerged, set battle stations, and commenced an attack approach. We sighted only one es**rt, dead astern of the target ship. The target appeared to be a large troop transport, likely the Takatiho Maru (approx. 8,150 tons).

At 0548 and at a range of only 1100 yards, we fired a four-torpedo spread from the stern tubes, again with one at one quarter length ahead, one at the foremast, one at the mainmast, and the fourth at one quarter length astern.

One of the four found its mark. We ordered up ahead full and rigged the ship for depth charge attack.

At 0557 we heard five depth charges, but none were anywhere nearby. At 0603, we popped up to take a quick look. The target was listing well to starboard and circling to the right (starboard) at a slow speed. It appeared we had struck a hit in her aft starboard quarter and damaged or disabled her steerage.

There were three es**rts (we had only seen one before our attack) between us and the target, all steaming in different directions and dropping depth charges (seemingly randomly).

At 0605, we swung to port, brought our bow towards the target, and began to close her again. At 0622 and a range of 1600 yards, we fired six torpedoes from the bow tubes, scoring two more hits. We took another ten depth charges (none close) and heard continuous minor explosions. The target was now lower in the water than the largest of the es**rts.

At 0810, one of the es**rts signaled to a Zero fighter, but that didn’t draw any fire. At 0852, we heard six tremendous explosions. The target was no longer visible.

Later that day, at 1619, two small (wooden hull) patrol boats dropped another fourteen depth charges at a range of 7000 yards.

At 1855, we surfaced and set course for Pulassi Island…

02/01/2025

Sea Story Saturday… How Much For This…?

A couple of weeks ago, I listed all of the places I have been while sailing the seven seas…

One of those places was Antalya, Turkey, to which I said, NOT one of my favorite places to visit, and I have a story for that. This is that story… but it is NOT just a story about Antalya. It is more a story of what “greeted” us in almost every port we visited…

It is not an understatement to say that most places the Navy visits are not as prosperous as most places in the United States. The US Dollar is a Very Welcome Guest. This is even true in places where we were advised (or mandated) to exchange money so we would go ashore with the currency of the host nation (*).

One of the very first persons to “Welcome” you to this new, adventurous place… The Beloved Street Vendors…!!!

They exist at almost every port of call the Navy stops at. Their ability to meet the ship as soon as it arrives draws into question the security of the Navy’s ship movements. And, they all come in all shapes, sizes, and with a mind-boggling variety of wares from which to choose. Some are aggressive and some are more passive. They all want your money and don’t care if it is US Dollars or the local form of money.

Most of what they offer is either fake or considered contraband. These are the folks eager to sell you a Rolex for $10 (or $5 if that’s all they can get out of you). Some are somewhat legit, with hand-made trinkets suitable as souvenirs for the folks at home… they are usually the more passive ones. Some have nothing of value, but still want your money. And THAT brings us back to Antalya…

Ships visiting Antalya are anchored out in the harbor. I use the term, “harbor” loosely (**). The crew goes ashore on either the ship’s utility boats or by privately contracted water taxis. In any case, in Antalya, you are brought to shore in the most God forsaken place they could find. Not sure if there was a political aspect to the choice of this spot. Looking at the coastline of Antalya (on Google maps), there are far more “nicer” places we could have landed.

In any case, sailors going ashore were dropped off at the base of a dad gum cliff…!!! But it gets worse…

All the way up the umpteen hundred-ish steps to the top of the cliff are more or less evenly spaced young boys… each with a rudimentary shoe shine kit… Asking each and every sailor if they want their shoes shined. Now… the large majority of sailors don’t wear anything but sneakers when on liberty. So, on day one, I am certain there were nearly ZERO who took them up on this offer.

The young entrepreneurs became a little more aggressive as the day wore on and by day two their tactics changed. When they realized they were not going to get any “legitimate” business on the cliff-side, they began throwing polish at (and hopefully onto) the shoes of the sailors as they climbed the stairway on the cliff. The goal being to land some polish so they could then chase you up the cliff and tell the police that you had engaged their services and now refuse to pay. The police were (of course) sympathetic to the young Turks.

