USS Nautilus - First Nuclear Submarine - New London CT USA

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I wanted to share something interesting. During the 1950's, the US developed the first nuclear fast attack submarine that allowed a vessel to be limited in deployment by food and weapons alone. This submarine is now a floating museum in New London CT. This was a first generation nuclear submarine and I worked on 2nd generation subs and was stationed on 3rd and 4th generation subs. Please enjoy.

Topside view of the USS Nautilus, SSN 571. This is the submarine sail where the antennas and masts are and conning tower when on the surface. When transiting in and out of port, you would attach yourself to topside with harnesses. In the north Atlantic, this was extremely interesting in the winter.


This was your primary way in and out.... at the bottom, there is a ladder and at the top a watertight hatch that was your protection from the deep sea. This was normally the mid-ships hatch and you also had hatches in the front and the back of the submarine.


One of many berthing areas on submarines. You would normally have berthing for 75% of total personnel assigned and junior personnel would HOT RACK. When you were HOT RACKing, you would share the rack with another sailor and when you were working they would sleep and vice versa. You did use your own bedding but space for clothing, personnel effects and bedding was extremely limited.

The crews mess had anywhere from four to six tables for 100 plus personnel and this area was utilized for movies, meals, casino night, initiations when they were PC, training, medical and similar operations. We had meals named Puss-Rockets, Nairobi Trail Markers, Acid Rain Spaghetti, and although the names may indicate the foo was not great, the food was normally the best in the Navy.

This is the galley where food was cooked for 100 plus personnel four times each day, MID-RATs was always the best meal that was served at midnight each day. MID-RATs was normally pizza or something similar.

The radio room was your only connection with home and the world when you were deployed. When underway, you were allowed messages of around twenty words per month from your family. You could not even guess how special these short messages were.

I appreciate your looking at my world when I was a young adult riding nuclear submarines.

Please feel free to ask questions. If I cannot answer due for security reasons, I will let you know.

Have a great day, Jay Patterson

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Recent Comments

24

what depths, speeds were achievable back then. And what depths and speeds are achievable in today's class submarines?

Thanks for asking. I cannot provide specifics for security obligations but can tell you 400 feet plus for depth and 20 plus knots for speed. Thanks, Jay

BTW... Thanks for asking about Back Then.

I guess I have officially crossed the bridge of Back Then.

Just yanking your chain. Thanks again for your interest. Jay

Good Morning Jay,

Even if I enjoyed the tour I would decline to come onboard.
I am a nature person loving space, fresh air and sunshine,sorry.

Greetings from the south of Spain, Taetske

Good morning, I am a nature person also so a dilemma, I tried to transfer to the army and tanks after my first tour in the Navy but was told I was untrainable due to my time on subs. Go figure. Thanks, Jay

I toured the USS Drum on display at Mobile Bay back in 1973. That was a while back. And the USS Alabama was there as well.

That museum sile near Mobile is wonderful. That would be the WWII Drum and those guys had it tough and were lucky to return home. Thanks for the memories. Jay

Wow! Amazing! I couldn't sleep in my own bed this week due to the lack of air conditioning since the power has been off all week and no air circulating anywhere here since the storm passed. I slept in a twin bed in an upstairs spare room that seemed to be the best one with a tad bit of air coming in through windows! I thought I would die of heat exhaustion anyway! MIserable!

I have come to find out what a spoiled, whiny wimp I am! I cannot imagine even the sleeping quarters! ;-) Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Thanks and I am sorry about the challenges you are experiencing with Irma. Appreciate your review and feedback and wishing you electricity soon. Jay

A very interesting post, Jay. It would have been very difficult living in those cramped quarters!

My wife only walked onboard once. After that, never again because it was so cramped. Thanks, Jay

Jay - Great post. I always loved watching submarine movies as a kid. I have a friend that served on a nuclear sub. He had a lot of great stories (like yours) to share with me.

Thanks for reading and your feedback. There are many stories and some can even be told. Jay

They can change the platform to "Amazed and Grateful Affiliates"

Wow, I cannot imagine being in those close quarters for a long period of time. And being underwater makes me cringe!! I am a bit claustrophobic.

How did you do it for so long and how did you manage to stand and walk without the feeling that your feet were falling away. Is that what is called 'sea-legs'?

Sealegs are only when on the surface unless you are submerged in the North Atlantic in the winter where you could feel the surface swells a few hundred feet under water. Thanks Tammi. Jay

A few hundred feet!!!! I wouldn't even know what kind of legs to have on and where to have them...lol!!

T

Tammi,

You really were not aware of the depth and tightness unless you would tie a string from one side of the submarine interior to the other on the surface and when submerged you could see the sag in the string. Thanks, Jay

That's deep!!!

The pride of Admiral Rickover's nuclear navy Jay!

For those that met the Rick.... Wow. A legend in his and others minds. Jay

This is fantastic. I love learning about things like this and with the level of detail you pro use. Thank you. I am printing it for my notebook of "the very interesting"

Thank you. I cannot even explain how life on a fast attack during the cold war was. It did give me the ability to say "if there is no torpedo in the water I will not sweat it". Thanks again, Jay

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