Finally Have My Own Command

SSN_638 · 01-17-10, 11:00 AM

Greetings, all!
My name's Bob Williams, and 35 years ago I was a quartermaster aboard the USS Whale (SSN-638). For you non-navy types, that's navigation

. I was also qualified for and stood watch at the helm/planes, passive sonar stack and a number of non-underway watches. I volunteered for the ship's machinist position and made a couple of underway repairs to steam valves on the lathe back in the engine room. Once, while we were transiting the North Atlantic, I got permission from the OOD to practice 'bottom contour' navigation - using the fathometer to compare actual ocean depth to what our charted position predicted. During this practice I encountered a previously uncharted feature. I assembled all of the pertinent data and the Skipper submitted it to the Hydrographic Office and, a few months later, I received a letter from them stating that the new feature, an undersea mountain, was now named "Williams Seamount"

! I still have that letter.

Our home port was New London, Connecticut and while I was on board we made several six month deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and a "Northern Run". Unfortunately, I can't go into any detail about the Northern Run mission, but I can tell you that in the Med our chief function was finding and shadowing Soviet ballistic missile subs. I absolutely loved being a submariner - I'd wanted to be one since reading "Up Periscope" when I was 11 years old.

So, when my friend Gary (Freebird on these forums) bought Silent Hunter 4 with the U-Boat missions for me for Christmas, I was overjoyed! This sim is AWESOME!!! I've been able to apply all of that knowledge about subs and submarine warfare and I've been doing almost nothing but eating, sleeping and laying waste to the Japs since I got it

. I'm currently in command of the USS Skipjack, on my fifth patrol in the Solomons, and so far we've sent 170,000 tons to the bottom this time out. Last patrol we sunk 212,800 tons in 45 days. I'm running in 'Hard' mode - none of that automatic targeting for me, thank you very much.

I look forward to swapping sea stories with you guys. Good luck and good hunting.

Freebird · 01-17-10, 11:16 AM

Yup, me & Bob drank the kool-aid! We are HOOKED on SH4!

Gary

ETR3(SS) · 01-17-10, 11:40 AM

Welcome aboard!

There's quite a few bubbleheads here on the forums and a couple of skimmers too. There's quite a few playable subs around here to have fun with. Nothing special on the inside really, but it's nice to see the hull in game.

Sailor Steve · 01-17-10, 11:48 AM

WELCOME ABOARD!

The bad news is you'll have to put up with a lot of old skimmers here as well.

sergei · 01-17-10, 11:57 AM

Welcome aboard.

You're gonna like it here.

Torplexed · 01-17-10, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSN_638

I'm currently in command of the USS Skipjack, on my fifth patrol in the Solomons, and so far we've sent 170,000 tons to the bottom this time out. Last patrol we sunk 212,800 tons in 45 days.

Awww...you make General Tojo sad.

Welcome aboard!

elanaiba · 01-17-10, 12:39 PM

LOL @ Torplexed!

Welcome aboard, Navy guys, and glad you enjoy the game!

jerm138 · 01-17-10, 01:16 PM

Welcome!

I just got started about a month ago. This is definitely more than just a "game." It's a simulator with a great community of people who help us nubs out at every turn.

I'm sure your experience as a QM will be helpful to us all. I was an EM, so unless the griddle stops working, there's not a whole I can pull from my real-life experience.

Ships-R-Us · 01-17-10, 04:05 PM

Welcome aboard SSN-638..I'm also new here and believe this is a great game, and a magnificent site. For the record, in May 1968 my ship DD883, ComDesron20, was called from the med to look for debris when the USS Scorpion SSN-589 was lost. For one week we searched for our lost mates and a debris field. Absolutely nothing was ever found.

HMCS · 01-17-10, 06:18 PM

Welcome aboard. I desperately wanted to get my dolphins when I was in the Naval Reserve, but listened to other voices (GF). Ah, the choices we make.

SH4 gets even better with the terrific mods available. Check out TMO and Real Fleet Boat. It only gets better, QM.

Tweety · 01-17-10, 08:23 PM

Welcome aboard SSN_638,

Tweety

FIREWALL · 01-17-10, 08:50 PM

Welcome Aboard

ReallyDedPoet · 01-17-10, 10:09 PM

Welcome to SUBSIM

Ships-R-Us · 01-17-10, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shipsrus

Welcome aboard SSN-638..I'm also new here and believe this is a great game, and a magnificent site. For the record, in May 1968 my ship DD883, ComDesron20, was called from the med to look for debris when the USS Scorpion SSN-589 was lost. For one week we searched for our lost mates and a debris field. Absolutely nothing was ever found.

To clarify why I quoted as such. I have been aboard many commissioned subs after leaving the Navy through the course of my employment. I have met hundreds of bubbleheads, and have come to know them as a special breed of sailor, with a character and steadfastness to duty that surpasses many. I personally know family members from those aboard the USS Thresher when she went down.