By the end of day two, if you wanted to go on liberty and go into town, you had to RUN, at full tilt, all the way up the damn cliff while dodging airborne globs of black polish. Suffice it to say, Antalya was NOT one of my favorite places to visit.

One other vendor experience stands out in my memories of times ashore…

We were in Kingston, Jamaica. We were going ashore on contracted water taxis. They were somewhat small, carrying less then 20 per trip, so they ran with some regularity. I don’t recall having to wait too long for a ride in either direction. Most of the wait going back to the ship was for the boat to fill up with passengers.

The landing was on some kind of protected port. I remember the usual throngs of vendors, but they had to be outside of the gate to the port. Once you had run the gauntlet and entered the gate, you were free and clear from the onslaught of purveyors of trinkets and souvenirs. This allowed you to enjoy a leisurely stroll back to the dock to catch the next water taxi.

One evening, I had made my way back to the dock and found a nice seat on the water taxi, on the seaward side of the boat. I sat enjoying the night air and the gentle sway of the water in the harbors edge… when… out of the corner of my eye, I see a flickering light… as if from an open flame.

As I turn to get a better look at the approaching vessel, I notice it is a small boat, similar in size to a row boat, with a torch on the bow of the boat. The boat is being paddled along towards our water taxi by an elderly Jamaican man. How curious I thought…

He slowly shimmies his way up alongside the water taxi and he has a couple of racks in the bow end of his boat with his various wares hanging on them for display. He greets us and asks, politely, if we would like to buy any of his souvenirs to take home with us.

I was so tickled and impressed with his ingenuity, creativity, and dedication to his endeavor that I just had to buy something from him. I don’t recall what it was. I’m sure it was nothing of great importance or significance, but something… to validate his effort.

These two extremes stick out in my memories: one positive and one negative. All the rest of my liberty vendor experiences fall somewhere in the middle. Most of them fairly benign.

Comment below if you recall any of your experiences with vendors, either as a sailor / soldier on liberty or as a civilian tourist.

(*) Money: In some countries of the world, you cannot use US Dollars. In other countries, using US Dollars can be problematic or difficult. In ALL other countries, using US Dollars is ill-advised. When using US Dollars in a country other than the US, you do not have ANY assurance that you are getting anything near the current exchange rate. It is a very good bet you will end up paying way more than you had intended for whatever product or service you are buying.
We almost always had a local bank come on the ship on the first day (and sometimes on each day) in any port to exchange money for the crew. It was always advisable to utilize this service.

(**) Anchoring out and Antalya: As I’ve pointed out before, I was on nuclear powered ships. Nuclear powered US Navy ships have to do one of two things to visit ANY port (foreign or domestic). They have to either obtain permission from the host country AND Naval Reactors to pull into port (to a pier or wharf), or… they must anchor out at a distance of four miles or more from the nearest land.
Antalya does not have a protected harbor, per se. So, anchoring out 4 miles, pretty much puts you in open ocean. Not ideal.

01/25/2025

Sea Story Saturday… Can ya fix it, Scottie…?!

Last week, I told y’all all the many places I have been. One of those was Scotland… Holy Loch, Scotland.

The fact I was ever in Holy Loch is… somewhat unique. Holy Loch was home to the Royal Navy Submarine Fleet during World War II. It was selected as a forward operating base for the US Navy in 1961 (*)… for Missile Submarines (SSBN), not for Attack Submarines. I served on an Attack Submarine (SSN). SSBNs under Submarine Squadron 14 would pull into Holy Loch (their homeport), conduct a brief refit and swap out crews before setting sail again.

