The Deck Log

THE DECK LOG

USSVI Central Texas Base MARCH 2020

USSVI Creed Section 1: 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 may be a constant source of motivation toward greater accomplishments. And to pledge loyalty and patri- otism to the United States of America and its Constitution. Camaraderie Section 2: In addition to perpetuating the memory of departed shipmates, USSVI shall provide a way for all Submariners to gather for our mutual benefit and enjoyment. The common heritage as Submariners is strengthened by camaraderie. The USSVI supports a strong United States Sub- marine Force. Perpetual Remembrance Section 3: The organization engages in various projects and deeds that bring about the perpetual remembrance of those shipmates who have given the supreme sacrifice. USSVI also endeavors to educate all third parties it comes in contact with about the services United States submariners performed and how the sacrifices of lost shipmates made possible the freedom and lifestyle Ameri- cans enjoy today

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Table of Contents USSVI National Commander ======Wayne Standerfer 972-298-8139 [email protected] Creed ------1 USSVI National Senior Vice-Commander Table of Contents ------2 Points of Contact ------2 Jon Jacques 615-893-7800 [email protected] Publication, Web Site, Base Mtg ------2 USSVI Central Regional District Commander Links------3 Tom Williams 512-632-9439 [email protected] Silent Running ------4 27MC Base Announcements ------5 USSVI Central District 4 Commander Base Commander’s Report ------5 Bill Scott 512-826-8876 [email protected] Meeting Minutes------6 Central Texas Base Officers Sailing List ------7 Commander Rick Mitchell 512-639-0035 [email protected] Lone Star Sub Vet Round Up ------7 Vice-Commander Gene Hall 512-864-2860 [email protected] Chaplain’s Corner------8 Yeoman Frank Abernathy 512-426-3427 [email protected] Base Treasurer’s Report ------9 Chief of the Boat Bill Scott 512-826-8876 [email protected] Storekeeper Corner ------9 Treasurer Joe Keller 512-626-3202 [email protected] Birthdays ------10 Base Support Appointments Membership ------10 Chaplain - Bob Steinmann 512-255-5250 [email protected] Binnacle List------10 Memorial - Ray Wilgeroth, Sr 512-218-4077 [email protected] Kap(SS)4Kid(SS) ------10 Storekeeper - David Paulson 512-940-1112 [email protected] Calendar of Events ------10 Membership - Chuck Malone 512-694-5294 [email protected] Underseas Warfare News ------11 Newsletter Editor - Bill Scott 512-826-8876 [email protected] USSVI Official Business News ------23 Webmaster - Chuck Malone 512-694-5294 [email protected] History ------25 Parade Chairman - Tom Sprague 858-755-6071 [email protected] Thoughts ------26 K4K Chairman - Shawn O’Shea 702-682-9170 [email protected] Once Upon A Time ------27 Fundraising- Don Atkins 512-508-1997 [email protected] Sea Stories ------28 ======

Editor’s Desk The Deck Log is a monthly publication of the Central Texas Base, United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. It is delivered via email in Mi- crosoft Publisher PDF format to the Base Mem- bership. A copy is printed and mailed via USPS to those shipmates not having email. Deck Log Editor Harold W (Bill) Scott, STSCS (SS) USN Ret. Holland Club, Life Member USSVI Central District 4 Commander SS-242, SSN-612, SSN-595, SSN-596 [email protected] 512-826-8876 Web Site: https://ussvicentraltexasbase.org/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ussvicentraltexas/ Base Meetings - Base meetings are held on the third Wednes- day of the month at M/SGT Ben D Snowden VFW Post 8587, 1000 N College St, Georgetown, TX 78626. We hold a quarterly social in lieu of a Base Meeting in March, June, September and December.

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National Information Sources A listing of Internet information addresses of the various organizations as places to obtain information on national items of interest. Shipmates, you are invited to add to the list (just let me know via email of any you use), so over time it would become more comprehensive.

https://www.ussvi.org/home.asp http://www.ussvi.org/base/CentralTexas.asp http://www.csp.navy.mil/

http://www.navytimes.com/ http://www.navy.mil/swf/index.asp http://www.military.com/

http://www.med.navy.mil/pages/default.aspx http://www.fra.org/ http://defensetech.org/

http://www.subvetstore.com/index.php http://www.subforce.navy.mil/ http://www.vfw.org/

www.navyleagueaustin.org www.navyleague.org http://www.usni.org/

http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/n77.html www.military.com/military-report/ www.moaa.org

www.shiftcolors.navy.mil http://www.va.gov/

http://www.submarinesailor.com http://www.public.navy.mil/BUPERS-NPC/Pages/default.aspx

http://isausa.org/ WWW.DESIGNED4SUBMARINERS.COM http://www.dfas.mil/

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ http://www.ausn.org/ https://www.facebook.com/ussvicentraltexas/

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TOLLING OF THE BOATS – MARCH “I can assure you that they went down fighting and that their brothers who survived them took a grim toll of our savage enemy to avenge their deaths.” Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, USN

USS Perch (SS-176) USS Kete (SS-369) Lost on March 3,1942 near Java with no immediate loss of life, Lost on March 20, 1945 with the loss of 87 officers and men at the while on her 1st war patrol. She survived 2 severe depth charg- end of her 2nd war patrol. Probably sunk near Okinawa, by a Japa- ings in less than 200 feet of water by 3 Japanese destroyers. The nese submarine that itself was subsequently lost. crew abandoned ship and scuttled her. Of the 61 officers and men taken prisoner, 55 survived the war and six died as POWs.

USS Grampus (SS-207) USS F-4 (SS-23) Lost on March 5, 1943 with the loss of 71 officers and men, on her Lost on March 25, 1915 with the lost of 21 men. She foundered 1.5 6th war patrol. She was lost in Vella Gulf, sunk after engaging 2 miles off of Honolulu when acid corrosion of the lead lining of the Japanese Destroyers. In company with USS Grayback, Grampus battery tank let seawater into the battery compartment, causing loss departed Brisbane, Australia on her 6th war patrol from which she of control. She was raised in August 1915. failed to return, the manner of her loss still remains a mystery today.

USS H-1 (SS-28) USS Tullibee (SS-284) Lost on March 12, 1920 with the loss of 4 men as they tried to Lost on March 26, 1944 with the loss of 79 officers and men, on her swim to shore after grounding on a shoal off Santa Margarita 4th war patrol. It's believed she was a victim of a circular run by one Island, off the coast of Baja California, Mexico. Vestal (AR-4), of her own torpedoes. The lookout was the only survivor and he pulled H-1 off the rocks in the morning of 24 March, only to have survived the war as a Japanese prisoner. her sink 45 minutes later in some 50 feet of water. She was originally named the USS Seawolf before becoming H-1.

USS Triton (SS-201) USS Trigger (SS-237) Lost on March 15, 1943 with the loss of 74 men. She was sunk Lost on March 26, 1945 with the loss of 89 officers and men, on her north of the Admiralty Islands during a fight with 3 Japanese 12th war patrol. She was lost during a combined attack by Japa- Destroyers. Triton was the 1st boat to engage the enemy in nese antisubmarine vessels and aircraft. Trigger ranked 7th in total December 1941 off Wake Island, sinking 9 ships, 1 submarine tonnage sunk and tied for 8th in number of ships sunk. and a destroyer.

We Remember For those who gave their lives in the defense of our country We Remember

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Happy March Everyone! March marks the beginning one of my personal favorite seasons, it seems to signal the re- newing of things and just a general refreshing spirit, the warming and brightness after what some say is gloomy cold Winter weather. Spring is where we start to see warmer weather and longer days and look forward to things to come. Now don’t get me wrong, I personally enjoy all weather after being submerged for almost 10 complete years of my life, I just generally believe that all weather is good. Nothing wrong with hydraulic oil, amine and inboard venting of Sanitary tanks, but…… Emily Dickinson also writes: “March is the month of expectation, the things we do not know, the persons of prognostication, are coming now….” I believe she is right. We have lots of things to be in expectation about, we however though do not need to depend on persons of prognostication (prophesying future events) as we have many events already set and planned over the next few months. I hope that there are some that will peak your interest and you put one or more on your calendar and come on out and join us. First up on our Calendar on March 21st we will be holding our quarterly “Friends and Family Social” and the location this time will be Last Stand Brewing Company with BBQ provided by Gabricks BBQ. This is in a completely different area, Dripping Springs, than we normally meet but well worth the short drive. The place is owned by a Submariner who we hope is likely to be one of our newest members real soon. Come on out and enjoy some good food, drink (non-alcoholic is available also), and catch up with your shipmates and their families. Lots to do in this area, maybe consider a day trip. See details on our Facebook Page, Web Site or email communication. Also on March 29th there is a fundraiser happening in Sun City supporting the Purple Heart Integration Project which was explained to us by our guests Conley Giles and Major General Mike Ter- ry USA Ret. at our February Base meeting. While this event is not part of any official USSVI function it is exciting to me to see this first of its kind in our nation project supporting Veterans coming to Georgetown. Please check it out. In April we have an opportunity to visit Fredericksburg and the National Museum of the Pacific War along with supporting our shipmates from the PC Stryker Base in conducting a Tolling Ceremony celebrating the Submarine Force Birthday. Later in the month we will be riding/marching in Georgetown’s Red Poppy Festi- val Parade. This is a very fun event and well attended by the public who gives us great support. Come on out and join us for the parade then consider spending the afternoon at the festival, there’s a pretty good car show and tons of vendors and performers. In April we will also start our 2nd Annual Fund Raising Raffle where we are raffling off 5 Gift Certificates to Bass Pro Shops for $1000, $750, $500, $250, and $100. Details forthcom- ing. May is exciting in that we will be holding our Annual Tolling as we normally do and expect a continued increase in attendance. We have our speaker set, one of our own will be singing the National Anthem, bu- glers, and piper will be there this year along with the usual suspects. We have a better sound system, donat- ed by one of our members and I’m sure it’s not going to rain and it’s just gonna be a great ceremony. We also will be attending our 1st Annual “Lone Start Sub Vet Round Up”. This is a District wide event over Armed Forces day weekend where we have a great opportunity to join with our brothers from around the state for a Friday night BBQ dinner, Saturday Parade with floats from at least 3 bases and some members of the SSMC and then capping it off with a picnic in Navarro Lake Oak campground for all. Details on the Web, Facebook and in this month’s newsletter. I am expectantly looking forward to seeing many of you at these events. It would be great to all of you over the next 3 months. As always feel free to contact me anytime in any form you are comfortable with. Grateful to you all for everything you all do! Rick Mitchell [email protected] 512-639-0035 2000 CR 100 Georgetown, TX 78626 USSVI Central Texas Base Facebook Page https://ussvicentraltexasbase.org/ New Base Web Page

