Remembering USS THRESHER Lest we forget April 10, 1963
April 10, 2013
USS THRESHER (SSN593) was lost at sea with all aboard at about 9:18 a.m. on 10 April 1963, approximately 220 miles east of Boston, Massachusetts. ABOUT USS THRESHER (SSN593)
SHIP’S COMPANY
Displacement ...........3,700 (surfaced), .....................................4,300 (submerged)
Arsenault, Tilmon J., ENCA (SS)-P2, USN
Hudson, John F., EN1 (SS), USN
Marullo, Julius F., Jr., QM1 (SS), USN
Rushetski, Anthony A., ETN2, USN
Babcock, Ronald C., LTJG, USN
Inglis, John P., FN, USNR
McClelland, Douglas R., EM2 (SS), USN
Schiewe, James M., EM1 (SS)-P2, USN
Bain, Ronald E., EN2 (SS)-P2, USN
Johnson, Edward A., ENCA (SS), USN
McCord, Donald J., MM1 (SS)-P2 USN
Shafer, Benjamin N., EMCM (SS)-P2, USN
Bell, John E., MMI-P2, USN
Johnson, Richard L., RMSA, USN
McDonough, Karl P., TM3 (SS), USN
Shafer, John D., EMCS (SS)-P2, USN
Bobbitt, Edgar S., EM2 (SS)-P2, USN
Johnson, Robert E., TMC (SS)-P1, USN
Middleton, Sidney L., MM1 (SS)-P2, USN
Shimko, Joseph T., MM1-P2, USN
Boster, Gerald C., EM3 (SS)-P1, USN
Johnson, Thomas B., ET1 (SS)-P2, USN
Muise, Ronald A., CS2, USN
Shotwell, Burnett M., ETRSN, USN
Bracey, George (n), 5D3 (SS), USN
Johnson, Brawner G., FTG1 (SS)-P2, USN
Musselwhite, James A., ETN2 (SS)-P2, USN
Sinnett, Alan D., FTG2 (SS),USN
Brann, Richard P., EN2 (SS)-P2, USN
Jones, Richard W., EM2 (SS), USN
Nault, Donald E., CS1 (SS), USN
Smarz, John (n), Jr., LT, USN
Carkoski, Richard J., EN2 (SS), USN
Kaluza, Edmund J., SOS2 (SS)-P1, USN
Noonis, Walter J., RMC (SS), USN
Smith, William H., Jr., BT1-P2, USN
Carmody, Patrick W., 5K2, USN
Kantz, Thomas C., ETR2 (SS), USN
Norris, John D., ET1 (SS)-P2, USN
Snider, James L., MM1, USN
Cayey, Steven G., TM2 (SS), USN
Kearney, Robert D., MM3, USN
Oetting, Chesley C., EM2-P2, USN
Solomon, Ronald H., EM1-P2, USN
Christiansen, Edward (n), SN (SS), USN
Keiler, Ronald D., IC2 (SS)-P2, USN
Parsons, Guy C., Jr., LTJG, USN
Steinel, Robert E., SO1 (SS)-P1, USN
Claussen, Larry W., EM2 (SS)-P2, USN
Kiesecker, George J., MM2 (SS)-P2, USN
Pennington, Roscoe C., EMCA (SS)-P2, USN
Van Pelt, Roger E., IC1 (SS)-P2, USN
Clements, Thomas E., ETR3 (SS), USN
Klier, Billy M., EN1 (SS) P2, USN
Peters, James G., EMCS-P2. USN
Walski, Joseph A., RMl (55)-P1, USN
Collier, Merrill F., LT, USN
Kroner, George R., CS3, USN
Phillippi, James F., SOS2 (SS), USN
Wasel, David A., RMSN, USN
Cummings, Francis M., SOS2 (SS), USN
Lanouette, Norman G., QM1 (SS), USN
Philput, Dan A., EN2 (SS)-P2, USN
Wiggins, Charles L., FTG1-P2, USN
Dabruzzi, Samuel J., ETN2 (SS), USN
Lavoie, Wayne W., YN1 (SS), USN
Podwell, Richard (n), MM2-P2, USN
Wiley, John J., LTJG, USN
Davison, Clyde E., III, ETR3-P1, USN
Lyman, John S., Jr., LCDR, USN
Regan, John S., MM1 (SS)-P2, USN
Wise, Donald E., MMCA (SS)-P2, USN
Day, Donald C., EN3 (SS), USN
Mabry, Templeman N., Jr., EN2 (SS)-P2, USN
Ritchie, James P., RM2, USN
Wolfe, Ronald E., QMSN (SS),USN
Denny, Roy O., Jr., EM1 (SS)-P2, USN
Malinski, Frank J., LTJG, USN
Robison, Pervis (n), Jr., SN, USN
Zweifel, Jay H., EM2-P1, USN
Di Nola, Michael J., LCDR, USN
Mann, Richard H., Jr., IC2 (SS), USN
Rountree, Glenn A., QM2 (SS), USN
