RIP USS Thresher

Bilge_Rat · 04-10-07, 03:32 PM

44 years ago today the USS Thresher went down.

Reading the story of that tragedy when I was a boy started a lifelong interest in submarines.

some photos of the sub:

and of the wreckage:

Gildor · 04-10-07, 03:43 PM

Sad. I will have to read up on it today.

I was 2 days old when it happened. Born Apr 8 1963.

RIP

Camaero · 04-10-07, 05:42 PM

I was negative 25 years old.

Good pictures mate.

bookworm_020 · 04-10-07, 06:36 PM

The Thresher got me interested in subs as well, It was given as an example of loss of life at sea in a book I read.

It's seems we don't learn from our mistakes all that well as it keeps happening, eg, Kursk.

geetrue · 04-11-07, 02:32 AM

I reported aboard my first submarine the USS Salmon SS-573, home port San Diego's old submarine base
called Ballast Point, on April 6th 1963 ...

I was too young to worry about the Thresher not coming back up, plus sub duty had been my dream since the old black & white
series Silent Service in the mid 50's ...

04-11-07, 02:41 AM

Sorry to add humor to a sad topic... but why does the right guy on the conning tower in the first picture look like Darth Vader...

Anways *Salutes*

The Avon Lady · 04-11-07, 02:45 AM

USN's historical page for the Thresher. RIP.

Underwater wreck photos page.

bookworm_020 · 04-11-07, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rilder

Sorry to add humor to a sad topic... but why does the right guy on the conning tower in the first picture look like Darth Vader...

Anways *Salutes*

One's whereing a hat the other is holding up a pair of binoculors, I fail to any resemblance to Darth Vader

micky1up · 04-11-07, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bookworm_020

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rilder

Sorry to add humor to a sad topic... but why does the right guy on the conning tower in the first picture look like Darth Vader...

Anways *Salutes*

One's whereing a hat the other is holding up a pair of binoculors, I fail to any resemblance to Darth Vader

no periferal vision then i can see it

Bilge_Rat · 04-11-07, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geetrue

I reported aboard my first submarine the USS Salmon SS-573, home port San Diego's old submarine base
called Ballast Point, on April 6th 1963 ...

I was too young to worry about the Thresher not coming back up, plus sub duty had been my dream since the old black & white
series Silent Service in the mid 50's ...

Geetrue, since you were serving at that time, do you have any theory on what happened?

I know the official navy version was that a pipe probably burst, knocking out power and that the sub drifted below crush depth, but that was all based on conjecture.

geetrue · 04-11-07, 06:49 PM

People talk, no matter where you live or where you work, people talk.

I just happened to be on a submarine when I heard my people talk. My boat was tied up next to the USS Permit, the sister ship to the Tresher, at the same time all of this was going on ,but it wasn't till maybe 5 years later that I heard nuc sailors themselves talk about it.

This talk will chill you ...

1. The Thresher has just finished her first major ship yard overhaul (probably refueled her reactor too)
2. The Tresher was on a shake down cruise out of Portsmith (I believe it was Portsmith, New Hampshire) and some of the yard personal were with her at the time. She had been going in and out of the yards to correct little items here and there.
3. It was reported to me by a very informed source (no smiley) that the lights connected to the buttons on the christmas tree were reversed by mistake. Red was green and green was red.
4. These buttons or pop valves I believe would be a better term replaced the levers that they use to throw to open the vents to allow water to enter in and sink the vessel to acceptable levels, but red was now open vents and green was closed vents.

5. The trim of the vessel was done else where, but still close enough for the chief of the watch to do everything that he was responcible for, which included flooding or surfacing the vessel.

6. The scuttlebutt has it that in an emergency situation of needing air to surface the pop valves were pushed too early and the air ran out and the head way was to fast to stop. Confusion of seeing all green or all red could have made a difference.

In other words they flooded the boat ... on the way down

My side blames the shipyard, but they like to live too ... so it was probably just someone to kick around.

Perhaps we have only lost two subs, because of men that care to correct bad situations and make sure that never happens again.

Enigma · 04-11-07, 07:50 PM

Thats a fascinating, yet chilling account! Thanks for posting....

Bilge_Rat · 04-12-07, 01:52 PM

thanks Geetrue, that is a chilling account, but it does make more sense than the official story.

sonar732 · 04-12-07, 06:57 PM

Our SUBSAFE program came out of the Thresher loss.

Bilge_Rat · 04-13-07, 11:22 AM

Having reflected a bit more on Geetrue's story, it seems the most logical explanation.

I had read the official report and a book on the sinking eons ago. The official story implied that the crew had somehow panicked which prevented them for surfacing. That part never really made sense to me, that 100% of a highly trained crew would panic bringing about the destruction of the boat. Geetrue's story, that the crew did everything by the book, but were misled by the incorrectly wired green/red lights makes sense.

I can also see why the story was hushed up. Adm. Rickover had built the entire US nuclear sub program on the basis that the subs were 100% safe. The story that someone's bonehead mistake had resulted in the loss of a sub and the death of 129 persons would have pretty much wiped out that safety reputation.

I found this navy powerpoint on the SUBSAFE program.

http://ses.gsfc.nasa.gov/ses_data_20..._Iwanowicz.ppt

I sticks to the official story, but now I can see why there is such a huge emphasis on making sure a sub can surface in any situation. I presume also that now everyone triple checks that everything is properly wired.

