It's almost poetic that Hyman Rickover died July 8, only three months after the Nautilus was welded to that pier in Connecticut. It was like he waited to see what would become of his life's work. Content with the outcome, I imagine he gave it a last salute and set sail for the last time... I loved this story, thanks for telling it.
Met a retired Marine that was flown out to the Nautilus after emerging from polar ice cap, because they forgot a nuke had to have a marine guard on duty before entering port.
Awesome, that reminds me of an SAS doctor I met who fought in Malaya - all parachuting into Jungle had to have medical supervision - so he was always the first out of the aircraft :-)!
I found out at Thanksgiving that my uncle served aboard this vessel and I wish I would have asked for a lot more stories of the days he spent aboard it. In memory of my uncle Pat, who sadly passed away today. Thank you for your service and you will be missed.
For those who don't know, that top photo between 23:00 and 26:00 is the S1W prototype reactor for the Nautilus at the Naval Reactors Facility, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, in the desert north of the lava fields near Arco, Idaho. Basically, Rickover went out in the desert and built a working submarine engine room stuck straight through the middle of a big swimming pool (to represent its "ocean") and used it to test the reactor design for the Nautilus. As the team successfully tested the S1W reactor components in Idaho, construction would then proceed with a copy in Groton inside the hull of the Nautilus. The building and testing of the S1W prototype would in that way move just a few steps ahead of the duplicate reactor in Connecticut that would power the ship. Rickover decided this would be quicker than completing all testing in Idaho and then starting construction on the ship. The S1W submarine plant in the desert proved its usefulness by completing a simulated submerged trans-Atlantic crossing to Ireland on its first test run, at Rickover's orders, without any preceding warning to the staff or engineers that he wanted the plant run until it "arrived" in Europe. It is worth mentioning that S1W in Idaho and her twin inside the submarine Nautilus were not *just* "the world's first submarine nuclear reactor design"; in fact, S1W was THE FIRST NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN HISTORY TO PRODUCE *ANY* USEFUL NUCLEAR POWER. Everything before S1W had been for mere physics testing. S1W was the first reactor to *do* anything. That should give you an idea just how far Hyman Rickover pushed his project: He submitted his intentions on paper to propel a submarine with a functional nuclear reactor when no such thing had ever existed and *only eight years later* the ship sailed. S1W, "Submarine reactor plant number 1 by Westinghouse", remained in continued use in Idaho for many years as a training facility for the instruction of Naval Nuclear Program operators, even as she was joined in the desert by her neighbors, the A1W plant for aircraft carriers (the USS Enterprise reactor prototype) and the new submarine reactor plant design S5G (for the USS Narwhal). I graduated as a Naval Reactor Operator from S1W in autumn of 1987. The plant was decommissioned in 1991. "Rickover was the greatest engineer who ever lived on earth in my opinion."-President Jimmy Carter, former nuclear officer submarine trainee ----------------------------------------------------------------- “Free discussion requires an atmosphere unembarrassed by any suggestion of authority or even respect.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must be driven into practice with courageous impatience.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “I have the charisma of the chipmunk. I never have thought I was smart. I thought the people I dealt with were dumb.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “It troubles me that we are so easily pressured by purveyors of technology into permitting so-called 'progress' to alter our lives without attempting to control it-as if technology were an irrepressible force of nature to which we must meekly submit.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “Responsibility is a unique concept... You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is still with you... You may delegate it, but it is still with you... If responsibility is rightfully yours, no evasion, or ignorance or passing the blame can shift the burden to someone else. Unless you can point your finger at the man who is responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “When doing a job - any job - one must feel that he owns it, and act as though he will remain in that job forever.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “Success teaches us nothing; only failure teaches.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “Act as if you are going to live for ever and cast your plans way ahead. You must feel responsible without time limitations, and the consideration of whether you may or may not be around to see the results should never enter your thoughts.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “Optimism and stupidity are nearly synonymous.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “Do not regard loyalty as a personal matter. A greater loyalty is one to the Navy or to the Country. When you know you are absolutely right, and when you are unable to do anything about it, complete military subordination to rules becomes a form of cowardice.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “Organization doesn’t really accomplish anything. Plans don’t accomplish anything, either. Theories of management don’t much matter. Endeavors succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “A system under which it takes three men to check what one is doing is not control; it is systematic strangulation.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “Any one detail, followed through to its source, will usually reveal the general state of readiness of the whole organization.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “The Devil is in the details, but so is salvation.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “To doubt one’s own first principles is the mark of a civilized man. Don’t defend past actions; what is right today may be wrong tomorrow. Don’t be consistent; consistency is the refuge of fools.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “Sit down before fact with an open mind. Be prepared to give up every preconceived notion. Follow humbly wherever and to whatever abyss Nature leads or you learn nothing. Don’t push out figures when facts are going in the opposite direction.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “Nothing so sharpens the thought process as writing down one's arguments. Weaknesses overlooked in oral discussion become painfully obvious on the written page.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “Half-truths are like half a brick - they can be thrown farther.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “If you are going to sin, sin against God, not the bureaucracy. God will forgive you but the bureaucracy won't.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “Nature is not as forgiving as Christ.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “I think the human race is going to wreck itself, and it is important that we get control of this horrible force and try to eliminate it... I do not believe that nuclear power is worth it if it creates radiation. Then you might ask me why do I have nuclear powered ships. That is a necessary evil. I would sink them all.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover “Above all, we should bear in mind that our liberty is not an end in itself; it is a means to win respect for human dignity for all classes of our society.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover [on why he stopped naming his submarines for sea creatures and instead began naming them for cities and states as he relied upon support from Congress] “Fish don't vote.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover .
Trained and qualified Engineering Officer of the Watch at S1W in Late 1984. Maybe the least fun 6 months of my navy career, but maybe one of the best days was passing my Final Evaluated Watch.
the plant diagram (for S1W) shows the main turbine going to a reduction gear, clutch and propulsion motor with the option for battery propulsion. Strange that there would be a reduction gear? In turbo-electric drive, the turbine drives a generator (running high RPM) which supplies electrical power to the propulsion motor (running at lower RPM), so having a reduction gear seems unnecessary. The more common is steam turbine - reduction gear - propeller shaft. Did some WWII ships use turbo-electric because we could not produce enough reduction gears?
