Navy photos of Submarine USS San Francisco in Dry Dock (you won't believe the extent of damage!)

U.S. Navy ^

[Boot Hill]

The amount of damage is simply staggering!

That this boat ever made it back to port is a tribute to its designers, builders, and especially to the crew and captain. How does America keep finding men like these?

High resolution version here

High resolution version here

[justshutupandtakeit]

He drove me and my wife crazy while growing up. Hated school and refused to do ANY work. We didn't know until the last moment if he would graduate from High School. But in college he turned around and got his degree in half the time it took me.

At one point they had me at a meeting with the asst. principal, regional counselor, psychologist, school counselor, social worker all telling me that we needed to take him to counseling. I told them he had an overdeveloped Will and refused to do so.

[Quilla]

Check out this picture!

[WildTurkey]

Thank God they made it back alive!

Thank God they didn't hit an undersea mount.

[MEG33]

I just realized I have had my mouth open as in OH! for the few minutes I have been looking at the pictures and reading this..What a remarkable boat and crew.

[Boot Hill]

"The San Francisco was my old boat when I was in the Navy. Sad to see her in this horrible shape."

Well since you're a former member of the crew, I can understand that emotion, but I see it as gorgeous, in the sense that any boat that survive that much damage and still allow her Captain and crew return her to port, is truly a thing of beauty.

(Don't know if I said that right.)

--Boot Hill

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Heroes PING

[RightWhale]

If they are scheduled to do a major retrofit, it might be that the reactor is due to be replaced anyway. The area of subs I worked in was under the sail. It is kind of amazing how they can cut a huge hole in the pressure hull to move equipment in and out and then weld the piece back like nothing happened.

[WildTurkey]

Looks like the buckling was topside, port of the walkway, just aft of the damage. I'm not a submariner (though I did spend a couple of years in the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps), but I don't think that bulge was part of the sonar dome.

But did you stay in a Holiday Inn?

[SlowBoat407]

Close enough, Boot. Form follows function.

[Poohbah]

Any sub experts out there? I wonder if the sub would be considered a total loss.

If she was due for a new reactor core, that ain't gonna happen now.

[Don Simmons]

Sweet Moses Malone!

[Poohbah]

In the first image, you can see the hull bulging behind the damage area--it's distorting the hull line.

[Darkwolf377]

"At least it'll look better than he does when it's done"

If they go for the full MJ treatment it'll get a nice coat of white paint thrown in for free.

[smonk]

mien GOTT! that captain doesn't deserve to have his career ended; he deserves a medal for saving his boat and her crew.

[RightWhale]

What exactly is the trap for ? Covering classified stuff ?

From my Alaskan experience it is clear that where there is junk there must be a blue tarp over it.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Look at the high Res photo and then use the Magnification feature...could be some rocks in the mess....

[GarySpFc]

In August of 2000 I was in Russia to meet my wife when the Kurst blew up. http://www.bellona.no/en/international/russia/navy/northern_fleet/incidents/28703.html

The damaged USS San Francisco looks quite a bit better than the Kurst did when it was finally raised.

[Boot Hill]

"Those are big rocks stuck in the sonar space and lower left ballast tank."

Click on the link under the photos for the high res version, it's like viewing the damage through a microscope (>20 mega pixels). I don't think those are rocks.

--Boot Hill

[MEG33]

Amazing..I think of all those anzious hours and the endless wait..little did I imagine this much damage. God bless the crew.