April 2020 Volume 21, Issue 4

Lest We Forget — Inside This Issue: Meeting minutes 2 “The USSVI Submariner’s Creed” Lost Boats 2

To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who Undersea Warfare Hist 2 gave their lives in the pursuit of their duties while Columbia Delay? 3 serving their country. That their dedication, deeds, Last Block III 5 and supreme sacrifice be a constant source of Narco 7 motivation toward greater accomplishments. Contact information 9 Pledge loyalty and patriotism to the of America and its Constitution. Application form 10

News Brief 1. Next Meeting: Restrictions on group gatherings related to Coronavirus have caused a temporary suspension of our monthly meetings.

Watch e-mail for an announcement regarding when we are allowed to meet again. 2. Duty Cook Roster: a. GET READY TO VOLUNTEER WHEN OUR MEETINGS RESUME. 3. April Birthdays: None. 4. Do you shop on Amazon? Remember to use Amazon Smile for the benefit of our Charitable Foundation. 5. When the new USSVI Website is released, the national office will be able to send its broadcast messages to all hands. It will use the e-mail address in your profile. All hands are asked to review their profile and confirm that it is up-to- date. 6. Chris Gaines requests that you kindly share articles or links to stories that you feel our shipmates would like to see in the newsletter. Member contributions are always welcome.

Crash Dive Meeting Minutes  March 22, 1986 | USS Georgia March 21, 2020 (SSBN-729) : Near Midway Island, USS Secota (YTM-417) The March meeting and all future had just completed a personnel meetings currently are cancelled transfer with the Georgia, when due to COVID-19. the Secota lost power and collided with the Georgia. Secota Lost Boats sank. Ten crewman were rescued, but two drowned. USS PICKEREL (SS-177) 4/3/43 Georgia was undamaged. USS SNOOK (SS-279) 4/8/45  March 25, 1960 | USS Halibut (SSN-587): Underway to USS THRESHER (SSN-593) 4/10/63 , Halibut became the USS GUDGEON (SS-211) 4/18/44 first nuclear powered submarine USS GRENADIER(SS-210) 4/22/43 to successfully launch a guided missile. Undersea Warfare History  March 26, 1943 | USS Wahoo (SS- 238) : Wahoo sank a small diesel  March 18, 1945 | USS Tench (SS- driven freighter with gunfire. 417) : Tench was ordered to take  March 27, 1942 | USS Gudgeon up lifeguard station off the (SS-211): Gudgeon sank the 6526 Western Coast of Kyushu during ton Nissho Maru 5th Fleet carrier air raids on Nagasaki.  March 28, 1946 | USS Tench (SS- 417) : Tench sank 2 tiny trawlers.  March 19, 1945 | USS Parche (SS- 384) : Parche got underway on  March 29, 1993 | USS John her 5th war patrol and headed to Marshall (SSBN 661) : John the East Coast of Honshu, . Marshall was disposed of through the Nuclear Power Ship  March 20, 1944 | USS Pollack and Submarine Recycling (SS-180) : Pollack made a night Program at the Puget Sound and surface attack and watched 2 Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA. hits blow the 1,327 ton freighter, Hakuyo Maru, to  April 1, 1962 | USS Nautilus (SSN pieces. 571) participated in NATO exercise during the naval  March 21, 1945 | USS Guavina quarantine of . (SS-362) : On her 6th war patrol, Guavina worked in coordination  April 2, 1944 | USS Apogon (SS with Rock, Cobia, and Blenny in 308) deployed on her 3rd war the South Sea. patrol.