@@joechang8696 Roughly speaking (I'm no expert on surface engines; see Drachinifel's channel), surface propulsion systems progressed from sail to coal and reciprocating engines at the turn of the 20th Century, through vertical triple-expansion engines and oil-fired steam boilers between the wars and through WWII, with warships then adopting steam turbines powering either direct-drive (clunky, not very nimble, and crap at low speed), or geared (works fine but good reduction gears are expensive to make), or, later, turbo-electric drive (easy to use but the gigantic, early electric plants were not what you wanted in the bottom of a warship if anyone poked a hole in the hull and the sea came in for a visit). Post-war, most U. S. Navy ships went to Diesel-generator + electric motor-drive and later still to gas-turbine engines for higher-performance ships. As to the development of submarine propulsion, submarines had progressed from human-powered, to experiments with steam, then to the first truly capable subs, which were gasoline-fueled. German engineers succeeded in reducing Diesel engines to a size that could fit on a railway locomotive and at that point Diesel locomotive engines became available for use in submarines with a variety of geared systems attempted, often with large flywheels similar to those that had been seen on gasoline-powered boats. Soon, the development of electric motors and generators and large storage batteries pretty much perfected Diesel-electric submarine propulsion in the Fleet boats of the U. S. Navy in WWII. Rather than 4-cycle Diesel engines, the Fleet boats used 2-cycle engines for their superior power-to-weight ratios, although these required significantly more cooling. There was no need for reduction gears because the Fleet boats had high surface speeds (four beefy Diesel generators + two large electric propulsion motors) and operated at mere crawling speeds when submerged and powered by the battery. A Fleet boat Diesel engine driving a generator can stay around it's most efficient speed of about 720 RPM with the generator producing 60-cycle (in U. S. subs) electricity. Rickover saw nuclear propulsion as a means of eliminating the Diesel-electric submarine's dependence on outside air but, oddly, introducing nuclear power meant a return for the Navy to steam propulsion in 1954 when all the latest ship developments were eliminating steam. There are a few ways to apply a spinning steam turbine to drive a main shaft and the reduction gear on the Nautilus is not at all strange; geared transmission of power from a high-speed, multi-stage turbine engine to one or two rotating shafts could fling early nuclear subs through the water submerged at near 30 knots, and adding reverse-staging to the turbine engines allows the shaft to be backed for a limited period of time before cooling and other troubles visit the bearings and seals of the turbine. An auxiliary electric drive motor for low-to-medium speeds was placed in-line on the shaft and could be disconnected from the reduction gears by a clutch. This arrangement allowed great power availability at high ship speeds as well as a wide and responsive maneuvering range and emergency electric propulsion if needed, and it became the principle propulsion system of U. S. nuclear submarines through the Cold War. But the Navy meanwhile continued to experiment with alternative drive systems for nuclear subs. The following three designs propelled subs with nuclear-steam turbines but all eliminated reduction gears and the noise (and expense) associated with them: The Tullibee was launched in 1960 and was a quite small sub for hunting other submarines. She was a unique design. At her bow was a large passive-sonar array and she was propelled by very quiet turbo-generator drive system on a single shaft with an electric motor. She had a 28-year career of distinguished service, although she cracked her shaft in 1978, surviving the massive flooding that resulted. The Narwhal was launched in 1967 and was a modified Sturgeon-class hull with an exceedingly quiet, natural-circulation, S5G reactor plant (one of those Idaho prototypes I mentioned), scoop seawater injection, and a shaft directly coupled to the large, many-staged main engine turbine. She is said to have been for thirty years the quietest attack boat in the U. S. fleet, as quiet as the Ohio-class missile subs. The Glenard P. Lipscomb was launched in 1973 and was the Navy's second attempt at turbo-electric drive, intended as a more-capable, higher-speed platform than Tulibee, using the Navy's workhorse S5W nuclear plant. She was a sort of a test platform for ideas that might be incorporated into the upcoming Los Angeles class of submarines. The resulting design made the ship larger, heavier and thus slower than other subs, and she was also prone to reliability problems, so her turbo-electric design was not incorporated into the L. A.-class boats. Direct-drive, single-turbine engines have to be pretty overbuilt and complex, respond less rapidly to maneuvering orders, and are not as easily reversed as a pair of geared turbines, however they do have the potential to be quieter. Turbo-electric drive systems, in which the shaft is electrically powered, require massive motors and electrical plants if the ship is to be as large and as fast as modern submarines. DC motors with brushes have a long history of use on subs for their simplicity and reliability, but those brushes require frequent maintenance. These can also be powered directly to the large emergency storage batteries on submarines (used in the event of a reactor scram). AC motors can be physically smaller and require less care but are more complex and require DC-to-AC conversion equipment to run off the ship's battery. I do not know the status of brushless DC motors on recent submarines. Engineering is not about what is theoretically possible; engineering is about building - the best option for a situation - with the technology available - and resorting to the least overbuilding necessary. Cheers. .
Got to see her after completing S1C prototype training and picked up emergency submarine welding school in Groton the Summer of '86. Great memories on the Thames and seaport towns nearby!!!😍
USN as a whole owes Mr.Rickover a debt of gratitude, especially the command structure that stymied him at every front. Rickover practically dragged USN kicking and screaming into the 20th century. He was loyal, hardworking like no other and his vision was just. It gave the other branches a run for their money when it came to the importance of nuclear submarines in the nuclear triad of deterrence. The upper brass shouldn't have been so dismissive of Hyman Rickover in the first place. You don't have to be a Horatio Nelson to be a great naval man.
The treatment of Admiral Rickover by the Navy Top Brass reminds me of a saying: Always trust the US to do the right thing; after they tried everything else.
The whole world owes him a debt of gratitude. His dedication to quality and safety in ALL things nuclear prevented everyone's nuclear programs from looking like the Soviets. Also it can not be under stated how revolutionary she was. After wargames it was often said her ability to move fast and stay submerged made her worth 6 to 12 diesel boats. They were essentially mobile smart mine field while she was more akin to the classic cruiser or sailing frigate. That hasn't changed btw.
Admiral Rickover did a great service to the Navy. But after all the great things he did founding the nuclear navy, he turned into a huge jerk and control freak, and served another 30 or so years (63 years of total naval service) well past his prime. Refusing to retire, he pretty much controlled naval procurement priorities. He also took bribes from industry people, but because of his reputation, SecNav let it slide with a non-punitive letter of reprimand.
@@Prfactist Plus let's not forget the really concerning part - that someone (that actually essentially washed out of command) managed to game the system into doing his bidding and putting him in command of a crucial arm of the navy for literally decades with limited oversight and we only know about him because he actually succeeded.. It gets you thinking how many faceless Rickovers came and went squandering billions on their own personal pet projects, diverting resources away from stuff that's actually needed (ie for maintenance), just because they knew the right Congressman or played golf with the right CEO.
Only up to 5:15 and I know this is about the Nautilus, but just gotta say I love your synopsis about Rickover. While he was no more perfect than anyone else, kudos to him for putting in all that work and effort to get to a CO position, likely on track for bigger and better things and realizing 'You know, I've worked hard to get here, but being a captain isn't for me. I'm an engineer damn it!' and taking a step back even if conventional wisdom would paint that as a bad move career wise. I can respect the hell out of that alone, and have to wonder how many others over the years might have been better served if they did something similar. Thanks for the vid!
My late grandfather spent his career working at EB and was a welder on the Nautilus and retired as a draftsman on the 688 class. When I was a child I was onboard touring her when an announcement to go topside was broadcast over the loudspeakers. I got to watch as a fast attack was sailing past on her way out to sea. Thanks for the sub brief Jive, this one was very special to me.
Submariners in US Navy are mavericks. In WW2, they defied US Navy doctrine which forbids them to patrol on the surface. I don't know what the admiralty would say at that time. Probably they were not happy. Rickover was no different, even crazier. He dragged whole US Navy, kicking and screaming into 20th century. A true embodiment of maverick, in a good sense. Salute to Rickover, from Indonesia.
The Submarine Navy I retired from didn't want anyone to have any fun it was operated just like the new submarines we have: only training and work, that's what you're allowed to do, that's what our submarines are built around - barely any room to even walk around inside, just work, train, and sleep.
I grew up in New London, Conn. My first job was at Electric Boat... At the time i was working on the Trident nuclear sub ( USS Ohio SSBN - 726 ) as an electrician when the Nautilus SSN-571 came in for repairs and a refit.I was assigned to work on her for refitting. Yes she was a beaut! I got claustrophobic on her because she was sooo small. So anyways that's my time with SSN-571 back in 1975/1976..Back in 1981 when the Ohio SSBN-726 was commissioned Admiral Rickover noted that the Ohio " Should strike fear in the hearts of our enemies"... And yes if your ever in Conn. Go to Groton and take a tour... You'll be very surprised indeed, Out...
I worked on the Nautilus from a sub tender when she was in the Mediterranean about 1975. By that time, she was very radioactive which was my job to control. Compared to the Los Angeles class subs at the time, the crew’s quarters were were quite comfortable. The Nautilus in addition to being a “Man O War”, was a showboat. I was in the presence of Admiral Rickover once but I did not “meet” him. I was an enlisted man in charge of dosimetery. I had his dosimeter to give him but he would not accept it because of the confidence he had in his ships. He once drank some primary coolant to prove how safe the reactors were. Those of us in the “nuclear navy” were in awe of him.
31:45 "Longitude: Indefinite." Hahah that's golden. I'd love if you could do a video on like a summary of a wargame. Would love to hear about a wargame and the tactics. Not sure if that's even available but you brought wargames up during video and made me think how much I'd LOVE to see a video on one in this detailed format. I would also be eternally grateful if you could fiddle around with the chapter feature RUclips apparently has that I've seen on some videos. Nice to be able to jump around when I'm re-listening to parts. Thanks for great content!
