Admiral Christie and the MK 14

cj95 · 07-10-17, 06:44 PM

Working my way through Blair's phenomenal SILENT VICTORY and am just shaking my head at the stubbornness of BuOrd in general and Admiral Christie...father of the magnetic exploder in specific.

Even when Nimitz himself ordered the deactivation of the magnetic exploder Christie went his own way and kept the Fremantle boats using the old crappy setup.

I'm wondering :: In later life did Christie ever admit to his failings, or have a comment on the general failure of the early war Mk14, or did he maintain to his deathbed his contention it was all the skippers fault?

I cant find anything either way on the net.

Just wondering.

Rockin Robbins · 07-10-17, 07:39 PM

Christie was not one to question his decisions. He made them and they stood. There was no reason for him ever to comment on them again. They were done and that was it.

Christie was a very closed minded individual and should not have been promoted to his position. That was a grievous error in management.

Bubblehead1980 · 07-10-17, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cj95

Working my way through Blair's phenomenal SILENT VICTORY and am just shaking my head at the stubbornness of BuOrd in general and Admiral Christie...father of the magnetic exploder in specific.

Even when Nimitz himself ordered the deactivation of the magnetic exploder Christie went his own way and kept the Fremantle boats using the old crappy setup.

I'm wondering :: In later life did Christie ever admit to his failings, or have a comment on the general failure of the early war Mk14, or did he maintain to his deathbed his contention it was all the skippers fault?

I cant find anything either way on the net.

Just wondering.

Honestly, sounds like Christie was a nightmare to work for and his stubborn behavior on the magnetic detonator issue tells a lot about personality/ character flaws he had.

I've never read anything where he looked back and admitted he was wrong etc.

max-peck · 07-11-17, 02:55 PM

Same here

I must have read at least a dozen books about the Pacific Naval War, and have never heard of any evidence that Christie admitted he was in the wrong

Of course I am aware that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

PS
As you have said cj95, Silent Victory is a phenomenally good book

I have been interested in the US Submarine force's contribution to WW2 since I first played Silent Service 2 back in the 90's
Cannot believe it took me until this year to read Silent Victory
I would recommend it to anyone with any interest in the Pacific Submarine War

Rockin Robbins · 07-11-17, 03:49 PM

I've owned Silent Victory since 2010 and haven't read it or even looked to see if it's autographed! THAT's dereliction of duty....

max-peck · 07-11-17, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

I've owned Silent Victory since 2010 and haven't read it or even looked to see if it's autographed! THAT's dereliction of duty....

OMG RR

Read it NOW or I will throw you overboard

max-peck · 07-11-17, 04:59 PM

cj95 · 07-15-17, 03:39 PM

I appreciate the replies.

I am ashamed it has taken me to this year to read it as well. It literally has an account of almost every single torpedo fired by every single sub in the Pacific war.

To some that may be dry statistics, but Blair's writing style makes the whole thing exciting and frustrating as you feel the anguish the poor skippers had with their crappy torpedoes.

.

s7rikeback · 07-15-17, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by max-peck

OMG RR

Read it NOW or I will throw you overboard

Just ordered from Amazon Uk.

cj95 · 07-16-17, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s7rikeback

Just ordered from Amazon Uk.

Be aware there are two volumes.

Don't be an idiot like me and order two copies of Volume 2

cdrsubron7 · 07-16-17, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cj95

Be aware there are two volumes.

Don't be an idiot like me and order two copies of Volume 2

Just for the sake of conversation Silent Victory does come in one complete volume. Link is below.

Silent Victory

clayton · 07-16-17, 04:39 PM

When I was a kid, I was a WW2 nut.
Spent many a day in the library reading books, while the other kids played outside.
One day I saw this thick book with a cool submarine picture on the cover.

Never looked back since.

Rockin Robbins · 07-16-17, 04:39 PM

Mine is all one volume.

cj95 · 07-16-17, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clayton

When I was a kid, I was a WW2 nut.
Spent many a day in the library reading books, while the other kids played outside.
One day I saw this thick book with a cool submarine picture on the cover.

Never looked back since.

Very eerily similar story to my own.

I was a huge Sci Fi fan as a kid (still am) and spent most of my days browsing the library's separated Sci fi section of books.

One day while looking at a shelf, for whatever reason I turned around to see what was behind me...the general fiction section.

There I also saw a book with a cool submarine on the cover.....it was HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER.

I also never looked back.

Shawshank237 · 07-17-17, 12:13 PM

I have both the two volume hardcovers and the trade paperback with both volumes.

