where can i go see some submarines?

[dr_gn]

paultownsend said:

Dr_gn. this is exactly what im wanting to see!

my fear came from me as a young boy, seeing these boats in a dry dock somewhere down south. portsmouth or plymouth.
we sailed to france (south i think, and maybe 15yrs ago) and the dock had quite a few frigates, carriers and destroyers. my dad was trying to scare me with the submarines saying they were lurking in the deep, under our ferry and that they could shoot us at ant time. bear in mind he also said they were killer sharks and octopus

but even now, the thought of these things lurking around (especially with astutes capability) is still a frightening thought.

Well, I didn't particularly like the fact that:

1) It's in the water.
2) It's Russian, with authentic cold-war build quality.
3) The lights kept flickering and going out, leaving you in pitch darkness form time to time.
4) It appeared to be leaking.
5) The pipework and wiring looked like someone had emptied a huge can of spaghetti all over the sides of the inside of the hull.
6) There was nothing (and nobody) to stop you falling into the bowels of the thing, never to be seen again. It was more or less a free for all, with just a Russian speaking guide at the entrance.

Apart from that I loved it.

[rhinochopig]

dr_gn said:

paultownsend said:

Dr_gn. this is exactly what im wanting to see!

my fear came from me as a young boy, seeing these boats in a dry dock somewhere down south. portsmouth or plymouth.
we sailed to france (south i think, and maybe 15yrs ago) and the dock had quite a few frigates, carriers and destroyers. my dad was trying to scare me with the submarines saying they were lurking in the deep, under our ferry and that they could shoot us at ant time. bear in mind he also said they were killer sharks and octopus

but even now, the thought of these things lurking around (especially with astutes capability) is still a frightening thought.

Well, I didn't particularly like the fact that:

1) It's in the water.
2) It's Russian, with authentic cold-war build quality.
3) The lights kept flickering and going out, leaving you in pitch darkness form time to time.
4) It appeared to be leaking.
5) The pipework and wiring looked like someone had emptied a huge can of spaghetti all over the sides of the inside of the hull.
6) There was nothing (and nobody) to stop you falling into the bowels of the thing, never to be seen again. It was more or less a free for all, with just a Russian speaking guide at the entrance.

Apart from that I loved it.

So it was a new one then

[dr_gn]

rhinochopig said:

dr_gn said:

paultownsend said:

Dr_gn. this is exactly what im wanting to see!

my fear came from me as a young boy, seeing these boats in a dry dock somewhere down south. portsmouth or plymouth.
we sailed to france (south i think, and maybe 15yrs ago) and the dock had quite a few frigates, carriers and destroyers. my dad was trying to scare me with the submarines saying they were lurking in the deep, under our ferry and that they could shoot us at ant time. bear in mind he also said they were killer sharks and octopus

but even now, the thought of these things lurking around (especially with astutes capability) is still a frightening thought.

Well, I didn't particularly like the fact that:

1) It's in the water.
2) It's Russian, with authentic cold-war build quality.
3) The lights kept flickering and going out, leaving you in pitch darkness form time to time.
4) It appeared to be leaking.
5) The pipework and wiring looked like someone had emptied a huge can of spaghetti all over the sides of the inside of the hull.
6) There was nothing (and nobody) to stop you falling into the bowels of the thing, never to be seen again. It was more or less a free for all, with just a Russian speaking guide at the entrance.

Apart from that I loved it.

So it was a new one then

All I can say is that anyone who volunteerd for the Russian Submarine service is insane (or went insane by many accounts).

[darmstadt]

Here:

http://speyer.technik-museum.de/node/649

[rhinochopig]

dr_gn said:

rhinochopig said:

dr_gn said:

paultownsend said:

Dr_gn. this is exactly what im wanting to see!

my fear came from me as a young boy, seeing these boats in a dry dock somewhere down south. portsmouth or plymouth.
we sailed to france (south i think, and maybe 15yrs ago) and the dock had quite a few frigates, carriers and destroyers. my dad was trying to scare me with the submarines saying they were lurking in the deep, under our ferry and that they could shoot us at ant time. bear in mind he also said they were killer sharks and octopus

but even now, the thought of these things lurking around (especially with astutes capability) is still a frightening thought.

Well, I didn't particularly like the fact that:

1) It's in the water.
2) It's Russian, with authentic cold-war build quality.
3) The lights kept flickering and going out, leaving you in pitch darkness form time to time.
4) It appeared to be leaking.
5) The pipework and wiring looked like someone had emptied a huge can of spaghetti all over the sides of the inside of the hull.
6) There was nothing (and nobody) to stop you falling into the bowels of the thing, never to be seen again. It was more or less a free for all, with just a Russian speaking guide at the entrance.

Apart from that I loved it.