True story.. in the early 80s, I was at the Naval Graduation, my LPO and I were running to get to our Cameras to videotape the proceedings and as we round a corner **WHAM**. My LPO in his Hawaiian Shirt runs right over this little old dude. He just keeps going yelling an apology and I stop to help him up and bugger me, it was Hymie! I dusted him off, made sure he was okay and turned too and got the hell outta there! If we'd have had our CrackerJacks on, we'd have been standing before The Mast!! Love these Briefs.
Best I had was Rimpac walking behind Pearl Harbor "Silver Dolphin Bistro" while smoking a cig and walking turn the corner, COMSUBPAC, a marine general, and two Aussie stars and their entourages. Dropped the smoke stood at attention and saluted and got GOD stared in my eyes by a bunch of E-7 and above.
in 2011 my class (we were juniors.... but class of 2012) took a trip to DC . we went to Annapolis to the big naval college . we had a tour guide, walking around and we noticed 2 people who were OBVIOUUSLY not from montana . it was march.... and 40 to 50 degrees we had t-shirts on (when we left MT.... it was -20f and snowing) . they had BIG coats on . so after about 40 mins of these 2 guys following us tour guide asks "do you know thows 2??" . "nope... they arnt with us" . so tour guide talks to them.... then security shows up and they got escorted off the "base" . we were like "wow.... its post 9/11 and you can just walk onto a base, walk around where ya want, ETC..... and only get kicked off because MT people dont wear coats when its 40 above"
My distinct impression of Rickover is that most people would have absolutely hated to work with him. However, his accomplishments do deserve recognition. Not just because of the impact on the US Navy or Naval warfare, but on bringing nuclear power generation to reality decades before it might have happened otherwise.
As a non nuclear guy, for years I thought ENRO was a guy named Enro 🙃 I think the acronym is Evaluation Nuclear Reactors Office or something like that.
I just found your channel a few days ago and immediately subscribed. I've been watching every sub and navy documentary I could find. Your content is priceless and I don't think alot of people realize the time and education involved in these videos
Rickover was a real Maverick and a genius to boot. He never gave in and fought the anti Semitism in the Navy at that time and is the father of all nuclear submariners! Great stuff! A real hero!
One item about one of the pictures you used, on the slide with the power plant diagram, the upper right photo is of the Nautilus's prototype plant, S1W, where the concept of a naval nuclear reactor was full scaled tested. It is also where I did my US Navy nuclear propulsion prototype training to qualify as a Watch Officer out on the Eastern Idaho high plains! S1W is also a National Landmark.
Seeing a brief on an American submarine is something new. I've only watched the first ten minutes and I want to keep on watching. It's a page-turner, except this isn't a book. Genuine question - Captain, are you under an NDA not to disclose information on the submarines currently in U.S. service, even if you use only open-source data? Or do you just not want being put on a watchlist?
@@SubBrief a 50 year NDA lol. . AKA "you should be dead..... so you can only tell people about secret stuff in whatever afterlife you believe in" thats actually hilarious . they could of said "you can tell people when your dead" but the US military / gov't is to "bureaucratic and red taped to say that . so instead its the "nice and kind" 50 year NDA lol . again.... saying "you should be dead or REALLY old and probably forgot everything anyway"
As an ex submariner this historical program was very informative and interesting. I was on the USS Seahorse, SSN-669, and have many fond memories from my experience. Rickover truly was a rogue who wouldn’t take no from his superiors even though it hurt his career. Got to visit this time capsule Nautilus soon.
I want to thank you for your incredibly great videos. Sharing your expertise, hard work, and your great voice is a tremendous gift. Such a terrific overview of Rickover. Thank you!
I suggest a video on the Seawolf built after Nautilus. That should be an easy 45min plus video with the sodium reactor, 50 foot hull extension, russian waters missions, etc.
I'm a civilian and yeah I don't doubt he's leaving stuff out and being vague about stuff, but that's fine. Like his explanation of how a submarine reactor works, afaik, is just how every PWR works.
A little late to this party. I was listening to a podcast about 3/8/68…..subs w Russia . So I knew a crew member, my oldest sister born in Pocatello Idaho 1954 and my other sister born inNew London Connecticut 1955. The launch of the 571 out of Connecticut was truly a step for USA in the books. My father was one of the first crew members. Still have the big blue book . My sister and mom have pics of them in that book. My dad joined the navy in 1940. He was on many boats, but I only remember Sea Devil 1944, only because there was a reunion in San Diego. There was a also a reunion in San Diego for the 571, in 1999. That night of the reunion my dad had a fatal heart attack. Whoever was their at the reunion will know who my dad was. He loved being a sailor and loved his country. God Bless all who have served and continue to serve. ❤
This is my favorite museum! I've been more times than I can count over the years and you can't recreate the feeling of being on a real vessel. The history is very much alive and there's so much to see and learn it never gets old!!
What a fabulous story. The very best example of a clever, dedicated American patriot . Talk about the American "Can do " approach. This is such a great story . Funny and a highly determined guy. From a friend in Qld Australia .
Love you Jive, but as a Rhode Islander, I must correct you; "Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering 147 mi², 120.5 mi² of which is in Rhode Island. The Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. Small parts of it extend into Massachusetts." -Wikipedia, can confirm this is true as a rhode islander. Although it may be a bit semantic to do so. Love the videos!
Admiral Rickover is one of the most underrated Naval Officers in History. He is responsible for changing an era and leading the way for the true Submarine. He should be remembered as one of the most important Officers in Naval History.
Sweetie, i have to admit that submarines terrify me in the extreme, but I love your videos. This one was amazing, and I also liked the three-part one on the USS Scorpion.
The long time battle between the Navy and Air Force sometimes included some good natured “ribbing” - while probably a coincidence in this case, number “571” on the first nuclear sub was also the number of the first production B-36 bomber.
@@xmlthegreat : I can’t remember, and I have no idea where I put it, but if you look up anything about Craven, that book will pop up. He talks about ALL SORTS of interesting history!
My brother was a sonar operator on the Nautilus in the mid 1970's, gold crew I believe. I've always had a soft spot for Adm, Rickover, and the Nautilus, he made things happen!
We visited Groton back when I was a kid and toured the Nautilus. I honestly don't remember it all that much (this is probably pushing 25 years ago), once COVID finally dies down I'm gonna have to schedule another trip up and see her again.
When I was in junior high, I read the book, "NAUTILUS 90 NORTH." Read that book. It tells how they damaged the periscope, against ice, while trying to break through. They welded and ground the periscope, successfully. Then there was some kind of coolant leak. They bought all the Stop Leak in Seattle (as I remember it), poured the stuff into the system, and it worked. Anyone curious enough to see if I'm full of it, read that book.
Nice video! I really enjoyed it. I was able to tour the Nautilus twice as a kid. Once was in San Diego and the second time I think was in Houston. I was born near the end of 1954 and was fascinated by both submarines and airplanes. My parents were divorced when I was 5 or 6 but luckily my mother was very invested in seeing that I got to experience the things I was interested in even though we were relatively poor. I remember being disappointed that photos weren’t allowed on the tours. My mother was a bit claustrophobic so she didn’t enjoy these tours at all. For the second one I ended up going in with some people we met while waiting in line and my mother stayed on the pier. RIP Dorothy.
Been on board the USS Nautilus. Definitely one of the coolest experiences of my life. The battery compartment as absolutely massive and you wouldn't believe the amount of batteries in the bottom of the hull. I believe she was pulled out of the Thames in Groton CT for an overhaul and just returned to port the other day.
The way that you wrote your short stories like "The Ping!" has me desperately wanting a version of the Nautilus' travels through the arctic circle and to the north pole, I genuinely think you could give something like that some justice, plus I love those stories and your writing for them.
I proudly served on the USS barbel SS580. Commissioned in 1961 She was a diesel electric submarine and was the first experimental prototype albacore hull design submarine. Originally with bow planes and converted to sail planes. She ended the era of the fleet boat type Hull. And i miss her.
My stepdad was stationed on the Nautilus from ‘76-‘79. It may have been cutting edge when it was launched, but by the end of its service, the thing was a hunk of junk that should have been decommissioned years before it finally was. I remember them pulling out of Groton for a 2 week cruise once and having to be towed back to port 2 days later. We went out on a dependent’s cruise (with crew family members) and lost power while submerged in Long Island sound. Emergency red lights came on, the works, and the boat was dead in the water for about 20 minutes. Not exactly confidence inspiring knowing how unreliable it was. When they went on a 6 month Mediterranean cruise in ‘78, it was a miracle that they made it home.