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 April 3, 1945 | USS Flasher (SS passenger/cargo ship, Taichu 249) completed her patrol upon Maru, despite the presence of at her arrival at , HI, least three escort vessels. and sailed a few days later for a West Coast overhaul. Will the U.S. Navy's  April 4, 1944 | USS Crevalle (SS Columbia Missile 291) sailed for the South China Sea on her 3rd war patrol. Submarine Program Get Delayed?  April 5, 1943 | USS Scorpion (SS 278) departed Pearl Harbor, And if so, is there a Plan B? , on her 1st war patrol, a Peter Suciu, National Interest Online April 1 hunting and mining mission off the East Coast of Honshu. According to a new report from the  April 8, 1945 | USS Tench (SS Government Accountability Office 417) picked up the pilot and (GAO), the U.S. Navy may need to radioman from an Essex (CV 9) have a back-up plan in place should dive bomber and then headed for the service be unable to take timely , Mariana Island. acquisition of the new Columbia- class ballistic missile submarines.  April 9, 1945 | USS Tirante (SS The U.S. Navy has planned to 420) picked out two targets and construct twelve of the new class of fired three torpedoes at each. submarines – with a total cost of One spread missed, but the other $115 billion – and these would struck the 5500-ton transport replace the aging Ohio-class Nikko Maru, carrying homeward submarines from 2027 to 2031. bound Japanese soldiers from . The GAO had previously expressed concerns a year ago that the Navy's  April 10, 1942 | USS Thresher (SS timeline was optimistic, notably in 200) torpedoes and sinks regard to the labor hours that would Japanese merchant cargo ship be needed for the construction of the Maru six miles north of Oshima, new submarines. According to a near the entrance to Tokyo Bay, GAO report from April 2019, "While Honshu, Japan. the Navy analyzed cost risks, it did  April 11, 1943 | USS.Snook (SS not include a margin in its estimate 279) went to sea and headed for for likely cost overruns. The Navy the and East China told us it will continue to update its Sea for her first war patrol, lead submarine cost estimate, but an following a 12-day stopover at independent assessment of the Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. estimate may not be complete in time to inform the Navy's 2021 budget  April 12, 1944 |USS Halibut (SS request to Congress to purchase the 232) sank the Japanese army Page 3 Crash Dive Base Rondout - Lake Bluff, IL lead submarine. Without these attack submarines (SSNs) at the reviews, the cost estimate—and, same time. consequently, the budget—may be unrealistic." The most recent Congressional Research Service updated on the Now a year later, the question is status of the program – updated being asked whether there is truly a March 22, 2020 – also noted that the "plan B" should the Columbia-class risk of COVID-19 could result in other program face delays. However, last technical challenges and/or funding- week USN leadership said it remains related issues, which could impact optimistic about the timeline for the the designing and building of the lead program, even as it is seeing what it Columba-class boat. That could put can do to sustain the Ohio-class the Navy at risk to have the SSBN patrols. submarines ready for its first scheduled deterrent patrol in 2031, "The Columbia program remains the when it is to deploy in place of the navy's top acquisition program and aging Ohio-class. remains on track," Captain Danny Hernandez, a spokesman for James The Columbia-class submarines are Geurts, the assistant navy secretary currently being constructed by for Research, Development, and General Dynamic subsidiary Electric Acquisition, told Jane's. Boat in collaboration with Newport News Shipbuilding. The first steel According to a Congressional plate for the lead in class was cut on Research Service report from May 2019 with a plan for it to enter November 22 of last year, "Navy service in 2027. The new submarines Columbia (SSBN-826) Class Ballistic were designed to support the U.S. Missile Submarine Program: strategic deterrent mission and the Background and Issues for SSBN fleet carries 70 percent of the Congress," the Navy has repeatedly nation's operational nuclear reaffirmed that the new class of weapons. submarines remains a top priority. However, the report to Congress USS Delaware, Navy's identified that issues still remain including the risk of cost growth and newest attack the potential impact of the program's submarine, joins fleet funding will have on other Navy programs. Frank Gerace, WDEL, April 6

One major issue that the Navy faces The Navy's newest attack submarine is that the potential industrial-base has a Delaware connection. The USS challenges that could come with Delaware was commissioned. building both the Columbia-class Saturday and formally joined the boats and the new Virginia-class fleet. Page 4 Crash Dive Base Rondout - Lake Bluff, IL

There'd usually be a public ceremony launch tubes for Tomahawk Land for the occasion, but that was Attack Missiles with two larger postponed due to coronavirus 87-inch diameter tubes able to concerns, so the Navy will celebrate fire larger payloads, each housing the event sometime in the future. six TLAMs.