04-10-07, 03:32 PM	#1
Bilge_Rat Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: standing watch... Posts: 3,792 Downloads: 344 Uploads: 0	RIP USS Thresher 44 years ago today the USS Thresher went down. Reading the story of that tragedy when I was a boy started a lifelong interest in submarines. some photos of the sub: and of the wreckage:

04-10-07, 03:43 PM	#2
Gildor Lieutenant Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 251 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Sad. I will have to read up on it today. I was 2 days old when it happened. Born Apr 8 1963. RIP __________________ U-46: Oct 1943 off Portugal

04-10-07, 05:42 PM	#3
Camaero The Old Man Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: USA, Massachusetts Posts: 1,477 Downloads: 18 Uploads: 0	I was negative 25 years old. Good pictures mate. __________________

04-10-07, 06:36 PM	#4
bookworm_020 Navy Seal Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Sinking ships off the Australian coast Posts: 5,966 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	The Thresher got me interested in subs as well, It was given as an example of loss of life at sea in a book I read. It's seems we don't learn from our mistakes all that well as it keeps happening, eg, Kursk. __________________ "There is always one person in any organization who knows whats going on, That person must be fired"

04-11-07, 02:32 AM	#5
geetrue Cold War Boomer Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Walla Walla Posts: 2,837 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	I reported aboard my first submarine the USS Salmon SS-573, home port San Diego's old submarine base called Ballast Point, on April 6th 1963 ... I was too young to worry about the Thresher not coming back up, plus sub duty had been my dream since the old black & white series Silent Service in the mid 50's ... __________________

04-11-07, 02:41 AM	#6
Rilder Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Sorry to add humor to a sad topic... but why does the right guy on the conning tower in the first picture look like Darth Vader... Anways Salutes

04-11-07, 02:45 AM	#7
The Avon Lady Über Mom Join Date: May 2005 Location: Jerusalem, Israel Posts: 6,147 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	USN's historical page for the Thresher. RIP. Underwater wreck photos page. __________________ "Victory will come to us from the wombs of our women." - Houari Boumedienne, President of Algeria, Speech before the UN, 1974

04-11-07, 06:49 PM	#11
geetrue Cold War Boomer Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Walla Walla Posts: 2,837 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	People talk, no matter where you live or where you work, people talk. I just happened to be on a submarine when I heard my people talk. My boat was tied up next to the USS Permit, the sister ship to the Tresher, at the same time all of this was going on ,but it wasn't till maybe 5 years later that I heard nuc sailors themselves talk about it. This talk will chill you ... 1. The Thresher has just finished her first major ship yard overhaul (probably refueled her reactor too) 2. The Tresher was on a shake down cruise out of Portsmith (I believe it was Portsmith, New Hampshire) and some of the yard personal were with her at the time. She had been going in and out of the yards to correct little items here and there. 3. It was reported to me by a very informed source (no smiley) that the lights connected to the buttons on the christmas tree were reversed by mistake. Red was green and green was red. 4. These buttons or pop valves I believe would be a better term replaced the levers that they use to throw to open the vents to allow water to enter in and sink the vessel to acceptable levels, but red was now open vents and green was closed vents. 5. The trim of the vessel was done else where, but still close enough for the chief of the watch to do everything that he was responcible for, which included flooding or surfacing the vessel. 6. The scuttlebutt has it that in an emergency situation of needing air to surface the pop valves were pushed too early and the air ran out and the head way was to fast to stop. Confusion of seeing all green or all red could have made a difference. In other words they flooded the boat ... on the way down My side blames the shipyard, but they like to live too ... so it was probably just someone to kick around. Perhaps we have only lost two subs, because of men that care to correct bad situations and make sure that never happens again. __________________

04-11-07, 07:50 PM	#12
Enigma The Old Man Join Date: May 2005 Location: At comms depth, obviously. Posts: 1,476 Downloads: 7 Uploads: 0	Thats a fascinating, yet chilling account! Thanks for posting.... __________________ "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." -Mark Twain

04-12-07, 01:52 PM	#13
Bilge_Rat Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: standing watch... Posts: 3,792 Downloads: 344 Uploads: 0	thanks Geetrue, that is a chilling account, but it does make more sense than the official story.

04-12-07, 06:57 PM	#14
sonar732 The Old Man Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Central MO Posts: 1,562 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	Our SUBSAFE program came out of the Thresher loss.

04-13-07, 11:22 AM	#15
Bilge_Rat Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: standing watch... Posts: 3,792 Downloads: 344 Uploads: 0	Having reflected a bit more on Geetrue's story, it seems the most logical explanation. I had read the official report and a book on the sinking eons ago. The official story implied that the crew had somehow panicked which prevented them for surfacing. That part never really made sense to me, that 100% of a highly trained crew would panic bringing about the destruction of the boat. Geetrue's story, that the crew did everything by the book, but were misled by the incorrectly wired green/red lights makes sense. I can also see why the story was hushed up. Adm. Rickover had built the entire US nuclear sub program on the basis that the subs were 100% safe. The story that someone's bonehead mistake had resulted in the loss of a sub and the death of 129 persons would have pretty much wiped out that safety reputation. I found this navy powerpoint on the SUBSAFE program. http://ses.gsfc.nasa.gov/ses_data_20..._Iwanowicz.ppt I sticks to the official story, but now I can see why there is such a huge emphasis on making sure a sub can surface in any situation. I presume also that now everyone triple checks that everything is properly wired.