It's inconceivable that this propulsion technology still isn't in literally all large merchant vessels almost 70 years after it was first shown to work.
Waddya gonna when Oil is still relatively cheap and the economics of shipping. The larger the boat the more efficient it is. Russia does have the Sevmorput which is the only operating nuclear merchant vessel.
@@STEFAZON500 Well if you had a series construction of naval nuclear propulsion, and without the political and fearmongering mess there is around it, it would be cheaper than oil based shipping for certain. The nuclear power plants built in the US up until the early 70s were cheaper to build than contemporary coal power plants, and cost almost nothing to fuel (compared to the constant coal supply needed).
The end of life disposal costs are significant. They add quite a lot to the total costs of ownership. Figure out a way to reduce those costs and allow faster and easier disposal and it would change the balance of relative costs compared to fossil fuels.
I think once we achieve sustainable fusion there will be literally no ship without a fusion plant. No end-of-life radioactive material hazards, no threat of core meltdowns causing a runaway nuclear explosion and a much safer fuel source.
@@zolikoff That is absolutely true and mass production would drive the cost down of nuclear powered merchant vessels. You still have decommissioning that takes a big chunk out of the operating costs. One must remember that US plants built in the early 70's and ordered in the 60's had to comply with original AEC regulations. Then in the 70's they made stricter regulations to increase safety. Also at the same time many utilities ordered a score of plants crating a bottleneck in the supply chain causing projects to be delayed. Right now in shipping the only place were nuclear can compete with conventional fuels is in ice breaking where you need a lot of power to break the ice and also a conventional ice breaker uses a vast quantity of jungle juice to break the ice.
In Sub School in 1988 I volunteered for a week of scut work at the USS Nautilus museum. Worked in the AMR chipping paint under a diesel. Got a certificate as an “Honorary Crewman”.
Great sub brief again, thanks captain! Usually my interest leans toward the soviet sub programme just because of the sheer innovation there (+ associated problems!) so it was good to hear about American innovation here. A truly remarkable story + incredible boat. I’m glad she’s still there for folks to go see... thanks again!
Was in the area in Nov 2018. I really was looking forward to seeing her. So the day we wanted to see her, I checked the website and it clearly stated that she was open for visitors. Got the the base and it was closed, big sign said that the museum was currently closed. No guard no nothing. Me and a few other people were standing in front of the gate. When we cause a traffic jam, an armed guard came out an told us to go. Elderly gentleman started arguing with him an complaining. I didn't, bad idea as a foreigner to argue with armed US military personnel, I decided. Took a few pictures from a rest area close-by, that was it. No explanation, no nothing. But the guard made very sure to remind us to f*** off and moved his rifle to more and more prominent positions. So thanks US Navy for a lovely day!
Iv never been in the navy or any other military service and wasn’t into subs watched your video on the Titans submersible and haven’t been able to stop watching your sub videos since awesome work!
In August of '79 I was attending my "C" school at Mare Island. Rather than do "fire and security" watches, and the fact I had a military driver's license, my duty became driving a shuttle bus around the base. Mare Island was a big place, and walking to get to town required a trek of over 2 miles, so the Navy ran shuttle busses around the base. I remember seeing Nautilus on the quayside from a distance while waiting at the pickup point for crew and workmen. She looked forlorn. For almost 6 months I drove the "Silver Streak". I was so glad to hear that she was moved to Groton to become a museum ship. FTM '78-'85
In 1957 I was five years old my dad took me on board of the Naitilus SSN 571 docked in Long Beach California. We stood in line for hours and finally we got to board her but to my disappointment we did not get to go inside, we just walked around the Conning tower and then back off, but it was an exciting day for me and my dad.
My father was on the Nautilus briefly, but went on to serve on the Queenfish. The sub that surfaced as close to the North Pole as possible and there is a picture of him in a Santa suit planting the pole after the Queenfish surfaced under the ice with its sail. My dad is my hero.
I use these videos to help me get to sleep. Don't get me wrong, I listen to them, and often replay them the next morning, but damn it works well for me lmao.
I was a navy nuc in the 70's. Volunteered to the sub service but after some research wanted out of it. I wanted to see the world. I found out it's volunteer in but not volunteer out. I finally got out while doing training in Windsor. They tried to punish me by assigning me to the Enterprise but that vessel was going into the yards and I got put on the Truxton. All the officers had horror stories about Rickover. That service got me into commercial nuclear power operations and set me up for life.
I met Rickover twice. Once at S1C prototype in Windsor, Conn. and again at Charleston Naval Shipyard during a refueling overhaul. Both were more than memorable (both very long stories). He sure did love his lemon drops.
I don't know if you take submarine requests at all, but it would be great to see a brief on the K-278 Komsomolets ("Mike Class"). I personally think this is one of the most fascinating submarines ever built, not only because of it's incredible diving depth that could out-dive most conventional torpedoes, or its famous accident. But, also because it had the extremely fast Shkval torpedo.
It's almost poetic that Hyman Rickover died July 8, only three months after the Nautilus was welded to that pier in Connecticut. It was like he waited to see what would become of his life's work. Content with the outcome, I imagine he gave it a last salute and set sail for the last time...
I loved this story, thanks for telling it.
Met a retired Marine that was flown out to the Nautilus after emerging from polar ice cap, because they forgot a nuke had to have a marine guard on duty before entering port.
I met the Navigator of that trip , Captain Sheppard Jenks. He was a Lieutenant then in 57 when they took part in Operation Sunshine.
Oh. B.
We b
Awesome, that reminds me of an SAS doctor I met who fought in Malaya - all parachuting into Jungle had to have medical supervision - so he was always the first out of the aircraft :-)!
I found out at Thanksgiving that my uncle served aboard this vessel and I wish I would have asked for a lot more stories of the days he spent aboard it. In memory of my uncle Pat, who sadly passed away today. Thank you for your service and you will be missed.
For those who don't know, that top photo between 23:00 and 26:00 is the S1W prototype reactor for the Nautilus at the Naval Reactors Facility, Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, in the desert north of the lava fields near Arco, Idaho. Basically, Rickover went out in the desert and built a working submarine engine room stuck straight through the middle of a big swimming pool (to represent its "ocean") and used it to test the reactor design for the Nautilus. As the team successfully tested the S1W reactor components in Idaho, construction would then proceed with a copy in Groton inside the hull of the Nautilus. The building and testing of the S1W prototype would in that way move just a few steps ahead of the duplicate reactor in Connecticut that would power the ship. Rickover decided this would be quicker than completing all testing in Idaho and then starting construction on the ship. The S1W submarine plant in the desert proved its usefulness by completing a simulated submerged trans-Atlantic crossing to Ireland on its first test run, at Rickover's orders, without any preceding warning to the staff or engineers that he wanted the plant run until it "arrived" in Europe.
It is worth mentioning that S1W in Idaho and her twin inside the submarine Nautilus were not *just* "the world's first submarine nuclear reactor design"; in fact, S1W was THE FIRST NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN HISTORY TO PRODUCE *ANY* USEFUL NUCLEAR POWER. Everything before S1W had been for mere physics testing. S1W was the first reactor to *do* anything. That should give you an idea just how far Hyman Rickover pushed his project: He submitted his intentions on paper to propel a submarine with a functional nuclear reactor when no such thing had ever existed and *only eight years later* the ship sailed.
S1W, "Submarine reactor plant number 1 by Westinghouse", remained in continued use in Idaho for many years as a training facility for the instruction of Naval Nuclear Program operators, even as she was joined in the desert by her neighbors, the A1W plant for aircraft carriers (the USS Enterprise reactor prototype) and the new submarine reactor plant design S5G (for the USS Narwhal). I graduated as a Naval Reactor Operator from S1W in autumn of 1987. The plant was decommissioned in 1991.
