Episode 2 - Nautilus Torpedo Room

In this video we step inside Nautilus and go outside where the public can go. We will talk about how torpedoes were fired onboard Nautilus and demonstrate opening and closing a torpedo tube!

[@earlyriser8998]

these are excellent inside look at this historic ship

[@luciusvorenus9445]

Thanks XO. My Dad was a Torpedoman's Mate on a Destroyer in Korea. He took me to the Nautilus after she became a museum.
I wish he could have seen this video.

[@ozarkcaveman6383]

I went on board the Nautilus in 1971 at that time I was 18 just finished SK School and the Nautilus was 17 years old then. Add 571 together you get Lucky 13. The crew always gave it a thought.

[@paulmc1589]

My father was a TM aboard the Nautilus from 1971-1976.
I remember being 5 years old and the Captain lifting me up to see through the periscope.

[@mikehurricane5767]

I have seen movies , but enjoy seeing the real thing slowed down . Thanks ,,,,

[@DrSchor]

Commander Boyd, thank you very much for this excellent series, and especially episode two, for it cleared up a long standing mystery for me. For years, I have been wondering if the Nautilus was launched on Jan 17 1955, or commisioned on that day, or underway on nuclear power on that day.
Nothing I have read has made that clear. You made it clear that it was "under way on nuclear power on January 17th, 1955". This implies it was launched and also commissioned on earlier days. Was it commissioned and underway on nuclear power on the same day, January 17 1955? The reason I am interested is that I was born on January 17, 1955. Sometimes I joke that the first nuclear submarine and I were launched on the same day, and now the submarine is a museum, but I am still working. But I was not sure if Jan 17 was the launch date. Another reason I like your series is that I grew up in Hartoford CT, and summered in Old Lyme, and visited the Groton musuem and the Nautilus many times, but have never seen as much of the sub that you are showing in your series. Fascinating stuff. The history of the first commander and COB were interesting, too. I am glad you spoke about the personell as well as the sub. Perhaps you can give us a detailed tour of the inside of the museum building one day. Thank you. Mark Schor, MD, FACP, Retired Army Reserve, Boynton Beach, Florida.

[@submarineforcemuseum1739]

Dr. Schor, Nautilus dates:
Keel Laid: 14 June 1952
Launching / Christening: 21 January 1954
Commissioning: 30 September 1954
Underway on Nuclear Power: 17 January 1955
North Pole: 3 August 1958
De-Commissioning: 3 March 1980

[@georgesaliba7463]

Gentlemen, thank you for an outstanding video. I just happened on your channel a couple of days ago. My question, what means were employed to index the torpedoes trays (either around the room, or aligning the tray to load a torpedo into a tube for firing) ?

[@submarineforcemuseum1739]

The torpedoes were moved via electric rammer to get it the torpedo into the tubes, and via a hydraulic system to move them both laterally and vertically.

[@burroaks7]

so friggen cool

[@cr-nd8qh]

Dang this is crazy , I was in the navy but only on carriers. This would be rough but I would have done it.

[@lexington476]

How many Torpedoes were Nautilus normally carry?

[@submarineforcemuseum1739]

Nautilus would carry anywhere from 0 to a max load of 18 (two stows per tube level per side plus 6 in the tubes).

[@xmanhoe]

Excellent video , what are the 2 metal discs sitting in the torpedo tube ?

[@submarineforcemuseum1739]

For whatever reason this is the third time we have tried to answer this but it doesn't show up on our feed. So if this is the third time you are reading this we apologize! The metal discs are canisters containing desiccant. We just use those to keep the torpedo tubes dry from condensation to help minimize corrosion.