My Brush with Blind Mans Bluff

XLjedi · 09-05-07, 10:38 PM

So I got this buddy at work... we've also been playin softball together for a number of years...

I happen to wander into his office one day and notice a picture of a sub on his wall and some other sub-ish stuff around his office to suggest he may have served on a sub. Having some interest, I ask and he acknowledges, yes he served on a sub and he mentions the name of the boat which didn't register.

I mention I've read a number of books on WWII subs. He immediately responds, "You have to go read Blind Mans Bluff." This was probably 4-6 months ago at least...

Time passes, I finally get around to picking up a few new books, oh hey look there's Blind Mans Bluff, I'll have to get that one.

Read it cover-to-cover in like 3 sittings. Great book! ...and a tad scary to learn how much risk was being taken in the cold war era.

So I catch up with him on the field at the softball game this past week...

me: "Hey, I read that book you recommended. Good book, scary stuff. So tell me again which sub was it that you served on?"

friend: "I was on the Parche."

me: "Really! Wow, what did you do? We're you involved in any of that spook stuff."

friend: "Yeah, pretty much all of it... I was an Info Ofcr, Spook/Russian Linguist."

me:

...and then the game started.

JetSnake · 09-06-07, 09:38 PM

Cool story. That is one of the best cold war sub books IMHO.

Kapitan · 09-07-07, 11:38 AM

I have red the book its good but its mainly all american sided not russian, i think they should write from the otherside as well so we get a picture of what both side thought and saw.

TLAM Strike · 09-07-07, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronblood

I ask and he acknowledges, yes he served on a sub and he mentions the name of the boat which didn't register.

...

I mention I've read a number of books on WWII subs.

...

friend: "I was on the Parche."

Hmmm I guess the WWII books you read didn't mention the USS Parche SS-384, USS Parche SSN-683's (your Friends boat) namesake and one of the most highly decorated submarines in the USN durring the war, commanded by MoH recpent Lt. Cmr. Lawson P. "Red" Ramage. Your friend might be on to something I don't think you've been reading the right books...

TLAM Strike · 09-07-07, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kapitan

I have red the book its good but its mainly all american sided not russian, i think they should write from the otherside as well so we get a picture of what both side thought and saw.

Rising Tide did an ok job being the BMB for the Russian side IMHO.

XLjedi · 09-07-07, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Hmmm I guess the WWII books you read didn't mention the USS Parche SS-384, USS Parche SSN-683's (your Friends boat) namesake and one of the most highly decorated submarines in the USN durring the war, commanded by MoH recpent Lt. Cmr. Lawson P. "Red" Ramage. Your friend might be on to something I don't think you've been reading the right books...

I've read a lot of books... Probably more on the uboats than the pacific. In the Pacific I've read about the Halibut, Wahoo, Tang, and Barb. I haven't read a book related to the Parche yet.

Ishmael · 09-07-07, 04:55 PM

Here she is pulling into Mare Island circa 1991:

Here's what I flew while taking this picture:

Shot at 2007-07-12
Shot at 2007-07-12

lesrae · 09-07-07, 05:39 PM

OT: Ishmael, is that the Scott clan badge on your cap?

torpedochief · 09-07-07, 07:06 PM

I to had a brush with Blind Man's Bluff. Take a look at the picture of the three 637 class boats surfaced at the North Pole.

I was on USS RAY SSN 653 (the boat in the center.) That is the very place and day where I got the idea for the novel OF ICE AND STEEL.

On my website I have a few pictures from the surfacing, even one of Santa Clause.

www.oficeandsteel.com

Don

Ishmael · 09-11-07, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lesrae

OT: Ishmael, is that the Scott clan badge on your cap?

It is. I wear my name upon my brow for those that have the wit to see it.

Shot at 2007-09-11

jmr · 09-23-07, 01:49 PM

I've been playing a lot of Dangerous Waters lately . . . starting to take an interest in the nuke boats and passive TMA. Anyway I've heard a lot about this book and so yesterday I took a trip down to the library and checked out a copy. Goddamn riveting stuff.

Kazuaki Shimazaki II · 09-24-07, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kapitan

I have red the book its good but its mainly all american sided not russian, i think they should write from the otherside as well so we get a picture of what both side thought and saw.

The closest you'd get is Gary Weir's Rising Tide (or something like that. Only does the Russian side, but that's understandable - if you include American and Russian versions of a story to an American audience, the Russian version might as well not be there...

XLjedi · 09-24-07, 07:39 AM

OK... here's the Russian side...

"Oh, you mean a sub was following me?"
:rotfl:

But seriously, I'd buy a book on the Russian side of blind mans bluff. Same as I'd buy a whole bunch of books about German U-Boats.