So it was a new one then

All I can say is that anyone who volunteerd for the Russian Submarine service is insane (or went insane by many accounts).

Yeah but they got a jacuzzi/swimming pool, which ours don't have. Ok, their reactor designs are designed with a bent towards power rather than safety, but come on, an underwater swimming pool!

Edited by rhinochopig on Friday 26th February 12:26

Edited by rhinochopig on Friday 26th February 12:26

[skyslimit]

rhinochopig said:

but come on, an underwater swimming pool!

Edited by rhinochopig on Friday 26th February 12:26

Edited by rhinochopig on Friday 26th February 12:26

Pfft. We had that. Every time the Diesel room Killick didn't bother pumping the Ballast Pump Well.

Managed to get a look around a Kilo class that pulled into Fas Lane for the centenery celebrations some years ago. I think they thought we were visiting brass. We got that impression because we rolled up at the jetty in 8's and unshaven looking like death, and they were doing the full on swords and medals thing as if they were waiting on someone. After the no holds barred tour, they had us in the wardroom plying us with caviar, vodka and a 4 course meal. With the Russki silver service Steward (obviously KGB) taking photo's of us all with a camera tucked under the napkin he had slung over his wrist!

The DMEO and I had just done a 24hr duty and were in the mood for a call round, but looking back on it, it was the blag of the century.

So, if you were one of the brass who WERE expected that day, only to turn up and discover we'd snaffled all your caviar and vodka, I'd like to say sorry (and I'm sure Hank, the DMEO would as well) about you getting seen off

Happy days.

[andy400]

skyslimit said:

With the Russki silver service Steward (obviously KGB) taking photo's of us all with a camera tucked under the napkin he had slung over his wrist!

Why would they do that? Shirley they'd just take photographs anyway if they had visiting brass?

[Simpo Two]

Nic jones said:

They loaded us in through the forward missile loading hatch

How high did you go?

[rhinochopig]

skyslimit said:

rhinochopig said:

but come on, an underwater swimming pool!

Edited by rhinochopig on Friday 26th February 12:26

Edited by rhinochopig on Friday 26th February 12:26

Pfft. We had that. Every time the Diesel room Killick didn't bother pumping the Ballast Pump Well.

Managed to get a look around a Kilo class that pulled into Fas Lane for the centenery celebrations some years ago. I think they thought we were visiting brass. We got that impression because we rolled up at the jetty in 8's and unshaven looking like death, and they were doing the full on swords and medals thing as if they were waiting on someone. After the no holds barred tour, they had us in the wardroom plying us with caviar, vodka and a 4 course meal. With the Russki silver service Steward (obviously KGB) taking photo's of us all with a camera tucked under the napkin he had slung over his wrist!

The DMEO and I had just done a 24hr duty and were in the mood for a call round, but looking back on it, it was the blag of the century.

So, if you were one of the brass who WERE expected that day, only to turn up and discover we'd snaffled all your caviar and vodka, I'd like to say sorry (and I'm sure Hank, the DMEO would as well) about you getting seen off

Happy days.

I always wanted to get a look round NR-1 when it paid a visit - was curious to see how they'd scaled down the NSRP.

Totally off topic, you'll appreciate this thread posted up by a PH member before you joined. Some very revealing pics of a Typhoon.

I was trying to work out what systems this pic was showing, but couldn't - my guess was ships systems not NSRP related, but it was just a guess.



Thread here - fascinating read http://community.livejournal.com/ru_submarine/1748...

[skyslimit]

Thanks Rhino. Nice read. Maybe have a PM chat sometime as to my thoughts on what it is?

Andy, there was a no photo rule when they came to visit us, and we went to visit them. Pics onboard a currently serving sub are seen as a bit of a no no. We commented when we left though about the small lense we had seen.

Fair call to them, they also gave us a load of keepsakes from the visit, in terms of badges etc.

Great day out, and great vodka. Never tasted better before or since

[tr7v8]

One you can tour at Chatham Maritime together with HMS Gannet & a frigate. http://www.chdt.org.uk/

Also a ruskie one in the river near the Rochester rail bridge. Pics here http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=...

[andy400]

skyslimit said:

Andy, there was a no photo rule when they came to visit us, and we went to visit them. Pics onboard a currently serving sub are seen as a bit of a no no. We commented when we left though about the small lense we had seen.

Was this a while back? Just it doesn't fit in with my experiences of these things. Pics in the wardroom of their own sub would hardly present a problem I wouldn't have thought. I'm no expert, mind.

[magpie215]

A few years back flying over the Irish sea at 2000 feet spotted a large dark object running just below the surface.

Assumed it would be one of ours probably out of Barrow

[rhinochopig]

magpie215 said:

A few years back flying over the Irish sea at 2000 feet spotted a large dark object running just below the surface.

