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| SUBMARINE SQUADRON 12 |
| PAGE 13 |
| uss Marlin (sst-2) |
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| MARLIN'S PETTICOAT CRUISE |
| Commencing with demonstration dives in the basin on Sunday 8 April,
MARLIN'S operations for the entire week proved to be different, and
somewhat exciting, especially for the crew's dependents. MARLIN was
granted permission to embark dependents, and due to the limited space in
the ship, MARLIN wives were taken to sea in small increments, during the
four days of scheduled Sonar School operations, 9 April - 12 April.
An interesting schedule was arranged for the ladies commencing with the commanding officer's greeting topside and his explanation and description of some of the visible appurtenances. The dependents were then divided into two groups, one toured the ship, while the other watched the underway operation in the basin and in the channel. The dependents shifted about fifteen minutes later. All were in control for the dive, and each lady was given a chance to get "a fish eye" view through the periscope. After the dive, the ladies were given a talk by the commanding officer on submarines in general and MARLIN in particular and then were free to visit with their husbands until lunch. During this period many Polaroid pictures were taken as momentous Of the occasion. After a delicious lunch with their husbands, the ladies relaxed and watched movies. After movies, the dependents assumed various watch stations and/or explored the ship until return to port. All ladies seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed themselves and proved to be outstanding sailors. One wife was heard to comment, "Now I know why my husband is so tired when he comes home at night". Her husband, a first class Petty Officer, started his day at 0530 when he was awakened by his alarm clock. Once aboard ship at 0630 he was assigned as OOD. As OOD he got the ship underway, conned the ship to the area, dived the ship and then assumed the diving/conning officer watch. Later, so that a shipmate might also have lunch with his wife, he became the Controller man for about an hour. Also later in the day, to accommodate other shipmates, he alternated as Chief of the Watch, Sonar Operator, Helmsman and Planesman. Not only did he load and shoot the flare prior to surfacing, but assisted in navigating the ship to the sea buoy, conned the ship in the channel, and made the landing, as well. His day at sea ended at 1900. But since he was the In Port Duty Officer, he and his four man duty section had batteries to charge, air, fuel and water to take on, as well as below decks and topside watches to stand. It is felt that it was clearly demonstrated to all, that the life of a T-Boat sailor is no "Picnic" but a most rewarding assignment in general. Most of the visitors were amazed at just how much their husband had to know and be able to do to call himself "Qualified in T-Class submarines". While space is limited, the officers and men of the T-Boats welcome taking to sea any submariners who might have the time to spare. Men in "T-Boats" feel that submariners, more than anyone else, would appreciate and would be pleasantly surprised at their mode of operating. They feel they could offer you a most interesting day.
On April 26, 1963 Lieutenant G.L. Graveson (left) assumed command of the USS Marlin from Lieutenant Commander C.D. Fellows at change of command ceremonies.
The keel of the USS Marlin (SST-2) was laid on May 1, 1952 at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation, Groton Conn. Marlin was launched on October 14, 1953 with Mrs. William R. DeLoach as sponsor and was placed in service on November 29 of that year. After fitting out, completion of builders trails and a short shakedown period, Marlin departed New London, Conn. in January 1954 and proceeded to her present home port of Key West, Florida. USS Marlin and her sister ship USS Mackerel are the smallest operational submarines built for the U.S. Navy since 1911. It is interesting to note that their general hull design is quite similar to that of USS Holland, the first submarine accepted by the U.S. Navy. LT George L. Graveson, Jr., USN was born in Amityville, New York on September 17, 1929. He graduated from Amityville High School and Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, Pennsylvania. LT Graveson was commissioned upon graduation from Yale University on June 8, 1953. From June 1953 to December 1954 he served aboard USS Sarasota (APA-204), from which he went to Submarine School. Following Submarine School, LT Graveson served aboard Chamagore and Odax before going to duty as instructor at the Harvard NROTC Unit in 1959. In July 1961 he reported aboard Sea Poacher and then to Spikefish as Executive Officer in October 1961. LT Graveson is married to Miss Barbara Hoeltzel of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. They reside at 1050A Halsey Drive, Key West, Florida with their three children, George, Debbie, and Cindy. LCDR Fellows commanded Marlin since June, 1962 and has been ordered to report to Commander Submarine Squadron Twelve for duty on his staff. LCDR Fellows is married to the former Miss Alix Mackie of Belfast, Northern Ireland. They reside at 1048A Halsey Drive, Key West, Florida with their five sons, James, Daniel, David, Peter and Andrew. |
| USS CHOPPER (SS-342) |
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| PIC - 1: USS Chopper (342) along side pier in front of the
Administration Building at the US Naval Base at Key West, Florida. July
1,1962 during change of command ceremonies. Captain Morgan H. Harris was
retired from military service and relieved as Commanding Officer of the
U.S. Naval Station by Captain Duncan P. Dixon Jr. PIC - 2: Vice Admiral E.W. Grenfell, Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet is shown congratulating James Allen Burden, Electricians Mate Third Class, Submarine Service, USN, on the eve of his promotion to Electricians Mate Second Class. Burden is attached to the USS Chopper (SS-342) based with Submarine Squadron Twelve at Key West, Florida.
