Best Friends
LT Richard (Dick) K. Westfahl
LT Austin Scott (Engineer Officer)
CDR John Donlon (Skipper)
LTJG Robert (Bob) Greenman
Best Moment
Analyzing, devising successful methodology and subsequently making the first, successful, repair of a submarine periscope at sea; this necessitated breaching the internal collimating gas environment of the scope by removing the head window to provide access for the repair. The uniqueness of the accomplishment was the "best of my knowledge" observation of our superb skipper, CDR John Donlon. Later recognition by ComSubLant was just a footnote by comparison but availability of the Type 8 scope just days later led to a Presidential Unit Commendation for the sub and a number of personal decorations for others.
Had an almost-tying moment during our first dive after leaving drydock at Charleston SC as SHARK did not want to leave the surface. Much consternation and massive ballasting ensued and there was mention of returning to port and rechecking records and dive parameters as we were running out of tankage to ballast. Engineering curiosity nagged, and though I was not Diving Officer nor on watch at the time, I started adding the the ballasting up and concluded that at least some ballast tanks were not flooding even though our Diving Board indicated all Main Vent Valves were OPEN! As our condition was becoming tender, I noted the additional weight was approaching the displacement of the #6 ballast tanks. That struck a bell; I remembered that months earlier, when the "turtleback" covering the diesel exhaust piping had been removed during SubSafe work, the vent valves had been protected by bolted cover plates. After consultation with CO and XO, I went on deck in the dark, with sailors and tools, removed an access cover, found, removed and jettisoned the cover plates; after discharging the excess ballast water, SHARK became her old self again as she cavorted in the depths to the delight of all...
Worst Moment
Finding myself trapped in the uppermost starboard chamber of the Torpedo Tube Impulse Tank less than 40 minutes prior to the scheduled flooding of our drydock at Naval Shipyard Charlestown. This was my last assigned tank to inspect but no amount of contortion or exertion would allow my kneecap to pass through the limberhole! Finally, when a shipyard inspector called up from the flood ports, I said I'd be out in a few...then started re-thinking my moves from tank entry to present location. Ahe! I thenextended my body into the centerline chamber over the #1 and 2 torpedo tubes, then backed out from foot to thigh into the chamber below where I had been trapped for 20-25 minutes. Whew! Minutes after the shipyard inspector and I climbed out of the drydock, The floodgates were opened on time. Near miss but for the inspector checking up on me; it reset my singleminded approach to the problem...
Other Memories
Near Charleson on one of the bordering rivers, LTJG Bob Greenman and I were waterskiing with his friend a retired Air Force LTCOL, whose name escapes me, when the skier took a splash. Bob turned the boat around and maneuvered around to approach with the tow line so the LTCOL could resume skiing. When within, the throttle opened suddenly and the boat accelerated directly at the skier. As Bob frantically tried to kill the engine, actually ripping the throttle control from the boat gunwale, I yanked the gas line from the engine to kill it and as soon at the skier surfaced dove into the water as I could see he had been injured. I mimicked the lifesaving movies and managed to get him to the nearest rip-rap shore which had many sharp edges for bare feet, cradled his head as the skull was fractured with obvious gray matter adrift; he also had a severe laceration to his upper arm. It was a Sunday, the shore was a dairy plant and they had a company picnic in progress whose attendees Bob's shouts attracted. They called for medical help and assisted in carrying the victim and I up the bank to safety. The company nurse wanted to elevate the feet to prevent shock but I prevented, pointing out that the open skull wound would then lose fluid more profusely. An ambulance arrived within 10 minutes and luckily, a standout Bethesda Naval Hospital brain surgeon was in the receiving Charleston hospital for a consult at the time; though recovery of sight and memory was slow, the LTCOL's recovery was very good considering the severity of the major wound.
Best Moment
Being designated "Engineering Officer of the Watch".
Other Memories
Head down, tail up, actually spent about two weeks living in a quonset hut at West Milton Site to maximize learning time. Four PCO's in training for nuclear commands were in the quonset hut with me at the time and I dubbed the senior PCO with the title COMQUOT, Commanding Officer Quonset Hut (pronounced "kumquat") ,
Best Moment
Departure for Naval Submarine School, New London.