I also have Theodore Roscoe's United States Submarine Operations in WWII in hardcover and the paperback version titled Pig Boats. I picked the hardcover up at a used book store and inside the front cover is:

W.E. Dodd
U.S.S. Greenfish (SS 351)

And a the next page is inscribed:

To Val Dodd
on his 13th Birthday!
When you are old enough I hope you can begine where I will leave off.
Your Brother
Pete
January 4th 1957

07-10-17, 06:44 PM	#1
cj95 Lieutenant Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 258 Downloads: 141 Uploads: 0	Admiral Christie and the MK 14 Working my way through Blair's phenomenal SILENT VICTORY and am just shaking my head at the stubbornness of BuOrd in general and Admiral Christie...father of the magnetic exploder in specific. Even when Nimitz himself ordered the deactivation of the magnetic exploder Christie went his own way and kept the Fremantle boats using the old crappy setup. I'm wondering :: In later life did Christie ever admit to his failings, or have a comment on the general failure of the early war Mk14, or did he maintain to his deathbed his contention it was all the skippers fault? I cant find anything either way on the net. Just wondering. __________________ . >> USS TEXAS BB-35 Restoration CrewMember <<

07-10-17, 07:39 PM	#2
Rockin Robbins Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: DeLand, FL Posts: 8,899 Downloads: 135 Uploads: 52	Christie was not one to question his decisions. He made them and they stood. There was no reason for him ever to comment on them again. They were done and that was it. Christie was a very closed minded individual and should not have been promoted to his position. That was a grievous error in management. __________________ Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks, Slightly Subnuclear Mk 14 & Cutie, Slightly Subnuclear Deck Gun, EZPlot 2.0, TMOPlot, TMOKeys, SH4CMS

07-11-17, 02:55 PM	#4
max-peck Grey Wolf Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: UK Posts: 752 Downloads: 393 Uploads: 0	Same here I must have read at least a dozen books about the Pacific Naval War, and have never heard of any evidence that Christie admitted he was in the wrong Of course I am aware that absence of evidence is not evidence of absence PS As you have said cj95, Silent Victory is a phenomenally good book I have been interested in the US Submarine force's contribution to WW2 since I first played Silent Service 2 back in the 90's Cannot believe it took me until this year to read Silent Victory I would recommend it to anyone with any interest in the Pacific Submarine War __________________ -------------------------------------------------- Authority should derive from the consent of the governed, not from the threat of force If the only tool you have is a hammer, pretty soon everything starts to look like a nail FOTRS Ultimate http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=226270 The future of SH4 - coming to a PC near you soon

07-11-17, 03:49 PM	#5
Rockin Robbins Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: DeLand, FL Posts: 8,899 Downloads: 135 Uploads: 52	I've owned Silent Victory since 2010 and haven't read it or even looked to see if it's autographed! THAT's dereliction of duty.... __________________ Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks, Slightly Subnuclear Mk 14 & Cutie, Slightly Subnuclear Deck Gun, EZPlot 2.0, TMOPlot, TMOKeys, SH4CMS

07-11-17, 04:59 PM	#7
max-peck Grey Wolf Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: UK Posts: 752 Downloads: 393 Uploads: 0	__________________ -------------------------------------------------- Authority should derive from the consent of the governed, not from the threat of force If the only tool you have is a hammer, pretty soon everything starts to look like a nail FOTRS Ultimate http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=226270 The future of SH4 - coming to a PC near you soon

07-15-17, 03:39 PM	#8
cj95 Lieutenant Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 258 Downloads: 141 Uploads: 0	I appreciate the replies. I am ashamed it has taken me to this year to read it as well. It literally has an account of almost every single torpedo fired by every single sub in the Pacific war. To some that may be dry statistics, but Blair's writing style makes the whole thing exciting and frustrating as you feel the anguish the poor skippers had with their crappy torpedoes. . __________________ . >> USS TEXAS BB-35 Restoration CrewMember <<

07-16-17, 04:39 PM	#12
clayton Samurai Navy Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: At your mom's house... Posts: 567 Downloads: 179 Uploads: 0	When I was a kid, I was a WW2 nut. Spent many a day in the library reading books, while the other kids played outside. One day I saw this thick book with a cool submarine picture on the cover. Never looked back since. __________________ Active member of the 'Church of SH4'

07-16-17, 04:39 PM	#13
Rockin Robbins Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: DeLand, FL Posts: 8,899 Downloads: 135 Uploads: 52	Mine is all one volume. __________________ Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks, Slightly Subnuclear Mk 14 & Cutie, Slightly Subnuclear Deck Gun, EZPlot 2.0, TMOPlot, TMOKeys, SH4CMS

07-17-17, 12:13 PM	#15
Shawshank237 Swabbie Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 7 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	I have both the two volume hardcovers and the trade paperback with both volumes. I also have Theodore Roscoe's United States Submarine Operations in WWII in hardcover and the paperback version titled Pig Boats. I picked the hardcover up at a used book store and inside the front cover is: W.E. Dodd U.S.S. Greenfish (SS 351) And a the next page is inscribed: To Val Dodd on his 13th Birthday! When you are old enough I hope you can begine where I will leave off. Your Brother Pete January 4th 1957 __________________ *Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.*