Nuclear Powered Vessels: Ships & Subs

A story of US nuclear powered vessels: ships and submarines.

This story begins with a young boy’s fascination with science and adventure and the enjoyment gained through reading. The first introduction to this topic came with the discovery of Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. This classic described Captain Nemo’s wonderful existence aboard the Nautilus and the undersea adventures capable with an electric powered submarine. The youngster next experienced a close encounter with Nemo’s Nautilus during a visit to Walt Disney World and a ride on Walt Disney’s version on 7 December 1972. The date is memorable since that evening our family witnessed the world’s first and only viewing of an Apollo night launch, that of Apollo 17 (AS-512) at Cape Canaveral , also known as Cape Kennedy. Apollo 17 was also the last Apollo mission to land men on the moon.  As an aside, it is interesting to note that there was concern and protection measures relating to dose from cosmic radiation in addition to the exposure from the Promethium-147 used to illuminate switches and control panels and from the Hydrogen-3 (tritium) used for radioluminescent lighting.

Captain Nemo's Nautilus at Disney

Jules Verne's Nautilus

Apollo 17 (AS-512) launch day cover

The first connection with a nuclear powered vessel came on 27 May 1977 with witnessing the return to port of the USS Los Angeles SSN-688, at the time the U.S. Navy's newest nuclear powered fast attack submarine.  While stationed at Naval Nuclear Power School in Orlando, Florida I happened to read in the Orlando Sentinel that the Los Angeles was to arrive at Port Canaveral (Cape Kennedy) that day and  President Jimmy Carter and Admiral Hyman G. Rickover would be aboard.

President Jimmy Carter and Admiral Hyman G. Rickover aboard the Los Angeles

USS Long Beach SSN-688

Hyman G. Rickover stamp

Since it was a Saturday, I drove over to the Cape from Orlando hoping to catch a glimpse of the Los Angeles. The timing was perfect! Upon arrival what did I witness, but steaming down the channel was the Los Angeles with Commander John E. Christensen, President Carter and Admiral Rickover gathered on the sail as the sub entered port. I pulled out my camera, attached a telephoto lens, snapped a few pictures and experienced perhaps one of my most memorable photo opportunities. (Well the next issue of the Navy’s All Hands magazine graced one of these photographs.)  

After Nuke school, I was off to Idaho for prototype training. Every day I drove by the Army’s SL-1 site., on the way to the Navy's Idaho Nuclear Power Training Unit.  After completing prototype in Idaho, I was assigned to the USS Truxtun CGN-35. The Truxtun was on WestPac so I flew to the Philippines and pulled guard duty in the US Marine Corps brig at U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay; eventually shipped out on the USS White Plains AFS-4 and had my first crossing of the Equator near Singapore, was transferred to the USS Enterprise CVN-65 via Sea Knight CH-46 helicopter, then transferred to the Truxtun via LAMPS-II SH-2F Seasprite helicopter.

During my time on the Truxtun I had the great pleasure to go aboard the USS Long Beach CGN-9, USS Bainbridge CGN-25 and the tender USS Samuel Gompers AD-37 all on numerous occasions.

USS White Plains AFS-4

White Plains, New York stamp

USS Samuel Gompers AD-37

Samuel Gompers

USS Enterprise CVN-65

USS Truxtun CGN-35

USS Long Beach CGN-9

USS Long Beach cover

USS Bainbridge CGN-25

After the Navy I went to work for the Department of the Navy at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California. Each day I had the joy of boarding the USS Nautilus SSN-571 to make sure the shielding was still in place and that she was afloat. During my time at Mare Island I also worked on the USS Seawolf SSN-575 and several other submarines…

 

USS Nautilus SSN-571

  

USS Seawolf SNN-575

United States                    Entered service     Decommissioned     Reactor

USS Nautilus SSN-571     September 1954      March 1980              1 x S2W, Westinghouse, 10 MW

USS Seawolf SSN-575     March 1957             March 1987              1 x S2G, General Electric

USS Enterprise CVN-65  September 1960       December 2012       8 x A2W, Westinghouse,  210 MW

USS Long Beach CGN-9  September 1961      May 1995                 2 x C1W, Westinghouse, 60 MW

USS Bainbridge CGN-25 October 1961           September 1996       2 x D2G, General Electric

USS Truxtun CGN-35      May 1967                September 1995        2 x D2G, General Electric

Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) (1983-1984)

USS Permit SSN-594, refueled at MINSY 1983-1984

USS Guardfish SSN-612, overhauled September 1983-1985

USS Skipjack SSN-585, at MINSY 1982-January 1983

USS Haddo SSN-604, at MINSY 1983-January 1984

USS Parche SSN-683, at MINSY 1976-1994, built at Ingalls in Pascagoula, MS

After I left Mare Island, I went to work in the commercial nuclear industry. Well this is a tale for another time.