Rontini Submarine BBS : U.S. Submarine History http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:15:17 +0000 Mon, 02 Sep 2024 13:17:20 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 11.04 30 RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/RSS_topic_feed.asp?FID=29 <![CDATA[Rontini Submarine BBS]]> http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_images/Rontini_2021_5.gif http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/ <![CDATA[U.S. Submarine History : Pearl Harbor first shots]]> http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5961&PID=16369&title=pearl-harbor-first-shots#16369 Author: DaveyJ576
Subject: Pearl Harbor first shots
Posted: 02 Sep 2024 at 1:17pm

Originally posted by Rontini599 Rontini599 wrote:

A U.S.N. destroyer fired on a Japanese Midget sub and sunk it. The USS Ward at 3:30 am on Dec 7 were called to Battle Stations by their new C.O. They fired twice and hit the sub.  It was located in 2002. 

So many people think that we were totally surprised at Pearl Harbor on that fateful morning. But how do you account for this action, which happened over FOUR HOURS BEFORE THE ATTACK?

The reality was that U.S. forces in Hawaii were actually in a fairly high state of alert during the first week of December, 1941. They had actually been warned with pointed war warning message that had been received on 27 November. And while preparations had been made, patrols sent out, and an Army run radar station had been set up on Oahu's north shore, in general the Army and Navy forces in Pearl Harbor were not as ready as the 27 November war warning told them to be. The armed forces were still struggling to throw off a lethargy that had set in during the 20's and 30's, brought on by two ill-advised disarmament treaties and the Great Depression.

Some in the War Department however, took the war warning seriously and did what they could to be ready. One of those was a young naval officer on his first ocean patrol of his first command. LCDR William W. Outerbridge was in command of the USS Ward (DD-139) on that fateful morning. An old WWI era flush deck four stack Wickes-class destroyer, Ward was assigned anti-submarine patrol duties off the mouth of Pearl Harbor. He had been issued instructions that no friendly submarines were operating in the area and had been told to act appropriately if one was sighted. The intention was for him to report a sighting and wait for further instructions from the command at Pearl Harbor.

Outerbridge interpreted his orders differently. He initiated an action based on his experience, and his own personal beliefs and under his own initiative fired upon and dropped depth charges upon a submarine operating in his defensive sea area. He dutifully reported the attack immediately, but it was essentially ignored at the headquarters level and no additional action was taken to alert the rest of the fleet. Had they done so, several hours worth of warning would have been in place and hundreds more men would have survived and a portion at least of the ships lost would not have been. It was one of the greatest missed opportunities in the history of human warfare.

Outerbridge's outlook and beliefs were echoed by many within the Submarine Service, who looked upon the deteriorating situation with Japan with increasing dread in the fall of 1941. However, bureaucratic inertia, an unrealistic training regimen, a general lack of any training, faulty torpedoes, and marginally competent leadership all served to blunt the early actions of our submarines. But the underlying sentiment of the officers and men of the service was generally sound, and once the attack on Pearl Harbor swept away all of the pre-war entrenched thinking that existed, our Brothers of the 'Phin exacted a terrible revenge on Japan for their boldness and arrogance.

William Outerbridge and others like him paved the way for our ultimate victory. They should always be remembered.

One more fun fact: the men that manned Ward's number three 4"/50 caliber gun that morning were members of the Navy Reserve from Minneapolis. A Reservist fired the first shot of World War II!
]]> Mon, 02 Sep 2024 13:17:20 +0000 http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5961&PID=16369&title=pearl-harbor-first-shots#16369 <![CDATA[U.S. Submarine History : USS Albacore SS-218 located]]> http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5968&PID=16368&title=uss-albacore-ss218-located#16368 Author: DaveyJ576
Subject: USS Albacore SS-218 located
Posted: 02 Sep 2024 at 10:36am

For the full story of the discovery of the Albacore, please take a look at the video at the bottom of this page: http://https://pigboats.com/index.php?title=Johnston,_David

I was on the team that identified the wreck site for the Navy. This video is of a lecture that I did on the topic at the Fort Miles Museum in Lewes, DE in April 2024.