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======USSVI CENTRAL TEXAS BASE MEETING MINUTES - 19 FEBRUARY 2020 Location: M/SGT Ben D. Snowden VFW Post 8587, 1000 North College Street, Georgetown, TX Social Hour: 1800-1900 Meeting: 1900-2047 Meeting opened by Rick Mitchell, Central Texas Base Commander. Board were present. Sailing List, 28 present, 23 members, 5 guests. Binnacle List, Larry Walts, Hubert Jackson, Byron Sage and Bill Bellinghausen. Chaplain Bob Steinmann gave the opening prayer followed by the Pledge of Allegiance Tolling of the Boats read by Rick Mitchell. 5 Boats and Crew Remembered. Special Speaker Program – “Purple Heart Integration Project” Speakers Major General Michael J. Terry, USA Ret. and Mr. Conley Giles spoke of the development of a facility to help returning Combat Injured Veterans ease into the transition from Combat to non-combat life. The plans are for a 17+ Acre Facility with ‘micro houses’ fully adapted to each Veteran’s specific needs in the northern part of Williamson County, east of IH-35. There will be facilities that include: Career Training, Life-Skills Training, VA Exam Room and Tele-Med Facility, Banquet and Events Center, Local Transportation and Access to ROCK Equine Assisted Therapies. There will be a Fund Raiser program, “Hell on Reels, They shot the guns, we shot the film!” on the 29th of March from 1500-1700. This event will benefit the Purple Heart Integration Project and will be at the Sun City Ballroom, 2 Texas Drive, Georgetown, TX. For further information and tickets please go to: http://PHIproject.org. Officer and Committee Reports Treasurer’s Report. Balances Current as of 19Feb2020. General and Memorial Funds are now at RBFCU. General Fund ending balance: $15,400.32 Memorial Fund ending balance: $ 1,986.97 Total Balance $17,387.29 Memorial Report- Ray Wilgeroth, Sr. was not present however the plan to start construction is still expected to begin in April 2020. The Central Texas Base will also need to coordinate with the City of Round Rock to perform welding re- pairs to the Torpedo. Kaps 4 Kids – Shawn O’Shea. The last K4K event was at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, TX. The next event will be at the McClane’s Children’s Hospital in Temple on 14 April 2020. Shawn’s contact info is 702-682-9170 and [email protected] if you are interested in helping with a future Kaps 4 Kids event. Parade – Tom Sprague. The next event will be the Red Poppy Festival Parade in Georgetown on 25 April 2020 followed by the Armed Forces Day Parade in Corsicana, TX on 16 May 2020. Membership – Chuck Malone. 74 Members, 26 Regular National, 37 USSVI Life, 29 CTB Life, 37 Holland Club, 1 As- sociate member and 64 War Vets. Social Events – (Currently open position) The Social will be on 21 Mar 2020 at 1300 and will be at the “Last Stand Brewing Company”, located at 12345 Pauls Valley Road, Unit 1, Austin, TX 78737. This will include a typical 2 Meat BBQ plate provided by Gabrick’s BBQ. $15 per member with one Guest. $18 per non-member. Base will pay $3 difference. Unfinished, Ongoing and Old Business January POC’s #2020-04 AS Magazine Announcement #2020-05 Base Pricing for Conv Ads. #2020-06 Convention FB Page #2020-07 Boat Reunions at Conv #2020-08 National Officer Nomination – Last Call #2020-09 National Awards New Business District Commander’s Report – Bill Scott

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BOD held a Teleconference on 15 Feb 2020 National Membership has decreased by approximately 750 based upon Dues received to date. Future meetings will likely be in the Teleconference format as this reduces travel costs. National Commander is having District wide meeting via Teleconference. Dates for CD4 TBD. The new National WEB- SITE is still being worked on and we will need to stay with the current website due to trouble moving data from the old to new db. New Base Development and Social Media Handbooks are in the works. National Elections, the National Constitution and By-Laws were discussed. Memorial Day Tolling 25 May 2020 Guest Speaker – Ray Arrellano, a 22 year Submarine Officer and current City of Austin Asst Mgr. Location, since the park is scheduled to break ground for improvements in April, the location will be finalized in April. Harry Ullmann will be singing the National Anthem at the Service and we expect to have a Bugler at this event. Good of the Order 50/50 due to time constraints, none. Meeting Adjourned by Rick Mitchell. Motion to Adjourn: Bill Scott, Seconded by Tom Sprague March Meeting and Social will on 21 March 2020 at 1300, at “Last Stand Brewing, Co.” 15 April 2020 is the scheduled date for the next meeting at the VFW 8587 Post in Georgetown. Minutes respectfully submitted by Frank Abernathy, Yeoman. 19 Jan 2020 ======SAILING LIST 2-19-2020 ======Shipmates: Frank Abernathy, Don Atkins, Jack Bellinoff, Harry Boyer, Frank Espinosa, Gene Hall, Hu- bert Jackson, Joe Keller, J Weldon Koenig, Joe Kruppa, Chuck Malone, Fred Maynard, Rick Mitchell, Shawn O’Shea, John Odom, Garrett Onderdonk, Jack Pitts, Bill Scott, Tom Sprague, Bob Steinmann, Calvin Story, Harry Ullmann, Walt Whitingslow Guests: Phil Sprague, Ed Finan, Jeanice Ullmann, Conley Giles, Maj General Michael Terry ======IST ANNUAL LONE STAR SUBVET ROUND UP ======"The Lone Star SubVet Round Up" Hello Shipmates, Thanks for everyone's support in getting this event going. Currently we have some level of confirmed participation from 5 of the 8 Texas bases and the SSMC is promoting the event and will likely have some folks there. Actually getting better participation than I had thought which is great. Looks like it’s gonna be a good time for all. Details are still pretty much as before. I did get notice from Tom Williams that for those desiring to stay in a hotel, there is a group rate set at the Hampton Inn set up for parade participants (see below): I just wanted to let you know that if any of your parade participants want to stay in Corsicana, we have a block of rooms at The Hampton Inn for $95..no tax. Just tell them that they are with the Texas Veterans Pa- rade. The reservations do need to be made by April 15. We have many sites reserved at the Navarro Lake Oak Campground by individuals and there is a group site reserved. This is where we will be holding the Saturday afternoon/evening cookout but camping is allowed there. If you want or need to use the group site to camp please contact me and let me know that. The current Plan is: FRIDAY 1700 - Dedication Gold Star Family Monument at the Navarro County Courthouse w/ Woody Williams (MOH

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Iwo Jima) 1800 - Catered BBQ dinner (cost, location, exact time TBD) Possible Medal of Honor dinner to be held also and will pass on info as we get it to see if anyone is interested in it. SATURDAY 1000 - Texas Veterans Day Parade (muster time and location to come) TBD - Car Show and Air Show 1500-2200 - Group cookout and party at Navarro Mill Oak Campground (Burgers, Hot Dogs, etc.) BYOB We will ask for a minimal per person donation to help offset cost. I'm going to be making a FB Event and adding this event to the Central Texas Base Website. No formal regis- tration is required but it would be great if I could get the names of the Subvets coming and a little information just so we know how many to get food for on Friday and Saturday. They can contact me directly or go through your bases chosen POC and feed me the info that way. Whatever works best for you, I'd like to know: Name of Subvet coming Base if associated with base, SSMC or other How many guests coming with Nights attending Camping or Hotel Participating in Friday Night Dinner? Participating in Saturday Picnic? I plan to display names similar to how they do for the convention unless anyone has objections. We also tossed around a few names and think we will follow after our Western Region and call this event "The Lone Start SubVet Round Up" Hopefully this is the first of many annual events to come. I'm hearing a possible desire to hold this in the San Antonio area next year. They have a parade that floats the river. It would be great to get this to the Houston and Corpus Christi areas also. Maybe by the time it rolls into the 5th year we will have some new West Texas Bases. Who knows? Definitely plan to discuss this at the kick off of the Saturday afternoon picnic. Bring your ideas. CAMPSITE Registrations: Many of us will be camping @ Navarro Mills Lake (Oak) campground which is a COE park and very nice. We are on the North loop which has sites 37-48. Many sites are currently reserved by various Subvets and we have reserved the Group campsite for Friday and Saturday nights. You can make campsite reservations (and I strongly recommend you do this sooner than later) here: Recreation.gov HOTEL Information (Hampton Inn is in here) https://visitcorsicana.com/places-to-stay Let me know any ideas, comments, questions you have. Looking forward to seeing many of you there! Rick Mitchell [email protected] 512-639-0035 (call, text, email all fine, anytime) ======CHAPLAIN’S CORNER ======The Red Boat A man was asked to paint a boat. He brought his paint and brushes and began to paint the boat a bright red, as the owner asked him. While painting, he noticed a small hole in the hull, and quietly repaired it. When he finished painting, he received his money and left. The next day, the owner of the boat came to the painter and presented him with a nice check, much higher than the payment for painting. The painter was surprised and said “You've already paid me for painting the boat Sir!”