I think one of the funniest quotes from the Russian side in BMB was when the Russian Admiral told his US counterpart that he could track the position of all of his subs by locating our P3's.

Kazuaki Shimazaki II · 09-24-07, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronblood

OK... here's the Russian side...

"Oh, you mean a sub was following me?"

You just enunciated the reason why we can't include any American testimony with the Russian.

XLjedi · 09-24-07, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kazuaki Shimazaki II

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronblood

OK... here's the Russian side...

"Oh, you mean a sub was following me?"

You just enunciated the reason why we can't include any American testimony with the Russian.

...and you can't spot a joke even when there's a little rolling smiley face under it.

09-05-07, 10:38 PM	#1
XLjedi Ace of the Deep Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Palm Beach, Florida Posts: 1,200 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 8	My Brush with Blind Mans Bluff So I got this buddy at work... we've also been playin softball together for a number of years... I happen to wander into his office one day and notice a picture of a sub on his wall and some other sub-ish stuff around his office to suggest he may have served on a sub. Having some interest, I ask and he acknowledges, yes he served on a sub and he mentions the name of the boat which didn't register. I mention I've read a number of books on WWII subs. He immediately responds, "You have to go read Blind Mans Bluff." This was probably 4-6 months ago at least... Time passes, I finally get around to picking up a few new books, oh hey look there's Blind Mans Bluff, I'll have to get that one. Read it cover-to-cover in like 3 sittings. Great book! ...and a tad scary to learn how much risk was being taken in the cold war era. So I catch up with him on the field at the softball game this past week... me: "Hey, I read that book you recommended. Good book, scary stuff. So tell me again which sub was it that you served on?" friend: "I was on the Parche." me: "Really! Wow, what did you do? We're you involved in any of that spook stuff." friend: "Yeah, pretty much all of it... I was an Info Ofcr, Spook/Russian Linguist." me: ...and then the game started. __________________ Last edited by XLjedi; 09-05-07 at 10:53 PM.

09-07-07, 11:38 AM	#3
Kapitan Sub Test Pilot Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK + Canada Posts: 7,090 Downloads: 68 Uploads: 7	I have red the book its good but its mainly all american sided not russian, i think they should write from the otherside as well so we get a picture of what both side thought and saw. __________________ DONT FORGET if you like a post to nominate it by using the blue diamond Find out about Museum Ships here: https://www.museumships.us/ Flickr for all my pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/ Navy general board articles: https://www.navygeneralboard.com/author/aegis/

09-07-07, 05:39 PM	#8
lesrae Grey Wolf Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Somerset, UK. Posts: 931 Downloads: 31 Uploads: 0	OT: Ishmael, is that the Scott clan badge on your cap? __________________ DOLPHIN 38

09-07-07, 07:06 PM	#9
torpedochief Seaman Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Charleston SC Posts: 31 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Blind Man's Bluff I to had a brush with Blind Man's Bluff. Take a look at the picture of the three 637 class boats surfaced at the North Pole. I was on USS RAY SSN 653 (the boat in the center.) That is the very place and day where I got the idea for the novel OF ICE AND STEEL. On my website I have a few pictures from the surfacing, even one of Santa Clause. www.oficeandsteel.com Don __________________ Author of OF ICE AND STEEL

09-24-07, 07:39 AM	#13
XLjedi Ace of the Deep Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Palm Beach, Florida Posts: 1,200 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 8	OK... here's the Russian side... "Oh, you mean a sub was following me?" :rotfl: But seriously, I'd buy a book on the Russian side of blind mans bluff. Same as I'd buy a whole bunch of books about German U-Boats. I think one of the funniest quotes from the Russian side in BMB was when the Russian Admiral told his US counterpart that he could track the position of all of his subs by locating our P3's. __________________

09-06-07, 09:38 PM	#2
JetSnake Navy Dude Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 176 Downloads: 12 Uploads: 0	Cool story. That is one of the best cold war sub books IMHO.

09-07-07, 04:55 PM	#7
Ishmael Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Morro Bay, Ca. Posts: 659 Downloads: 79 Uploads: 0	Here she is pulling into Mare Island circa 1991: Here's what I flew while taking this picture: Shot at 2007-07-12 Shot at 2007-07-12

09-23-07, 01:49 PM	#11
jmr Commander Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 462 Downloads: 62 Uploads: 0	I've been playing a lot of Dangerous Waters lately . . . starting to take an interest in the nuke boats and passive TMA. Anyway I've heard a lot about this book and so yesterday I took a trip down to the library and checked out a copy. Goddamn riveting stuff.