R,

Dave Johnston
]]> Mon, 02 Sep 2024 10:36:07 +0000 http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5968&PID=16368&title=uss-albacore-ss218-located#16368 <![CDATA[U.S. Submarine History : PigBoats.COM]]> http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=6002&PID=16367&title=pigboatscom#16367 Author: DaveyJ576
Subject: PigBoats.COM
Posted: 02 Sep 2024 at 10:32am

Hello brothers!

My name is David Johnston and I am the co-Webmaster of PigBoats.COM. This website is devoted to the history of the early era of our Submarine Service. Ric Hedman of Seattle founded the site 25 years ago and he recently fully incorporated me as a full partner. Last fall we decided that the site needed an overhaul and facelift and we finished that effort in October 2023. We are very proud of our work and would like you to check it out.

I want to emphasize that we do not sell anything and accept no advertising. The site is entirely funded by Ric and myself. It is all about the men, the boats, and our rich heritage and history. We are both Qualified Submariners and this site and our others works are and abiding passion for us.

The site is updated regularly. I just completed the latest update last night. Please check us out at http://https://pigboats.com/index.php?title=Main_Page. The key to getting around the site is the Navigation box on the left. There is also a fully functional search function at the top of each page.

Please take a look and let me know what you think!

R,

Dave
]]> Mon, 02 Sep 2024 10:32:32 +0000 http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=6002&PID=16367&title=pigboatscom#16367 <![CDATA[U.S. Submarine History : Not Submarine related by important]]> http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=6001&PID=16366&title=not-submarine-related-by-important#16366 Author: Rontini599
Subject: Not Submarine related by important
Posted: 25 Jun 2024 at 12:15pm

Today June 25-74 years ago, the Korean War started.  ]]> Tue, 25 Jun 2024 12:15:55 +0000 http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=6001&PID=16366&title=not-submarine-related-by-important#16366 <![CDATA[U.S. Submarine History : Reactor Hull locations at Hanford as of 9/25/2017]]> http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5387&PID=16337&title=reactor-hull-locations-at-hanford-as-of-9-25-2017#16337 Author: gerry
Subject: Reactor Hull locations at Hanford as of 9/25/2017
Posted: 18 Oct 2023 at 6:17pm

Another update from Dan... including USS DALLAS
https://ussubvets.org/documents/reactor_hull_locations_3.pdf
(accurate as of October 2023)
]]> Wed, 18 Oct 2023 18:17:53 +0000 http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5387&PID=16337&title=reactor-hull-locations-at-hanford-as-of-9-25-2017#16337 <![CDATA[U.S. Submarine History : Latest Edition of Shift Colors]]> http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5986&PID=16336&title=latest-edition-of-shift-colors#16336 Author: Dantini
Subject: Latest Edition of Shift Colors
Posted: 28 Sep 2023 at 10:20am

The Fall-Winter Issue 2023 available here Friday, Sept. 29. Click on "current issue download."

https://www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Media-Center/Publications/Shift-Colors/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=dfas&utm_campaign=Shift+Colors+Spring+2023
]]> Thu, 28 Sep 2023 10:20:07 +0000 http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5986&PID=16336&title=latest-edition-of-shift-colors#16336 <![CDATA[U.S. Submarine History : A work in progress]]> http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5983&PID=16335&title=a-work-in-progress#16335 Author: Rontini599
Subject: A work in progress
Posted: 04 Sep 2023 at 4:57pm

OK gents: 
   it is done!    $10 via thumb drive or $7 for download in email.  PLEASE DO NOT PASS to anyone else.  

All boat numbers; up to SSN 823- with #809 up unnamed as yet

All boat names; including the new SSBN’s: Dist. of Columbia and Wisconsin

Class with variant and Block # for Virginia Class

Building Yard

Commiss. Date (sometimes multiple times)

Decomm. Date

Guppy Converstions

Notes:

     War Record (Ships sunk and Tonnage) + Korea patrols

Lost or Disposition (Sale or Scrapping dates)

Accidents of some

Other signifcant events in their history

Listing of all shipyards that created all the boats and # they built

Number of Boats/class

Missiles/rockets used

Listing of all Tenders

Listing of all Fins/Planes at parks in Seattle and Miami by hull #

 

It prints into 16-17 pages in “Landscape mode only”  as it too wide for vertical 8.5” x 11” paper.   Nothing in this is copyright protected.  This spreadsheet can be sorted to list the boat names first if desired by the owners.  