As Admiral Grenfell passed slowly down the straight lines of submarine sailors, he stopped in front of James Burden. With a serious and critical eye he inspected Burden. Suddenly with a broad pleasant smile Admiral Grenfell extended his hand saying "Congratulations Burden, your commanding officer Tel's me you have just been promoted to second class electricians mate. When are you going to sew on another chevron?" Burden replied with visible surprise and relief, "Tomorrow night at midnight, Sir", drawing a hearty laugh from the Admiral.
The President and his entourage had reviewed the Boca Chica Naval Air Station and the City of Key West before entering the Naval Base. It was not anticipated that the President would prolong his review by visiting any of the ships. However, as the Presidential party approached the piers, the President halted the tour and left his vehicle to board the Chopper, accompanied by the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet R.L. Dennison, USN. The President boarded Chopper and chatted with the Commanding Officer, LCDR C.R. Miko, USN. Before departing from the Chopper, the President invited LCDR Miko to meet the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Maxwell C. Taylor, USA, and the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral G.W. Anderson, USN. The excitement and honor of this visit will long be remembered by the officers and crew of the USS Chopper. PIC - 3:
Lieutenant Commander Condon was born in New York City, N.Y. His family moved to O'Neill, Nebraska while he was attending high school. He attended Creighton University of Omaha prior to entering the NROTC program at the University of Nebraska. Upon graduation in 1951 he was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy, and assigned his first tour of duty on board the USS Marsh(DE-699). After tours in two surface ships, Lieutenant Commander Condon attended submarine school at New London Connecticut. Upon completion of submarine school he reported to his first submarine, the USS Ronquil (SS-396). Since that time he has served in the submarines USS Charr (SS-328), USS Remora (SS-487), and the USS Tirante (SS-420) a locally based submarine of Submarine Squadron Twelve. He has also served a tour of duty at the U.S. Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare School San Diego, California, where he was operations officer, and later submarine sonar training officer. Lieutenant Commander Condon is married to the former Diana Le Claire, daughter of Captain and Mrs. V.A. Le Clair, Dental Corps, USN (retired) of San Diego, California. The Condons have two children, Michael, age 6, and Patrick, age 3. Lieutenant Commander Miko has been ordered to report to the Air Force War College, Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama. |
| SEA CAT FULLY QUALIFIED |
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| The submarine Sea Cat began her 18th year of commissioned service May
16 as the only submarine with every man aboard wearing the submariner's
"Dolphins." Usually operating out of Key West, Fla. The Sea Cat has just
returned from the Mediterranean with the U.S. SIXTH Fleet. Twin Dolphins, the symbol of a qualified submariner, are earned by extra work and study during off-watch hours over a period of six or seven months. Every sailor aboard a submarine must earn his dolphins to stay aboard, and not everyone can. The task of qualification involves gaining a complete knowledge of every moving part throughout the submarine and a working knowledge of the submerging and surfacing techniques to be followed in any general area of the ship. When in U.S. coastal waters, the Sea Cat is under the operational command of Submarine Squadron Twelve, and the Atlantic Submarine Force. She provides training services to the Navy fleet units in Florida and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Because of the influx of new recruits, few submarines operating out of U.S. ports carry crews completely qualified as submariners. In the Mediterranean, with a static personnel level, the Sea Cat has had that opportunity and taken advantage of it. One of the Navy's most durable submersibles, the Sea Cat was commissioned May 16, 1944. She operated for the remainder of World War II in the Pacific and sank over 17,000 tons of Japanese shipping. Her present commanding officer is Lieutenant Commander Robert A. Bergs. |
