U.S.S. Pampanito-Anyone seen it?

captainFlunky · 04-17-07, 08:34 PM

I'm a long time lurker at these forums and now feel compelled to register after touring the USS Pampanito at San Francisco. I'm out on a business trip and skived off work this afternoon to visit this museum sub due to my SH addiction and all I can say is Wow! What an experience! Seeing and being on board a WWII fleet sub is something that any sub enthusiast would relish. I'd like to know how many of you have had the opportunity to see a boat first hand and what your impressions were.

I was struck by how large it seemed from the exterior and how tiny even a relatively large fleet boat seemed inside. I was in the U.S. army for 5 years as an infantryman with combat experience in Panama in '89 and the First Gulf War in a M2 Bradley as a dismount and I thought THAT was camped but it doesn't even come close to the claustraphobia of being on board a sub. I gained a whole new respect for the men who spent weeks on these boats, the level of motivation must have been amazing.

And after playing SH4 for an unseemly amount of time, when I entered the control room I said to myself "Huh...these is really familiar...where's my crew?"

If anyone can recommend any other museum boats that are out there, I'd love to here what you thought of them.

Cheers,

Captain Flunky

Gino · 04-17-07, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by captainFlunky

If anyone can recommend any other museum boats that are out there, I'd love to here what you thought of them.

Come and see USS Cod in Cleveland. Starting from May we're open.

Visit us in the mean time on www.usscod.org

groetjes,

richoahu · 04-17-07, 08:45 PM

the Bowfin here in Hawaii is amazing as well. it is kept in top shape. it is a Balao class sub.

here is a link about it:

http://www.bowfin.org/website/bowfin...n_frameset.htm

LZ_Baker · 04-17-07, 08:58 PM

Sometime this summer I'm grabing my grandfather's digital camera and going to Battleship Cove. I drive over the bridge ever day.

http://www.battleshipcove.org/

Chock · 04-17-07, 09:07 PM

Currently closed but hopefully open for tours again at some point in the future, Type IX German U-Boat, U534, is the only sub I've ever been inside, but I have to say it was a unique experience in more ways than one, given that U534 was sunk and subsequently raised from the sea bed many years later.

This is not something that can generally happen, but since it was not classified as a war grave, it was okay to be salvaged. U534 is actually in remarkably good shape inside, with many personal items and original spares still in place. And yes, it is very cramped inside.

If you're interested in U-Boats, this site is well worth a look:

http://www.bignotion.co.uk/~kemble/uboat534.html

JRT · 04-17-07, 09:15 PM

http://www.w5blt.com/Pampanito/Pampanito2007.htm
Online they tracked her 'Re-Fit'.

Jeff

mookiemookie · 04-17-07, 09:16 PM

Helped load torpedoes into the Cavalla with Onkel Neal back in February. She's in a bit rougher shape than the Pampanito, and she was refitted after WW2 in the 1950s into a hunter/killer but it was absolutely awesome.

http://public.fotki.com/mookiemookie...-torpedo-load/

www.cavalla.org

Aimbot · 04-17-07, 09:33 PM

If you're ever in Charleston, South Carolina, you might want to visit Patriot's Point. They've got a Baleo, the Clamagore, but it's kind of dwarfed by the Sumner class destroyer and the Yorktown, of course an Essex, which are less than 75 feet away. Oh, and a Cutter, later used as a Coast Gard vessel, and 23 aircraft, including a Corsair, Dauntless, Wildcat and an Avenger. My museum beats your museums.

LZ_Baker · 04-18-07, 05:03 PM

Battleship Cove has the only original PT boats, so there

jhelix70 · 04-18-07, 05:16 PM

I saw the papinito earlier this year, it was a great experience. I am moving to near cleveland this summer so I'll have to pay the Cod a visit!!

Bilge_Rat · 04-18-07, 05:22 PM

I visited the Bowfin when I was in Pearl a few years back. I was surprised by how tight everything was, hard to believe 80 men could live in there for 60 days.

If I ever get to Chicago, I would love to visit the U-505.

