Posted on 03/30/2020 6:30:15 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
LE PECQ, France - Of a world in coronavirus turmoil, they may know little or nothing.
Submariners stealthily cruising the ocean deeps, purposefully shielded from worldly worries to encourage undivided focus on their top-secret missions of nuclear deterrence, may be among the last pockets of people anywhere who are still blissfully unaware of how the pandemic is turning life upside down.
Mariners aboard ballistic submarines are habitually spared bad news while underwater to avoid undermining their morale, say current and former officers who served aboard France’s nuclear-armed subs. So any crews that left port before the virus spread around the globe are likely being kept in the dark about the extent of the rapidly unfurling crisis by their commanders until their return, they say.
“They won’t know,” said retired Adm. Dominique Salles, who commanded the French ballistic submarine squadron from 2003-2006. “The boys need to be completely available for their mission.”
Speaking exclusively to The Associated Press, Salles said he believes submariners will likely only be told of the pandemic as they head back to port, in the final two days of their mission.
“Those who are at sea don’t need this information,” said Salles, who also commanded the nuclear-armed French submarine “L’Inflexible.”
“The commander, I think, is doubtless informed about what is happening. I don’t think he’ll have all the details,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
They missed the whole panic!!
But they will be sad when they see their retirement accounts :(
Geez imagine a zombie outbreak was kept from them?
What a revolting way to spend shore leave.
Hey any guys ever serve on a submarine and seen anyone lose it?
Do they have crates of xanax or whatever in case someone does?
I’d need tankers full.
Even according to this POS article by our domestic enemies, submariners who have departed in the last several weeks will know about Captain Trips.
Run silent. Run deep.
Submariners dont have 401K’s, no the people on a us sub are well screened. the only time Ive ever seen anyone lose it was in port or on off crew. and yes they have drugs but mo one ever needed them. and the dead are stored in the freezer until they get back. The mission is bigger than any one person. its bigger then the entire crew. they are out there to do a job and they do it for you and me.
“Hey any guys ever serve on a submarine and seen anyone lose it?”
Ever hear of Peter Zschech on the U-505?
“While riding out the depth charging, Zschech apparently suffered a severe mental breakdown and committed suicide by shooting himself in the head with a Walther PPK pistol in his control room, in full view of his shocked crew.” (1943)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Zschech
In other news,
I am pleased to report our comrades in the French navy have now adopted SONAR on all of their surface ships.
With this technology they will be able to see the other French ships.
They are mostly teens or in earlier 20s. Also they pick the guys who are really hard to get pissed off for the service.
Interesting article. Thank you.
that was ww2 and germany. not today or a us sub- smh
They must go through a psychological screening.
One that I would have failed lol
I knew that when posting, did not think others would be confused about the timeframe.
I wonder if they’re playing “Waltzing Matilda” over and over again in their intercoms?
For all you “kids” out there (any one younger than 60) here’s the story:
“On the Beach” was a 60s antiwar movie. It was about a nuclear submarine crew stranded in Australia after nuclear war killed everyone in the northern hemisphere. The southern hemisphere population would soon follow. Hence, the tune “Waltzing Matilda”, glorifying suicide, was played over and over. The crew chose to return to the USA where a signal seeming to be Morse code was continuously heard sending random code letters. It turned out to be a Morse code key actuated by a window shade fluttering in the breeze, powered by a still running hydroelectric generator. The movie faded with “Waltzing Matilda” playing in the background.
Or...those subs are just ghost ships now, settled silently on the bottom of the ocean.
The guys on a submarine that is almost completely qualified submariners think this article is pretty absurd. Boats get daily updates and this is not something that would be kept from them.
Should be submarine Facebook group.
This is AP and any angle that they feel might cause others any kind of additional pain, concern or discomfort is a leader.
On the Beach.
HLB, STSCS(SS) retired reporting
CrazyIvan said “The guys on a submarine that is almost completely qualified submariners think this article is pretty absurd. Boats get daily updates and this is not something that would be kept from them.”
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This statement is the closest to the truth.
These bubbleheads are living in a bubble!
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