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FReeper Canteen~The USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571)~6 Sept 2007
Various Internet | Canteen Crew

Posted on 09/05/2007 5:50:54 PM PDT by AZamericonnie

The FReeper Canteen Presents.....

The USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571)

USS Nautilus is arguably the most famous submarine in the world. She was first in many respects, including being the first nuclear submarine, first submarine to navigate under the North Pole, as well as setting many endurance records for submerged operations. She also participated in many exercises that helped to rewrite Anti-Submarine Warfare doctrine.



USS NAUTILUS was laid down 14 June 1952, President Harry S. Truman officiating, at the Electric Boat Co., Division of General Dynamics Corp., Groton, Connecticut; launched 21 January 1954; sponsored by Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower, wife of President Eisenhower, and commissioned 30 September 1954, Comdr. E. P. Wilkinson in command.

Following commissioning NAUTILUS remained at dockside for further construction and testing until 17 January 1955. Then, at 1100, her lines were cast off and she was "underway on nuclear power." Trials followed and on 10 May NAUTILUS headed south for shakedown. She remained submerged while enroute to Puerto Rico, covering 1,381 miles in 89.8 hours, the longest submerged cruise, to that date, by a submarine, and at the highest sustained submerged speed ever recorded for a period of over one hour's duration. Throughout 1955, and into 1957, she investigated the effects of the radically increased submerged speed and endurance, such changes in submerged mobility having virtually wiped out progress in anti-submarine warfare techniques. The airplane and radar, which helped defeat submarines in the Atlantie during World War II, proved ineffective against a vessel which did not need to surface, could clear an area in record time, and swiftly change depth simultaneously.



On 4 February 1957, NAUTILUS logged her 60,000th nautical mile to bring to reality the achievements of her fictitious namesake in Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. In May she departed for the Pacific Coast to participate in coastal exercises and the fleet exercise, operation "Home run," which acquainted units of the Pacific Fleet with the capabilities of nuclear submarines.

NAUTILUS returned to New London 21 July and departed again 19 August for her first voyage, of 1,383 miles, under polar pack ice. Thence, she headed for the Eastern Atlantic to participate in NATO exercises and conduct a tour of various British and French ports where she was inspected by defense personnel of those countries. She arrived back at New London 28 October, underwent upkeep, and then conducted coastal operations until the spring.

On 25 April 1958 she was underway again for the West Coast. Stopping at San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle she began her history making Polar transit, operation "Sunshine," as she departed the latter port 9 June. On 19 June she entered the Chukchi Sea, but was turned back by deep draft ice in those shallow waters. On the 28th she arrived at Pearl Harbor to await better ice conditions. By 23 July her wait was over and she set a course northward. She submerged in the Barrow Sea Valley 1 August and on 3 August, at 2315 (EDST) she became the first ship to reach the geographic North Pole. From the North Pole, she continued on and after 96 hours and 1830 miles under the ice, she surfaced northeast of Greenland, having completed the first successful voyage across the North Pole.



Proceeding from Greenland to Portland, England, she received the Presidential Unit Citation, the first ever issued in peace time, from American Ambassador J. H. Whitney, and then set a westerly course which put her into the Thames River estuary at New London 29 October. For the remainder of the year she operated from her homeport, New London, Connecticut.

Following fleet exercises in early 1959, NAUTILUS entered the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, for her first complete overhaul (28 May 1959 - 15 August 1960). Overhaul was followed by refresher training and on 24 October she departed New London for her first deployment with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean, returning to her homeport 16 December.

NAUTILUS operated in the Atlantic, conducting evaluation tests for ASW improvements, participating in NATO exercises and, during the fall of 1962, in the naval quarantine of Cuba, until she headed east again for a two month Mediterranean tour in August 1963. On her return she joined in fleet exercises until entering the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for her second overhaul 17 January 1964. On 2 May 1966, NAUTILUS returned to her homeport to resume operations with the Atlantic Fleet. For the next year and a quarter she conducted special operations for ComSubLant and then in August 1967, returned to Portsmouth, for another year's stay, following which she conducted exercises off the southeastern seaboard. She returned to New London in December 1968, and into 1970 she continued to participate in operations as a unit of the 2nd Fleet.

*Non-QTVR USS Nautilus Tour*


General Characteristics: Awarded: August 2, 1951
Keel laid: June 14, 1952
Launched: January 21, 1954
Commissioned: September 30, 1954
Decommissioned: March 3, 1980
Builder: Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation, Groton, CT.
Propulsion system: one nuclear reactor
Propellers: two
Length: 324 feet (98.75 meters)
Beam: 27.8 feet (8.47 meters)
Draft: 22 feet (6.7 meters)
Displacement: Surfaced: approx. 3,530 tons Submerged: approx. 4,090 tons
Speed: Surfaced: approx. 22 knots Submerged: approx. +20 knots
Armament: six 533 mm torpedo tubes
Crew: 13 Officers, 92 Enlisted

*Nautilus Video Clip*


In the spring of 1979, NAUTILUS set out from Groton, Connecticut on her final voyage. She reached Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California on May 26, 1979 - her last day underway. She was decommissioned on March 3, 1980 after a career spanning 25 years and over half a million miles steamed.