To make it simple. I have the highest respect for submariners. I never served on a sub, only worked on them and with many of the former SRO's and RO's for many years. My hats off to the silent service

les green01 · 01-18-10, 12:17 AM

welcome aboard

01-17-10, 11:00 AM	#1
SSN_638 Watch Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Vermont, USA Posts: 21 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Finally Have My Own Command Greetings, all! My name's Bob Williams, and 35 years ago I was a quartermaster aboard the USS Whale (SSN-638). For you non-navy types, that's navigation . I was also qualified for and stood watch at the helm/planes, passive sonar stack and a number of non-underway watches. I volunteered for the ship's machinist position and made a couple of underway repairs to steam valves on the lathe back in the engine room. Once, while we were transiting the North Atlantic, I got permission from the OOD to practice 'bottom contour' navigation - using the fathometer to compare actual ocean depth to what our charted position predicted. During this practice I encountered a previously uncharted feature. I assembled all of the pertinent data and the Skipper submitted it to the Hydrographic Office and, a few months later, I received a letter from them stating that the new feature, an undersea mountain, was now named "Williams Seamount" ! I still have that letter. Our home port was New London, Connecticut and while I was on board we made several six month deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and a "Northern Run". Unfortunately, I can't go into any detail about the Northern Run mission, but I can tell you that in the Med our chief function was finding and shadowing Soviet ballistic missile subs. I absolutely loved being a submariner - I'd wanted to be one since reading "Up Periscope" when I was 11 years old. So, when my friend Gary (Freebird on these forums) bought Silent Hunter 4 with the U-Boat missions for me for Christmas, I was overjoyed! This sim is AWESOME!!! I've been able to apply all of that knowledge about subs and submarine warfare and I've been doing almost nothing but eating, sleeping and laying waste to the Japs since I got it . I'm currently in command of the USS Skipjack, on my fifth patrol in the Solomons, and so far we've sent 170,000 tons to the bottom this time out. Last patrol we sunk 212,800 tons in 45 days. I'm running in 'Hard' mode - none of that automatic targeting for me, thank you very much. I look forward to swapping sea stories with you guys. Good luck and good hunting. __________________ Bob "Willy" Williams QM2(SS) There are two kinds of vessels - submarines and targets...

01-17-10, 11:16 AM	#2
Freebird Mate Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 51 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 0	Greetings, fellow bubblehead! Yup, me & Bob drank the kool-aid! We are HOOKED on SH4! Gary

01-17-10, 11:40 AM	#3
ETR3(SS) Ocean Warrior Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Between test depth and periscope depth Posts: 3,021 Downloads: 175 Uploads: 16	Welcome aboard! There's quite a few bubbleheads here on the forums and a couple of skimmers too. There's quite a few playable subs around here to have fun with. Nothing special on the inside really, but it's nice to see the hull in game. __________________ USS Kentucky SSBN 737 (G) Comms Div 2003-2006 Qualified 19 November 03 Yes I was really on a submarine.

01-17-10, 11:48 AM	#4
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	WELCOME ABOARD! The bad news is you'll have to put up with a lot of old skimmers here as well. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

01-17-10, 12:39 PM	#7
elanaiba Ace of the Deep Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bucharest, Romania Posts: 1,058 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 3	LOL @ Torplexed! Welcome aboard, Navy guys, and glad you enjoy the game! __________________ With strength I burn...

01-17-10, 11:57 AM	#5
sergei Sea Lord Join Date: May 2008 Location: London UK Posts: 1,788 Downloads: 405 Uploads: 29	Welcome aboard. You're gonna like it here.

01-17-10, 01:16 PM	#8
jerm138 Watch Officer Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 332 Downloads: 35 Uploads: 0	Welcome! I just got started about a month ago. This is definitely more than just a "game." It's a simulator with a great community of people who help us nubs out at every turn. I'm sure your experience as a QM will be helpful to us all. I was an EM, so unless the griddle stops working, there's not a whole I can pull from my real-life experience. __________________

01-17-10, 04:05 PM	#9
Ships-R-Us Commander Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 452 Downloads: 134 Uploads: 0	Welcome aboard SSN-638..I'm also new here and believe this is a great game, and a magnificent site. For the record, in May 1968 my ship DD883, ComDesron20, was called from the med to look for debris when the USS Scorpion SSN-589 was lost. For one week we searched for our lost mates and a debris field. Absolutely nothing was ever found.

01-17-10, 06:18 PM	#10
HMCS Sonar Guy Join Date: May 2005 Location: Squaresville, daddy-O. Posts: 394 Downloads: 186 Uploads: 0	Welcome aboard. I desperately wanted to get my dolphins when I was in the Naval Reserve, but listened to other voices (GF). Ah, the choices we make. SH4 gets even better with the terrific mods available. Check out TMO and Real Fleet Boat. It only gets better, QM. __________________ "Turning enemy ships into marine habitat since 1986!" Mods Loaded:TMO 2.2, RSRDC, MaxOptics, Strategic Map Symbols, Stop The Shouting OR: RFB, RSRDC, Maxoptics, SCAF, Strategic Map Symbols and the sanity-saving "stop the shouting".

01-17-10, 08:23 PM	#11
Tweety Planesman Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 188 Downloads: 157 Uploads: 0	Welcome aboard SSN_638, Tweety

01-17-10, 08:50 PM	#12
FIREWALL Eternal Patrol Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CATALINA IS. SO . CAL USA Posts: 10,108 Downloads: 511 Uploads: 0	Welcome Aboard __________________ RIP FIREWALL I Play GWX. Silent Hunter Who ???

01-17-10, 10:09 PM	#13
ReallyDedPoet Canadian Wolf Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Canada. The one and only, East Coast Posts: 10,888 Downloads: 946 Uploads: 5	Welcome to SUBSIM __________________ Back in the Day

01-18-10, 12:17 AM	#15
les green01 Seasoned Skipper Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Freeman Missouri Posts: 1,784 Downloads: 1405 Uploads: 0	welcome aboard __________________ I'll tell you what bravery really is. Bravery is just determination to do a job that you know has to be done. Audie Murphy