The Delaware is the 7th Navy ship The first Block IV, the attack and first sub to be named in honor of submarine Vermont, is slated to the First State, and the first Navy be commissioned later this ship in 100 years to be so named. month. The Block IV subs primarily add reliability features It's 377 ft. long, can dive to depths of to the boat that should increase more than 800 feet, has a top speed its life span. of more than 25 knots and can run for more than 30 years without The Block V, which was awarded refueling. last year, adds acoustics upgrades. Eight of the boats will The Delaware's keel was laid in 2016, have the Virginia Payload Module. The VPM is designed to and the sub was christened about triple the Tomahawk cruise two-and-a-half years later. missile capacity of the Virginia-

class subs, a move designed to US Navy commissions its offset the pending retirement of last Block III Virginia the Ohio-class guided-missile subs, which have a 154- submarine Tomahawk capacity. Each Virginia Payload Module sub will David B. Larter , Defense News .com April 9 have a 40-Tomahawk loadout.

WASHINGTON — The last of the U.S. Navy’s eight Block III Civilian Nuke Assembly Virginia-class submarines has Site Confirms First joined the fleet, according to a Navy news release. COVID-19 Case Dan Leone, DefenseDaily.com, April 6 The attack submarine Delaware didn’t have its formal There is at least one confirmed case of commissioning ceremony COVID-19 among the workforce of the because of the ongoing Pantex Plant in Amarillo, Texas, where the Department of Energy assembles and coronavirus outbreak, but it will disassembles nuclear weapons for nonetheless start getting ready to maintenance and modernization. enter the deployment rotation. In a statement, Pantex said the employee who tested positive became ill at The Block III replaced 12 vertical work nearly two weeks ago, on March 25. Page 5 Crash Dive Base Rondout - Lake Bluff, IL

The company said it did not receive word Savannah River Site, where the until Friday that the employee had tested NNSA harvests tritium for weapons, had positive for COVID-19. reported two cases, as of deadline Monday. “The employee’s activities were Y-12 has reported “several” cases. reviewed, and everyone who is known to The NNSA uranium hub in Tennessee have come into direct contact with the stopped quantifying its number of positive employee in the period of concern prior to cases last week, before which it had the development of symptoms has been acknowledged two confirmed cases. notified, and [has been] in self quarantine since March 31,” Pantex said in a statement. Anyone in quarantine will remain Navy Targets Sub- there for 14 days, Pantex said. Launched Hypersonic It was unclear how many Pantex employees were forced to quarantine after Test By Mid 2020s their possible contact with the infected employee. Meanwhile, a source said this Paul McCleary, Breaking Defense.com, April 10 weekend that another Pantex employee was hospitalized with COVID-19-like WASHINGTON: The Navy plans to test symptoms and was awaiting a test. its developmental hypersonic missile from a Consolidated Nuclear Security submarine by the mid-2020s, and is pushing (CNS) manages Pantex and the Y-12 the burgeoning program through a series of National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, static tests this year to demonstrate Tenn. The Bechtel National-led team also technologies as it gears up to equipping its includes Leidos [LDOS], Northrop Virginia-class submarines with the weapon. Grumman [NOC], SOC and subcontractor Booz Allen Hamilton [BAH]. “Our goal is to have an early capability in On Friday, CNS confirmed that the mid ‘20s,” said Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, Morgan Smith, its president and chief director of the Navy’s Strategic Systems executive officer, was working from home Programs. “We’re trying to take a in isolation after coming into close contact methodical approach to this, as we work with someone who had symptoms of through this to make sure we get it right.” COVID-19. The Department of Energy’s The weapon is being developed through a National Nuclear Security Administration unique partnership between the Navy and (NNSA) had as of Friday confirmed 26 Army, in which the Army buys the glide cases of COVID-19 among employees and body for both services, while the Navy buys contractors at its national network of the rocket booster. After rounds of joint nuclear weapons labs, sites and production tests, like the successful launch last month, sites. each service will customize the missile for Among the four production sites, its own particular needs: the Army plans to whose daily rhythms dictate whether field a battery of four truck-borne launchers ongoing weapon refurbishments will be on in 2023 while the Navy will take a few more time or not, only the Kansas City National years to work out the more complicated Security Campus has not publicly reported design specifications of a sea-launched at least one confirmed case of COVID-19: version set to fly from Virginia-class the viral disease caused by the novel submarines. coronavirus that broke out last year in Wuhan, China. Late last month, the two services launched Page 6 Crash Dive Base Rondout - Lake Bluff, IL their Common Hypersonic Glide Body from the Pacific Missile Range in Hawaii. It The 4 Types Of Narco was the second successful test of the C- Submarines The Military HGB, about a year-and-a-half after the first test in October 2017. Faces H I Sutton, Forbes.com, April 12 For the rest of this year, the Navy is doubling down on its boosters, conducting Less than two weeks after President Trump a series of static fire tests to collect data initiated Enhanced Counter-Narcotic before another test firing. “We’ve been Operations in the Eastern Pacific and crawling. Now we’re starting to walk where Caribbean, national security officials are we’re going to get the booster design done already celebrating seizures of illegal drugs. — we’re going to static test this year — The imagery used in official tweets center and then we will start to truly, truly run,” on one of the most difficult threats facing Wolfe said. the coast guard: narco submarines.