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“But this is not for the paint job. It's for repairing the hole in the boat.” “Ah! But it was such a small service... certainly it's not worth paying me such a high amount for something so insignificant.” “My dear friend, you do not understand. Let me tell you what happened: “When I asked you to paint the boat, I forgot to mention the hole. “When the boat dried, my kids took the boat and went on a fishing trip. “They did not know that there was a hole. I was not at home at that time. “When I returned and noticed they had taken the boat, I was desperate because I remembered that the boat had a hole. “Imagine my relief and joy when I saw them returning from fishing. “Then, I examined the boat and found that you had repaired the hole! “You see, now, what you did? You saved the life of my children! I do not have enough money to pay your 'small' good deed.” So no matter who, when or how, continue to help, sustain, wipe tears, listen attentively, and carefully repair all the 'leaks' you find. You never know when one is in need of us, or when God holds a pleasant surprise for us to be helpful and important to someone. Along the way, you may have repaired numerous 'boat holes' for several people without realizing how many lives you've saved. ======BASE TREASURER’S REPORT 19 February 2020 Financial Report for Period Ending 1/31/2020 RBFCU Checking (General Fund) Ending Balance $15,400.32 RBFCU Savings (Memorial Fund) Ending Balance $1,986.97 Ending Balance $17,387..29 Submitted: Joe Keller, Treasurer ======

STOREKEEPER CORNER The Central Texas Base (CTB) Supply Store is open for business. The Supply Store can obtain most of the items you need for memorabilia, your vest, gifts for others, etc. You can order them from the Storekeeper at a meeting or online at [email protected]. CTB can often get items at a lower than normal price, so you save money. The SK can search the net to find out-of-the-ordinary items, for all branches of the service. When requesting a ship’s patch, tell the SK which coast you served on board, as the patches are often different for each coast. The following items are now available in Ship’s Store:

2019 USSVI Calendars $10.00 Base Ball Caps $12.00 Sub Vet Embossed T-Shirts (Limited qty & size) $18.00 Buckles, Dolphin $18.00 Sub Vet Embossed Denim Jackets (Limited qty & size) $31.00 Buckles, Plain $10.00 Various T-Shirts $18.00 License Plate Holder (Chrome) $10.00 Boomer Patrol Pin $7.00 License Plate Holder (Blue Plastic) $4.00 Patches (many) $6.00 Stars for Pins $1.85 Golden Anchor Patches $3.00 24 oz Glass mugs $15.00 Dolphins (large) $8.00 12 oz Glass mugs 12.00 Dolphins (medium) $5.00 Parking Sign $20.00 Vests w/patch $38.00 Decals (Outside window) (four styles) $3.00 Vest Clips (shiny or oxidized) $30.00 Black Leather Vest, Sub Vet Embossed $65.00 Koozies $5.00 USSVI 50th Anniversary Patch and Coin set. Patch and coin $20.00 Web Belts $7.00 purchased separately are $22.

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MEMBERSHIP MARCH 2020 Report presented to Base Commander w/copy to Yeoman. BIRTHDAYS Members listed in Central Texas Database 74 Don Atkins - 1st Regular Annual Members listed in Central Texas Database 26 Calvin Story - 9th Associate members w/paid Base and National dues 1 Bill Scott - 11th Central Texas Base Life Members 29 Charles Matula - 15th Central Texas Base National Life Members 37 Bob Steinmann - 16th Members in Holland Club 37 Ray Wilgeroth Sr - 22nd Dual Members 5 Kim Newman - 23rd Prospective Members: 1 Bobby Wakefield - 24th War Veterans 64 Chuck Malone - 31st Members pending: 0 st Jack Pitts - 31 Submitted: Chuck Malone, Membership

======BINNACLE LIST Please keep us informed of any person who should be listed. These are the people that we know about, so please e-mail any E-Board member if you know of any member or his family that might be in crisis. Also please keep the Base Chaplain, Shipmate Bob Steinmann informed as well. Shipmate Hubert Jackson recovering from surgery for Prostate Cancer. Keep him and his wife Linda in your prayers. Shipmate Larry Walts recovering from surgery for B-Cell lymphoma. Shipmate Byron Sage continues to deal with an issue with his immune system and prayers go out to him and his family. Shipmate Bill Bellinhausen recovering from surgery. We ask Lord, in your Son’s Name, that you be with our Brother’s and Sister’s who are sick and ask that you hold them in your arms and heal them so that they might again join us around our table. In your Son’s name, We pray, Amen. ======KAP(SS) 4 KID(SS) Kap(SS)4Kids(SS) program is alive and well with the Central Texas base. If interested in attending the next event McLane’s children’s medical center Temple Texas, April 14th at 10am please email Shawn O’Shea at [email protected] for further information and confirmation. Thanks to all our members for there continued support of the children. Shipmate Shawn O’Shea, Chair, Kap(SS)4Kid(SS) ======CALENDAR OF EVENTS 21 March 2020, Quarterly Social, 1300 hours at Last Stand Brewing Company, 12345 Pauls Valley Road, Unit #1, Austin, TX 78737. See minutes above for lunch details. 15 April 2020, Monthly meeting Central Texas Base, VFW Post #8587, 1000 N College St., Georgetown, TX 78626, 1800 for movie time, 1900 meeting. 25 April 2020, Red Poppy Festival Parade, Georgetown, TX 78626, Time TBD. 15 - 17 May 2020, Lone Star SubVet Round Up, Corsicana, TX. See Round Up Details above. 20 May 2020, Monthly meeting Central Texas Base, VFW Post #8587, 1000 N College St., Georgetown, TX 78626, 1800 for movie time, 1900 meeting. 25 May 2020, Annual Tolling of the Boats, Round Rock, TX Memorial Park, Muster time 0930 hours. See Minutes above for interim details. 20 June 2020, Quarterly Social, Time and location TBD.

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The following selected articles are part of Undersea Warfare News weekly news bulletin emails during the month of February 2020. “No content is created in the production of this Newsletter. These press clips and broadcast summaries are collected from multiple sources and are prepared by the command public affairs office to inform key personnel of news items of interest to them in their official capacities. It is not intended to be a substitute for newspapers, periodicals or public affairs programming as a means of keeping informed on news developments. Article selection or distribution does not imply endorsement and cannot be guaranteed for accuracy. Further reproduction for private use or gain is subject to original copyright restrictions.” http://www.subforce.navy.mil/ ======U.S. deploys 'more survivable' submarine-launched low-yield nuclear weapon Idrees Ali, Reuters, February 4 WASHINGTON - The U.S. Defense Department said on Tuesday the Navy had fielded a low-yield, submarine-launched ballistic missile warhead, something the Pentagon believes is needed to deter adversaries like Russia but which critics say lowers the threshold for using nuclear weapons. Low-yield nuclear weapons, while still devastating, have a strength of less than 20 kilotons. The atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, in August 1945, had about the same explosive power. “This supplemental capability strengthens deterrence and provides the United States a prompt, more survivable low-yield strategic weapon,” John Rood, the undersecretary of defense for policy, said in a statement. “(It) supports our commitment to extended deterrence; and demonstrates to potential adversaries that there is no advantage to limited nuclear employment because the United States can credibly and decisively respond to any threat scenario,” Rood added. A 2018 Pentagon document called for the military to expand its low-yield nuclear capability, saying the United States would modify a small number of submarine-launched ballistic missile warheads with low-yield options. “The administration’s decision to deploy the W76-2 warhead remains a misguided and dangerous one. The deployment of this warhead does nothing to make Americans safer,” Democratic Representative Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. Arms control advocates and some lawmakers have argued that such low-yield weapons reduce the threshold for potentially using nuclear weapons and could make a nuclear conflict more likely. The United States already has air-launched, low-yield nuclear weapons and critics say that should be sufficient. “President Trump now has a more usable nuclear weapon that is a dangerous solution in search of a problem,” said Kingston Reif, director for disarmament and threat reduction policy at the Arms Control Association advocacy group. The argument for these weapons is that larger nuclear bombs are so catastrophic that they would never be used, meaning they are not an effective deterrent. With less power and destruction, the low-yield option would potentially be more likely to be used, serving as an effective deterrent, military officials have said. The Federation of American Scientists said last week that the Navy was scheduled to deploy the low-yield warhead on the USS Tennessee in the Atlantic Ocean.

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======Navy Swaps Submarine for Destroyer in 2021 Budget Request Anthony Capaccio, Bloomberg, February 6 The Pentagon is bolstering the number of warships the Navy will seek in its fiscal 2021 budget request after the White House complained an initial proposal was too low to meet President Donald Trump’s long-term target, according to officials. In the budget proposal expected Monday, the Navy will request funding for eight ships, up from seven in a draft service request in mid-December. The new request for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1 includes two DDG- 51 Arleigh Burke destroyers built by General Dynamics Corp., one more than the service proposed seeking in the December draft. The Navy’s proposal indicates it was unable to add a second Virginia-class submarine, for a total of two, instead of the additional guided-missile destroyer. That move to swap the sub for the destroyer came after the Pentagon, under pressure from the Office of Management and Budget to bolster funding for the agency that manages nuclear weapons, shifted about $1.6 billion in proposed funding away from the submarine program for that effort, according to officials. “The overall request will help the Navy get marginally closer to Trump’s long-term goal of creating a 355-ship fleet. The service was pressed by the White House budget office in December to accelerate its ship-building plans to show it could achieve a fleet of that size “including manned and unmanned ships, by 2030.” That’s about four years earlier than the Navy’s public plan and more than 20 years earlier than a previous schedule. White House Presses Navy to Stick With Trump’s 355-Ship Target Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly and Defense Secretary Mark Esper reached agreement on the new budget proposal, which came as Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, spearheaded a successful effort to boost funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration by about $2.5 billion to nearly $20 billion. To meet that goal, the Pentagon shifted about $1.6 billion of the proposed funds away from the submarine program. The remaining defense dollars were shifted from other areas. The funding shift likely won’t sit well with Armed Services Democrats Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Tim Kaine of Virginia. The Virginia-class submarine is made jointly in Con- necticut and Virginia by General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. A significantly expanded naval fleet was a key campaign promise of Trump’s in 2016. The Navy’s proposal in December targeted a 287-ship fleet by fiscal year 2025 -- the last year of a potential second Trump administration, according to the budget office. But that level, which included the decommissioning of 12 warships to save money, would be well below the long-term 308-ship target set by the Obama administration, the budget office said in a memo obtained by Bloomberg News. The service currently has 293 deployable vessels. Navy Deploys Low-Yield Nuclear Warhead on Sub For First Time The public battle over the adequacy of the next five-year shipbuilding plan will be get underway next week when the Navy releases its final fiscal 2021-2025 blueprint. The budget proposal will likely meet the approval of National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien. Before he joined the Trump administration, O’Brien was the co-author of an April 2017 article in Politico entitled “How Trump Can Build a 350-Ship Navy.” Addressing Trump’s goal, O’Brien wrote that “if he succeeds, he will join Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan as presidents who have shaped the world and America through their commitment to the Navy.” Modly referred to O’Brien’s support for a larger fleet last week during a Washington event where he discussed force structure and the need to balance buying more vessels but not at the expense of a force that can’t be maintained. “We don’t want a hollow force,” Modly said. Still, he added in reference to the 355-ship target, “It’s my obliga- tion to give the president a plan, give the secretary of defense a plan, for how we can get there at the lowest amount of cost.”