Chain of Command
LT Harry Kinsley, USN, Officer in Charge (Myself) Engineer Officer
Other Memories
Scavenging for spare parts on mothballed DE's at Green Cove Springs as our quarterly budget was only $75K and we were supposed to keep the vessel ready for immediate activation.
LT Richard (Dick) K. Westfahl
LT Austin Scott (Engineer Officer)
CDR John Donlon (Skipper)
LTJG Robert (Bob) Greenman
Analyzing, devising successful methodology and subsequently making the first, successful, repair of a submarine periscope at sea; this necessitated breaching the internal collimating gas environment of the scope by removing the head window to provide access for the repair. The uniqueness of the accomplishment was the "best of my knowledge" observation of our superb skipper, CDR John Donlon. Later recognition by ComSubLant was just a footnote by comparison but availability of the Type 8 scope just days later led to a Presidential Unit Commendation for the sub and a number of personal decorations for others.
Had an almost-tying moment during our first dive after leaving drydock at Charleston SC as SHARK did not want to leave the surface. Much consternation and massive ballasting ensued and there was mention of returning to port and rechecking records and dive parameters as we were running out of tankage to ballast. Engineering curiosity nagged, and though I was not Diving Officer nor on watch at the time, I started adding the the ballasting up and concluded that at least some ballast tanks were not flooding even though our Diving Board indicated all Main Vent Valves were OPEN! As our condition was becoming tender, I noted the additional weight was approaching the displacement of the #6 ballast tanks. That struck a bell; I remembered that months earlier, when the "turtleback" covering the diesel exhaust piping had been removed during SubSafe work, the vent valves had been protected by bolted cover plates. After consultation with CO and XO, I went on deck in the dark, with sailors and tools, removed an access cover, found, removed and jettisoned the cover plates; after discharging the excess ballast water, SHARK became her old self again as she cavorted in the depths to the delight of all...
Finding myself trapped in the uppermost starboard chamber of the Torpedo Tube Impulse Tank less than 40 minutes prior to the scheduled flooding of our drydock at Naval Shipyard Charlestown. This was my last assigned tank to inspect but no amount of contortion or exertion would allow my kneecap to pass through the limberhole! Finally, when a shipyard inspector called up from the flood ports, I said I'd be out in a few...then started re-thinking my moves from tank entry to present location. Ahe! I thenextended my body into the centerline chamber over the #1 and 2 torpedo tubes, then backed out from foot to thigh into the chamber below where I had been trapped for 20-25 minutes. Whew! Minutes after the shipyard inspector and I climbed out of the drydock, The floodgates were opened on time. Near miss but for the inspector checking up on me; it reset my singleminded approach to the problem...
Near Charleson on one of the bordering rivers, LTJG Bob Greenman and I were waterskiing with his friend a retired Air Force LTCOL, whose name escapes me, when the skier took a splash. Bob turned the boat around and maneuvered around to approach with the tow line so the LTCOL could resume skiing. When within, the throttle opened suddenly and the boat accelerated directly at the skier. As Bob frantically tried to kill the engine, actually ripping the throttle control from the boat gunwale, I yanked the gas line from the engine to kill it and as soon at the skier surfaced dove into the water as I could see he had been injured. I mimicked the lifesaving movies and managed to get him to the nearest rip-rap shore which had many sharp edges for bare feet, cradled his head as the skull was fractured with obvious gray matter adrift; he also had a severe laceration to his upper arm. It was a Sunday, the shore was a dairy plant and they had a company picnic in progress whose attendees Bob's shouts attracted. They called for medical help and assisted in carrying the victim and I up the bank to safety. The company nurse wanted to elevate the feet to prevent shock but I prevented, pointing out that the open skull wound would then lose fluid more profusely. An ambulance arrived within 10 minutes and luckily, a standout Bethesda Naval Hospital brain surgeon was in the receiving Charleston hospital for a consult at the time; though recovery of sight and memory was slow, the LTCOL's recovery was very good considering the severity of the major wound.