In recognition of her pioneering role in the practical use of nuclear power, NAUTILUS was designated a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the Interior on May 20, 1982. Following an extensive historic ship conversion at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, NAUTILUS was towed to Groton, Connecticut arriving on July 6, 1985.

On April 11, 1986, eighty-six years to the day after the birth of the Submarine Force, Historic Ship NAUTILUS, joined by the Submarine Force Museum, opened to the public as the first and finest exhibit of its kind in the world, providing an exciting, visible link between yesterday's Submarine Force and the Submarine Force of tomorrow.





TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Free Republic
KEYWORDS: canteen; freepercanteen; military; troopsupport; usnavy; ussnautilus
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1 posted on 09/05/2007 5:50:56 PM PDT by AZamericonnie
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To: Kathy in Alaska; All






Supporting our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen
at more than 1,000 places across the U. S. and around the world.

~Tribute to Our Troops~


2 posted on 09/05/2007 5:51:34 PM PDT by AZamericonnie
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To: AZamericonnie

/


3 posted on 09/05/2007 5:52:43 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: AZamericonnie

I’ve been aboard, at Groton-New London back in 1997. Fantastic museum experience. Claustrophobics, Beware!


4 posted on 09/05/2007 5:53:15 PM PDT by buccaneer81 (Bob Taft has soiled the family name for the next century.)
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To: SandRat

/ back atcha!:) Good evening Sandy! *Hugs*


5 posted on 09/05/2007 5:54:51 PM PDT by AZamericonnie
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To: StarCMC; Bethbg79; EsmeraldaA; MoJo2001; Kathy in Alaska; Brad's Gramma; laurenmarlowe; ...
Jules Verne's Nautilus

6 posted on 09/05/2007 5:56:25 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: buccaneer81
Claustrophobics, Beware

I might have a hard time with it!

Good evening buccaneer81, how neat you got to tour it.

7 posted on 09/05/2007 5:56:47 PM PDT by AZamericonnie
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To: AZamericonnie

Good evening all!


8 posted on 09/05/2007 5:56:55 PM PDT by Tanniker Smith (I didn't know she was a Liberal when I married her.)
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To: AZamericonnie

Yoboseyo!


9 posted on 09/05/2007 5:57:13 PM PDT by Tamar1973 (Riding the Korean Wave, one BYJ movie at a time! (http://www.byj.co.kr))
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To: Tanniker Smith

A very good evening to you Tann...hope your week is going well!


10 posted on 09/05/2007 5:58:24 PM PDT by AZamericonnie
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To: Tamar1973

And to you Tamar! I trust you are well?


11 posted on 09/05/2007 6:00:12 PM PDT by AZamericonnie
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To: AZamericonnie

It wasn’t all without problems. My second cousin was on that sub.


12 posted on 09/05/2007 6:01:54 PM PDT by familyop (cbt. engr. (cbt.)--has-been, will write Duncan Hunter in)
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To: familyop

Good evening familyop & thanks for joining us.

I was reading some of the accidents earlier. I hope your cousin was safe from them!


13 posted on 09/05/2007 6:04:08 PM PDT by AZamericonnie
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To: All

Back in a bit....


14 posted on 09/05/2007 6:04:36 PM PDT by AZamericonnie
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To: AZamericonnie

HiYa AZ!!! ***HUGS***


15 posted on 09/05/2007 6:06:33 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: AZamericonnie
I watched her under going museum conversion at Mare Island in 1983, then toured her several years later at Groton while attending a school. I really need to plan a trip back up there and take the family this time. They also have the Ships Control Panel from one of my boats at the museum.
16 posted on 09/05/2007 6:12:38 PM PDT by PogySailor (Murtha'd: To be attacked by a corrupt politician for doing your job.)
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To: AZamericonnie; txradioguy; Jet Jaguar; tongue-tied; laurenmarlowe; StarCMC; MS.BEHAVIN; fatima; ...
Click on the pic and I'll guide you
to the start of today's thread





FR CANTEEN MISSION STATEMENT

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and the family members of the above.
Honoring those who have served before.

CLICK HERE TO FIND LATEST THREAD



CLICK FOR Current local times around the world

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No matter what your job description
Know that we are are proud of each and everyone of you.

To our military readers, we remain steadfast
in keeping the Canteen doors open.

The FR Canteen is Free Republic's longest running daily thread
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The doors have been open since Oct 7 2001,
the day of the start of the war in Afghanistan.

We are indebted to you for your sacrifices for our Freedom.



CLICK BELOW to ENTER the
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Will You help keep the Candle Lit for our service men and women?
Can you spare a few moments today to either
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You will stay right where you are on this thread while you write them.

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Posted daily and on the Music Thread
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17 posted on 09/05/2007 6:12:45 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska (~ RIP Brian...heaven's gain...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~)
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To: AZamericonnie

BOO!


18 posted on 09/05/2007 6:14:25 PM PDT by MS.BEHAVIN (Women who behave rarely make history)
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To: AZamericonnie

Evening Connie. Thanks for tonight’s thread.:)
(((hugs)))


19 posted on 09/05/2007 6:18:49 PM PDT by MeekMom (Present your bodies a living sacrifice unto God.)
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To: AZamericonnie

Very interesting. I ought to read RUN SILENT, RUN DEEP for greater appreciation.


20 posted on 09/05/2007 6:19:49 PM PDT by MoochPooch (I'm a compassionate cynic.)
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