On most Boats, the engine used to blow the stack, were the one's with the most running hours on them. Reason being, that if something went wrong and she flooded .............. what the h**l, we have to overhaul her in 40 hours anyway.

What it looks like from topside!!!

This is USS Gudgeon SS567 Tang Class
Sent to me by Paul "Pep" Perris / Ron Durling
Thanks Pep and Ron
Now don't you fellows get all excited, Tang Class Boats had their
scopes side by side #1-Type 2A to Starboard and #2-Type 15B to Port.
 

This one is USS Requin SSR481 in 1953, commanded by
CDR. David Green.
Picture sent to me by Jim Mandelblatt.
Thanks Jim.
 

Here's USS Torsk SS423 snorkeling off Va. Cape 06/29/1965
Photo courtesy of Richard Cohen MM-2(SS)
(Torsk crew '64-65)
Sent to me by Larry Derouin
 

A typical conversation from the "honored" Engine Room went something like this:

Throttleman: ... "AW *&^%, not again, OK, lets line it up, light er off and pray it don't flood"

Oiler: ... uh, uh, uh, uh, (that's the sound he made opening the inboard exhaust valve 'cause the stem was all carboned up),
UH, UH, UH, UH, (a total of 33 1/3 turns later) %^&$#, thought I'as never gonna git the !@#$%^&*0_+ open)

Throttleman: ... "hold that %^&$(#@! by-pass this time, till I knock your &^%0$@! hand off of it, OR YOU'LL BE LIVING IN THE &*%$(&' BILGES"
Engine rolls 3 or 8 times, (depending on how cute the throttle was trying to be, showing off to the other Engine Room).

Throttleman: ... "OK,  they finally gave me the %^&$# word to light off, grab that *&^#%@#! by-pass switch, and remember, don't let go on your own.
Engine starts rattling and rolling, hacks, coughs, belches and starts firing, 2 or 3 cylinders at a time. Finally, it roars into life, the throttleman yanks the snorkel exhaust valve open, the oiler, trying to be cute yells "can I leggo, can I leggo, huh?" but remembers the previous threat and holds a death grip on it. About that time the Engine dies and starts rolling to a halt. The throttleman, in one smooth continuous motion shoves the snorkel exhaust valve lever back to the close position and knocks the oilers hand off just in time to keep it from flooding, but the airbox-door springs are all shot and weak so they blow open and fill the engine room with that delightful, lung-searing, eye-watering black smoke we all loved so dearly.

Throttleman: ... "!@#$(*&$(, that was fun ... why in the &$(@# don't they let me blow the stack with that other #)@&%
of *$^#@. Seems like the 1st in charge of the engine room always managed to be on the 8 to 12, and we never, never ever snorkeled on his watch, except during fleet opts and then it wasn't every &*%(#^' night, now was it.

I hear tell that the events for snorkeling on a FM (Fairbanks Morse) boat were a tad different ...........

Oiler: ... "Oh shoot, why couldn't they have waited until we finished our cookies and milk".

Throttleman: ... "Well just hurry up, when we shut down, you can go up to the Crews Dinette and get us some ice cream with whipped cream and cherries on top, ... OK?

Oiler: ... "Oh, I guess so. I just wish they wouldn't do this so often. It hurts my ears when those silly old planesmen dip the head valve.

Throttleman: ... " Well it hurts mine too but ya just have to learn to grit your teeth and put up with it. Remember, ... you could have been sent to one of those nasty EB boats with their dirty old Jimmy engines".

Oiler: ... Oh, I know and I am so thankful that didn't happen.

Thanks to Myron Howard EN1(SS) USS Bream SS243

Back to Engine Room