Why a broom on a real sub?

[BaronVonSchnitzel]

This weekend my wife and I went to San Francisco for a getaway. We toured the USS Pampanito, a WWII American Baloa class sub docked at Fisherman's wharf.

(The web page is http://www.maritime.org/pamphome.htm).

Here's my question: I noticed an inverted broom mounted high on the conning tower. What is the significance of this? :hmm:

I'll bet it's an interesting story whatever it is.

Thanks as always for your expertise, folks.


Edit: Actually...just checking out the web site...there's a lot of cool stuff there, including a WWII sub training manual!

[Dowly]

http://www.maritime.org/tour/img/tpier.jpg

Edit: Ah, blind me! Taken from the site:

Broom: When a crew returned from a successful war patrol and had "swept the seas clear of the enemy," they would attach a broom to the periscopes as they entered port.

[BaronVonSchnitzel]

http://www.maritime.org/tour/img/tpier.jpg

WTH!? :rotfl:

Thanks Dowly....yup, that's it!

[BaronVonSchnitzel]

OK...the question everyone will want to know. Who will mod this into SHIII? :rotfl: :rotfl:

[Depth Charge Dodger]

It is one of these, and I think it depends on the nationality and timeframe(WWII vs modern) as to which one is true.


If every torp fired sinks a ship, that is a 'clean sweep'.

If every target engaged is sunk(regardless of torps fired), same as above.

[The Avon Lady]

Yes, I was thinking along the lines of a mine sweeper.
:help:

[Ducimus]

Here's my question: I noticed an inverted broom mounted high on the conning tower. What is the significance of this? :hmm:



A "clean sweep". As in you swept the sea's clean. This practice was done on US subs after a very successful patrol.

[coronas]

It´s a tradition in Netherland subs in WWII. British and US submarines folow the tradition. After a sucesfull mission, the broom on top was "all clean"

[JScones]

I watched the 1943 movie "Crash Dive" the other day. This tradition was featured when the US sub "USS Corsair" returned to base after one of its successful patrols (it sank a Q-boat). The question was asked in the movie what the broom signified, and "clean sweep" was the response.

Not an overly realistic film BTW (submarine crewmen doubling as Commandos???) - indeed it's up there with U-571 and Pearl Harbour for American flag waving, but considering it was released in 1943, it's totally forgiven. ;) Watch it if you get a chance! :)

[Sonoboy]

I remember staying overnight on that sub. It was a boy scout thing several years ago. This other guy and I were in the engine room. He pushed forward on one of the control thingies for the engine (must have been the electric engine), found out it still works. He quickly put it back to all stop, and we looked around to make sure nobody else heard the noise, hehe.

Was fun looking through the UZO trying to spot babes in the city :)

[Kalach]

Good thing I'm not a submariner, I would of used it for the same purpose one normally uses a broom for :88)

[ref]

I´ve seen in a movie (I cant´t remember wich) the crew testing for
a flooding with a broom stick, the presure was so high it cut it
like a saw.

[wetwarev7]

(The web page is http://www.maritime.org/pamphome.htm).

Edit: Actually...just checking out the web site...there's a lot of cool stuff there, including a WWII sub training manual!

Just checked out the virtual tour, it's awesome! :up:

[Driftwood]

Great Site! :up:

[Trav_R]

I´ve seen in a movie (I cant´t remember wich) the crew testing for
a flooding with a broom stick, the presure was so high it cut it
like a saw.

They still do it today, and it's to check for leaks in high pressure steam lines.

[don1reed]

Capt. Dudley "Mush" Walker Morton, CO USS Wahoo, I believe, was the first to implement the use of the straw broom lashed to her periscope sheers to indicate a clean sweep. 7 FEB 43.
See Silent Victory by Clair Blair p.385.

Happy St. Nickolas Day.

[HMCS]

I would prefer the U-Boat tonnage pennants; raise your night periscope and fly a pennant showing your kills and tonnage.

http://ahoy.tk-jk.net/MoreImages6/U-BoatComesHome.jpg

[Shadow9216]

The US Navy had a similar process- they flew the ship's battle flag, with one smaller flag for every ship sunk. Red hinomaru on a white background for merchants, a rising sun for warships. This was done regardless of the clean sweep broom.

[lesrae]

The RN version is the Jolly Roger, flown after a successful patrol. The last time it was used was by HMS TURBULENT after returning from the Persian Gulf in 2003.

If I remember correctly it originated with Max Horton who flew one after Sir Arthur Wilson said that submariners should be hung as pirates.

[applesthecat]

No, the broom is up there inverted to keep it as far away from the water as possible. Ever tried to use a wet straw broom? :P

[Raus]

No, the broom is up there inverted to keep it as far away from the water as possible. Ever tried to use a wet straw broom? :P

hehehe

[CWorth]

An old topic but I did not know they still used the broom in the modern submarine fleet...

BREMERTON, Wash. (NNS) -- USS Ohio (SSGN 726), the Navy’s first modern guided-missile submarine, took a significant step towards rejoining the fleet Dec. 19, when it arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash., with a broom atop its sail to signify its clean sweep of the ship’s initial sea trials.

http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=21499

[Ducimus]

I could be mistaken but iremember reading somewhere UK submariners have a similar tradition with the Jolly Rodger.

[Steeltrap]

Capt. Dudley "Mush" Walker Morton, CO USS Wahoo, I believe, was the first to implement the use of the straw broom lashed to her periscope sheers to indicate a clean sweep. 7 FEB 43.
See Silent Victory by Clair Blair p.385.

Happy St. Nickolas Day.

Correct - from "Wahoo - The Patrols of America's Most Famous WWII Submarine" [Richard H O'Kane, 1987, Presidio Press]:

"The crew had not had time to make up a flag or pennant decorated with red meatballs or rising suns to designate merchantmen or warships sunk. But some prophetic hand had borrowed one of the large Australian brooms [note - Wahoo had left for this patrol from Brisbane, Australia] used to sweep the dock, and the captain had Lindhe tape it to the very top of the attack scope with bristles up. It told the whole story - a clean sweep - and raised high above restricted radar and such, it quickly became the most photographed broom in the world" p171