"Rickover was the greatest engineer who ever lived on earth in my opinion."-President Jimmy Carter, former nuclear officer submarine trainee
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“Free discussion requires an atmosphere unembarrassed by any suggestion of authority or even respect.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“Good ideas are not adopted automatically. They must be driven into practice with courageous impatience.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“I have the charisma of the chipmunk. I never have thought I was smart. I thought the people I dealt with were dumb.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“It troubles me that we are so easily pressured by purveyors of technology into permitting so-called 'progress' to alter our lives without attempting to control it-as if technology were an irrepressible force of nature to which we must meekly submit.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“Responsibility is a unique concept... You may share it with others, but your portion is not diminished. You may delegate it, but it is still with you... You may delegate it, but it is still with you... If responsibility is rightfully yours, no evasion, or ignorance or passing the blame can shift the burden to someone else. Unless you can point your finger at the man who is responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“When doing a job - any job - one must feel that he owns it, and act as though he will remain in that job forever.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“Success teaches us nothing; only failure teaches.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“Act as if you are going to live for ever and cast your plans way ahead. You must feel responsible without time limitations, and the consideration of whether you may or may not be around to see the results should never enter your thoughts.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“Optimism and stupidity are nearly synonymous.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“Do not regard loyalty as a personal matter. A greater loyalty is one to the Navy or to the Country. When you know you are absolutely right, and when you are unable to do anything about it, complete military subordination to rules becomes a form of cowardice.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“Organization doesn’t really accomplish anything. Plans don’t accomplish anything, either. Theories of management don’t much matter. Endeavors succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“A system under which it takes three men to check what one is doing is not control; it is systematic strangulation.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“Any one detail, followed through to its source, will usually reveal the general state of readiness of the whole organization.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“The Devil is in the details, but so is salvation.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“To doubt one’s own first principles is the mark of a civilized man. Don’t defend past actions; what is right today may be wrong tomorrow. Don’t be consistent; consistency is the refuge of fools.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“Sit down before fact with an open mind. Be prepared to give up every preconceived notion. Follow humbly wherever and to whatever abyss Nature leads or you learn nothing. Don’t push out figures when facts are going in the opposite direction.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“Nothing so sharpens the thought process as writing down one's arguments. Weaknesses overlooked in oral discussion become painfully obvious on the written page.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“Half-truths are like half a brick - they can be thrown farther.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“If you are going to sin, sin against God, not the bureaucracy. God will forgive you but the bureaucracy won't.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“Nature is not as forgiving as Christ.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“I think the human race is going to wreck itself, and it is important that we get control of this horrible force and try to eliminate it... I do not believe that nuclear power is worth it if it creates radiation. Then you might ask me why do I have nuclear powered ships. That is a necessary evil. I would sink them all.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
“Above all, we should bear in mind that our liberty is not an end in itself; it is a means to win respect for human dignity for all classes of our society.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
[on why he stopped naming his submarines for sea creatures and instead began naming them for cities and states as he relied upon support from Congress] “Fish don't vote.”-Admiral Hyman G. Rickover
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Trained and qualified Engineering Officer of the Watch at S1W in Late 1984. Maybe the least fun 6 months of my navy career, but maybe one of the best days was passing my Final Evaluated Watch.
I do know that. My father worked for Westinghouse out there.
the plant diagram (for S1W) shows the main turbine going to a reduction gear, clutch and propulsion motor with the option for battery propulsion. Strange that there would be a reduction gear? In turbo-electric drive, the turbine drives a generator (running high RPM) which supplies electrical power to the propulsion motor (running at lower RPM), so having a reduction gear seems unnecessary. The more common is steam turbine - reduction gear - propeller shaft. Did some WWII ships use turbo-electric because we could not produce enough reduction gears?
Thank you for sharing, that is something I decidedly did not know!!
@@joechang8696 Roughly speaking (I'm no expert on surface engines; see Drachinifel's channel), surface propulsion systems progressed from sail to coal and reciprocating engines at the turn of the 20th Century, through vertical triple-expansion engines and oil-fired steam boilers between the wars and through WWII, with warships then adopting steam turbines powering either direct-drive (clunky, not very nimble, and crap at low speed), or geared (works fine but good reduction gears are expensive to make), or, later, turbo-electric drive (easy to use but the gigantic, early electric plants were not what you wanted in the bottom of a warship if anyone poked a hole in the hull and the sea came in for a visit). Post-war, most U. S. Navy ships went to Diesel-generator + electric motor-drive and later still to gas-turbine engines for higher-performance ships.
As to the development of submarine propulsion, submarines had progressed from human-powered, to experiments with steam, then to the first truly capable subs, which were gasoline-fueled. German engineers succeeded in reducing Diesel engines to a size that could fit on a railway locomotive and at that point Diesel locomotive engines became available for use in submarines with a variety of geared systems attempted, often with large flywheels similar to those that had been seen on gasoline-powered boats. Soon, the development of electric motors and generators and large storage batteries pretty much perfected Diesel-electric submarine propulsion in the Fleet boats of the U. S. Navy in WWII. Rather than 4-cycle Diesel engines, the Fleet boats used 2-cycle engines for their superior power-to-weight ratios, although these required significantly more cooling. There was no need for reduction gears because the Fleet boats had high surface speeds (four beefy Diesel generators + two large electric propulsion motors) and operated at mere crawling speeds when submerged and powered by the battery. A Fleet boat Diesel engine driving a generator can stay around it's most efficient speed of about 720 RPM with the generator producing 60-cycle (in U. S. subs) electricity.
Rickover saw nuclear propulsion as a means of eliminating the Diesel-electric submarine's dependence on outside air but, oddly, introducing nuclear power meant a return for the Navy to steam propulsion in 1954 when all the latest ship developments were eliminating steam.
There are a few ways to apply a spinning steam turbine to drive a main shaft and the reduction gear on the Nautilus is not at all strange; geared transmission of power from a high-speed, multi-stage turbine engine to one or two rotating shafts could fling early nuclear subs through the water submerged at near 30 knots, and adding reverse-staging to the turbine engines allows the shaft to be backed for a limited period of time before cooling and other troubles visit the bearings and seals of the turbine. An auxiliary electric drive motor for low-to-medium speeds was placed in-line on the shaft and could be disconnected from the reduction gears by a clutch. This arrangement allowed great power availability at high ship speeds as well as a wide and responsive maneuvering range and emergency electric propulsion if needed, and it became the principle propulsion system of U. S. nuclear submarines through the Cold War.
But the Navy meanwhile continued to experiment with alternative drive systems for nuclear subs. The following three designs propelled subs with nuclear-steam turbines but all eliminated reduction gears and the noise (and expense) associated with them:
The Tullibee was launched in 1960 and was a quite small sub for hunting other submarines. She was a unique design. At her bow was a large passive-sonar array and she was propelled by very quiet turbo-generator drive system on a single shaft with an electric motor. She had a 28-year career of distinguished service, although she cracked her shaft in 1978, surviving the massive flooding that resulted.
The Narwhal was launched in 1967 and was a modified Sturgeon-class hull with an exceedingly quiet, natural-circulation, S5G reactor plant (one of those Idaho prototypes I mentioned), scoop seawater injection, and a shaft directly coupled to the large, many-staged main engine turbine. She is said to have been for thirty years the quietest attack boat in the U. S. fleet, as quiet as the Ohio-class missile subs.
The Glenard P. Lipscomb was launched in 1973 and was the Navy's second attempt at turbo-electric drive, intended as a more-capable, higher-speed platform than Tulibee, using the Navy's workhorse S5W nuclear plant. She was a sort of a test platform for ideas that might be incorporated into the upcoming Los Angeles class of submarines. The resulting design made the ship larger, heavier and thus slower than other subs, and she was also prone to reliability problems, so her turbo-electric design was not incorporated into the L. A.-class boats.
Direct-drive, single-turbine engines have to be pretty overbuilt and complex, respond less rapidly to maneuvering orders, and are not as easily reversed as a pair of geared turbines, however they do have the potential to be quieter.
Turbo-electric drive systems, in which the shaft is electrically powered, require massive motors and electrical plants if the ship is to be as large and as fast as modern submarines. DC motors with brushes have a long history of use on subs for their simplicity and reliability, but those brushes require frequent maintenance. These can also be powered directly to the large emergency storage batteries on submarines (used in the event of a reactor scram). AC motors can be physically smaller and require less care but are more complex and require DC-to-AC conversion equipment to run off the ship's battery. I do not know the status of brushless DC motors on recent submarines.
