Re-Qualify for new subs?

cj95 · 07-16-17, 11:13 AM

Historical question....

My captain just got bumped from his old S-Boat to a brand new.....er....less ancient Salmon class boat.

Im just wondering, historically how did the sub qualification process work under such procedures?

While most of the fleet boats are similar enough to make the jump fairly easy, the jump from S-Boat to fleet boat has got to be a whole new world.

The thing is, according to my reading it happened fairly frequently in the early war as non aggressive fleet captains were replaced by aggressive S-boaters.

Do you have to re-qualify?

cj95 · 07-17-17, 12:07 AM

Wow...no answers? I stumped the chumps!

Fortunately I ran across my own answer in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8DxhS8wpoI][/url]

About the 44 minute mark one of the veterans mentions the fact that indeed one had to re-qualify aboard every ship even if the ship was of the same class from the same shipyard.

Makes sense in hindsight I guess as no two ships were 100% identical.

.

Moonlight · 07-17-17, 07:48 AM

Talking about chumps old bean you should make sure that any youtube links that you post actually work.

CaptBones · 07-17-17, 10:22 AM

It depends on what you mean by "qualify" to start with. It is also very different with respect to the specific circumstances of a Commanding Officer of one boat taking command of a new boat.

"Qualified in Submarines" means just that...qualified to wear the dolphins and to serve aboard any boat (and to collect the additional pay that goes with that qualification).

"Qualified" to fill a specific billet and stand watches aboard a specific boat is different...you have to re-qualify for those each time you report for duty in a new boat (new to you, not necessarily new construction).

On the other hand, a Commanding Officer is "Qualified to Command" just once...and that happens when he gets selected for Command, attends PCO (Prospective Commanding Officer) School and successfully completes his first tour in Command. Normally...meaning in peacetime...a CO will leave one boat and take command of another (bigger - better) boat after an intervening tour in a shore duty billet and after going to PCO school again to get some "refresher" training/education in the specifics of his new boat.

But, in the dark days of WWII, that didn't always happen. A successful "Sugar Boat" skipper could "Fleet Up" to a "new" boat with not much more than a hand-shake from the ISIC (Immediate Superior in the Chain of Command) and the Operational Commander (COMSUBPAC or COMSUBSOWESPAC). There was no re-qualification required beyond a "PCO Patrol" in his new boat before taking command. See Part 3, Chapter 2 of "Wahoo..." by Dick O'Kane.

cj95 · 07-17-17, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CaptBones

There was no re-qualification required beyond a "PCO Patrol" in his new boat before taking command. .

A PCO patrol between commands? Did they have time for that?

I don't see this mentioned in Blair, but maybe that's because Im thinking about the dark early days of the war when people like Coe, and Moon Chapple jumped from Sugar boats to Fleet.

CaptBones · 07-17-17, 06:24 PM

They certainly did make time for that. Even in the darkest days of 1942, there are some things that they just would not risk. Putting someone, even a very good someone, on a different boat and sending him out without an opportunity to learn about that boat and crew first, would have been bad form; perhaps to the point of losing him and the boat.

Plus, any submarine squadron commander who would put a new CO in place without a PCO patrol would lose his own job very quickly.

vamac53 · 08-10-17, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moonlight

Talking about chumps old bean you should make sure that any youtube links that you post actually work.

PLAYED FINE FOR ME

vamac53 · 08-10-17, 01:02 PM

video played fine for me.

thanks

07-16-17, 11:13 AM	#1
cj95 Lieutenant Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 258 Downloads: 141 Uploads: 0	Re-Qualify for new subs? Historical question.... My captain just got bumped from his old S-Boat to a brand new.....er....less ancient Salmon class boat. Im just wondering, historically how did the sub qualification process work under such procedures? While most of the fleet boats are similar enough to make the jump fairly easy, the jump from S-Boat to fleet boat has got to be a whole new world. The thing is, according to my reading it happened fairly frequently in the early war as non aggressive fleet captains were replaced by aggressive S-boaters. Do you have to re-qualify? __________________ . >> USS TEXAS BB-35 Restoration CrewMember <<

07-17-17, 12:07 AM	#2
cj95 Lieutenant Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 258 Downloads: 141 Uploads: 0	Wow...no answers? I stumped the chumps! Fortunately I ran across my own answer in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8DxhS8wpoI][/url] About the 44 minute mark one of the veterans mentions the fact that indeed one had to re-qualify aboard every ship even if the ship was of the same class from the same shipyard. Makes sense in hindsight I guess as no two ships were 100% identical. . __________________ . >> USS TEXAS BB-35 Restoration CrewMember <<

07-17-17, 07:48 AM	#3
Moonlight Admiral Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Fookhall Copse Posts: 2,125 Downloads: 184 Uploads: 0	Talking about chumps old bean you should make sure that any youtube links that you post actually work. __________________

07-17-17, 10:22 AM	#4
CaptBones The Old Man Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Rockton, IL Posts: 274 Downloads: 208 Uploads: 0	Not quite true... It depends on what you mean by "qualify" to start with. It is also very different with respect to the specific circumstances of a Commanding Officer of one boat taking command of a new boat. "Qualified in Submarines" means just that...qualified to wear the dolphins and to serve aboard any boat (and to collect the additional pay that goes with that qualification). "Qualified" to fill a specific billet and stand watches aboard a specific boat is different...you have to re-qualify for those each time you report for duty in a new boat (new to you, not necessarily new construction). On the other hand, a Commanding Officer is "Qualified to Command" just once...and that happens when he gets selected for Command, attends PCO (Prospective Commanding Officer) School and successfully completes his first tour in Command. Normally...meaning in peacetime...a CO will leave one boat and take command of another (bigger - better) boat after an intervening tour in a shore duty billet and after going to PCO school again to get some "refresher" training/education in the specifics of his new boat. But, in the dark days of WWII, that didn't always happen. A successful "Sugar Boat" skipper could "Fleet Up" to a "new" boat with not much more than a hand-shake from the ISIC (Immediate Superior in the Chain of Command) and the Operational Commander (COMSUBPAC or COMSUBSOWESPAC). There was no re-qualification required beyond a "PCO Patrol" in his new boat before taking command. See Part 3, Chapter 2 of "Wahoo..." by Dick O'Kane.

07-17-17, 06:24 PM	#6
CaptBones The Old Man Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Rockton, IL Posts: 274 Downloads: 208 Uploads: 0	Yes They certainly did make time for that. Even in the darkest days of 1942, there are some things that they just would not risk. Putting someone, even a very good someone, on a different boat and sending him out without an opportunity to learn about that boat and crew first, would have been bad form; perhaps to the point of losing him and the boat. Plus, any submarine squadron commander who would put a new CO in place without a PCO patrol would lose his own job very quickly.

08-10-17, 01:02 PM	#8
vamac53 Sailor man Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 47 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	video played fine for me. thanks