| USS QUILLBACK (SS-424) |
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Captain R.A. MOORE, Commander Submarine Squadron TWELVE welcomes back LCDR R.E. MUNLY, Commanding Officer USS QUILLBACK. |
| "Control, Bridge: to the Captain, Navigator and all the
crew----------Sand Key Light in sight bearing 275, range 19 miles!" Two
hours later QUILLBACK's routine Mediterranean deployment almost ended in a
controlled disaster as LT. A.O. RIENDEAU rounded the mole at 10 knots and
pointed for pier 3 in his eagerness to reunite his crew with their
dependents once again! QUILLBACK had visited the port of Palma de Mallorca (a possession of Spain, in the Baleric Islands) for five days, 13-17 January. Palma, although expensive, allowed last minute shopping. They then traveled to Rota, Spain; arriving 22 January. There, QUILLBACK made the turnover of publications and necessary information to the submarine relieving them as a member of the SIXTH Fleet. They commenced their transit of the Atlantic on the 23 of January. |
| USS BALAO (SS-285) |
PAST - USS C-4 |
PRESENT-USS BALAO |
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C-4 in dry-dock at Balboa, Canal Zone in 1918, immediately prior to decommissioning. (See story below and compare with the nuclear submarine below.) |
| Mr. James SOUCEK, a Machinist Mate First Class in the Submarine Force
during WW-I and presently Chief of Police of Hypoluxo, Florida, fulfilled
a wish recently when he embarked in USS BALAO (SS-285) at Key West,
Florida for an orientation ride. Mr. Soucek joined the Navy in 1917, first serving in USS WISCONSIN, and volunteered for submarine duty in that year. On completion of submarine indoctrination he was assigned to USS C-4 where he qualified in five months. While in C-4 he advanced to Motor Machinist First Class. He left C-4 for a short tour at the then "coaling station" at New London, Conn. where he was assigned to the diesel shop overhauling submarine engines. He was reassigned to C-4 at Coco, Solo, Canal Zone and decommissioned her at Balboa, C.Z. BALO is a WW-II fleet type submarine attached to SubRon TWELVE at Key West, and is commanded by LCDR R.A. ANDERSON, USN. While Mr. Soucek was embarked, BALAO conducted training operations with destroyers rendering services to Fleet Sonar School in anti-submarine warfare operations. After receiving his discharge from the Navy, Mr. Soucek was employed by Westinghouse Electric Co., for a short time. He then entered the retail food business, from which he retired in 1958. He now resides in Hypoluxo with his wife. NUCLEAR SUB BARB SS(N) 596 LAUNCHED
The BARB is a submarine of the THRESHER class, one of the world's most advanced nuclear subs. When complete, the BARB will be capable of reaching submerged speeds of over 20 knots and will be equipped to fire the Navy's newest submarine weapons. |
| tirante (ss-420) MAKES 4,000th. |
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| Torpedo man Chief E.L. KASMARK, USN, who made his first dive aboard
USS TIRANTE (SS-420) as a second class torpedo man eighteen years ago,
today acted as Diving Officer and sent TIRANTE plunging into blue
Caribbean waters on her 4000th dive. As a member of the commissioning crew, Chief KASMARK saw TIRANTE's 306 feet of fighting power glide down the ways at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire on 9 August 1944. Commissioned less than three months later, under the command of LCDR George L. STREET, USN, TIRANTE departed for the Pacific. By October 1945, Captain STREET had received the Congressional Medal of Honor, and TIRANTE the Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary heroism during the first war patrol against enemy forces. After five years in reserve status, TIRANTE was selected for GUPPY conversion after the outbreak of the Korean War. Subsequently TIRANTE has deployed on extended Atlantic operations on many occasions and presently operates under the command of LCDR Wallace A. GREENE as a unit of Submarine Squadron TWELVE in Key West, Florida. In the picture above the crew dives into a cake especially prepared for the occasion by R.F. MOHL, CS1(SS), USN. Shown in the picture above are: E.L. KASMARK, TMC(SS), USN, K.S. KAMAN, EN3(SS), USN, LCDR W.A. GREENE, USN, Commanding Officer, D.R. MOWERY, TMSN, USN, R.J. FARMER, QM2(SS), USN, and J.H. McKEE, Jr., EM2(SS), USN.
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