Engineering is not about what is theoretically possible; engineering is about building
- the best option for a situation
- with the technology available
- and resorting to the least overbuilding necessary.
Cheers.
.
Not sure if anyone pointed this out.
Nautilus put on permanent display
April 11, 1986
Rickover's date of death
July 8, 1986
chernobyle disaster 26 April 1986,
Nuclear War June 14th 2086
@@natgoodwin539 do you really think we will last that long ???
Yes
Got to see her after completing S1C prototype training and picked up emergency submarine welding school in Groton the Summer of '86. Great memories on the Thames and seaport towns nearby!!!😍
The US Navy submarine force owes a great debt of gratitude to Hyman Rickover.
USN as a whole owes Mr.Rickover a debt of gratitude, especially the command structure that stymied him at every front. Rickover practically dragged USN kicking and screaming into the 20th century. He was loyal, hardworking like no other and his vision was just. It gave the other branches a run for their money when it came to the importance of nuclear submarines in the nuclear triad of deterrence. The upper brass shouldn't have been so dismissive of Hyman Rickover in the first place. You don't have to be a Horatio Nelson to be a great naval man.
The treatment of Admiral Rickover by the Navy Top Brass reminds me of a saying:
Always trust the US to do the right thing; after they tried everything else.
@@kilianortmann9979 I think it was Churchill that said that.
worth mentioning, the royal navy owes him somewhat too, given his involvement in both the dreadnaught program and the polaris sales agreement.
The whole world owes him a debt of gratitude. His dedication to quality and safety in ALL things nuclear prevented everyone's nuclear programs from looking like the Soviets.
Also it can not be under stated how revolutionary she was. After wargames it was often said her ability to move fast and stay submerged made her worth 6 to 12 diesel boats. They were essentially mobile smart mine field while she was more akin to the classic cruiser or sailing frigate. That hasn't changed btw.
Man, what a hell of a guy. Letting no one hold him down
Warrior and genius
sad what men of vision get put through because smaller minds care more about their egos than the truth.
@@oldfrend time and time again, Turing, admiral YI etc
Admiral Rickover did a great service to the Navy. But after all the great things he did founding the nuclear navy, he turned into a huge jerk and control freak, and served another 30 or so years (63 years of total naval service) well past his prime. Refusing to retire, he pretty much controlled naval procurement priorities. He also took bribes from industry people, but because of his reputation, SecNav let it slide with a non-punitive letter of reprimand.
@@Prfactist Plus let's not forget the really concerning part - that someone (that actually essentially washed out of command) managed to game the system into doing his bidding and putting him in command of a crucial arm of the navy for literally decades with limited oversight and we only know about him because he actually succeeded.. It gets you thinking how many faceless Rickovers came and went squandering billions on their own personal pet projects, diverting resources away from stuff that's actually needed (ie for maintenance), just because they knew the right Congressman or played golf with the right CEO.
Only up to 5:15 and I know this is about the Nautilus, but just gotta say I love your synopsis about Rickover. While he was no more perfect than anyone else, kudos to him for putting in all that work and effort to get to a CO position, likely on track for bigger and better things and realizing 'You know, I've worked hard to get here, but being a captain isn't for me. I'm an engineer damn it!' and taking a step back even if conventional wisdom would paint that as a bad move career wise. I can respect the hell out of that alone, and have to wonder how many others over the years might have been better served if they did something similar. Thanks for the vid!
Rickover is the absolute archetype of the demanding taskmaster. USN sub force would not be what it is today without him. o7
My late grandfather spent his career working at EB and was a welder on the Nautilus and retired as a draftsman on the 688 class. When I was a child I was onboard touring her when an announcement to go topside was broadcast over the loudspeakers. I got to watch as a fast attack was sailing past on her way out to sea. Thanks for the sub brief Jive, this one was very special to me.
" I did not came to work with system, I came to make this country strong. "
HR ... great guy
That story should be made as a movie. Very captivating story.
Submariners in US Navy are mavericks. In WW2, they defied US Navy doctrine which forbids them to patrol on the surface. I don't know what the admiralty would say at that time. Probably they were not happy.
Rickover was no different, even crazier. He dragged whole US Navy, kicking and screaming into 20th century. A true embodiment of maverick, in a good sense. Salute to Rickover, from Indonesia.
I agree. Salute to ADM Rickover.
The Submarine Navy I retired from didn't want anyone to have any fun it was operated just like the new submarines we have: only training and work, that's what you're allowed to do, that's what our submarines are built around - barely any room to even walk around inside, just work, train, and sleep.
I grew up in New London, Conn. My first job was at Electric Boat... At the time i was working on the Trident nuclear sub ( USS Ohio SSBN - 726 ) as an electrician when the Nautilus SSN-571 came in for repairs and a refit.I was assigned to work on her for refitting. Yes she was a beaut! I got claustrophobic on her because she was sooo small. So anyways that's my time with SSN-571 back in 1975/1976..Back in 1981 when the Ohio SSBN-726 was commissioned Admiral Rickover noted that the Ohio " Should strike fear in the hearts of our enemies"... And yes if your ever in Conn. Go to Groton and take a tour... You'll be very surprised indeed, Out...
I worked on the Nautilus from a sub tender when she was in the Mediterranean about 1975. By that time, she was very radioactive which was my job to control. Compared to the Los Angeles class subs at the time, the crew’s quarters were were quite comfortable. The Nautilus in addition to being a “Man O War”, was a showboat.
I was in the presence of Admiral Rickover once but I did not “meet” him. I was an enlisted man in charge of dosimetery. I had his dosimeter to give him but he would not accept it because of the confidence he had in his ships. He once drank some primary coolant to prove how safe the reactors were. Those of us in the “nuclear navy” were in awe of him.
Fantastic video. Very clear and interesting presentation. Thank you👌👍
31:45 "Longitude: Indefinite." Hahah that's golden. I'd love if you could do a video on like a summary of a wargame. Would love to hear about a wargame and the tactics. Not sure if that's even available but you brought wargames up during video and made me think how much I'd LOVE to see a video on one in this detailed format. I would also be eternally grateful if you could fiddle around with the chapter feature RUclips apparently has that I've seen on some videos. Nice to be able to jump around when I'm re-listening to parts. Thanks for great content!
True story.. in the early 80s, I was at the Naval Graduation, my LPO and I were running to get to our Cameras to videotape the proceedings and as we round a corner **WHAM**. My LPO in his Hawaiian Shirt runs right over this little old dude. He just keeps going yelling an apology and I stop to help him up and bugger me, it was Hymie! I dusted him off, made sure he was okay and turned too and got the hell outta there!
If we'd have had our CrackerJacks on, we'd have been standing before The Mast!!
Love these Briefs.
Great Story.
Best I had was Rimpac walking behind Pearl Harbor "Silver Dolphin Bistro" while smoking a cig and walking turn the corner, COMSUBPAC, a marine general, and two Aussie stars and their entourages. Dropped the smoke stood at attention and saluted and got GOD stared in my eyes by a bunch of E-7 and above.
in 2011 my class (we were juniors.... but class of 2012) took a trip to DC
.
we went to Annapolis to the big naval college
.
we had a tour guide, walking around
and we noticed 2 people who were OBVIOUUSLY not from montana
.
it was march.... and 40 to 50 degrees
we had t-shirts on (when we left MT.... it was -20f and snowing)
.
they had BIG coats on
.
so after about 40 mins of these 2 guys following us
tour guide asks "do you know thows 2??"
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"nope... they arnt with us"
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so tour guide talks to them....
then security shows up
and they got escorted off the "base"
.
we were like "wow.... its post 9/11 and you can just walk onto a base, walk around where ya want, ETC..... and only get kicked off because MT people dont wear coats when its 40 above"
@@kainhall that's the "JDLR" rule: just don't look right.
To Mast by his direction or taking yourselves there after realizing who it was?
My distinct impression of Rickover is that most people would have absolutely hated to work with him. However, his accomplishments do deserve recognition. Not just because of the impact on the US Navy or Naval warfare, but on bringing nuclear power generation to reality decades before it might have happened otherwise.