So, how DID I end up in Holy Loch… Well, let me tell you…

It was late winter, heading into early spring. We were heading off to a six month deployment in the Mediterranean Sea… over the summer. As I’ve pointed out in past sea stories, personal storage on a submarine is somewhat limited, and for the most part, finite. Because there are certain items you simply MUST bring, the available space for stuff you MIGHT want (or need) is even more limited.

So… You’re headed off to a warm, sea breeze driven, climate for several months… What is the FIRST thing you toss to the “Not this trip” pile…?? YUP, that jacket and that sweater. So, Bluefish went to sea with lots of bathing suits and NOT ONE SINGLE jacket or sweater. Most didn’t even bring their beloved submarine sweater (except the sonar and radio guys, cause the sonar and radio rooms are always a refrigerator).

We’re about two months into our nice warm summer trip when we develop / discover a wee tiny issue with our reactor… Let’s just say… similar to what happened on the K-19 (**), but not anywhere near as severe… in fact, nearly undetectable, but we caught it.

We, of course, inform Naval Reactors, the Sixth Fleet (Mediterranean Operational Command), and our Submarine Squadron back home. While awaiting a decision on what to do, we are all thinking… pull into La Maddalena, Italy… a very nice refit and repair stop at the Northern tip of the island of Sardinia. Who wouldn’t love a one or two month layover in La Maddalena…??!!!

There is an old Navy saying which loosely applies… “Fifty / Fifty – Ninety” which means if there is a 50/50 chance of something, you can bet it’ll be the wrong one 90% of the time. And just like that, our dreams of summer on the warm beaches of Italy were dashed upon the Glenns of Scotland…!! And here we go, leaving the Mediterranean, headed to Bonny Scotland.

When we arrived in Scotland, we were greeted by the full Scottish Weather Experience. EVERY DAY… It was bone chilling COLD, there was a heavy (and cold) fog which prevented you from seeing the shore (which was only a few hundred yards from the Submarine Tender we were tied to (at low tide)), and it was ALWAYS RAINING… SIDEWAYS…!!! ALWAYS…!!!

It was at this point, everyone on board became instantly aware of the decision to NOT bring ANY jackets or sweaters. Not any uniform jackets or civilian jackets. NO JACKETS…!!!

If Submarine Sailors are nothing else, they are uniquely resourceful… Within two weeks… somehow… we all had either a sweater, a pea coat, or a Navy utility jacket. Just don’t go looking for a label with the (previous) owner’s name on it.

When it was all said and done, we were there for just shy of three months and had experience the entirety of the Scottish Summer (June 22nd and June 23rd), when by some miracle it stopped raining and the sun came out… until June 24th…

When we left Scotland, we went back to the Mediterranean to finish out our deployment…

As a sidenote… I did actually take some leave while in Scotland, rented a car, and drove into the Highlands to do some castle hopping. I wish I knew then what I know now about my heritage. I would have visited my mother’s ancestral home. She was a Turnbull. The Turnbull Clan hailed from the border region near England.

You can see an overview of the Virginia Class Nuclear Attack Submarine here… A basic discussion of the nuclear reactor and steam plant begin at time 9:30 in the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0lb46Zi5-s

The U.S. Navy (Edzell) Tartan on The Scottish Register of Tartans:
https://www.tartanregister.gov.uk/tartanDetails?ref=4188
The U.S. Navy Edzell Tartan was created for US Navy personnel stationed at RAF Edzell. You can read more about RAF Edzell at https://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Secrets/RAFEdzell

(*) Holy Loch and Squadron 14 – The US Navy left Holy Loch in 1992 due to the fall of the Soviet Union and no longer needing a forward deployed submarine squadron.

(**) The K-19 Reactor Incident: In short, one of the two reactors on the K-19 lost all pressure in the primary coolant loop. Without cooling water, the reactor core temperature rose to over 1400 degrees, threatening to end in a complete meltdown. You can read more about this incident and the rest of the K-19’s doomed history at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_submarine_K-19

Sea Stories by Jim

03/01/2025

02/22/2025

02/16/2025

02/08/2025

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01/25/2025

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