In the fiscal 2021 budget request, the Navy On April 9 Secretary of Defense Mark Esper asked for $1 billion to fund work on the tweeted “As of today, the @USNavy and Conventional Prompt Strike program. @USCG have already seized 2,100KG of Budget documents said the program will cocaine headed for America using the “enable precise and timely strike capability strategy announced one week ago.” The in contested environments across surface image chosen showed a narco sub being and sub-surface platforms.” It targeted fiscal 2028 for fielding on a Virginia-class interdicted by the Coast Guard in the submarine with Virginia Payload Module. Eastern Pacific on Aug. 31, 2015. A similar message was posted on the official Placing the weapon on Virginia subs would Southern Command twitter account. It used allow the US to strike any target anywhere a more up to date image, from Nov. 4 last on the planet within minutes, giving the year. Navy an unprecedented quick-strike punch that would help in contested environments So what are these so-called “narco subs” around the first island chain in the Pacific, and what are the main types? To a trained where the Chinese buildup has most eye the two vessels shown in the tweets concerned the US and its allies. above are very different from each other, representing different categories. The Virginia Payload Module gives the submarines space for 28 additional missile #1 Low profile vessel with inboard motor tubes, for a total of 40 missiles per boat. The additional missile tubes will help the The narco sub tweeted by Esper shows a Navy fill part of the gap that will be left purpose-built boat with a very low profile, when the four Ohio-class guided-missile barely a couple of feet above the surface. It submarines begin leaving the fleet in the has a sailing yacht shaped hull with a tiny mid-2020s. cockpit approximately in the middle. Critically for categorizing these smuggling craft, it has its motor inside it. This is termed an inboard motor and leads to the acronym LPV-IM (low profile vessel, inboard Page 7 Crash Dive Base Rondout - Lake Bluff, IL motor). This is the oldest of the modern traditional low profile vessel with an types and first appeared in 2005. It is still inboard motor and giving it a VSV hull. This relevant today, but has become less does reduce the payload, but appears to be common. the most stealthy configuration of all.

