Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship

Tom Clancy, John Gresham Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship

This book is dedicated to the families, friends, and loved ones of submariners, who return that love, as well as their love of God and country, by going down into the sea in steel boats.

Acknowledgments

There is a popular quote that says 'Failure is an orphan… but success has many fathers.' If this book and the series that it starts turn out to be a success, it will be due to the vision and support of a great many people throughout the defense and publishing communities. First there is the team that helped me put it together. In the fall of 1987, I was introduced to a defense systems analyst named John D. Gresham. Over the years, we have had many lively discussions, and while we may not always agree, the disagreements always were thoughtful and insightful. Thus, I was pleased when John agreed to work with me as a researcher and consultant on this project. Backing up John and me was Martin H. Greenberg, the series editor. Marty's support in conceiving this book and the series, as well as his guidance of the entire project, have been vital. Laura Alpher, the series illustrator, created the wonderful drawings that reside in these pages. Thanks also go to Lieutenant Commander Christopher Carlson, USNR, Brian Hewitt, Cindi Woodrum, Diana Patin, and Rosalind Greenberg for their tireless work in all the things that make this book what it is.

When we started this book, popular opinion around the Pentagon was that it could not be done. If any one person changed that, it was Vice Admiral Roger Bacon, USN (Ret.). As OP-02, he was instrumental in opening up the submarine community to the press and the public for the first time since nuclear subs started operating. Our special thanks go to him. In addition, Rear Admiral Thomas Ryan, USN (N-87), as well as Rear Admirals Fred Gustavson, USN, and Raymond Jones, USN, all provided high-level support. Lieutenants Jeff Durand and Nick Connally did yeoman work and tolerated dozens of ill-timed phone calls. In the Office of Navy Information, Lieutenants Don Thomas and Bob Ross just kept finding ways to make it happen. Special thanks to Russ Egnor, Pat Toombs, Chief Petty Officer Jay David-son, and the staff of the Navy Still Photo Branch for all their tolerance and support.

Up at Groton, Connecticut, we want to thank Lieutenant Commander Ruth Noonan, USN, of the SUBGRU-2 public affairs office for her guidance during our visit. All around the base at Groton, the operators of the various trainers are to be thanked for allowing us to take part in a number of training exercises. Thanks also should go to the personnel and students of the submarine school. Also at Groton, we wish to thank Commander Larry Davis, USN, and the crew of the USS Groton, who opened their boat up to us, despite its being torn open for modifications and weapons loading. And to Commander Houston K. Jones, USN, and his crew on USS Miami, we pay the compliment of calling you 'razors.' From one side of the Atlantic to the other, those you have faced in exercises have only one thing to say: 'Who were those guys?' Thanks also to the crews of USS Greenling and USS Gato for sharing their valuable training periods with us.

One of the great pleasures of doing this book was the opportunity to rekindle our friendship with the fine folks of Her Majesty's Navy. Rear Admiral Paul Fere, RN, and Commodore Roger Lane-Nott, RN, are to be thanked for their sponsorship of our project. Here in America, our way was paved by Rear Admiral Hoddinott, RN, Commander Nick Harris, RN, and Leading WRENs Tracey Barber and Sarah Clarke. At the Ministry of Defence, Commanders Ian Hewitt, RN, and Duncan Fergeson, RN, helped get us to the many places we visited. Mr. Ambrose Moore of the fleet public relations office in Northwood is to be thanked for his services as tour guide to bases in the U.K. We would also like to extend our thanks to the crew of HMS Repulse, who allowed us a brief visit into the world of the SSBN force. And finally, our warmest thanks go to Commander David Vaughan, RN, and the crew of HMS Triumph for their courtesy and friendship over several visits. Her Majesty can be proud of David and his men, for they have the same stout hearts as Drake, Nelson, and Vian.

Up in New York, our thanks to Robert Gottlieb and the staff at William Morris. And at Berkley Books, we owe a special debt to our editor, John Talbot. Thanks also to Roger Cooper for his patience and support of our work. Our personal thanks go to old friends Captains Doug LittleJohns, RN, and James Perowne, RN. Thanks also to Ron Thunman, Joe Metcalf, and Carlisle Trost for sharing their wisdom and experiences. And to Ned Beach, who taught us all to 'run silent… and run deep.' And lastly, our love to our families and friends, who tolerate our time away from them, so that we might tell our stories to the world.

Foreword

The transformation of Tom Clancy's wonderful fictional account of submarining in The Hunt for Red October to the reality of actual modern nuclear submarine capabilities and operations is long overdue. Now he brings a unique account of the nuclear-powered submarine, a vital component of naval power, to the public for the first time. This book explains the world of undersea warfare, from how people live within a steel tube for months at a time, to the many arrows a submarine puts in the quiver of national military power.

Twice in this century submarine warfare has threatened the existence of major powers. Submarines have always been a flexible and adaptable national asset, capable of many roles and missions. The submarines of World War I and II had some inherent stealth and could submerge to conduct attacks, but this property was limited by a lack of sustained power while under the sea's surface. The advent of nuclear propulsion made the submarine a truly stealthy platform. A so-called stealth aircraft can still be seen by the naked eye. A nuclear-powered submarine is truly invisible and not readily detectable. It is the original stealth machine and can remain undetected indefinitely. From this enduring covertness springs the awesome power of the modern submarine. Through the advances of ballistic and cruise missile technology the strategic nuclear deterrence mission and land attack capability have become an integral part of this military power. For decades the principal mission of a submarine has been to sink ships and submarines. Today, the nuclear-powered submarine's ability to affect events on land is one of its dominant features.

With Tom Clancy as our tour guide, let us view the submarine's history, its missions, the people and their families, the training, the boat itself with all its compartments and systems, and consider what these can do. If you spend years on the bridge of a submarine, as I have, you will notice how the dolphins that 'ride' the crest of the exhilaratingly beautiful bow wave along the tear-shaped submarine hull do so at different positions for different classes or shapes of submarines. Why? I have always wondered. This tour you are about to take will come close to answering such questions, which are inherent to the mystique of a submarine.

I may not agree with all of the points present herein, but I do believe that upon completion of your tour you will understand why the submarine is the only naval platform that combines stealth, surprise, survivability, mobility, and endurance in a single unit. The employment of these characteristics provides a nation with a formidable maritime power, which should be understood by the public.

— Vice Admiral Roger Bacon, USN

Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Undersea Warfare

January 1993

Introduction