Not so gentle into that good night...

Reno · 10-14-07, 04:14 PM

There I was creeping along in the inky blackness just south of Yokosuka when my sharp-eyed lookout, Jeffries, whispered that a warship was closing at medium distance. Good man, that Jeffries...not excitable at all. Despite it being one of the darkest nights I had ever seen, I thought it best to go to periscope depth just in case there was another Jeffries out there somewhere. That's when all hell broke loose. The klaxon blared, the hatches slammed, and every able bodied seaman was shouting at the top of his lungs. It was enough to wake the dead. I gotta believe that if the warships can hear you pinging for depth they can hear the god-awful racket that accompanies the normal dive. How did the real life skippers cope with this? Was there a silent surface running routine?

AVGWarhawk · 10-14-07, 04:53 PM

I don't believe so. The klaxon was fired up for all to hear. Could be wrong on that one but, they had to let the others in the sub know that submerging was about to take place.

Sailor Steve · 10-14-07, 05:10 PM

Normally the klaxon was used.
18A5. Diving procedure .
The diving signal is two short blasts on the diving alarm, the second blast being the signal to start the dive. Two blasts are used to guard against diving on an accidental single blast. An alternate diving signal is the word "Dive, Dive" passed orally.
http://www.maritime.org/fleetsub/chap18.htm#18A

Of course that would take a lot longer. I think the pumps and vents operating would make as much noise as anything to a listening destroyer. As for external noises carrying over the sea, I believe the klaxon could only be heard inside.

But I don't know for sure.

10-14-07, 04:53 PM	#2
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,254 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	I don't believe so. The klaxon was fired up for all to hear. Could be wrong on that one but, they had to let the others in the sub know that submerging was about to take place. __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

10-14-07, 05:10 PM	#3
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Normally the klaxon was used. 18A5. Diving procedure . The diving signal is two short blasts on the diving alarm, the second blast being the signal to start the dive. Two blasts are used to guard against diving on an accidental single blast. An alternate diving signal is the word "Dive, Dive" passed orally. http://www.maritime.org/fleetsub/chap18.htm#18A Of course that would take a lot longer. I think the pumps and vents operating would make as much noise as anything to a listening destroyer. As for external noises carrying over the sea, I believe the klaxon could only be heard inside. But I don't know for sure. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

10-14-07, 04:14 PM	#1
Reno Electrician's Mate Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 133 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	Not so gentle into that good night... There I was creeping along in the inky blackness just south of Yokosuka when my sharp-eyed lookout, Jeffries, whispered that a warship was closing at medium distance. Good man, that Jeffries...not excitable at all. Despite it being one of the darkest nights I had ever seen, I thought it best to go to periscope depth just in case there was another Jeffries out there somewhere. That's when all hell broke loose. The klaxon blared, the hatches slammed, and every able bodied seaman was shouting at the top of his lungs. It was enough to wake the dead. I gotta believe that if the warships can hear you pinging for depth they can hear the god-awful racket that accompanies the normal dive. How did the real life skippers cope with this? Was there a silent surface running routine? Last edited by Reno; 10-14-07 at 04:35 PM.