#2 Low profile + very slender There are other types, such as true submarines, but these are the main VSVs (Very Slender Vessels) have been categories facing the U.S. Coast Guard, experimented with by the U.S. Navy SEALs Navy and Customs & Border Protection for years. Since 2017 they have become today. increasingly popular with drug trafficking organisations too. The defining Commissioning of characteristic is that they are very long and narrow with a wave-piercing bow which Russia's First Upgraded goes through, rather than over, waves. They Borei-Class Ballistic are typically 55 feet long and 5 feet across. Most have outboard motors leading to the Missile Sub Delayed acronym LPV-OM-VSV (low profile vessel, outboard motors, very slender vessel hull). Franz-Stefan Gady, The Diplomat Online, April 13

#3 Hybrid go-fast The nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) Knyaz Vladimir Another category, not seen in the official (Prince Vladimir), the Russian Navy’s tweets above, is to take a speedboat style first upgraded Project 955A Borei (A) II- hull but run it lower in the water. At first class (“North Wind”) or Dolgorukiy- sight it can appear like a ‘go fast’ smugglers’ class boomer, will likely be boat, which is a power boat loaded with commissioned before the end of June, extra fuel and narcotics, but it sits much according to a Russian defense industry lower. Some do have custom built hulls but source. most take a power boat type hull and “The Project 955A lead nuclear- powered submarine is planned to be modify it. This is easier than building a delivered to the Russian Navy before dedicated vessel from the ground up, and the end of the first half of the year, i.e. goes faster, but creates a less stealthy before the end of June,” the source was vessel. All the same this model has been quoted as saying by TASS news agency popular since 2016. The more stealthy VSV on April 13. “Before that time the vessel type mentioned above evolved from this will certainly undergo at least one more type. sea trial, perhaps even two or three

more sea trials.” #4 The rarest beast: very slender vessel Earlier reports citing anonymous with inboard motor defense industry sources indicated that the submarine might be delivered to the So far only one of this category has been Navy in April or May. In February, the interdicted at sea. It was dragged from the head of the United Shipbuilding water by the Colombian Navy in January Corporation (USC), Alexei Rakhmanov, 2019. The concept is very simple, taking the said that the SSBN will likely be Page 8 Crash Dive Base Rondout - Lake Bluff, IL

commissioned in March or early April. “I The Knyaz Vladimir also think another month and a half is conducted weapons trials during that needed,” Rakhmanov was quoted as period. The SSBN has for the first time saying by Interfax news agency on test fired a RSM-56 Bulava (NATO February 10. reporting name: SS-N-32) submarine- He added that that sea and launched ballistic missile (SLBM) in weapons trials of the Knyaz Vladimir October 2019. had all been successfully completed. As I explained back in 2019: The defense industry source cited by The Bulava SLBM–a sea- TASS on April 13, however, notes that launched variant of the Topol-M—can further testing is now required. The reportedly be fitted with six to 10 Knyaz Vladimir was laid down in 2012 nuclear multiple independently and floated out in 2017 with a two-year targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) delay. As I noted back in February: warheads yielding 100 to 150 kilotons The boomer was originally apiece, as well as 10 to 40 decoys. The expected to be commissioned by the three-stage solid propellant (with a end of 2019. However, the latest round liquid head stage) Bulava has an of sea trials in November of last year estimated range of over 8,300 revealed a number of deficiencies that kilometers (5,157 miles). needed fixing. Borei-(A)-II-class boomers The Borei-(A)-II-class boomer’s reportedly have upgraded stealth initial round of sea trials reportedly capabilities, better underwater began in late November/early maneuverability, and carry extra SLBMs December 2018 and finished in January in comparison to the baseline Borei- 2019. The second round kicked off in class, three of which are currently in early July 2019 and lasted until service with the Russian Navy. November of the same year. Crash Dive Base Contact Information

Commander – Clayton Hill, 195 Clover Lane, Cedarburg, WI 53012; [email protected] Vice-Commander – Greg Miller, 964 Fischer Drive, Addison, IL; (630)543-7855 or [email protected] Secretary (POC) – Manny Garmendez, [email protected]; Treasurer – Glenn C. Barts, Sr., 2000 Jamestown Drive, Palatine, IL 60074; 847-934- 7418; [email protected] COB – Larry Warnke, [email protected] Chaplain – Vacant. Membership – Tom Polzin, 1305 Winslow Circle, Woodstock, IL 60098; 847-867-8668; [email protected] Storekeeper – Herman Mueller, 503 Lynn Terrace, Waukegan, IL 60085; 847-445- 5034; [email protected] Newsletter Editor – Chris Gaines, 513 West Downer Place, Aurora, IL 60506; 630-892- 5718 or [email protected] Base Historian – Frank Voznak, Jr. 9 South 255 Madison, Burr Ridge, IL. 60527; 630 986-0175 [email protected]