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======Effort underway to save USS Bremerton sail as monument Josh Farley, Kitsap Sun, February. 6 BREMERTON — Former Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent is spearheading an effort by the local chapter of the Navy League to save the sail and rudder of the city's namesake submarine. The USS Bremerton, a fast-attack submarine that came to Sinclair Inlet in 2018 following a 37-year career at sea, awaits inactivation and decommissioning at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Lent and others hope there's time to lobby Navy leaders to preserve its sail and rudder as a point of pride for the city. "We want people to see it — we think it's a pretty important legacy for the city," said Lent, mayor from 2009 to 2017 and a longtime member of the Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula Council of the Navy League. "We can get it, and it will be a big celebration." But the effort is only in its infancy. The league will have to get permission from the Navy to attain the sail and rudder, find a spot in the community and raise what is likely to be millions of dollars to pull it off. "This will take the efforts of many people and government agencies beyond the Navy League to make this happen," said David Ellingson, the league chapter's incoming president, in his installation remarks. Lent points out the local Navy League, which advocates for and provides education to the public about the nation's sea services, successfully raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to place a Lone Sailor statue on the Bremerton Marina's breakwater. But not every effort to save a sub's sails have been successful. For in- stance, while $500,000 was raised for a museum to house the USS Narwhal on the Ohio River in Newport, Kentucky, the effort needed $2 million and was abandoned in 2006, according to The Cincinnati Post. The Narwhal is currently being recycled at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Kitsap County already has three submarine sails preserved. The sail of the USS Parche, famous for its secret missions during the Cold War, sits outside the Puget Sound Navy Museum. The sail of the USS Woodrow Wilson is positioned at Deterrent Park on Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. The sail of the USS Sturgeon, an early nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, is permanently stationed at the Naval Undersea Museum at Keyport. Should it get the money and the Navy's blessing for another, the Navy League will have to find a spot. Ever- green-Rotary Park, the city's most popular green space, has been floated as a possibility and was mentioned in Ellingson's remarks. But Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler doesn't believe Evergreen-Rotary Park is the right place for the sub sail. "I think it's wonderful they want to create another monument that has a specific tie to Bremerton," he said. "We just don't see a spot at Evergreen where that would work. We're hesitant to put anything else in that park." ======Future Submarine Game Changer: Russian Atomic Drone Subs H I Sutton, Forbes, February 5 One of the reasons that U.S. Navy submarines operate so effectively is because of their crews. Large crews of over 100 people, which can deal with emergencies and keep the submarine at sea months on end. Rus- sian subs have smaller crews and generally don’t stay at sea for as long. But if the robotics revolution pushes us towards uncrewed subs, does Russia have an advantage? Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are a hot topic. As well as spy missions, they are increasingly being considered to fulfill missions currently requiring human crewed submarines. The U.S. Navy's Orca XLUUV (extra large unmanned underwater vehicle) pushes the boundaries of AUV technology into the traditional submarine space. But Orca is a long way short of the current front line fast attack submarines. Largely this is because it relies on a diesel engine to power itself. Proper submarines, at least in the U.S. context, are nuclear powered. This gives them greater power and virtually unlimited range. And they do not have to come near the surface to re- charge their batteries. This, generally, makes them harder to detect and gives them a better chance of escap- ing if they are detected. So could a nuclear powered attack submarine be fully automated? For the Russians, maybe it could.

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Russia has been investing in fully autonomous underwater nuclear power plants. The first which comes to mind powers the ginormous Poseidon inter-continental nuclear-powered nuclear-armed autonomous torpedo. Yet despite often being described as a drone, it's a weapon. It's designed for a one-way trip and doesn't have many of the features normally associated with regular submarine operations. But Russia has another autonomous underwater reactor indented for continuous operation. The Autonomous Nuclear Turbine Generator (ATGU) is to power seabed infrastructure under the ice cap. But Russia's Mala- chite design bureau has proposed using it in regular submarines intended for under-ice operations. The ‘Service Submarine’ would still have a crew, but that is for the rest of its mission. The ATGU itself and the propulsion machinery is completely unattended. So Russia could combine the ATGU with drone technology to create the world’s first uncrewed nuclear powered attack submarine. Removing humans from the equation doesn’t just save space, it massively reduces the power requirements. According to Dr Rachel Pawling, who teaches naval architecture at University College London, upwards of 30% of a submarine’s power consumption, besides propulsion, can be attributed to keeping its crew alive. From life support to lighting, to frozen food. Such an autonomous attack submarine would likely be limited compared to current nuclear powered attack submarines. But it would benefit from unlimited endurance (as long as nothing malfunctions), lower cost and, to an extent, be expendable. And it would be inherently more powerful than even the largest non-nuclear AUVs are likely to be. How long it will take the West? Current Western submarine nuclear reactors were built for crewed submarines. That influenced their design in lots of ways, so a completely new reactor project would be needed. And new projects would have to overcome funding and human resourcing challenges. Not to mention a likely envi- ronmental backlash. So whether completely unattended nuclear reactors on autonomous submarines is a good idea or not, it’s something you are likely to see in the Russian navy long before any western power. ======How is Electric Boat going to find thousands of workers to keep up with rising demand for submarines? By Stephen Singer, Hartford Courant, February 3 The pace of submarine construction in southeast Connecticut and Rhode Island is expected to extend dec- ades into the future, requiring General Dynamics Electric Boat to rely on technical schools, high schools, even elementary schools to recruit workers. At the submarine manufacturer’s annual legislative breakfast in Groton Monday, Kevin Graney, president of Electric Boat, outlined the company’s plans for the future How many workers are needed? As many as 18,000 employees will be hired in the next 10 years, Graney told business owners, representa- tives and others at the submarine manufacturer’s annual legislative breakfast. About 17,000 work at EB now. The workforce is expected to peak at about 20,000 by 2030. What kind of jobs are there? Electric Boat will need welders, pipefitters, designers, painters and others. What kind of submarines are they building? Workers are building 58 Virginia class submarines through 2034 and the next-generation Columbia class submarine up to 2040. EB has already built and delivered 18 Virginia class submarines and 10 other Virginia class submarines are to be delivered in 2023 to 2024. And in different blocks of manufacturing, nine or 10 are planned along with another block of 20. Construction of the next-generation Columbia will be finished in 2040. The submarines built as part of the most recent contract are 90 feet longer with a payload module that carries an additional price tag of $500 million requiring more construction work than the previously built versions, he said. The newest block of submarines will incorporate design changes such as a new hull section on eight submarines, increasing Tomahawk strike capacity to 40 missiles per boat from 12.

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Columbia class submarines are more than double the work of a Virginia class submarine. "You can see that they’re big and getting bigger,” Graney said. Where is Electric Boat looking for workers? EB relies on job training agencies such as the Eastern Workforce Investment Board, which has identified 9,000 job seekers. Graney said the job pipeline “is helping us find people who are interested in manufacturing.” In addition, EB uses apprenticeships and reaches into high schools and even elementary schools, “getting kids thinking about working with their hands,” he said. In one school, 6th grade students did welding with equipment furnished by EB. High schools give certifications to students who go through the program, “to make sure kids coming out are not just familiar with what it means to draw,” Graney said. How much do these Submarines cost? General Dynamics, EB’s parent company, and the U.S. Navy on Monday signed a $22 billion contract for nine submarines, and possibly a 10th, in December. The agreement provides for materials and construction of up to 10 Virginia class submarines through 2023. ======Defense Secretary Esper says nuclear missile sub is ‘the Navy’s bill,’ setting up a fight with Congress David B. Larter Defense News, February 11 WASHINGTON — After years of warnings from U.S. Navy leaders that replacing the aging Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine will eat the service’s shipbuilding account alive, the year the first Columbia-class submarine is to be funded has arrived with the fiscal year 2021 budget request. But according to Secretary of De- fense Mark Esper, the Navy shouldn’t expect any extra money to pay for it. In an exclusive interview with Defense News Friday, Esper said the Columbia class is a Navy bill, just like Air Force nuclear deterrent recapitalization will be an Air Force bill, and the services will just have to find efficiencies in house to pay for it. “Clearly, the Columbia is a big bill, but it's a big bill we have to pay,” Esper said. “That's the Navy's bill. The Air Force has a bill called bombers and ground-based strategic deterrent, so that's a bill they have to pay. “We all recognize that. Acting Secretary [Thomas] Modly and I have spoken about this. He believes, and I think he’s absolutely correct, that there are more and more efficiencies to be found within the department, the Navy and the Marine Corps, that they can free up money to invest into ships — into platforms.” The word from Esper that Columbia would be considered a shipbuilding bill seemed to put the final stake in the heart of years of efforts by Navy leaders and lawmakers to avoid crushing the Navy’s shipbuilding budget and negatively impacting other programs such as surface ship construction, ships that provide both a vital peacetime deterrence function and are popular with lawmakers with shipbuilders in their states. The Navy’s top officer, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday, recently called for the Defense De- partment to shift even as little as one percent of the DoD budget to Navy shipbuilding to provide some relief from Columbia, which is a national strategic priority, but Esper said he has to consider the whole force. “We've got to build the entire, the total force, because we fight as a total force,” Esper said. “One thing that our war gaming and analysis will look at is the total force fight. “You just don't fight one service. You don't fight the Army, you don't fight the Air Force, you don't fight the Na- vy, you fight the team, the joint team.” The first Columbia-class submarine is expected to cost a total of about $8.2 billion, with non-recurring costs included. The remaining 11 ships should cost about $6.2 billion a piece, according to the Congressional Re- search Service. A fight brewing in Congress? But with the Navy expecting to request a third fewer ships in 2021 than they did in 2020, according to a Feb. 6 report in Bloomberg, taking the funding exclusively from the Navy’s shipbuilding account will likely rankle Con- gress.

