My Brush with Blind Mans Bluff

[XLjedi]

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: :huh:

...and then the game started.

[JetSnake]

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

[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.

[TLAM Strike]

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... :doh:

[TLAM Strike]

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. :yep:

[XLjedi]

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... :doh:

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]

Here she is pulling into Mare Island circa 1991:

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/7840/laclassboat002dt2.jpg

Here's what I flew while taking this picture:

http://img154.imageshack.us/img154/5904/sovietflag001aa3.jpg
Shot at 2007-07-12
Shot at 2007-07-12

[lesrae]

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

[torpedochief]

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 (http://www.oficeandsteel.com)


Don

[Ishmael]

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.

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/1295/scottberetqn3.jpg
Shot at 2007-09-11

[jmr]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[Kapitan]

Im more intrested in what the crews feelings were like on board them boats, and why they built so many.
Im intrested in the accidents and how they could have been avoided.

But some of the russian missions have been whackey.

[swdw]

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.

But Aaronblodd, it's a funny comment because it's true. I figured that was why you wrote it. The sound signatures we had on Russian subs that they never knew we got are very impressive.

Yes once in a while, we'd get tailed, but the vast majority of the time, we were doing the tailing.

The one stat that surprised me in the book was the number of collisions betewen US and Soviet subs. I personally knew of 3 while I was in from people I knew on those boats, but had no idea the total number was as high as it was. I think the book says something like 18 in 21 years.

Just wish they hadn't spent so much time on the Glomar Explorer in the book. That part drug out wayyy too long.

[sonar732]

It was great to be able to drive by the Parche's dock while stationed at Bangor. Not to mention "driving by" it while on our way for the 'drive and dive' evolution in Dabob Bay. :up: :up: :rock:

[sonar732]

I had a few buddies of mine get stationed aboard her right after STS school. They were so excited as they knew exactly what it ment for their careers. Too bad I was freshly married at the time as it 'hindered' my career choices from two great opportunities.

It was great to be able to drive by the Parche's dock while stationed at Bangor. Not to mention "driving by" it while on our way for the 'drive and dive' evolution in Dabob Bay. :up: :up: :rock: