Representative Holifield:  Are those cracks still showing up in HY-80?

Admiral Rickover:  Yessir.

But 10 minutes later Admiral Curtze said he believes it tobe the best material available for hull-building.

On the subject of degradation of specifications of personnelin the Nuclear program.

Admiral Rickover:   The real problem is in the submarine staffswhere nearly all the people are nonnuclear and some of who have deep resentmentagainst the nuclear navy because it is putting them out of business. 

Concerning the change of responsible people of the Thresher

Representative Hollifield states:  There was a change in the 593’s Asst. Ship’s Superintendent  in 11-62, a change the Chief Superintendentin Dec of 62, and in Jan of 63 there was a change in command of both theCommanding Officer and Executive Officer of the 593.  It seems to me that the continuity of superintendentsshould have remained in the same people. If I was doing a complicated job of construction, I wouldn’t want thefour top men to be pulled out.  I thinkit is a problem of rotation rather than continuity.

Admiral Brockett:  Iagree

Admiral Korth:  Iagree

Admiral Austin: The Navy had to place a competent CommandingOfficer into a position as CO of a Polaris Submarine and that was a promotionfor him.  The XO was needed on the staffof the Deputy Command of ComSubLant as the senior nuclear qualified officer.

Representative Holifield: Regarding the silver Brazed joints. Only 14% of the 3000 silver brazed joints were ultrasonicallytested.  Of those 145 joints 14% werefound defective.

Admiral Austin:  Iprefer to use the term “below standard” rather than defective.  Also the science of ultrasonically testingwas new and subject to a 10-17% error correction.

Representative Hollifield: Why was not the remaining 2,855joints tested?

Chairman Pastore:  Whoassumed responsibility to say the numbers were “safe” or “unsafe.”

Admiral Austin: That would be the Shipyard Commander.

Pastore: Did the court find his presumptions were accurate?

Austin: No, Sir

Mr. Conway:  TheTinosa has not gone to sea yet.  She isthe sister ship of the Thresher.  Weunderstand the reason is because radiographs have been lost.

Admiral Rickover:  Ibelieve that is correct, but none of the reactor plant.

Admiral Brockett:  Theseare of hull welds of the HY80 structure and are being retaken.

Senator Anderson:  Theywere done before the loss of the Thresher?

Admiral Brocket:  Yes,sir