 

I will give this you via free download or $10 via Thumb Drive. You may distribute to your Bases. They, in turn may sell it for whatever you decide for their Base Treasuries.  

]]> Mon, 04 Sep 2023 16:57:36 +0000 http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5983&PID=16335&title=a-work-in-progress#16335 <![CDATA[U.S. Submarine History : A work in progress]]> http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5983&PID=16333&title=a-work-in-progress#16333 Author: Rontini599
Subject: A work in progress
Posted: 16 Aug 2023 at 5:24pm

Thanks Gerry!  
  I would like to have that information.  It contains more than I have. My basic information came from Jim Christley's  U.S. Naval Submarine Force Information Book Tht lists all boats up to SSN-22 (Connecticut) except for a lot of disposal information.  Thanks Jim.   
 
I do need SRP (Completed recycling dates) for boats SSN 685 up.  

Dan is helping with some of that stuff also.

My plan was to keep it one page wide.  Contains hull #, Name, Yard built, Commiss date, Decomm date, disposal, war record of sinkings/tonnage.  I have some of the disposal/history into two rows.  

I have completed it up to SSN 808 John B. Dalton and the names of the two new Columbia Class: District of Columbia and Wisconsin to be SSBN 826 and 27.  

Next trick is to dig through the Facts/Chronology Polaris-Poseidon-Trident book of some 116 pages to dig up a little more on the boomers.  It goes up to October 2000.   
                           
Also be advised that the WWII sinkings and tonnage reports are from 3 sources and no one can certain which is the most correct.  I think the worst was the SORG report which was based solely on patrol reports.  I have Cmdr. John Alden's study "United States and Allied Submarine Successes in the Pacific and Far East During WWII" and latest is the 1999-4 edition he completed.  He worked on his books for 25 years seaching world records and a lot of Japanese records also. I used the figures from the JANAC report published in 1947.  There is another 40 page report with changed from Naval Submarine League that is available, but this study would go on forever.  JANAC is Joint-Army-Navy-Assessment-Committee.
]]> Wed, 16 Aug 2023 17:24:34 +0000 http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5983&PID=16333&title=a-work-in-progress#16333 <![CDATA[U.S. Submarine History : A work in progress]]> http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5983&PID=16329&title=a-work-in-progress#16329 Author: Bruce
Subject: A work in progress
Posted: 04 Aug 2023 at 10:31am

I'd be interested in that work. 
]]> Fri, 04 Aug 2023 10:31:24 +0000 http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5983&PID=16329&title=a-work-in-progress#16329 <![CDATA[U.S. Submarine History : A work in progress]]> http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5983&PID=16328&title=a-work-in-progress#16328 Author: gerry
Subject: A work in progress
Posted: 02 Aug 2023 at 8:01pm

Yes! And I have all of the data from the old Decklog website which has around 680 submarines in detail, I'd be happy to share with you.

id Type OtherTypes HullNo ShipName Class ShipType ShortType Status ComYr ComDate DecomYr DeComDate LaunchDate UIC Length Displacement Officers Enlisted Propulsion BuildID Builder Beam Props Fate WebSite
431 SS                 408         Sennet SS 285 Submarine Submarine Sold 1944 1944-08-22 00:00:00.000 1968 1968-12-02 00:00:00.000 1944-06-06 00:00:00.000 312 2391 10 71 Diesel - Electric 12 Portsmouth Navy Yard 27 2 Sennet was sold to Southern Scrap Material Co. Ltd., New Orleans, LA. http://www.sennet.org/ 
]]> Wed, 02 Aug 2023 20:01:39 +0000 http://RontiniSubmarineBBS.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5983&PID=16328&title=a-work-in-progress#16328