Flooding Casualty

[George Murray]

During the 3rd or 4th patrol (memory fails me), upon securing snorkeling, the head valve stayed open and we took tons of water down the induction mast into the Fan Room. I was the MTOW and I was in MCLL with a mess-cook getting coffee. About the time, we were ready to come back up to MCML, I noticed water gushing from the ventilation line that comes down the frame bays and terminates in LL. I immediately announced "FLOODING THROUGH MISSILE COMPARTMENT VENTILATION LINE." It took a long time to recover as several fans in the Fan Room were grounded and MCC had also taken on a lot of water in the equipment doors. When I got off watch, I walked down there and the FTBs had all the doors open flushing the insides with fresh water. After several hours, the equipment was dried out and we did a ship's initiated WSRT and counted down all 16 missiles.

[Charles E. Brower]

I remember the flood for I was on sonar when it happened and I tink it was the 4th patrol

[Richard Winston Sellers ( Dick )]

George I believe we were on watch together . Jack Kepler had the launcher watch and you and I were in the lower level . I believe the problem was that one of the electrodes had blown out of the snorkel mast . Joe Berkel had the dive and after pumping quite a bit of water to sea he requested speed to maintain debth but the con did not reply so he did an emergency blow . We had setelled to over 300 ft befor he gave the BCP operator Chief Russel the order to "Emergency Blow the forward group " I remember passing the word to the con on the 4 MC flooding through the Vent MC lower level . I said vent not ventelation so they thought we were flooding through the hovering vent not the ventalation line. I tried to stuff rags in the ventalation line in the lower to no avail of course . I was a bit shook up . Those were the days .

[George Murray]

Richard Winston Sellers Jr said:

George I believe we were on watch together . Jack Kepler had the launcher watch and you and I were in the lower level . I believe the problem was that one of the electrodes had blown out of the snorkel mast . Joe Berkel had the dive and after pumping quite a bit of water to sea he requested speed to maintain debth but the con did not reply so he did an emergency blow . We had setelled to over 300 ft befor he gave the BCP operator Chief Russel the order to "Emergency Blow the forward group " I remember passing the word to the con on the 4 MC flooding through the Vent MC lower level . I said vent not ventelation so they thought we were flooding through the hovering vent not the ventalation line. I tried to stuff rags in the ventalation line in the lower to no avail of course . I was a bit shook up . Those were the days .

[George Murray]

40 some years tends to make one forget certain details, but that it an experience that will remain with me forever. I think I was too young (and too dumb) to fully realize the significance of water flooding through a pipe that large.

George Murray said:

Richard Winston Sellers Jr said:

George I believe we were on watch together . Jack Kepler had the launcher watch and you and I were in the lower level . I believe the problem was that one of the electrodes had blown out of the snorkel mast . Joe Berkel had the dive and after pumping quite a bit of water to sea he requested speed to maintain debth but the con did not reply so he did an emergency blow . We had setelled to over 300 ft befor he gave the BCP operator Chief Russel the order to "Emergency Blow the forward group " I remember passing the word to the con on the 4 MC flooding through the Vent MC lower level . I said vent not ventelation so they thought we were flooding through the hovering vent not the ventalation line. I tried to stuff rags in the ventalation line in the lower to no avail of course . I was a bit shook up . Those were the days .