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APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP Regular  Life  Associate  OUR CREED: “To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in the pursuit of their duties while serving their country. That their dedication, deeds and supreme sacrifice be a constant source of motivation toward greater accomplishments. Pledge loyalty and patriotism to the United States of America & its Constitution.”

With my signature below I affirm that I subscribe to the Creed of the United States Submarine Veterans, Inc., and agree to abide by the Constitution, all Bylaws, Regulations and Procedures governing the U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc., so long as they do not conflict with my military or civil obligations. I will furnish proof of my eligibility for Regular membership, including my discharge under honorable conditions, and proof of my U.S. Navy (SS) Designation, if required by the Base or the national Membership Chairman. If I am not discharged, the discharge requirement is waived. If I am not U.S. N. submarine qualified, I am applying as an Associate and my sponsor is indicated below.

□ I certify that I was designated qualified in USN Submarines aboard ______in ______(Yr) (Honorary designations regardless of source do not apply under any circumstances.) □ I certify that I received a discharge under Honorable Conditions (if not currently in military service) in ______(Yr)

Name: (Print /Type)______Address: ______

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The Member Dues year runs from Jan 1st thru Dec 31st. Please indicate your term preference: ______Nat’l Dues: 5 Yr term: $115.00; 3 Yr term: $70.00; 1 yr term (Jan thru Sep) $25.00; (Oct thru Dec adds the next yr): $30.00; Nat’l Life: 76+ yrs = $100.00; 66 thru 75 yrs = $200; 56 thru 65 yrs = $300.00; 46 thru 55 = $400.00; Thru 45 yrs = $ 500.00; Local Base/chapter dues are separate and additional. Crash Dive Base dues are $15 annually.

How did you find USSVI? □ Friend, □ Boat Assn, □ Local Event/News, □ Internet, □ Other (______) Who is your sponsoring USSVI Regular Member?: (Mandatory for Assoc Mbrs) ______Associate Applicant is:  Veteran  Spouse of Veteran  Other (specify) ______

YOUR U.S. NAVY BIOGRAPHICAL DATA

Date Of Birth (MM/DD/YY) ____/____/____ If other military service, What Branch? ______

Highest Rate & Rank Attained: ______Mil Retired (Y/N): _____ On Active Duty? (Y/N): ____

YR entered Mil Service: ______YR left Mil Service _____ (Active/Inactive reserve time also counts.)

□ Check here if your Military Service falls within these time periods: Dec 7, 1941, thru Dec 31, 1946; June 27, 1950, thru Jan 31, 1955; Aug 5, 1964, thru May 7, 1975; and Aug 2, 1990 to date.

□ Check here if you have been awarded an Expeditionary Medal

Submarines and ships served aboard as ship’s company (Use back if you need more space.)

1. ______Hull#______From Yr.____ to Yr. _____

2. ______Hull#______From Yr._____ to Yr. _____

3. ______Hull#______From Yr.____ to Yr. _____

4. ______Hull#______From Yr._____ to Yr. _____

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Next of Kin: Name: ______Relationship: ______(Spouse, Partner, Son, Dau, Parent, Other)

Addr:______City: ______State: ___ Zip: ______Tel: ______(Leave this address line blank if the same as your home address)

Upon completion, give or mail this form, including your National and Base membership DUES (payable to ‘Crash Dive Base’) to Crash Dive Membership Chairman Tom Polzin, 1305 Winslow Circle, Woodstock, IL 60098; 847-867-8668 March 21, 2019 Rev. I