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In a January 14 letter to Esper and Navy acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, obtained by Defense News, the democratic chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee Rep. Joe Courtney said the Defense Department needs to reexamine how it intends to pay for Co- lumbia. Courtney said recent reports that the Navy was planning to cut a Virginia-class submarine, slow down the next generation Frigate and stop buying P-8A Poseiden aircraft seem like the chickens coming home to roost for DoD’s inaction on working with Congress to find a plan to fund Columbia. "The context in which these proposals are occurring is, of course, the planned start of Construction of the Co- lumbia class submarine," Courtney wrote. "While the program is rightfully our nation's top national security acquisition priority, it appears the Navy will be solely responsible for funding the program out of its Shipbuild- ing and Conversion, Navy account. "Absent a significant increase in programmed resources in the SCN account, it is expected that allocating the funds needed to construct the planned fleet of Columbia-class submarines entirely out of the Navy's shipbuilding budget will constrain the service's ability to support the full range of shipbuilding priorities for our nation." Congress in 2014 created the National Sea-based deterrent fund to address this issue, Courtney wrote; that fund was designed to allow the Defense Department to use money from across the enterprise to fund the Co- lumbia project, not just money from Navy shipbuilding. Without finding some alternative funding for the Columbia, the Navy estimated that as many as 30 ships would be removed from the shipbuilding plan. Ultimately, the Navy’s long-term mission shouldn’t have to be impacted by something that is a single-mission national asset. "Given the fact that over 70 percent of the nation's nuclear deterrent will be deployed on Columbia-class submarines for forty years or more, this 'once in a multi-generational' expense should not be disproportionately be borne by one branch of the military," Courtney wrote. There has been increasing, bipartisan angst from Capitol Hill as it has become increasingly clear DoD intends to cut new ship construction. On February 6, the day news broke that the Navy intended to request 20 percent fewer ships, Republican Sen. Roger Wicker introduced new legislation that would “direct the Navy to start construction on at least 12 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, 10 Virginia-class submarines, two Columbia-class submarines, three San An- tonio-class amphibious ships, one LHA-class amphibious ship, six John Lewis-class fleet oilers, and five guided missile frigates across FY2021-2025,” according to a press release. Wicker’s SHIPS Implementation Act likewise calls for the department to leverage the National Sea-based De- terrence Fund to ease the burden on shipbuilding. The bill would “recognize the strategic value of the Colum- bia-class submarine program by authorizing the use of the National Sea Based Deterrence Fund to support the Columbia-class submarine program with funds in addition to the Navy’s shipbuilding budget.” The bill is about keeping pace with potential adversaries, Wicker said in the release. “Our nation’s Navy is still the envy of the world, but our adversaries are quickly catching up,” Wicker said. “It is time for Congress to get serious about investing in our fleet and give our sailors and Marines the tools they need to stay ahead of those who wish us harm.” ======USS Maine successfully tests Trident II D5LE missile Navy Systems Programs Public Affairs, February 12 PACIFIC OCEAN - The U.S. Navy conducted a scheduled, one-missile test flight of an unarmed life-extended Trident II (D5LE) missile from USS Maine (SSBN 741), an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, on the Western Test Range off the coast of San Diego, California, Feb. 12. This was part of a Demonstration and Shakedown Operation, designated DASO-30. The primary objective of a DASO is to evaluate and demonstrate the readiness of the SSBN’s strategic weapon system and crew before operational deployment following the submarine’s engineered refueling overhaul. “The professional performance by the crew of the USS Maine today demonstrated they are ready to stand the watch for our nation's strategic deterrence mission," said James F. Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition who embarked USS Maine for the launch. “They, and the acquisition

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and sustainment teams that support them, showed the teamwork, commitment, and attention to detail needed to continue to provide the undersea strategic deterrence for our nation, just as the Navy has done uninterrupt- ed for the last 60 years.” This launch marks 177 successful missile launches of the Trident II (D5 & D5LE) strategic weapon system (SWS). “Today’s test demonstrates the continued reliability of our sea-based nuclear deterrent, which is made possible by our sailors, civilians and industry partners who bring expertise and dedication to the mission that is un- matched by any other country,” said Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe, director of the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs. “These same teams are now developing the next generation of the Trident strategic weapon system, which will extend our sea-based deterrent for the next 40 years.” The Trident strategic weapon system is highly accurate and reliable. The Trident II (D5) missiles recently un- derwent a life extension program to address potential impacts from aging and obsolescence. The life-extended missiles – Trident II (D5LE) – are now being deployed to the Fleet and will serve for the remaining service life of U.S Ohio-class and United Kingdom Van- guard -class SSBNs, and as the initial loadout for the U.S. Columbia-class and U.K. Dreadnought-class SSBNs. The Navy’s last DASO was in May 2019 off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, from USS Rhode Island (SSBN-740). The Navy’s most recent flight test – a Commander’s Evaluation Test – was a series of four launches from USS Nebraska (SSBN-739) in September 2019 off the coast of Southern California. All five of these 2019 flight tests were of the life-extended Trident II (D5LE). Flight test missiles are not armed. Safety of the public and the crew conducting the mission is paramount. To- day’s launch was conducted from sea, the missile flew over the sea, and landed in the sea. At no time did the missile fly over land. The missile test was not conducted in response to any ongoing world events or as a demonstration of power. Test launches – including DASOs – are scheduled years in advance. A credible, effective nuclear deterrent is essential to our national security and the security of U.S. allies. De- terrence remains a cornerstone of national security policy in the 21st century. Strategic Systems Programs is the Navy command that provides cradle-to-grave lifecycle support for the Na- vy's strategic weapon systems. This includes training, systems, equipment, facilities and personnel responsible for ensuring the safety, security, and effectiveness of the nation’s Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) Trident II (D5LE) strategic weapon system. SLBMs are the sea-based leg of the nation’s strategic nuclear deterrent Triad that also includes the U.S. Air Force’s intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and nuclear-capable bombers. Each part of the Triad provides unique capabilities and advantages. The sea-based leg makes up the majority – approximately 70 percent – of the U.S’s deployed strategic nuclear deterrent Triad. The SLBM is the most survivable leg of the triad, provides a persistent presence, and allows for flexible concepts of operations. ======The Navy Is Arming Attack Submarines With High Energy Lasers H I Sutton, Forbes, February 9 The U.S. Navy's Virginia Class attack submarines are formidable weapons platforms. They carry advanced- capability (ADCAP) torpedoes and Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles. But apparently this is not enough. They are to be the first subs in the world armed with a powerful laser as well. Documents suggest that the High Energy Laser (HEL) could be incredibly powerful, around 300 kilowatts. And eventually be up to 500 kilowatts. The power will come from the submarine’s nuclear reactor which has a capacity of 30 megawatts. And there are indications that it may already have been tested using a towed power generator instead. It is likely to be incorporated into the periscope system of the submarine. The periscope mast, nowadays called a Photonics mast, is already a highly sophisticated device. It isn’t like periscopes of old where the captain looked directly through it. Instead it has an array of cameras which can snap high resolution photos in 360 degrees. So the submarine only has to put the mast up for a fleeting moment to get full all-round aware- ness. With the laser, if it can see it, it can kill it.

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It is unclear why the Navy wants to fit a laser to submarines. One of the possible uses will be as a last ditch defense against aircraft such as drones and anti-submarine helicopters. Traditionally submarines were equipped with machine guns to defend against air attack when they were on the surface. But postwar submarines spend very little time on the surface. The U.S. Navy hasn't built subs with guns for around 70 years. During the Cold War the British developed the Submarine Launched Airflight Missile, or SLAM. This used a mast with an optical sensor and 6 Blowpipe missiles which could be slaved to the periscope. The missiles had a very short range but could engage enemy helicopters. SLAM was to equip Israeli submarines but it was ultimately never fitted. Today the German Interactive Defense and Attack System (IDAS) uses missiles fired from the torpedo tube to engage aircraft. But the high energy laser could have some advantages over missiles. The submarine will only have to reveal itself briefly to zap the threat. And because the laser travels at the speed of light it is very difficult to defend against. Low cost drones are proliferating and submarines operating inshore may face swarms of them. A laser would be cheaper per-kill and not run out of ammunition in the way that a missile system would. The laser may also be intended for swarms of speed boats such as those used by Iran and North Korea. Individually these are not worth expending torpedoes on and also move very fast which makes torpedo attacks harder. In the old days submarines would surface and use their deck guns on lower value targets. But today the submarine has to let them pass so the laser could provide an alternative. Finally the laser may be intended to strike coastal targets such as radar stations, submarine piers or commu- nications masts. The target would have to be of sufficiently high value to warrant the inherent risks of placing the submarine so close however. For the moment the Navy is not providing very much information on the project. So it may be years before the full capabilities of this system are revealed. Whatever the rationale it could quickly become a differentiating capability for American subs. ======Concurrent receipt: A call for fair and equitable treatment of military retirees with disabilities Steven Fagan Military Times February 13 Throughout our nation’s history we have witness countless examples of how quickly our troops will respond whenever and wherever they are needed. The willingness of American forces to go in harms way is never in question. Our troops stand up for us. That’s their job. In return, they deserve politicians who will stand up for them. The problem: If you’re retired from the military and you also have a service-connected disability from the Department of Vet- erans Affairs, you may have a financial problem. I’m referring to the issue known as “concurrent receipt.” Here’s how it works. If you are retired from the military you receive a pension based upon years of service. If you also have a service-connected disability you are entitled to receive a disability benefit from the VA. The “percentage” of your VA disability rating is where things get ugly. If your disability rating by the VA is 50 percent to 100 percent, you are entitled to your military pension and your VA disability benefit, i.e. concurrent receipt. Not only are you retired like other healthy military retirees, but you also suffered a service-connected injury for which you receive tax-exempt compensation from the VA. However, if your VA disability rating is de- termined to be below 50 percent, the monthly disability payment that you receive from the VA is automatically subtracted from your monthly military retirement check. You may want to read that again. It would be difficult to find a more unfair law that arbitrarily penalizes some veterans. I think about important issues affecting veterans like concurrent receipt when I hear someone’s well inten- tioned, “Thank you for your service.” It is a very gracious comment for today’s veterans to hear. But I, like most military retirees, do not expect or need anyone’s thanks. We liked it! We stayed for a career. We were paid to do a difficult job involving multiple deployments and warfare and separation from family. And if we are injured or suffer a disability as a result of that service, we expect to be treated fairly and equitably. The Military Officers Association of America has correctly pointed out that military retired pay was earned by service alone. Anyone who is unfortunate enough to also have a service-connected disability should have that compensation added to, not subtracted from, their earned retirement pay. MOAA’s good efforts on Capitol Hill have yet to sway Congress, even though it’s safe to assume that in the history of our country there has never been legislation that allows for a congressman’s pension to be reduced due to his or her receiving a disability payment. The solution:

