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Three Blasts on Diving Alarm

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SaltiDawg View Drop Down
Rickover
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SaltiDawg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Three Blasts on Diving Alarm
    Posted: 25 Jan 2016 at 1:09pm
I'm in the process of a reading a really good book on sub operations on SSN-637 Class Boats during the Cold War.  About 15% into it.  The boat is in the Narrabay Op Areas, preparing to surface to transit back to NLON.  After the "Prepare to Surface," etc. we see in quotes, "Surface, Surface, Surface."  "The diving alarm honked three times."

Not quibbling about "honked" vs blasts, however this is about the fifth book that I have read in the last year or two where experienced submariners apparently reached into their memory banks  and found three blasts on the diving alarm for routine surfacing.

On the boats that I served on, including three SSN-637s and two Diesel Boats, there were no blasts on anything for a routine surfacing.  The COW passed the word, "Surface Surface Surface."

An Emergency Surface announcement was accompanied by three blasts on the Diving Alarm.

Any different recollections?

Edit:  The book is called, "Stalking The Red Bear." The author says the book was essentially ghosted by the CO of a SSN-637 that actually deployed from NLON.  I will post a review after I am done reading it... I'm enjoying it so far!


Edited by SaltiDawg - 25 Jan 2016 at 2:55pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jan 2016 at 1:29pm
I remember my dad going on a rant because War and Remembrance did the same thing.

I think it was W & R.  He said they described, perfectly, being on the surface at night, etc., then got THAT wrong.
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FTGC(SS) Lane View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FTGC(SS) Lane Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jan 2016 at 1:36pm
On the four boats (three 637 and one 640) never sounded any alarm on a normal or airless surfacing. I did a lot of surfaces and dives as COW/DOOW
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SaltiDawg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jan 2016 at 1:41pm
Originally posted by FTGC(SS) Lane FTGC(SS) Lane wrote:

On the four boats (three 637 and one 640) never sounded any alarm on a normal or airless surfacing. I did a lot of surfaces and dives as COW/DOOW


Exactly my experience.  It's funny how often I've seen authors, some of them Qualified in Submarines, that insist they remember three blasts for routine surfacing. Glad to see my memory is not shot, at least on this subject. lol

Now this is a no sh**er, I remember the time I was sitting in the head while backing down at three times test depth.  Anyone else remember being there?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jan 2016 at 2:17pm
^^^  What .... three times test depth?  Must have been a diesel boat, guaranteed not a nuc.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jan 2016 at 3:04pm
Sorry all you young nukeypoo types but on the diesel boats there were few if any "airless" surfaces and at all times three blasts on the diving alarm followed by "Surface, Surface, Surface" on the 1MC were std procedure.

AtoZ
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GaryKC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jan 2016 at 3:10pm
Originally posted by atozdbf atozdbf wrote:

Sorry all you young nukeypoo types but on the diesel boats there were few if any "airless" surfaces and at all times three blasts on the diving alarm followed by "Surface, Surface, Surface" on the 1MC were std procedure.

AtoZ


After a lot of thought, I'll amend my reply to  "Surface, Surface, Surface" on the 1MC. Diving alarm 3 times only for emergency surface.



Edited by GaryKC - 29 Jan 2016 at 2:49pm
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fortyrod View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fortyrod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jan 2016 at 3:29pm
yep, three blasts on Chivo and Volador
Everything is relative
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SaltiDawg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jan 2016 at 3:43pm
Assuming everyone's recollection is correct, can anyone think why it would have been one way on a Diesel Boat and a different way on a Nuke?

IIRC, in approximately 1969-70 SUBLANT and SUBPAC standardized the SSORM.  However, that must have been standardized by Class of boat and I do not know for sure if it covered Diesel Boats as that was after my time.

As hard as I've tried over the past few years, I have never been able to find the SSORM Surfacing Bill on line.  I believe the SSORM is/was comsublant/comsubpacinst 5400.39

Thanks for the replys.


Edited by SaltiDawg - 25 Jan 2016 at 5:23pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gcconnor1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jan 2016 at 3:46pm
52 Years ago on the Allen and I can't remember!!!!!!!!!!! I remember two blasts when diving (we still had the aooga horns, one of which the SSBN 608 Association received from De-Com Chief of the Boat Don Sweet and is still sounded at reunions). Once I was qualified I was in my bunk whenever I could.
GC Connor EMC(SS)/LT USN Ret
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