NEAR_DISASTER UNDER SEA**

I swear this actually happened
Post Reply
From Yahoo

NEAR_DISASTER UNDER SEA**

Post by From Yahoo »

From: jjoh781262@...
Date: Sat Feb 14, 2004 2:37 pm
Subject: Re: [USS_James_Madison_SSBN627] July Reunion

YOU ALL REMEMBER NEWs REPORTER JACK ANDERSON:
THIs IN MY SCRAP BOOK ;

NEAR_DISASTER UNDER SEA
WASHINGTON-TWO PROWLING NUCLEAR SUBMARINES,ONE AMERCIAN,THE OTHER SOVIET SIDESWIPED ONE ANOTHER UNDER THE NORTH SEA ON NOVEMBER 3.,THEBIZARRE UNDERSEA COLLISION,WHICH CAME WITHIN INCHES OF SINKING BOTH SUBS,HAS NEVER BEEN REVEALED.BUT WE HAVE OBTAINED THE DETAILS FROM ON_THE_SPOT SOURCES. THE USS MADISON,A POLARIS SUBMARINE BRISTLING WITH ARMED NUCLEAR MISSILES,WAS PATROLLING BENEATH THE NORTH SEA WHEN, TO THE UTTER ASTONISHMENT OF THE
CREW,THE TWO SUBS SCRAPED HULLS.BOTH SURGED TO THE SURFACE WHERE THEY INSPECTED ONE ANOTHER WARILY FROM A SHORT DISTANCE.IT COULD HAVE BEN AN UGLY INCIDENT.PERHAPS A NAVAL CONFRONTATION ON THE HIGH SEAS,BUT THE SKIPPERS OF BOTH
SUBS KEPT COOL AND MOVED OFF IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS,WITH OUT ANY COMMUNICATIONS EXCHANGE. NOT LONG AFTERWARDS,THE MADISON PULLED INTO ITS BASE AT HOLY LOCH,SCOTLAND,WITH A NINE-FOOT SCRAPE ALONG ITS HULL.IT WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN
MUCH MORE IMPACT TO HAVE RIPPED OPEN THE HULLS OF BOTH SUBS.THERE IS CONFUSION OVER WHO WAS TO BLAME FOR THE ACCIDENT.BOTH SUBS SHOULD HAVE BEEN EQUIPED WITH NAVIGATIONAL GEAR,WHICH SHOULD HAVE DETECTED THE APPROACH OF THE OTHER.THE MADISON WAS ON ITS FIRST SHAKEDOWN PATROL AFTER AN OVERHAUL.BUT NO DEFECTS HAD BEEN DISCOVERED
IN THE NAV.EQUIPMENT.IF THE COLLISION HAD RUPTURED AND SUNK THE TWO NUCLEAR SUBS,ACCORDING TO OUR SOURCES THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN NO NUCLEAR HAZARD. THE NUCLEAR GEAR IN U.S. SUBS,THEY,HAVE ENOUGH PROTECTIVE ENCASING TO PREVENT SUCH
A DISATER.

FOOTNOTE;THE NAVY REFUSED TO COMMENT ON THE INCIDENT.

JAMES JOHNSON(MM1)(RET)
SMOOTH SAILING FRIENDS
From Yahoo

Re: NEAR_DISASTER UNDER SEA**

Post by From Yahoo »

From: "Harry Bell" <bubblehead@...>
Date: Sat Feb 14, 2004 5:07 pm

I remember "prepare to bristle" fondly this is understood to have happened
to the bluies but I can neither confirm or deny it.

H Bell ET-1 SS
1974 -1976 Gold
From Yahoo

Re: NEAR_DISASTER UNDER SEA**

Post by From Yahoo »

From: "wagnomaster" <wagnomaster@...>
Date: Sat Feb 21, 2004 8:10 am

Remember it? Hell, I was there. Spent the entire patrol cycle in
the Loch. Count me in for the 31st of July!!!

F.M. Thornal
RMC(SS) Ret.
From Yahoo

Re: NEAR_DISASTER UNDER SEA**

Post by From Yahoo »

From: "Mikes account" <jmichaelwebb@...>
Date: Sun Feb 15, 2004 7:34 pm

I'm trying to remember back to my time on the Dolly, and I don't seem to
remember any gear in "NAV" to detect other submarines.....what the hell is he
talking about....

Mike
From Yahoo

Re: NEAR_DISASTER UNDER SEA**

Post by From Yahoo »

From: "John T Horner" <hsubman@...>
Date: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:46 am

-Mike,
I was a sonar tech aboard the Dolly. I left the Madison in the
spring of '74 just before the collision. The account I read about
said the the Dolly dove on top of the russian that was trailing her
out of Holy Loch.
My experience was that while on the surface our sonar was pretty
well blacked out by surface noise at the bow. We were pretty much
blind until submerged. Remember the lockouts on the fairwater
planes? The Nav Center did have a navigational sonar. The piece of
equipment that could be referred to printed out "sound signatures"
of sonar contacts that were used for identification. Don't know if
some of this info is still classified, so I won't elaborate.

John T
STS2(ss)'70-'74 gold crew
VMadison
Posts: 7
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:45 am
First Name: Victor
Last Name: Madison
Crew?: Blue
Which Years on Board: 1972-1978
Rate: MM1
Contact:

Collision

Post by VMadison »

This incident has been documented in Clancy's Blind Man's Bluff. A little birdie told me :roll: that it was quite an awful sound as the two ships exchanged paint. I don't have anymore details :-D but this supposedly happened to the Blue crew. Check out the report in Clancy's book.
monk
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:14 pm
First Name: Stephen J
Last Name: Munkwitz
Which Years on Board: 1971-75
Rate: QM3

Post by monk »

yeah that was fun
i was quartermaster on watch when it happened.
we just came out of drydock from an overhaul.
my last and shortest patrol
Eclectikbob
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu May 25, 2006 5:09 pm
First Name: Robert
Last Name: Clements
Crew?: Blue
Which Years on Board: 1974-1979
Special Crew?: Neither
Rate: MM-1, M-Di

Post by Eclectikbob »

I was in my bunk :smt015 on the starbord outboard side of the library when it happened! I had an outboard bunk. If it were not for the hull between us, I could have touched the Victor :lol:

Bobby C
jwalton
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2006 1:13 pm
First Name: James D. (JD)
Last Name: Walton
Crew?: Blue
Which Years on Board: 1972-75
Special Crew?: Neither
Rate: MM3/SS A-GANG

Re: NEAR_DISASTER UNDER SEA**

Post by jwalton »

I was in Machinery-1 on watch when it happened. I was on my last patrol and thought for a second that I wasn't going to get back to the states. It sounded like we hit a mountain. I also have Jack Anderson's column at home.
JD Walton MM3/SS
Blue Crew 1972-1975
jd
Post Reply