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There have been bipartisan efforts by some members of Congress to correct this injustice and to make concurrent receipt the law. H.R. 333 was introduced in the House in January 2019 and currently has 33 bipartisan co-sponsors. It was referred to the House Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs where it has remained since Feb. 1, 2019. In the Senate, S.208, the aptly named “Retired Pay Restoration Act,” was introduced in January 2019 with 28 senators from both political parties as co-sponsors. It has been referred to the Armed Services Committee without further progress. Putting this veterans’ issue in perspective: it is not easy to put government spending issues in perspective, especially when it comes to veterans. For example, the DoD recently gave “veteran status” to some civilians who served in Vietnam, thus allowing them and their families to apply for VA benefits. They are considered to have been on “active-duty” during Vietnam. In another attempt to do right by those who served our country, a bill was recently introduced in congress to provide VA health care to Korean-Americans who had served as Korean soldiers in Vietnam fighting along side our U.S. forces. What other country would even consider such kind and generous policies? And yet, our legislators are being frugal when it comes to the issue of concurrent receipt by disabled military retirees! The bottom line: Concurrent receipt should apply fairly and equally to all VA ratings, not just 50 percent or more. Just as we rely on our troops to stand up for us in times of need, we should expect our legislators to stand up for all veterans in their time of need. Passing a bipartisan concurrent receipt bill that prevents an earned military pension from being reduced by a disability payment is the right thing to do. ======Navy Request Outlines SSN(X) Next Sub Development Rich Abott, Defense Daily, February 13 The Navy’s FY 2021 budget request outlined its plans to develop and start funding work for the next attack submarine, SSN(X) The service is requesting $1 million in FY ’21 and plans another $1 million in each year through FY ’21, clas- sifying it as SSN(X) class submarine development. This FY ’21 funds will be split between $750,000 for Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock Divi- sion in Maryland and $250,000 for Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Newport in Rhode Island. The service plans to award funds for both segments in October 2020. “SSN(X) is required to maintain a submarine force structure, and will be designed to counter the emerging threat posed by near peer adversary competition for undersea supremacy,” the service said in its budget justi- fication documents. In FY ’21, the Navy specifically plans to use this funding to conduct advanced technology development in speed, stealth and survivability; conduct cost versus operational effectiveness trade studies for the core acoustic suite as a function of limitation posed on the ship hull form. generate trade studies for ocean inter- face concepts, and evaluation concepts of operations platform for submarine mission areas. The budget documents said the program’s acquisition strategy is to utilize work requests for government warfare center initial concept and trade studies in FY ’21 to assist with requirements definition. The Navy will start “industry-based engagement to inform, develop, and prepare for competitively awarded contracts.” Further research and development efforts will be performed by Navy laboratories, shipyards, private industry, and University-affiliated research centers. The documents noted this is a new start budget item and is a realignment/reduction from a project used for Virginia-class submarines. The Navy underscored funding amounts past FY ’21 will be adjusted and programmed “commensurate with updated requirements as they become defined in future budget submissions.” The Navy plans to conduct both requirements definitization as well as concept studies and system definition from the first quarter of FY 2021 to the fourth quarter of FY ’22. It will also work on research development and prototyping for lead ship design as well as component design and development from the first quarter of FY ’21 to the fourth quarter of FY ‘25 The Navy said the primary goal of SSN(X) development will be “to evaluate a broad range of submarine technologies, sensors, and combat system components required to produce an affordable platform which supports these mission requirements.”

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The Navy underscored that unlike the current Virginia-class attack submarines, which were designed for multi -mission dominance n the littorals, SSN(X) “will be designed for greater transit speed under increased stealth conditions in all ocean environments, and carry a larger inventory of weapons and diverse payloads.” While the submarine will be designed to hold multi-mission capability and sustained combat presence in de- nied waters, the Navy said “renewed priority of the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission against sophisticated threats in greater numbers will influence the design trade space.” SSN(X) will have to defend against unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) while coordinating with a large con- tingent of off-hull vehicles, sensors, and friendly forces. In October, the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) annual analysis of the service’s 30-year shipbuilding plan argued building the expected 33 SSN(X) vessels from 2031-2049 will cost $5.5 billion per hull or $181 billion total. In contrast, the Navy’s FY ’19 plans estimated they would cost about $3.4 billion per hull for a total of $112 billion (Defense Daily, Oct. 10). CBO argued its larger estimate is due to the Navy envisioning a vessel larger and more capable than the Vir- ginia-class, akin to the Seawolf-class, and assumed an average of that larger submarine. ======Navy Confirms Global Strike Hypersonic Weapon Will First Deploy on Virginia Attack Subs Megan Eckstein, USNI News, February 18 The Navy intends to deploy its conventional prompt strike hypersonic weapon on Virginia-class attack submarines, after previous discussions of putting the weapon on the larger Ohio-class guided-missile submarine (SSGN), according to budget request documents. In its Fiscal Year 2021 budget overview, the Navy outlines a research and development portfolio with 5 percent more funding than this current year – for a total of $21.5 billion – that is aimed at “providing innovative capabilities in shipbuilding (Columbia class), aviation (F-35), weapons (Maritime Strike Tomahawk), hyper- sonics (Conventional Prompt Strike), unmanned, family of lasers, digital warfare, applied [artificial intelligence], and [U.S. Marine Corps] expeditionary equipment. These technologies are crucial to maintaining DON’s competitive advantage.” On the Conventional Prompt Strike, the Navy wants to invest $1 billion for research and development. “The CPS program develops warfighting capability to enable precise and timely strike capability in contested environments across surface and sub-surface platforms,” reads the budget documents. “The Navy’s CPS program will design a missile comprised of a Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) and a 34.5 inch two-stage booster. The program is pursuing an [initial operational capability] of FY 2028 in which the missile will be fielded on a Virginia class submarine with Virginia Payload Module.” In the fall of 2017, the Navy and Defense Department tested “the first conventional prompt strike missile for the United States Navy in the form factor that would eventually, could eventually be utilized if leadership chooses to do so, in an Ohio-class tube,” now-retired Vice Adm. Terry Benedict, who then directed the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs (SSP), said, calling it “a monumental achievement.” The conventional prompt global strike capability would allow the U.S. to hit any target on the planet with preci- sion-guided weapons in less than an hour. Similar to nuclear weapons, part of that prompt strike capability would rely on multiple ways to launch the missiles from ships, submarines or ground launchers around the globe. Following Benedict’s comments, which focused on the SSGNs as a future host for the weapon, the SSP office told USNI News that the four Ohio-class SSBNs that were previously converted to guided-missile submarines (SSGNs) or future Virginia-class attack submarines with the Virginia Payload Module would likely be the platforms contributing to conventional prompt global strike mission. The Virginia Payload Module is a segment added into the middle of the Virginia SSN design that holds 28 additional missile tubes, for a total of 40 missiles per boat. Its insertion into the design for Block V Virginias and beyond is meant to help add more missile tube capacity as the four Ohio-class SSGNs that carry 154 missiles apiece retire from service. A year later, in the fall of 2018, Benedict’s successor, Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, said the Navy was developing a common cone hypersonic glide body for all the services to field on whatever platforms they want – and for the Navy, that could be submarines or it could be a surface ship like a destroyer. March 2020 Page 20

“From a Navy perspective, we’re developing the booster that our hypersonic glide body will go on, and we’re doing it though in such a way that we’re taking the most stringent requirement – which is underwater launch – and so as we develop it we will do it in such a way that as the bigger Navy comes through what platform or platforms they actually want to deploy this on, the launcher and the glide body will be able to survive any of those environments,” Wolfe said. “The key is, we will start with the most stringent requirement, we will build the missile and the glide body to that, so that as we look at how we’re going to do it we don’t have to go back and do a bunch of redesign.” Last month, Commander of Naval Surface Forces Vice Adm. Rich Brown told reporters that he could envision the Zumwalt-class destroyer – with its larger size, power generation and missile launcher compared to the Arleigh Burke-class DDG – being a host for the conventional prompt strike weapon. “I have got to tell you, I am thoroughly impressed with the capabilities that that destroyer will bring into our fleet. As a matter of fact, I would love to have six more of them, because the capabilities are that good. If you look at conventional prompt strike, I can think of no other better platform than to put conventional prompt strike on that platform. And then once that happens, or if that happens, make no mistake, it will put the fear of god into our adversaries once we marry those two platforms together,” he said. The Navy has not ruled out this possibility, but it appears that the Virginia subs with the Virginia Payload Mod- ule – which will be included in the Block V submarines being built today – will be the first to operate with the new hypersonic weapon. The budget documents note that research and development efforts in FY 2021 include “continued development of the weapon system and flight subsystem, platform integration, and advanced research and development to support future spiral capabilities such as enhanced warhead, advanced communication, alternative navigation, and terminal sensor technology.” ======The U.S. Navy’s New Nuclear Cruise Missile Starts Getting Real Next Year Aaron Mehta Defense News, February 23 MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. — The Pentagon intends to create a program of record for a new nuclear- armed, submarine-launched cruise missile in its next budget request, with the goal of deploying the weapon in 7-10 years, according to a senior defense official. Speaking on condition of anonymity during a visit to Minot Air Force Base this week, the official noted that the department is going through an analysis of alternatives, or AOA, process for the weapon, which was first an- nounced during the rollout of the Nuclear Posture Review. “We requested $5 million in FY20, which Congress gave us. There’s nothing in the ‘21 budget because we’ll just continue to use the $5 million to do the AOA,” the official explained. “But in FY22, I hope that you’ll see a budget request that will begin the program of record for the sea-launched cruise missile.” “You put these on submarines, the Russians won’t know where they are,” the official added. “They’ll hate it. They’ll absolutely hate it.” As part of the Nuclear Posture Review, rolled out in early 2018, the Trump administration said it would seek two new nuclear capabilities: a low-yield warhead for the submarine-launched ballistic missile, and a sea- launched nuclear-capable cruise missile. The first goal is complete, with the warhead, known as the W76-2, deployed for the first time in late 2019. The official said the department is still sorting how much money the program might cost, but pointed to the estimated price tag for the Long Range Standoff Weapon — or LRSO, a new air-launched cruise missile — as a rough estimate. That weapon is projected to cost the Defense Department about $8 billion to $9 billion and a similar amount for the National Nuclear Security Administration, which is charged with developing the warhead, the official said. “Do you put it on a surface ship? Do you put it on a submarine? Do you use a new missile or an existing missile? How far does it have to travel? We’re looking at all of this. And then you also have to look at the concept of operations. How you want them to operate? Do you store the weapons on the sub all the time, or do you bring them into port and bring them in a crisis?” the official said. Strategically, adding the cruise missile would allow the nuclear-armed Navy to go from 12 ships to 20 or 30, which would be “huge” in changing the strategic calculus for China and Russia, the official noted.

