The Ancient Submariner - A Day in the Life   (1957 - 1970)    Derek Powell

THE WIDOW MAKER

Ship's log entry 5 February 1966: we are somewhere in the Irish Sea steering a course of 270˚, on the surface, in Patrol Routine.  Sea state gale force 9 with a following sea.  Time 0925.

There are three routines at sea for a submarine - Passage Routine when the boat is on the surface, in transit, main vents mechanically locked preventing it from diving.
- Patrol Routine with the boat on the surface but opened up for diving, usually while on long distance transit from one area to another. - Dived Routine which is self-explanatory.

A submarine on the surface in a gale force 9 is not a pleasant experience, especially with a stern sea with 5 - 10 ft waves chasing it, catching it and crashing down on the after casing, forcing the stern down and the bow up so it is pitching, the bow then hits another wave which forces the bow down and the stern up.  A boat is essentially a long cylindrical pipe with a huge fin on top; the wind and waves also catch the fin like a sail causing the boat to roll heavily from side to side.  This rolling combined with the pitching gives a mean motion to corkscrew, hour after hour after hour.  It becomes very uncomfortable!

Today we are exercising with RAF jets based at RAF Ballykelly in Northern Ireland.  Their job is to locate and sink us; we are on the surface in patrol routine ready to dive and evade detection once contact is made.

The bridge watchkeeping officer is Sub Lieutenant Smith of the Royal Navy Reserve doing his naval service, similar to Territorial Army service.  His civilian occupation is as a civil engineer, specialising in the stresses and strains of concrete.  So there we have him, on the bridge, in charge of a submarine at sea in a force 9 gale.

Problems start to arise as the sea state deteriorates and the waves get bigger.  Being a stern sea the breaking waves constantly cover the entire after casing and eventually fill the fin with water to the point where the water floods the open bridge and in so doing, flips the upper conning tower hatch shut.

At the same time down in the engine room, the two massive 12,000 hp diesel engines are thundering away producing 400 rpm and propelling us through the water at 10 - 12 knots.  In order to achieve this the engines need an air supply, but the sea has just flipped the only external access shut.  Once the air from outside is cut off, the struggling engines start using the air inside the boat, which very quickly draws a vacuum causing all our eardrums to hang out like football socks.

The Engine Room Artificer quickly stops both engines using a full shut down procedure, high pressure air is released into the boat to fill the vacuum, which allows the upper hatch to be re-opened.  The engine room then goes through a lengthy stat engine sequence, before reporting 'main engines ready' to the control room.  The order is then given to start main engines and away we go again, ten minutes later another big wave breaks over us and the hatch is shut again, vacuum pulled, ear drums out, engines stopped, and so it goes on start-stop, start-stop all through the forenoon watch.

Sub-Lt Smith has a brilliant idea to solve the ongoing problem.  He orders a heaving line be sent to the bridge.  (A heaving line is a length of rope used when coming alongside to receive securing lines that secure the boat.)  The Sub-Lt then proceeds to lash the upper hatch open securing it to the bridge superstructure, thereby solving the problem.

Half an hour later, suddenly the intercom interrupts normal routine. 'Radar - Control room.  New contact, three bandits bearing 165 range 10 miles, closing fast.'

'Roger Radar' from the bridge.

The Captain leaps into the control room and yells, 'Clear the bridge, press the klaxon twice, diving stations, dive the submarine, flood Q tank, open main vents, half ahead group up, keep 100ft.'  (Q tank is a large tank fitted in the bows, floods quickly, makes the bows heavy for rapid change of depth.)

The klaxon is pressed twice, 'AHOOGAH, AHOOGAH’ and the boat starts to dive.  The bridge lookouts scramble down the tower, Q tank is flooded, the deck tilts heavily downward, the forward casing is under water, the gun is under water when there is a scream from Sub-Lt Smith who is on the bridge, 'I can't shut the upper hatch'.

The Captain instantly realises the imminent danger and yells, 'Emergency surface, shut main vents, blow all main ballast, blow Q, half ahead group up, foreplanes hard to rise.'  Pandemonium breaks out and the Boat starts to rise just as the sea starts to cascade down the tower.  The Boat is now on the surface; the jets have got us;  we are dead in the water and out of the exercise.  The Captain is not a happy man.

The Captain orders a sailor's knife to the bridge so that the Sub-Lt can cut the lashing away to free up the hatch.  While he is busy sawing his way through the heaving line the Captain orders the Diving Officer to shut the lower hatch, 'Dive the Boat No.1.'

'But Sir, what about the Sub-Lt?'

'Dive the submarine No.1, he will have the upper hatch shut, believe me.'

'Aye aye Sir, open main vents, 15 degree bow down angle, half ahead group up, periscope depth.'

In the meantime, unaware of the situation below, the Sub-Lt has cut the line and leapt into the conning tower shutting the upper hatch behind him, just as the sea starts to pour in.

The 1st Lt seeks permission to open the lower hatch to allow the Sub-Lt into the control room.

'Negative,' says the Captain, 'I'll let you know when the hatch is to be opened, go to watch diving.'

'Aye aye Sir, fall out diving stations, Blue watch, watch diving.'

So now the upper hatch is shut, so is the lower hatch and the Sub Lt is stuck in the conning tower which is about 12 feet high and only wide enough to allow one man to climb up to the bridge or back down into the control room.

As time passes the watches change, throughout the day into the evening dog watches and then into the night watches, with no order given to open the lower hatch.  The First Lieutenant is becoming concerned about the continuing incarceration of Sub Lt Smith.  He shakes the Captain, 'Sir, the time is 2300, he's been in the tower for 14 hours, permission to open the lower hatch Sir?'  The Captain comes into the control room, 'Open lower hatch.'

The hatch is opened and the Sub Lt slowly climbs down into the control room, on rubbery legs, white faced and shivering with cold.  He faces the Captain.

'Right Sub Lt Smith Royal Naval Reserve, I doubt very much if you will ever do that again, do you?'  As regards the exercise, through your stupidity we were all killed and the Boat was sunk.  You can accept the last 14 hours as summary punishment, if you do not, then I shall prepare papers for a court martial.  You will be charged with gross negligence of duty, endangering the safety of the submarine and the lives of everyone on board, do I make myself clear?'

'Yes Sir, I accept your punishment.'

'Very good, we'll say no more about it.  Go for'd and clean yourself up, tell the Coxwain to issue you with a tot of rum and then get turned in.'  'No. 1, the Sub Lt is not to be disturbed for the next 24 hours.'

'Aye aye Sir.'