April 2020 Volume 21, Issue 4 Lest We Forget — Inside This Issue: Meeting minutes 2 “The USSVI Submariner’s Creed” Lost Boats 2 To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who Undersea Warfare Hist 2 gave their lives in the pursuit of their duties while Columbia Delay? 3 serving their country. That their dedication, deeds, Last Block III 5 and supreme sacrifice be a constant source of Narco Submarines 7 motivation toward greater accomplishments. Contact information 9 Pledge loyalty and patriotism to the United States of America and its Constitution. Application form 10 News Brief 1. Next Meeting: Restrictions on group gatherings related to Coronavirus have caused a temporary suspension of our monthly meetings. Watch e-mail for an announcement regarding when we are allowed to meet again. 2. Duty Cook Roster: a. GET READY TO VOLUNTEER WHEN OUR MEETINGS RESUME. 3. April Birthdays: None. 4. Do you shop on Amazon? Remember to use Amazon Smile for the benefit of our Charitable Foundation. 5. When the new USSVI Website is released, the national office will be able to send its broadcast messages to all hands. It will use the e-mail address in your profile. All hands are asked to review their profile and confirm that it is up-to- date. 6. Chris Gaines requests that you kindly share articles or links to submarine stories that you feel our shipmates would like to see in the newsletter. Member contributions are always welcome. Crash Dive Meeting Minutes March 22, 1986 | USS Georgia March 21, 2020 (SSBN-729) : Near Midway Island, USS Secota (YTM-417) The March meeting and all future had just completed a personnel meetings currently are cancelled transfer with the Georgia, when due to COVID-19. the Secota lost power and collided with the Georgia. Secota Lost Boats sank. Ten crewman were rescued, but two drowned. USS PICKEREL (SS-177) 4/3/43 Georgia was undamaged. USS SNOOK (SS-279) 4/8/45 March 25, 1960 | USS Halibut (SSN-587): Underway to USS THRESHER (SSN-593) 4/10/63 Australia, Halibut became the USS GUDGEON (SS-211) 4/18/44 first nuclear powered submarine USS GRENADIER(SS-210) 4/22/43 to successfully launch a guided missile. Undersea Warfare History March 26, 1943 | USS Wahoo (SS- 238) : Wahoo sank a small diesel March 18, 1945 | USS Tench (SS- driven freighter with gunfire. 417) : Tench was ordered to take March 27, 1942 | USS Gudgeon up lifeguard station off the (SS-211): Gudgeon sank the 6526 Western Coast of Kyushu during ton Nissho Maru 5th Fleet carrier air raids on Nagasaki. March 28, 1946 | USS Tench (SS- 417) : Tench sank 2 tiny trawlers. March 19, 1945 | USS Parche (SS- 384) : Parche got underway on March 29, 1993 | USS John her 5th war patrol and headed to Marshall (SSBN 661) : John the East Coast of Honshu, Japan. Marshall was disposed of through the Nuclear Power Ship March 20, 1944 | USS Pollack and Submarine Recycling (SS-180) : Pollack made a night Program at the Puget Sound and surface attack and watched 2 Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA. torpedo hits blow the 1,327 ton freighter, Hakuyo Maru, to April 1, 1962 | USS Nautilus (SSN pieces. 571) participated in NATO exercise during the naval March 21, 1945 | USS Guavina quarantine of Cuba. (SS-362) : On her 6th war patrol, Guavina worked in coordination April 2, 1944 | USS Apogon (SS with Rock, Cobia, and Blenny in 308) deployed on her 3rd war the South China Sea. patrol. Page 2 Crash Dive Base Rondout - Lake Bluff, IL April 3, 1945 | USS Flasher (SS passenger/cargo ship, Taichu 249) completed her patrol upon Maru, despite the presence of at her arrival at Pearl Harbor, HI, least three escort vessels. and sailed a few days later for a West Coast overhaul. Will the U.S. Navy's April 4, 1944 | USS Crevalle (SS Columbia Missile 291) sailed for the South China Sea on her 3rd war patrol. Submarine Program Get Delayed? April 5, 1943 | USS Scorpion (SS 278) departed Pearl Harbor, And if so, is there a Plan B? Hawaii, on her 1st war patrol, a Peter Suciu, National Interest Online April 1 hunting and mining mission off the East Coast of Honshu. According to a new report from the April 8, 1945 | USS Tench (SS Government Accountability Office 417) picked up the pilot and (GAO), the U.S. Navy may need to radioman from an Essex (CV 9) have a back-up plan in place should dive bomber and then headed for the service be unable to take timely Guam, Mariana Island. acquisition of the new Columbia- class ballistic missile submarines. April 9, 1945 | USS Tirante (SS The U.S. Navy has planned to 420) picked out two targets and construct twelve of the new class of fired three torpedoes at each. submarines – with a total cost of One spread missed, but