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The official emphasized that the weapon doesn’t need to be a brand-new design, saying: “It doesn’t have [to] be a big deal” to design and procure. “The SLCM [submarine-launched cruise missile] doesn’t have to be a big deal. Could be the same warhead. We’re going to look into that,” the official added. A conventional Tomahawk weapon has a rough range of 1,250–2,500 kilometers, and the range on the new SLCM would likely be longer, as a nuclear warhead weighs less than a conventional payload. The Navy is already investing in its Next Generation Land Attack Weapon, which could provide a more updated system on which to base the SLCM. The warhead could be a modification of the W80-4, the warhead from NNSA that will be paired with the LRSO. Critics of the idea argue that another nuclear weapon adds little to the arsenal, while eating into a naval budget that is already under strain. “A new SLCM would be a costly hedge on a hedge,” said Kingston Reif of the Arms Control Association. “The United States is already planning to invest scores of billions of dollars in the B-21 [bomber], LRSO and F-35A [fighter jet] to address the [area-access/area denial] challenge. The Navy is unlikely to be pleased with the additional operational and financial burdens that would come with re-nuclearizing the surface or attack submarine fleet.” Additionally, “arming attack submarines with nuclear SLCMs would also reduce the number of conventional Tomahawk SLCMs each submarine could carry,” Reif said. Regardless of the details for the weapon, the official expects the Pentagon is 7-10 years away from deploying the new SLCM — and that’s if Congress backs the plan. Democrats have raised objections to the Trump administration’s plans for new nuclear weapons before, but ultimately did not block the W76-2 project from moving forward. “I don’t know if Congress is going to make a big deal about it or not because there’s really no money involved” in fiscal 2021, the official said. “But it is a new weapon system, and unlike the W76-2, where you’re replacing a large warhead for a small warhead, here you’re actually introducing more deployed capabilities. But again, it’s 7-10 years.” When the Nuclear Posture Review was rolled out, officials emphasized that the SLCM could be used as a bargaining chip in arms control negotiations with Russia. Despite a number of arms control agreements being on the ropes, the official this week again argued that the SLCM could “give us some leverage to bring [Russia] back to the arms control table.” ======U.S. has 'sufficient visibility' into Russian submarines but can't find them '100% of the time' Joel Gehrke Washington Examiner Online, February 25 Russian submarine forces are operating secretly more often and more successfully than they have in dec- ades, according to a senior U.S. general who acknowledged that American forces can’t always spot the undersea threats. “We do — but not for 100% of the time,” Air Force Gen. Tod Wolters, the NATO supreme allied commander, replied when asked during a recent Senate hearing whether the U.S. military has “sufficient visibility” of the location of Russian submarines in the Atlantic Ocean. “I don't want whatever the missing percent is to be off the coast of Maine or New York,” Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with the Democrats, said during the House Armed Services Committee hearing. Wolters, who also leads the U.S. military’s European Command, testified that Russian submarine activity has spiked even since last year, continuing a trend of Moscow’s efforts to project military power in the Atlantic Ocean. His reports dovetail with the U.S. Navy’s decision to revive the 2nd Fleet in light of Pentagon assess- ments that China and Russia have developed plans to threaten U.S. forces even in home ports along the east coast. “We took note of the Russian undersea activity in the summer/fall of 2018 and compared it to what Russia executed in the summer of '19, fall of ’19,” Wolters also testified. “And what we saw was a 50% increase in the number of resources in the undersea that Russia committed to both those out-of-area submarine patrol operations.”

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Russian naval forces deployed 10 submarines into the north Atlantic in October, according to reports, including eight nuclear-powered vessels. “The aim of the massive operation is to get as far out to the North Atlantic as possible without being discov- ered by NATO,” the Barents Observer reported at the time, citing Norwegian intelligence officials. Those operations, along with the development of new weapons systems such as “quadcopters,” have contrib- uted to the U.S. military’s belief that American forces shouldn’t get too comfortable, even at home. “Our new reality is that when our sailors toss lines over and set sail, they can expect to be operating in a contested space once they leave Norfolk,” Vice Adm. Andrew "Woody" Lewis said earlier this month. “We are seeing an ever-increasing number of Russian submarines deploy in the Atlantic. And these submarines are more capable than ever, deploying for longer periods of time with more lethal weapons systems.” Russian forces have irritated American commanders with several “unsafe and unprofessional” approaches to U.S. ships, but those maneuvers at least did not take place during the latest surge. “What we also witnessed was an improved degree of good order and discipline on behalf of the Russian sailors,” Wolters said. “So this — this observation is one more reflection about how important it is to continue to improve our competitive edge to buy down the risk to ensure that we can operate with freedom.” ======

USSVI OFFICIAL BUSINESS These USSVI news articles , now known as National Bulletins, are published to benefit those shipmates that receive their newsletter via USPS and are articles published during February 2020. Editor ======USSVI OFFICIAL BUSINESS: SubVet News - #2020-008 NEWS-01: LAST CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Submitted by: John E. Markiewicz, IPNC on 2/1/2020 ------Shipmates, LAST CALL FOR NOMINATIONS DUE ON OR BEFORE MARCH 1ST, 2020 The Following National Officer Positions and Requirements for Office Are Available: National Commander: Nominees for National Commander must have completed at least two years as a vot- ing member of the Board of Directors by the time they take office as National Commander. National Senior Vice Commander: Nominees for Senior Vice-Commander must have completed at least two years as a Member of the Board of Directors and must certify that they have or will develop a working famili- arity of the USSVI bookkeeping software (QuickBooks). National Junior Vice Commander: Nominees for Junior Vice-Commander must have completed at least two years as a Member of the Board of Directors. National Treasurer: Must be a Regular member in good standing and Nominees for National Treasurer must have some experience in bookkeeping, certify that they have, or will develop a working knowledge of the USSVI approved bookkeeping software (QuickBooks), use the USSVI approved software as part of his/her duties as National Treasurer, and cannot change to another software package without the Board of Director’s approval. National Secretary: Must be a Regular member in good standing. Regional Director: Must be a member in good standing of a Base within the Region. The Nominee must be currently serving or has served as a Regional Director, District Commander or Base Officer. Note: All nominations must be sent to the Nominations Committee Chairman on or before March 1st, 2020. The nomination is accompanied by a letter from the Nominee indicating his willingness to accept the nomina- March 2020 Page 23

tion and willingness to serve if elected. The Nomination Letter includes details of the nominee’s qualifications in less than one hundred (100) words. The 2020 Nominations Committee Chairman is IPNC John E. Markiewicz, e-mail is [email protected]. ======USSVI OFFICIAL BUSINESS: SubVet News - #2020-009 NEWS-01: 2020 National Awards Bulletin Submitted by: Harold W (Bill) Scott II, National Awards Program Chair on 2/1/2020 ------Shipmates, We have many individual Members and Bases that contribute untold hours working to help their shipmates, advance our organization and follow the directives of our Purpose/Creed. Unfortunately, too many of these efforts and accomplishments go unnoticed because they take place at the local level and remain under Na- tional’s Radar. Please don’t procrastinate, read the individual award requirements and submission procedures described in the 2020 USSVI Awards Manual and take the painless steps to recognize these Shipmates, Bases and Newsletters. The Manual can be found by following this link: https://www.ussvi.org/Documents/Online_Manuals_2020_USSVI_Awards_Manual.pdf 2020 Awards Submission Timeline FEBRUARY 1, 2020: All USSVI Members in good standing submit Award nominations to the National Awards Chairman. APRIL 30, 2020: All Award nominations (with exception of Newsletter Award) must be received by the Nation- al Awards Chairman. MAY 15, 2020: Deadline for submission of Newsletters for Newsletter of the Year Award. This nomination period is two weeks later than the other Awards. This allows nomination of the May 2020 issue Newsletter, if desired. Please submit questions and nominations to the National Awards Chairman, Harold W (Bill) Scott II at [email protected] or mail to the following address: National Awards Program Chair Harold W (Bill) Scott II 901 Busleigh Castle Way Pflugerville, Texas 78660-7474 Honored to Serve, Harold W (Bill) Scott II, STSCS(SS) USN RET. Central District 4 Commander Chief of the Boat, USSVI Central Texas Base CTB Newsletter Editor, USSVI National Awards Chair 512-826-8876 ======USSVI OFFICIAL BUSINESS: SubVet News - #2020-010 NEWS-01: Base Discount for Convention Magazine Ads ending soon Submitted by: Dennis Ottley, Convention Chair on 2/26/2020 ------Magazine Ad Base Discount Hello Base Commanders: Preparations for a large and festive convention are underway and we are in the process of planning out the Convention Program Magazine. Many of you have expressed interest in supporting the convention efforts by

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placing an ad in the Magazine. As a reminder, the Base Discount option is ending soon with a cut off date of 4/1/2020 and discounts as follows: Full Page: $250 vs. $300 Half Page: $125 vs. $150 Qtr Page: $60 vs. $75 Thank you to the Bases who have already submitted Magazine Ads and thank you to those who soon will be submitting ads. We are very appreciate of the Base-level support! The link for the magazine ad form is as follows: https://ussviconvention.org/2020/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/2020-Magazine-Ad-and-Web-Ad-Order-Form- FINAL-1.pdf (if the link does not work directly, Copy and paste it into your browser) Dennis Ottley, Tucson Base Commander 2020 USSVI Convention Chairman ======

