Read Online Three Knots to Nowhere by Ted E. Dubay - Free Book Online
Authors: Ted E. Dubay
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guided tour.
The missile compartment had three levels. Crewmen fondly called it Sherwood Forest. That was because the two rows of eight missile tubes each were like tree trunks. Other than access to parts of the missile tubes, there was not much in either the upper or the lower levels. The upper level didnât have a real deck, just deck grating. On patrol, the crew stored supplies in the lower level.
It was almost breathtaking the way the missile tubes virtually filled the entire space. Knowing the tubeâs purpose made me shudder. To calm my nerves, I reminded myself that the weaponsâ purpose was deterrence, not as an offensive strike.
Feeling a bit better, and still in the middle level, we walked to the starboard side. On the outboard and forward end of the compartment was the missile launching control panel. Knobs, switches, and indicators covered it. I saw Davisâs mouth moving as he described the complex station, but he might as well have been talking to a wall. My mind flashed back to the question on the psychological test at submarine school: âWould you launch nuclear weapons?â
As he rambled on, I scanned the panel for the terrible launch mechanism.
It should stand out somehow. Warning signs should flank something that important, and it should have a huge lock. On the contrary, every switch, button, and knob appeared benign. As hard as I tried, I couldnât find it and was too shy to ask.
We moved to the compartmentâs port side and walked down the passageway.
The double row of missile tubes in the compartmentâs center was to our left. Several rooms were on the outboard edge. There was a laboratory for performing chemical and radiological analysis by the engineering laboratory technician (ELTs); it was called the Nucleonics Lab. Next was the doctorâs office, office space for the engineering department called the logroom, a lavatory, and another berthing area.
At the aft end of the passageway, we turned left, walked to the starboard side, and came upon another set of stairs.
I was grateful for the short respite from technical jargon and felt ready for him to bombard me with more information.
We climbed the stairs and passed through a doorway.
He explained we were in upper level machinery 1. Even though a wall separated the area from the missile compartment, it was not watertight. Machinery 1 was technically part of the missile compartment.
The area contained the navigation system 400-cycle motor-generators and their control panels. A chrome vertical ladder led to another access hatch. There was an air manifold in the forward port corner. A storage locker held engineering clerical supplies, such as the daily watch stander logs.
Next, we climbed down a ladder to middle level machinery 1. Equipment almost completely filled the area.
The first thing I encountered was the 30/10 KW M/G set. Beside it were the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) scrubbers. They removed CO 2 from the submarineâs atmosphere. Davis informed me that they barely held their own. The high CO 2 level gave crewmen headaches and cuts took forever to heal.
The most significant pieces of equipment were two oxygen (O 2 ) generators. They used very high temperatures to transform seawater into oxygen and hydrogen gas. The O 2 generators discharged the hydrogen overboard. The submarine stored the oxygen in tanks. Sailors periodically bled oxygen into the submarineâs atmosphere to replace what breathing consumed. The O 2 generators were essential to prolonged submergence. An inexhaustible source of seawater and properly functioning O 2 generators meant submariners never ran out of air. The O 2 generators were nicknamed the bombs. The crew feared them even more than the torpedoes or missiles. As dangerous as the O 2 generators were, the Clay never had a problem. Joel McCann was a master at their upkeep and operation.
I got down on my hands and knees. The position allowed me to peek through the deck hatch.
The missile compartment had three levels. Crewmen fondly called it Sherwood Forest. That was because the two rows of eight missile tubes each were like tree trunks. Other than access to parts of the missile tubes, there was not much in either the upper or the lower levels. The upper level didnât have a real deck, just deck grating. On patrol, the crew stored supplies in the lower level.
It was almost breathtaking the way the missile tubes virtually filled the entire space. Knowing the tubeâs purpose made me shudder. To calm my nerves, I reminded myself that the weaponsâ purpose was deterrence, not as an offensive strike.
Feeling a bit better, and still in the middle level, we walked to the starboard side. On the outboard and forward end of the compartment was the missile launching control panel. Knobs, switches, and indicators covered it. I saw Davisâs mouth moving as he described the complex station, but he might as well have been talking to a wall. My mind flashed back to the question on the psychological test at submarine school: âWould you launch nuclear weapons?â
As he rambled on, I scanned the panel for the terrible launch mechanism.
It should stand out somehow. Warning signs should flank something that important, and it should have a huge lock. On the contrary, every switch, button, and knob appeared benign. As hard as I tried, I couldnât find it and was too shy to ask.
We moved to the compartmentâs port side and walked down the passageway.
The double row of missile tubes in the compartmentâs center was to our left. Several rooms were on the outboard edge. There was a laboratory for performing chemical and radiological analysis by the engineering laboratory technician (ELTs); it was called the Nucleonics Lab. Next was the doctorâs office, office space for the engineering department called the logroom, a lavatory, and another berthing area.
At the aft end of the passageway, we turned left, walked to the starboard side, and came upon another set of stairs.
I was grateful for the short respite from technical jargon and felt ready for him to bombard me with more information.
We climbed the stairs and passed through a doorway.
He explained we were in upper level machinery 1. Even though a wall separated the area from the missile compartment, it was not watertight. Machinery 1 was technically part of the missile compartment.
The area contained the navigation system 400-cycle motor-generators and their control panels. A chrome vertical ladder led to another access hatch. There was an air manifold in the forward port corner. A storage locker held engineering clerical supplies, such as the daily watch stander logs.
Next, we climbed down a ladder to middle level machinery 1. Equipment almost completely filled the area.
The first thing I encountered was the 30/10 KW M/G set. Beside it were the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) scrubbers. They removed CO 2 from the submarineâs atmosphere. Davis informed me that they barely held their own. The high CO 2 level gave crewmen headaches and cuts took forever to heal.
The most significant pieces of equipment were two oxygen (O 2 ) generators. They used very high temperatures to transform seawater into oxygen and hydrogen gas. The O 2 generators discharged the hydrogen overboard. The submarine stored the oxygen in tanks. Sailors periodically bled oxygen into the submarineâs atmosphere to replace what breathing consumed. The O 2 generators were essential to prolonged submergence. An inexhaustible source of seawater and properly functioning O 2 generators meant submariners never ran out of air. The O 2 generators were nicknamed the bombs. The crew feared them even more than the torpedoes or missiles. As dangerous as the O 2 generators were, the Clay never had a problem. Joel McCann was a master at their upkeep and operation.
I got down on my hands and knees. The position allowed me to peek through the deck hatch.
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