04-17-07, 08:34 PM	#1
captainFlunky Watch Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 27 Downloads: 72 Uploads: 0	U.S.S. Pampanito-Anyone seen it? I'm a long time lurker at these forums and now feel compelled to register after touring the USS Pampanito at San Francisco. I'm out on a business trip and skived off work this afternoon to visit this museum sub due to my SH addiction and all I can say is Wow! What an experience! Seeing and being on board a WWII fleet sub is something that any sub enthusiast would relish. I'd like to know how many of you have had the opportunity to see a boat first hand and what your impressions were. I was struck by how large it seemed from the exterior and how tiny even a relatively large fleet boat seemed inside. I was in the U.S. army for 5 years as an infantryman with combat experience in Panama in '89 and the First Gulf War in a M2 Bradley as a dismount and I thought THAT was camped but it doesn't even come close to the claustraphobia of being on board a sub. I gained a whole new respect for the men who spent weeks on these boats, the level of motivation must have been amazing. And after playing SH4 for an unseemly amount of time, when I entered the control room I said to myself "Huh...these is really familiar...where's my crew?" If anyone can recommend any other museum boats that are out there, I'd love to here what you thought of them. Cheers, Captain Flunky

04-17-07, 08:58 PM	#4
LZ_Baker Engineer Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Boston Posts: 213 Downloads: 51 Uploads: 0	Sometime this summer I'm grabing my grandfather's digital camera and going to Battleship Cove. I drive over the bridge ever day. http://www.battleshipcove.org/ __________________

04-17-07, 09:16 PM	#7
mookiemookie Navy Seal Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 9,404 Downloads: 105 Uploads: 1	Helped load torpedoes into the Cavalla with Onkel Neal back in February. She's in a bit rougher shape than the Pampanito, and she was refitted after WW2 in the 1950s into a hunter/killer but it was absolutely awesome. http://public.fotki.com/mookiemookie...-torpedo-load/ www.cavalla.org __________________ They don’t think it be like it is, but it do. Want more U-boat Kaleun portraits for your SH3 Commander Profiles? Download the SH3 Commander Portrait Pack here.

04-17-07, 09:33 PM	#8
Aimbot Medic Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 160 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	If you're ever in Charleston, South Carolina, you might want to visit Patriot's Point. They've got a Baleo, the Clamagore, but it's kind of dwarfed by the Sumner class destroyer and the Yorktown, of course an Essex, which are less than 75 feet away. Oh, and a Cutter, later used as a Coast Gard vessel, and 23 aircraft, including a Corsair, Dauntless, Wildcat and an Avenger. My museum beats your museums. __________________

04-18-07, 05:03 PM	#9
LZ_Baker Engineer Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Boston Posts: 213 Downloads: 51 Uploads: 0	Battleship Cove has the only original PT boats, so there __________________

04-17-07, 08:45 PM	#3
richoahu Sailor man Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 44 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	the Bowfin here in Hawaii is amazing as well. it is kept in top shape. it is a Balao class sub. here is a link about it: http://www.bowfin.org/website/bowfin...n_frameset.htm

04-17-07, 09:07 PM	#5
Chock Sea Lord Join Date: May 2005 Location: Under a thermal layer in chilly Olde England Posts: 1,842 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Currently closed but hopefully open for tours again at some point in the future, Type IX German U-Boat, U534, is the only sub I've ever been inside, but I have to say it was a unique experience in more ways than one, given that U534 was sunk and subsequently raised from the sea bed many years later. This is not something that can generally happen, but since it was not classified as a war grave, it was okay to be salvaged. U534 is actually in remarkably good shape inside, with many personal items and original spares still in place. And yes, it is very cramped inside. If you're interested in U-Boats, this site is well worth a look: http://www.bignotion.co.uk/~kemble/uboat534.html

04-17-07, 09:15 PM	#6
JRT Seaman Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 31 Downloads: 18 Uploads: 0	http://www.w5blt.com/Pampanito/Pampanito2007.htm Online they tracked her 'Re-Fit'. Jeff

04-18-07, 05:16 PM	#10
jhelix70 Sparky Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 152 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	I saw the papinito earlier this year, it was a great experience. I am moving to near cleveland this summer so I'll have to pay the Cod a visit!!

04-18-07, 05:22 PM	#11
Bilge_Rat Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: standing watch... Posts: 3,855 Downloads: 344 Uploads: 0	I visited the Bowfin when I was in Pearl a few years back. I was surprised by how tight everything was, hard to believe 80 men could live in there for 60 days. If I ever get to Chicago, I would love to visit the U-505.