the other $115 billion – and these would struck the 5500-ton transport replace the aging Ohio-class Nikko Maru, carrying homeward submarines from 2027 to 2031. bound Japanese soldiers from Shanghai. The GAO had previously expressed concerns a year ago that the Navy's April 10, 1942 | USS Thresher (SS timeline was optimistic, notably in 200) torpedoes and sinks regard to the labor hours that would Japanese merchant cargo ship be needed for the construction of the Maru six miles north of Oshima, new submarines. According to a near the entrance to Tokyo Bay, GAO report from April 2019, "While Honshu, Japan. the Navy analyzed cost risks, it did April 11, 1943 | USS.Snook (SS not include a margin in its estimate 279) went to sea and headed for for likely cost overruns. The Navy the Yellow Sea and East China told us it will continue to update its Sea for her first war patrol, lead submarine cost estimate, but an following a 12-day stopover at independent assessment of the Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. estimate may not be complete in time to inform the Navy's 2021 budget April 12, 1944 |USS Halibut (SS request to Congress to purchase the 232) sank the Japanese army Page 3 Crash Dive Base Rondout - Lake Bluff, IL lead submarine. Without these attack submarines (SSNs) at the reviews, the cost estimate—and, same time. consequently, the budget—may be unrealistic." The most recent Congressional Research Service updated on the Now a year later, the question is status of the program – updated being asked whether there is truly a March 22, 2020 – also noted that the "plan B" should the Columbia-class risk of COVID-19 could result in other program face delays. However, last technical challenges and/or funding- week USN leadership said it remains related issues, which could impact optimistic about the timeline for the the designing and building of the lead program, even as it is seeing what it Columba-class boat. That could put can do to sustain the Ohio-class the Navy at risk to have the SSBN patrols. submarines ready for its first scheduled deterrent patrol in 2031, "The Columbia program remains the when it is to deploy in place of the navy's top acquisition program and aging Ohio-class. remains on track," Captain Danny Hernandez, a spokesman for James The Columbia-class submarines are Geurts, the assistant navy secretary currently being constructed by for Research, Development, and General Dynamic subsidiary Electric Acquisition, told Jane's. Boat in collaboration with Newport News Shipbuilding. The first steel According to a Congressional plate for the lead in class was cut on Research Service report from May 2019 with a plan for it to enter November 22 of last year, "Navy service in 2027. The new submarines Columbia (SSBN-826) Class Ballistic were designed to support the U.S. Missile Submarine Program: strategic deterrent mission and the Background and Issues for SSBN fleet carries 70 percent of the Congress," the Navy has repeatedly nation's operational nuclear reaffirmed that the new class of weapons. submarines remains a top priority. However, the report to Congress USS Delaware, Navy's identified that issues still remain including the risk of cost growth and newest attack the potential impact of the program's submarine, joins fleet funding will have on other Navy programs. Frank Gerace, WDEL, April 6 One major issue that the Navy faces The Navy's newest attack submarine is that the potential industrial-base has a Delaware connection. The USS challenges that could come with Delaware was commissioned. building both the Columbia-class Saturday and formally joined the boats and the new Virginia-class fleet. Page 4 Crash Dive Base Rondout - Lake Bluff, IL There'd usually be a public ceremony launch tubes for Tomahawk Land for the occasion, but that was Attack Missiles with two larger postponed due to coronavirus 87-inch diameter tubes able to concerns, so the Navy will celebrate fire larger payloads, each housing the event sometime in the future. six TLAMs. The Delaware is the 7th Navy ship The first Block IV, the attack and first sub to be named in honor of submarine Vermont, is slated to the First State, and the first Navy be commissioned later this ship in 100 years to be so named. month. The Block IV subs primarily add reliability features It's 377 ft. long, can dive to depths of to the boat that should increase more than 800 feet, has a top speed its life span. of more than 25 knots and can run for more than 30 years without The Block V, which was awarded refueling. last year, adds acoustics upgrades. Eight of the boats will The Delaware's keel was laid in 2016, have the Virginia Payload Module.