Silent and unseen : on patrol in three Cold War attack submarines

274 Pages·2015·6.39 MB·English

by  McLaren

This book was brought to publication with generous assistance of Marguerite
and Gerry Lenfest.
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
© 2015 by Alfred Scott McLaren
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McLaren, Alfred Scott.
Silent and unseen : on patrol in three Cold War attack submarines / Alfred Scott McLaren.
pages cm
Summary: “Silent and Unseen is a memoir of a submariner’s life on a U.S. attack submarine during the
Cold War by Capt. Alfred S. McLaren, an experienced submarine officer and nuclear attack submarine
commander. He describes in riveting detail the significant events that occurred early in the Cold War during
his seven years, 1958-1965, on board three attack submarines: the USS Greenfish (SS 351), USS Seadragon
(SSN 584), and USS Skipjack (SSN 585). He took part in the first submerged transit of the Northwest
Passage, a Baffin Bay expedition, and, as commander of USS Queenfish (SSN-651), a North Pole
expedition that completed the first survey of the entire Siberian Continental Shelf”— Provided by publisher.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-61251-846-6 (ebook) 1. McLaren, Alfred Scott. 2. United States. Navy—Submarine forces
—Biography. 3. United States. Navy—Officers—Biography. 4. Submariners—United States—Biography.
5. Submarines (Ships)—United States—History—20th century. 6. Seadragon (Submarine : SSN-584) 7.
Skipjack (Submarine : SSN-585) 8. Greenfish (Submarine : SS-351) 9. United States—History, Naval—
20th century. 10. Cold War—Biography. I. Title.
V63.M2867A3 2015
359.0092—dc23
[B]
2015003774
Print editions meet the requirements of ANSI/NISO z39.48–1992 (Permanence of Paper).
23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First printing
The USS Greenfish, USS Seadragon, and USS Skipjack insignias on pages 5, 63, and 139 are from the U.S.
Navy.
To the officers and crews with whom I served on attack submarines during the
Cold War and to all my brother submariners who served our great nation,
silently and unseen, during this turbulent era.
Contents List of Photos and Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I. USS Greenfish (SS 351): Workhorse of the Pacific
Chapter 1. Early History and Post–World War II Modifications
Chapter 2. On Board USS Greenfish
Chapter 3. Our First Deployment: Western Pacific 1958
Chapter 4. Coming into Yokosuka
Chapter 5. Off the Soviet Far East Coast
Chapter 6. Homeward to Pearl Harbor
Part II. USS Seadragon (SSN 584): Arctic Pioneer
Chapter 7. My First Nuclear Submarine
Chapter 8. Into Davis Strait and Baffin Bay
Chapter 9. Through the Northwest Passage
Chapter 10. Surfacing at the Pole
Chapter 11. The Bering Strait and Nome
Chapter 12. Pearl Harbor at Last
Chapter 13. A New Commanding Officer
Part III. USS Skipjack (SSN 585): Root of the New Sea Power
Chapter 14. First Months on Board
Chapter 15. In the Mediterranean
Chapter 16. Home Port in New London
Chapter 17. Evaluation of the Nuclear Attack Submarine
Chapter 18. A Year to Remember
Chapter 19. One More Cold War Mission and a Change of Command
Chapter 20. England and Then Home
Epilogue
Notes
Index
Photos and Illustrations
USS Greenfish (SS 351) at sea
Lt. (jg) Alfred S. McLaren, gunnery and torpedo officer
Loading torpedo onto USS Greenfish (SS 351)
USS Greenfish (SS 351) outboard in nest of diesel submarines
Lt. Cdr. John A. Davis, Lt. (jg) Alfred S. McLaren, CSC (SS) Valdo J. Alderson,
and Supply and Commissary Department
USS Greenfish (SS 351) mess compartment
Lt. (jg) Alfred S. McLaren receiving gold “Submarine Dolphins”
Launch of USS Seadragon (SSN 584)
USS Seadragon (SSN 584) under way
Crews mess, USS Seadragon (SSN 584)
USS Seadragon (SSN 584) encounters gigantic iceberg with Teddy Roosevelt
profile
Lt. Alfred S. McLaren, diving officer of the watch
USS Seadragon (SSN 584) route through Northwest Passage
USS Seadragon (SSN 584) crewmembers explore ice pack in Arctic Ocean
Heavy sea ice above USS Seadragon (SSN 584)
USS Seadragon (SSN 584) scuba divers at North Pole
First pitch in historic first baseball game at North Pole
“Batter up!” Baseball at the North Pole
USS Seadragon “First East–West Polar Transit—August 1960” insignia
USS Seadragon (SSN 584) arrives in Pearl Harbor
Launch of USS Skipjack (SSN 585)
Admiral of the Fleet, the Earl Mountbatten of Burma visits USS Skipjack (SSN
585)
USS Skipjack (SSN 585) under way on surface
USS Skipjack (SSN 585) moored in the Mediterranean during the Cuban Missile
Crisis
Commanding officer Shepherd M. Jenks and officers, USS Skipjack (SSN 585)
Lt. Cdr. Alfred S. McLaren receiving Commander Submarine Force Atlantic
Letter of Commendation