Papers by DCC(SS/SW) David L. Johnston, USN
What Is A Pigboat Anyway?
I am sure that the term probably has many people wondering with a grin on their faces why there is a website
devoted to floating swine. In reality, it is a term, both complimentary and derogatory, that describes a group of warships that were the Genesis
of the awesomely powerful and sophisticated nuclear submarines of today’s United States Navy...
The Wackiest Sub In The Navy
Or A Short History Of The USS G-1 SS-19 ˝
All commissioned U.S. Navy vessels are designated with an alphanumeric hull number.
As an example, the Mine Countermeasures ship USS Pioneer is designated MCM-9, and the
submarine USS Darter was SS-576. This system allows the classification of ships for
record keeping and treaty verification purposes, it aids in their identification,
and allows the Navy to reuse a name after a ship is decommissioned without the
inevitable confusion this would present. However, for the first 100 years of its
existence, the Navy did not have this system...
Daves' Pick of The Best Submarine Books
Over the last ten years of corresponding with my fellow submarine history buffs,
I have been asked on several occasions, "How did you know that?" or some such
question. At times I have been surprised by this, as the answer is really very simple: I read a lot...
Mush Morton and the Wahoo, Murderers?
On 26 January 1943 the USS Wahoo (SS-238), under the command of the indomitable
Lt. Commander Dudley W. "Mush" Morton, engaged in a running gun and torpedo battle
with a Japanese convoy consisting of four ships off the northern coast of New Guinea.
It would later prove to be a seminal moment in the history of the famous Morton
and his Wahoo, forever cementing their combined reputation as ace ship hunters...
The Infamous Mink Blanket Dive
"Trimming" is a term used by submariners to describe the process of adjusting
the boat's weight so as to obtain neutral buoyancy, neither sinking or rising.
This is achieved by letting in or pumping water out of ballast tanks located
forward and aft and in the center of the boat. It's a tricky process and requires
taking into account obscure factors such as fuel and water usage, how many
torpedoes have been shot, how much garbage has been dumped, ...and how much shopping the crew has done in Korea...
A Visual Guide To The S-Class Submarines
Designed during WWI when German U-boats were running amuck in the Atlantic, the
S-class of submarines were to be our Navy's first true ocean going attack submarines.
A Visual Guide To The S-Class Submarines Part II
Of the three S-boat prototypes, EB's S-1 and the government's S-3 were picked
for series production. The Navy strongly desired an in-house design and construction
capability, thus the S-3, while flawed, was satisfactory enough to warrant follow on boats.
Psst…Hey shipmate, what do we call this boat again?
G-2 was an unusual boat in many ways. She lacked bow planes, but had three sets
of midships mounted planes! This reflected builder Simon Lake's emphasis on even
keel diving. Her streamlined fairwater concealed two separate conning towers...
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