Did USN Captians ever "bottom" their boats?

[Quagmire]

I have read many threads about the pros and cons (mostly cons) of bottoming your boat to achieve the ultimate in stealth. However in reality this seems like a rather risky undertaking. Our fleet boats do not have windows or bottom mapping sonar so how would you know what you are about to land on? How do you know you arent going to land on a huge rock that will bend the propeller shafts or screw up the dive planes? I'll bet you could even get stuck in the mud if you weren't careful!

Bottoming the boat seems VERY dangerous when over 1000 nm from the nearest friendly repair yard. Does anyone know if laying in wait on the bottom was actually done?

Inquiring minds want to know...
.

[-Pv-]

According to the forum search engine (and I remembered this thread) this has been contentiously discussed in the past:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=125240&highlight=bottom


-Pv-

[Torplexed]

Historically, Wreford 'Moon' Chapple bottomed the S-38 in the mud at the bottom of Lingayen Gulf not long after the war started to evade two Japanese destroyers.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_S-38_%28SS-143%29

[Doolittle81]

The Captain of U-96 bottomed his boat....(Das Boot). In the movie, at least. Seems to have an aura of accuracy, though. The real U-96 captain was an advisor on the Movie.

[Sailor Steve]

Historically, Wreford 'Moon' Chapple bottomed the S-38 in the mud at the bottom of Lingayen Gulf not long after the war started to evade two Japanese destroyers.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_S-38_%28SS-143%29 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_S-38_%28SS-143%29)

Five times, no less! And the first time it took him more than half an hour to get unstuck!
At 2130, the hunted submarine began efforts to clear by backing. During the maneuvering, her port propeller was damaged; but, by 2201 she was free and underway...