The Typhoon is the museum ship I'd love to see.
He was 2 of my qual boards..............scariest little man I ever met
My condolences, sir!
So, PNEO and ENG?
As a non nuclear guy, for years I thought ENRO was a guy named Enro 🙃 I think the acronym is Evaluation Nuclear Reactors Office or something like that.
I trained at A1W so it was great to see the picture in your brief. great job!
I always loved seeing Nautilus to the starboard, meant we were just about home... thanks for the great video!
I just found your channel a few days ago and immediately subscribed. I've been watching every sub and navy documentary I could find. Your content is priceless and I don't think alot of people realize the time and education involved in these videos
This needs to be a movie.
agreed.
Rickover was a real Maverick and a genius to boot. He never gave in and fought the anti Semitism in the Navy at that time and is the father of all nuclear submariners! Great stuff! A real hero!
One item about one of the pictures you used, on the slide with the power plant diagram, the upper right photo is of the Nautilus's prototype plant, S1W, where the concept of a naval nuclear reactor was full scaled tested. It is also where I did my US Navy nuclear propulsion prototype training to qualify as a Watch Officer out on the Eastern Idaho high plains! S1W is also a National Landmark.
Geez with the first name *Hyman* I can guarantee the names they made up for him early in his Navy Career were _ruthless_
i just love how calmly you tell the story.
Seeing a brief on an American submarine is something new. I've only watched the first ten minutes and I want to keep on watching. It's a page-turner, except this isn't a book.
Genuine question - Captain, are you under an NDA not to disclose information on the submarines currently in U.S. service, even if you use only open-source data? Or do you just not want being put on a watchlist?
Yes, I have an NDA that expires in about 50 years.
@@SubBrief Excellent, hopefully RUclips will figure out a decent notifications system by then so I don't miss a release!
@@SubBrief Well, then you’ve got new orders sailor... you must live to 100.. get it done!
@@SubBrief Long life to you, then :D
@@SubBrief a 50 year NDA lol.
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AKA "you should be dead..... so you can only tell people about secret stuff in whatever afterlife you believe in"
thats actually hilarious
.
they could of said "you can tell people when your dead"
but the US military / gov't is to "bureaucratic and red taped to say that
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so instead its the "nice and kind" 50 year NDA lol
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again.... saying "you should be dead or REALLY old and probably forgot everything anyway"
As an ex submariner this historical program was very informative and interesting. I was on the USS Seahorse, SSN-669, and have many fond memories from my experience. Rickover truly was a rogue who wouldn’t take no from his superiors even though it hurt his career. Got to visit this time capsule Nautilus soon.
It’s really interesting to have a US sub brief (I know it’s the first and definitely old, but it’s still very cool to see)!
I liked listening to Korean sonar. Sounded like a musical instrument 🎶
I want to thank you for your incredibly great videos. Sharing your expertise, hard work, and your great voice is a tremendous gift. Such a terrific overview of Rickover. Thank you!
You're very welcome!
I suggest a video on the Seawolf built after Nautilus. That should be an easy 45min plus video with the sodium reactor, 50 foot hull extension, russian waters missions, etc.
And a brief on the Narwhal would be nice. Fascinating boat design.
As a fellow Submariner when you say certain things I am like " Ehhhhh true... ish WINK"
I'm a civilian and yeah I don't doubt he's leaving stuff out and being vague about stuff, but that's fine.
Like his explanation of how a submarine reactor works, afaik, is just how every PWR works.
A little late to this party. I was listening to a podcast about 3/8/68…..subs w Russia . So I knew a crew member, my oldest sister born in Pocatello Idaho 1954 and my other sister born inNew London Connecticut 1955. The launch of the 571 out of Connecticut was truly a step for USA in the books. My father was one of the first crew members. Still have the big blue book . My sister and mom have pics of them in that book. My dad joined the navy in 1940. He was on many boats, but I only remember Sea Devil 1944, only because there was a reunion in San Diego. There was a also a reunion in San Diego for the 571, in 1999. That night of the reunion my dad had a fatal heart attack. Whoever was their at the reunion will know who my dad was. He loved being a sailor and loved his country. God Bless all who have served and continue to serve. ❤
Fascinating, thanks for your great work as always!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is my favorite museum! I've been more times than I can count over the years and you can't recreate the feeling of being on a real vessel. The history is very much alive and there's so much to see and learn it never gets old!!
What a fabulous story. The very best example of a clever, dedicated American patriot . Talk about the American "Can do " approach. This is such a great story . Funny and a highly determined guy. From a friend in Qld Australia .
You have to admire a man who knows his limitations, and adapts his career arc accordingly.
Love you Jive, but as a Rhode Islander, I must correct you; "Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering 147 mi², 120.5 mi² of which is in Rhode Island. The Bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. Small parts of it extend into Massachusetts." -Wikipedia, can confirm this is true as a rhode islander. Although it may be a bit semantic to do so. Love the videos!
Admiral Rickover is one of the most underrated Naval Officers in History. He is responsible for changing an era and leading the way for the true Submarine. He should be remembered as one of the most important Officers in Naval History.
I was a YN stationed at Naval Reactors and was one of his duty drivers. He could be a grump at times.
" He could be a grump at times." That's putting it mildly ...
New London CT reporting in! Thanks so much for doing a video on our old lady.
Thank You, another great piece of History ! Big Hug from Portugal !
Another great one Aaron! Nice job!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Nice documentary dude
Thank you brilliant from the UK.
You are very welcome. I am brilliant and I have the ego to prove it. lol
@@SubBrief 😂🤣😂😎👍🏾.
Sweetie, i have to admit that submarines terrify me in the extreme, but I love your videos. This one was amazing, and I also liked the three-part one on the USS Scorpion.
Thank you so much!
The long time battle between the Navy and Air Force sometimes included some good natured “ribbing” - while probably a coincidence in this case, number “571” on the first nuclear sub was also the number of the first production B-36 bomber.
The Albacore is on display and a museum you can tour in Portsmouth NH
Love what Craven said about the Nautilus. I encourage all to read his book!
Book name?
@@xmlthegreat : I can’t remember, and I have no idea where I put it, but if you look up anything about Craven, that book will pop up. He talks about ALL SORTS of interesting history!
@@TERoss-jk9ny John Pina Craven- The Silent War?
@@xmlthegreat: That’s It!!
Hey a very interesting listen. I'm not even a marine guy but this was fun.
Also, the Nautilus was so dependable that they welded a pier to it.
As a shipyard worker at Portsmouth, when you said "the days of doing this safely and quickly are long gone" made me chuckle
My brother was a sonar operator on the Nautilus in the mid 1970's, gold crew I believe. I've always had a soft spot for Adm, Rickover, and the Nautilus, he made things happen!
Gold crew? I didn't know the Nautilus had multiple crews.
Awesome review man. I am really enjoying these!
I've been to the force museum! Its a great trip and the4 sub is an astounding piece of history!
this chanel will be 1M if you keep up content like this
Captain rickmens story deserves a movie
Jive... the Vallez brothers have designated you: the Naval Badass of the Month. Congratulations 🎉🍾🎈🎊
Thank you. I am preparing my acceptance speech...
We visited Groton back when I was a kid and toured the Nautilus. I honestly don't remember it all that much (this is probably pushing 25 years ago), once COVID finally dies down I'm gonna have to schedule another trip up and see her again.
When I was in junior high, I read the book, "NAUTILUS 90 NORTH." Read that book. It tells how they damaged the periscope, against ice, while trying to break through. They welded and ground the periscope, successfully. Then there was some kind of coolant leak. They bought all the Stop Leak in Seattle (as I remember it), poured the stuff into the system, and it worked. Anyone curious enough to see if I'm full of it, read that book.
Read it in the early 70s. Excellent book and I hope they have a copy at Georgetown University.
Should be required reading.
Nice video! I really enjoyed it. I was able to tour the Nautilus twice as a kid. Once was in San Diego and the second time I think was in Houston. I was born near the end of 1954 and was fascinated by both submarines and airplanes. My parents were divorced when I was 5 or 6 but luckily my mother was very invested in seeing that I got to experience the things I was interested in even though we were relatively poor. I remember being disappointed that photos weren’t allowed on the tours. My mother was a bit claustrophobic so she didn’t enjoy these tours at all. For the second one I ended up going in with some people we met while waiting in line and my mother stayed on the pier. RIP Dorothy.
Of all the sub briefs I've enjoyed, this one was special... Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it
Been on board the USS Nautilus. Definitely one of the coolest experiences of my life. The battery compartment as absolutely massive and you wouldn't believe the amount of batteries in the bottom of the hull. I believe she was pulled out of the Thames in Groton CT for an overhaul and just returned to port the other day.
"Fish don't vote."
Fantastic
so glad he had the foresight to force this project into being
The way that you wrote your short stories like "The Ping!" has me desperately wanting a version of the Nautilus' travels through the arctic circle and to the north pole, I genuinely think you could give something like that some justice, plus I love those stories and your writing for them.
Jive, great video to be posted on RUclips, Thank you!
My pleasure!
Well done Chief great video.
I proudly served on the USS barbel SS580. Commissioned in 1961 She was a diesel electric submarine and was the first experimental prototype albacore hull design submarine. Originally with bow planes and converted to sail planes. She ended the era of the fleet boat type Hull.
And i miss her.
Thanks very much for all your work, but especially this video, I had no idea so much rested on the shoulders of one man
It was really great to see Nautilus pull away from the pier last week.
Currently in Groton going through a-school, loving your channel to get even more in depth with the history we’re learning! Keep the briefs coming!
39:42... Jive, "get off on the submarine." Me..so that's why they are called Seaman....
Good job. I didn't serve with you on the Pittsburgh but I was assigned to SSN-720 in-between NR-1 and SSN-768. Keep up the good work!
My stepdad was stationed on the Nautilus from ‘76-‘79. It may have been cutting edge when it was launched, but by the end of its service, the thing was a hunk of junk that should have been decommissioned years before it finally was. I remember them pulling out of Groton for a 2 week cruise once and having to be towed back to port 2 days later. We went out on a dependent’s cruise (with crew family members) and lost power while submerged in Long Island sound. Emergency red lights came on, the works, and the boat was dead in the water for about 20 minutes. Not exactly confidence inspiring knowing how unreliable it was. When they went on a 6 month Mediterranean cruise in ‘78, it was a miracle that they made it home.
It's inconceivable that this propulsion technology still isn't in literally all large merchant vessels almost 70 years after it was first shown to work.
Waddya gonna when Oil is still relatively cheap and the economics of shipping. The larger the boat the more efficient it is. Russia does have the Sevmorput which is the only operating nuclear merchant vessel.
@@STEFAZON500 Well if you had a series construction of naval nuclear propulsion, and without the political and fearmongering mess there is around it, it would be cheaper than oil based shipping for certain.
The nuclear power plants built in the US up until the early 70s were cheaper to build than contemporary coal power plants, and cost almost nothing to fuel (compared to the constant coal supply needed).
The end of life disposal costs are significant. They add quite a lot to the total costs of ownership. Figure out a way to reduce those costs and allow faster and easier disposal and it would change the balance of relative costs compared to fossil fuels.
I think once we achieve sustainable fusion there will be literally no ship without a fusion plant. No end-of-life radioactive material hazards, no threat of core meltdowns causing a runaway nuclear explosion and a much safer fuel source.
@@zolikoff That is absolutely true and mass production would drive the cost down of nuclear powered merchant vessels. You still have decommissioning that takes a big chunk out of the operating costs. One must remember that US plants built in the early 70's and ordered in the 60's had to comply with original AEC regulations. Then in the 70's they made stricter regulations to increase safety. Also at the same time many utilities ordered a score of plants crating a bottleneck in the supply chain causing projects to be delayed. Right now in shipping the only place were nuclear can compete with conventional fuels is in ice breaking where you need a lot of power to break the ice and also a conventional ice breaker uses a vast quantity of jungle juice to break the ice.
In Sub School in 1988 I volunteered for a week of scut work at the USS Nautilus museum. Worked in the AMR chipping paint under a diesel. Got a certificate as an “Honorary Crewman”.
Great sub brief again, thanks captain! Usually my interest leans toward the soviet sub programme just because of the sheer innovation there (+ associated problems!) so it was good to hear about American innovation here. A truly remarkable story + incredible boat. I’m glad she’s still there for folks to go see... thanks again!
Cool, thanks
Man I love these sub briefs. So much great info on boats I've always been fascinated by
Glad you like them!
Visited the Museum. Time well spent.
Love love love this every bit of it! Thank you!
Glad you like it!
Was in the area in Nov 2018. I really was looking forward to seeing her. So the day we wanted to see her, I checked the website and it clearly stated that she was open for visitors. Got the the base and it was closed, big sign said that the museum was currently closed. No guard no nothing. Me and a few other people were standing in front of the gate. When we cause a traffic jam, an armed guard came out an told us to go. Elderly gentleman started arguing with him an complaining. I didn't, bad idea as a foreigner to argue with armed US military personnel, I decided. Took a few pictures from a rest area close-by, that was it. No explanation, no nothing. But the guard made very sure to remind us to f*** off and moved his rifle to more and more prominent positions. So thanks US Navy for a lovely day!
Rickover once commented about how when choosing sub commanders he would observe over a meal whether the prospect salted their food BEFORE tasting...
Iv never been in the navy or any other military service and wasn’t into subs watched your video on the Titans submersible and haven’t been able to stop watching your sub videos since awesome work!
In August of '79 I was attending my "C" school at Mare Island. Rather than do "fire and security" watches, and the fact I had a military driver's license, my duty became driving a shuttle bus around the base. Mare Island was a big place, and walking to get to town required a trek of over 2 miles, so the Navy ran shuttle busses around the base. I remember seeing Nautilus on the quayside from a distance while waiting at the pickup point for crew and workmen. She looked forlorn. For almost 6 months I drove the "Silver Streak". I was so glad to hear that she was moved to Groton to become a museum ship. FTM '78-'85
cool story. Thank you for your perspective.
In 1957 I was five years old my dad took me on board of the Naitilus SSN 571 docked in Long Beach California. We stood in line for hours and finally we got to board her but to my disappointment we did not get to go inside, we just walked around the Conning tower and then back off, but it was an exciting day for me and my dad.
There needs to be a legit movie about this man. Awesome biography
My father was on the Nautilus briefly, but went on to serve on the Queenfish. The sub that surfaced as close to the North Pole as possible and there is a picture of him in a Santa suit planting the pole after the Queenfish surfaced under the ice with its sail. My dad is my hero.
I use these videos to help me get to sleep. Don't get me wrong, I listen to them, and often replay them the next morning, but damn it works well for me lmao.
A few years ago I visited the Submarine Force Museum and got to go on the Nautilus. What a thrill.
I was a navy nuc in the 70's. Volunteered to the sub service but after some research wanted out of it. I wanted to see the world. I found out it's volunteer in but not volunteer out. I finally got out while doing training in Windsor. They tried to punish me by assigning me to the Enterprise but that vessel was going into the yards and I got put on the Truxton. All the officers had horror stories about Rickover.
That service got me into commercial nuclear power operations and set me up for life.
I met Rickover twice. Once at S1C prototype in Windsor, Conn. and again at Charleston Naval Shipyard during a refueling overhaul. Both were more than memorable (both very long stories). He sure did love his lemon drops.
I would like to hear how the other early SSN's like USS Triton (SSN-586) differ from Nautilus.
There was a lot of experimentation going on for the first few subs, up to the Skipjack class.
It's interesting that anywhere else this PowerPoint history lesson would bore me to death. But here....I listened to the whole thing.
I don't know if you take submarine requests at all, but it would be great to see a brief on the K-278 Komsomolets ("Mike Class"). I personally think this is one of the most fascinating submarines ever built, not only because of it's incredible diving depth that could out-dive most conventional torpedoes, or its famous accident. But, also because it had the extremely fast Shkval torpedo.
This is super interesting! I love your presentation style, great to listen to.
Another round of badassery Jive.. when I grow up.. imma be just like you! ;)
Rock on!