Assumed it would be one of ours probably out of Barrow

Was there a trawler nearby running low in the water apparently going full astern?

Edited by rhinochopig on Friday 26th February 19:17

[skyslimit]

andy400 said:

skyslimit said:

Andy, there was a no photo rule when they came to visit us, and we went to visit them. Pics onboard a currently serving sub are seen as a bit of a no no. We commented when we left though about the small lense we had seen.

Was this a while back? Just it doesn't fit in with my experiences of these things. Pics in the wardroom of their own sub would hardly present a problem I wouldn't have thought. I'm no expert, mind.

Not sure what to tell you Andy. It was 2001, and the camera lense was definately seen by both myself and my superior. We reported the same to the powers that be the next day, who were actually less than surprised at the fact. We were informed that although she should not have been carrying a political faction, she docked 8 men to heavy for a Kilo. No prizes for guessing the occupation of the 8 men in question.

Perhaps it was because we were unnanounced - we literally just walked up the gangway and asked the trot sentry for a looky around, and they wanted to see who the hell we were? Lord knows if we'd have produced a camera when they came down our boat they would have had a hairy fit, so maybe its the same protocol.

Like I say mate, not sure what to tell you, buts thats how it happened on the day, and should a certain Lt Cmdr pop up on these forums, I'm sure he'll verify the same

Happy visit though. Almost as good as the call round to a German boat. I left probably the drunkest I'd been that year, drinking Schnapps the Chief Elec's family had distilled themselves and he'd brought along for the journey. Brilliant, brilliant bunch of lads. So glad we are on the same side now.

Great times.

[andy400]

skyslimit said:

andy400 said:

skyslimit said:

Andy, there was a no photo rule when they came to visit us, and we went to visit them. Pics onboard a currently serving sub are seen as a bit of a no no. We commented when we left though about the small lense we had seen.

Was this a while back? Just it doesn't fit in with my experiences of these things. Pics in the wardroom of their own sub would hardly present a problem I wouldn't have thought. I'm no expert, mind.

Not sure what to tell you Andy. It was 2001, and the camera lense was definately seen by both myself and my superior. We reported the same to the powers that be the next day, who were actually less than surprised at the fact. We were informed that although she should not have been carrying a political faction, she docked 8 men to heavy for a Kilo. No prizes for guessing the occupation of the 8 men in question.

Perhaps it was because we were unnanounced - we literally just walked up the gangway and asked the trot sentry for a looky around, and they wanted to see who the hell we were? Lord knows if we'd have produced a camera when they came down our boat they would have had a hairy fit, so maybe its the same protocol.

Like I say mate, not sure what to tell you, buts thats how it happened on the day, and should a certain Lt Cmdr pop up on these forums, I'm sure he'll verify the same

Happy visit though. Almost as good as the call round to a German boat. I left probably the drunkest I'd been that year, drinking Schnapps the Chief Elec's family had distilled themselves and he'd brought along for the journey. Brilliant, brilliant bunch of lads. So glad we are on the same side now.

Great times.

Fair enough, I wasn't there, you were.

(BTW - It's 'Lt Cdr' in the RN)

[skyslimit]

Sorry about that Americanism. In my defense, a quarter of a bottle of Talisker and I've been watching a double hit of NCIS

[Zad]

Hmm, I'm a bit disappointed at the Liverpool U-Boat. This sounds utterly stupid, but the last time I saw it, it was a rusty hulk. But a genuine rusty hulk, that was what time and water had done to it. Now it looks like someone had WAY too much lottery money, and in the process lost sight of what they were doing.

http://www.u-boatstory.co.uk/

One of these days I would love to see U-995 at Laboe. http://www.uboat.net/gallery/index.html?gallery=U9... (Possibly a bit far from Derbyshire).

One of my top 10 films of all time has to be Das Boot. If you haven't seen the original mini-series, do. No over-glamourising, cheesy clichés of compulsory American hero coming along to save the day.

[S7Paul]

paultownsend said:

i know the new astute class are built in barrow by bae, but is there any chance to see any boats there?

Not at the moment. Boat 1 has left, while Boat 2 won't be launched until much later this year. When it is, you'll be able to see it (well, the top half of it) from Michaelson Bridge.

[RosscoPCole]

Why not go on a nice short break to Cherbourg and visit La Cite de la Mer. Apart from Europe's deepest aquarium there is Le Redoutable and ex French Navy nuclear submarine. I've been twice and loved both visits. There is a great audio guide that describes life aboard the sub. Also as it was build in the late 1960s, early 1970s some of the rooms look like the bad guy's lair from a James Bond film. It's not small at 128m long and 8,000 tons. If I remember correctly the audio guide said that some submariners cycled round the corridors!