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======The following selected history articles are part of Undersea Warfare News weekly news bulletin emails during the month of December 2019. This day in Undersea Warfare History http://www.subforce.navy.mil/ February 2, 1942 | USS Seadragon (SS 194) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Tamagawa Maru. February 3, 1917 | President Woodrow Wilson, in an address to Congress, severs diplomatic relations with Germany after the country decides on the first of the month to reintroduce the policy of unrestricted U-boat warfare. February 4, 1942 | While the battle for Bataan rages throughout the night, USS Trout (SS-202) loads 20 tons of gold bars and 18 tons of silver coins as ballast to replace the weight of ammunition they had just delivered to US and Philippine forces in Manila. February 5, 1944 | USS Flasher (SS 249) sinks Japanese army cargo ship Taishin Maru off Mindoro. Also on this date, USS Narwhal (SS 167) lands 45 tons of ammunition and cargo to support Filipino guerrilla operations at Libertad, Panay, Philippines. February 6, 1945 | USS Pampanito (SS 383) attacks a Japanese convoy and sinks merchant tanker Engen Maru about 200 miles northeast of Singapore. Also on this date, USS Spadefish (SS 411) sinks Japanese merchant passenger-cargo ship Shohei Maru off Port Arthur, Korea. February 9, 1960 | USS Sargo (SSN 583) becomes the third submarine to surface through the ice at the North Pole. February 10, 1944 | USS Pogy (SS 266) attacks a Japanese convoy and sinks destroyer Minekaze and freighter Malta Maru 85 miles north-northeast of Formosa. February 11, 1944| USS Gudgeon (SS 211) sinks Japanese freighter Satsuma Maru that was previously damaged by Chinese B-25s off Wenchow, China. February 12, 1947 | The first launch of a guided missile, the Loon, takes place on board USS Cusk (SS 348). February 13, 1945 | USS Sennet (SS 408) is damaged by gunfire of Japanese gunboat (No.8 Kotoshiro Maru or No.3 Showa Maru), east of Tanega Shima, but then Sennett sinks No.8 Kotoshiro Maru after it had been

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shelled by USS Lagarto (SS 371) and USS Haddock (SS 231). Haddock then sinks No.3 Showa Maru, which had already been shelled by Lagarto and Sennett. February 14, 1945 | USS Gato (SS 212) sinks Japanese Coast Defense Vessel No.9 in the Yellow Sea and USS Hawkbill (SS 366) sinks Japanese auxiliary submarine chasers Cha 4 and Cha 114 in the Java Sea. February 17, 1943 | USS Whale (SS 239) sinks the Japanese transport Heiyo Maru. February 18, 1942 | USS Plunger (SS 179) sinks the Japanese freighter Eizan Maru (ex-Panamanian Auro- ra) off the mouth of Kii Strait, Honsh. February 19, 1943| USS Swordfish (SS 193) sinks army cargo ship Myoho Maru, which was part of the Japanese Solomons reinforcement convoy, while USS Greenling (SS 213) damages Japanese cargo ship north of Rabaul. February 20, 1944 | USS Batfish (SS 310) and USS Gar (SS 206) attack Japanese convoys and sink transport Hidaka Maru south of Shiono Misaki and army cargo ship Koyo Maru about 50 miles south- southwest of Palau. February 21, 1954 | The world's first nuclear submarine, USS Nautilus (SSN-571), is christened and launched at Groton, Conn. February 24, 1945 | USS Lagarto (SS 371) sinks Japanese submarine I 371 and freighter Tatsumomo Maru off Bungo Strait, Kyushu. February 25, 1944 | USS Hoe (SS 258) attacks a Japanese convoy at the mouth of Davao Gulf, sinking the fleet tanker Nissho Maru and damaging the fleet tanker Kyokuto Maru, while USS Rasher (SS 269) sinks Jap- anese army cargo ship Ryusei Maru and freighter Tango Maru off the north coast of Bali. February 26, 1944 | Sue Sophia Dauser, Superintendent of the Navy's Nurse Corps, is the first woman in the Navy to receive rank of captain. February 27, 1944 | Three US Navy submarines sink three Japanese cargo ships: Grayback (SS 208) sinks Ceylon Maru in the East China Sea; Cod (SS 244) sinks Taisoku Maru west of Halmahera while Trout (SS 202) sinks Aki Maru. February 28, 1944 | USS Balao (SS 285) and USS Sand Lance (SS 381) sink Japanese army cargo ship Akiura Maru, transport Shoho Maru about 90 miles northwest of Manokawari, New Guinea and transport Kai- ko Maru just east of Musashi Wan, off Paramushir, Kurils. ======

======When we feel we have nothing left to give And we are sure that the song has ended, When our day seems over and the shadows fall And the darkness of night has descended, Where can we go to find the strength To valiantly keep on trying? Where can we find the hand that will dry The tears that the heart is crying? There's but one place to go and that is to God, And dropping all pretense and pride, We can pour out our problems without restraint And gain strength with Him at our side. And together we stand at life's crossroads

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And view what we think is the end, But God has a much bigger vision, And He tells us it's only a bend. For the road goes on and is smoother, And the pause in the song is a rest, And the part that's unsung and unfinished Is the sweetest and richest and best. So rest and relax and grow stronger Let go and let God share your load. Your work is not finished or ended You've just come to a bend in the road. ~ Helen Steiner Rice ======

Do you have a short story, food for thought, or funny story to share? Let me know at [email protected] ======

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======THE MISSING CHIEF!!! Five cannibals were employed by the Navy as translators during one of the island campaigns during World War II. When the Admiral of the task force welcomed the cannibals he said, "You're all part of our team now. We will compensate you well for your services, and you can eat any of the rations that the Sailors are eating. So please don't indulge yourselves by eating a Sailor." The cannibals promised. Four weeks later the Admiral returned and said, "You're all working very hard, and I'm very satisfied with all of you. However, one of our Chiefs has disappeared. Do any of you know what happened to him?" The cannibals all shook their heads no. After the Admiral left, the leader of the cannibals turned to the others and said, "Which of you idiots ate the Chief?" A hand raised hesitantly, to which the leader of the cannibals replied, "You fool! For four weeks we've been eating Ensigns, Lieutenants, Lieutenant Commanders, and even one Commander and no one noticed anything, then YOU had to go and eat a Chief" ======Sea Stories ======Do you have sea stories to share? Please send them to me for future Deck Logs. Your Editor, [email protected] When trying to upload another sea story from the www.olgoat.com (After Battery) website, It no longer is available and explanation was provided. I found another source for Sea Stroies: see https:// www.submarinegear.com/sea-stories/ ======THE DIVING ALARM BALLET BY MIKE HEMMING https://www.submarinegear.com/the-diving-alarm-ballet-by-mike-hemming/ The Diving Alarm Ballet by Mike Hemming Happy New Year all Smoke Boat Sailors–Brings back memories of days long gone by. Some may understand The Diving Alarm Ballet and some may not, but this is the old diesel boat routine for slipping under the sea. Brings back many memories from the Golden Era for many who got to experience Crash Dives, Sub School Ops, Northern Runs. For our Nuke “Brothers of the Phin” this is what our WW-II mentors passed on to us DBF’rs charging us to ensure that traditions are not forgotten!!! As I pass between the controller men, the oogah, oogah, “Dive!”, “Dive!” comes over the speakers and they leap to their sticks and rheostats. The engines shut down air lever is hit, rheostats spun down, sticks are thrown, as the ballet begins. Generator electricity wanes as the huge storage batteries are called on for power. Sticks pulled to new positions and rheostats spun back up to keep the motors turning. The flurry of intense activity over, minor adjustments made and times logged while listening, always for the sound of water doing something it shouldn’t. As I walk forward at the same time into the engine room, the two men in each one do the shutdown dance. Throttles are slapped down, hydraulic levers pulled to the closed position to shut exhaust valves and drains opened by the throttle man. As his oiler spins the inboard exhaust valves the 32 turns to shut it, either the oiler or the throttle man (depending on who is closer) will have yanked the pin holding the great intake air valve open so it falls shut with a loud clang. His inboard exhaust valves shut, the oilier drops below to secure the sea valves that allow the seawater to cool the engines.

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Then, the throttle man checks everything secure one more time. In the control room, the other area of great activity on a dive, lookouts almost free fall to their diving stations on the bow or stern planes. Quickly the bow planes man rigs out his planes and both he and the stern planesman set their charges to the prescribed angles for the dive. Arriving soon after the planesmen,the OOD, now the diving officer, gives the ordered depth to reach and the angle to do it. Then he checks that all is well and will watch the planesmen to learn if the trim needs changing. The Chief of the Watch having closed the huge main air induction valve, will watch the Christmas Tree to see that all hull openings are closed.. Then he pulls the vents to flood the main ballast tanks and watches the depth to signal the auxiliary man on the air manifold when to blow negative tank to the mark to stop our descent into the depths. The manifold operator will hammer open the valve and then close off the roaring rush of compressed air, as needed. By this time, the trim manifold operator will have arrived from the engine room. After climbing over the stern planesman he will be ready to pump and flood seawater to the tanks. This will trim up the boat to neutral buoyancy. In the conn, the helmsman will have rung up standard speed so the boat will be driven under by the screws. (In the navy, screws = propellers.) The QM of the watch will dog the conning tower hatch when the OOD, the last man down from the bridge, pulls the lanyard to close it. There is no music to guide this dance except calm orders given and acknowledged. Started in a flurry of activity, it will end by winding down quietly to a state of relaxed vigilance by men prac- ticed and confident of themselves and each other. They have done this many times, this graceful and awk- ward descent into the depths. They do it as fast as is safely possible. This is where they belong, with many feet of sea hiding the strong steel of the hull. Men asleep in bunks half-awakened by the raucous alarm and noisy ballet, drift back to deep sleep, confident they are at home where they should be. “Submariners are a special brotherhood – either all come to the surface or no one does.”

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