The USS Thresher was loss off Cape Cod. 129 Bells were rung today, one ring for each lost life that day. The Navy also had a 21 gun salute to help us remember that fateful day. She left the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard the day before she was lost. Thresher was the first of a new class of sub and was deep diving to test depth when something failed later determined to be a Brazed joint on piping. She is still at the bottom of the ocean in approx. 800 feet of water, scattered across a mile long debris field. So say a prayer for our armed forces in harms way and taking risks to ensure our freedom. And Remember the Thresher and all she stood for in the name of that freedom.
50 Years ago today.
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mjr
Member
"And she´ll never run silent,
And she´ll never run deep,
For the ocean had no pity
And the waves, they never weep,
They never weep."
Phil Ochs, The Thresher
I really liked Phil Ochs, back when I was young and ignorant.
And she´ll never run deep,
For the ocean had no pity
And the waves, they never weep,
They never weep."
Phil Ochs, The Thresher
I really liked Phil Ochs, back when I was young and ignorant.
shouldazagged
Absent Comrade
I remember well when she was lost. I was 25 at the time, and my younger brother was in the Navy.
"Many brave souls lie asleep in the deep..."
"Many brave souls lie asleep in the deep..."
I was 9, but I remember it also. I grew up in MA, not far from Portsmouth. There was a lot of local coverage, as I recall.
bluetopper
Member
The worst submarine disaster in history.
I was in third grade
In the morning the office people came to our classroom and took a girl out of class. Her Dad was on the Thresher. That still hurts to think about.
In the morning the office people came to our classroom and took a girl out of class. Her Dad was on the Thresher. That still hurts to think about.
8100 feet
It is at 8100 feet now and probably was crushed around 2400 ft deep, the test depth being 1300ft. The Wiki article says that the crush only took .005 seconds so it is some comfort that they probably never felt a thing.
It is at 8100 feet now and probably was crushed around 2400 ft deep, the test depth being 1300ft. The Wiki article says that the crush only took .005 seconds so it is some comfort that they probably never felt a thing.
JJEH
Member
Dang, I just read about it. Very sad.
The Thresher sinking ultimately saved a lot of lives. The Navy lost something like 16 subs in non-combat sinkings before the Thresher went down (according to an EB engineer). The Navy instituted the SUBSAFE program and the only loss since then, the Scorpion, was a boat that hadn't been certified under that program, as it took an extended major overhaul to complete all of the mods.
I remember the Thresher, although I was only twelve at the time, it was a big deal. Years later I worked with a guy that had served as one of the first black men to ever work in the sub service, he had some very interesting tales to tell. We were fishing one day and somehow the Thresher came up, he told me that he had personally seen subs come back from exercises with huge amounts of damage, in one case a very large portion of the conning tower was literally ripped away. This was back during the cold war and without getting into details he said that sometimes when your playing chicken you zig when you shoulda zagged. He said there was no telling how many of our submarines were involved in underwater collisions with other submarines..ours or theirs during exercises or waiting for the other guy to blink.
Fair winds and following seas!
I remember the incident indeed!
Have a fine Navy Day.....
***GRJ ISCS-Ret***
I remember the incident indeed!
Have a fine Navy Day.....
***GRJ ISCS-Ret***
OP
I work the subsafe program everyday it is a blessing for those who ride the boats. I always have a questioning atitude when working a subsafe component. Never never rush a boat down river. They will steam when everything is right and ready!
labworm
US Veteran
I was 17 and remember the bad news plastered in all the Boston newspapers.
It was a very dark day for everyone.
It was a very dark day for everyone.
I had a friend on the Cochina
I had a friend that could tell me in vivid detail about the sinking of the Cochina in peacetime because a fault in the electrical gear caused the batteries to start exploding. Unfortunately the only lives lost were from the rescue ship, who were washed overboard with untested survival suits that floated feet-up.
I had a friend that could tell me in vivid detail about the sinking of the Cochina in peacetime because a fault in the electrical gear caused the batteries to start exploding. Unfortunately the only lives lost were from the rescue ship, who were washed overboard with untested survival suits that floated feet-up.
You have to read this book
Read the book 'Blind Man's Bluff' that tells a lot more than I ever thought possible of submarine doings during the Cold War. Some of the successes were spectacular, others like your friend pointed out, were not so spectacular.
Read the book 'Blind Man's Bluff' that tells a lot more than I ever thought possible of submarine doings during the Cold War. Some of the successes were spectacular, others like your friend pointed out, were not so spectacular.