Length ........................278'6" Beam...........................31' 8" Speed ..........................20+ knots Complement .............100 Armament .................4 torpedo tubes
When commissioned on August 3, 1961, USS THRESHER (SSN593) represented the future of the Submarine Force. As the first of a new class of deep-diving, fast, and quiet attack submarines, THRESHER was the epitome of the Cold War submarine. Following commissioning, THRESHER conducted a series of trials, tests and exercises before returning to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in July 1962 for her Post-Shakedown Availability which continued through the early spring of 1963. On April 9, 1963 THRESHER departed Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for sea trials. Following a rendezvous with its escort USS SKYLARK (ASR20), THRESHER conducted various tests including a shallow dive and full-power propulsion test while proceeding to a second rendezvous point.
TIMELINE OF THRESHER’S LOSS — APRIL 10, 1963 0747 – THRESHER initiates a deep dive test. 0752 – THRESHER levels off at 400 feet and reports no issues.
0745
0800
0809 – THRESHER reports to SKYLARK that she has reached one-half test depth.
0815
0825 – THRESHER reaches test depth.
0914 – THRESHER ’s garbled response said, in part, “experiencing minor difficulties, have positive up angle, attempting to blow.” This transmission was accompanied by the hissing of compressed air being released into THRESHER’s ballast tanks. 0913 – SKYLARK pages THRESHER, performing an underwater telephone check called a gertrude check.
0830
0845
0900
0915 – SKYLARK receives an unintelligible transmission from THRESHER. 0917 – Another message from THRESHER is detected. While it is mostly garbled, the words, “exceeding test depth” can be heard. 0918 – SKYLARK hears the unmistakable sounds of a submarine imploding.
0915
0930
THE SEARCH FOR THRESHER Shortly after 9:17 a.m., when efforts to communicate with THRESHER had been unsuccessful, SKYLARK commenced an expanding search pattern. During the afternoon, SKYLARK was joined by patrol aircraft and USS RECOVERY (ASR43). At about 5:30 p.m. RECOVERY sighted an oil slick seven miles to the southeast of SKYLARK’s 9:17 a.m. position. Recovery assets subsequently located debris, recovering gloves and bits of internal insulation, materials which could have come from THRESHER.
On April 12, Secretary of the Navy Fred Korth issued an official declaration that THRESHER and all on board were lost. In August 1963 the bathyscaph TRIESTE located THRESHER’s wreckage in 8,400 feet of water some 220 miles east of Boston.
DiBella, Peter J., SN, USN Dundas, Don R., ETN2 (SS), USN Dyer, Troy E., ET1 (SS)-P1, USN Forni, Ellwood H., SOCA (SS)-P1, USN Foti, Raymond P., ET1 (SS), USN Freeman, Larry W., FTM2 (SS), USN
THE SUBSAFE CULTURE A Court of Inquiry convened on April 11, 1963 to inquire into the circumstances surrounding THRESHER’s loss. The Court concluded that a flooding casualty in the engine room is the most probable cause and that it is most likely that a piping system failure had occurred in one of THRESHER’s seawater systems. It was also concluded that in all probability water affected electrical circuits and caused a loss of power. The cascading events that led to this piping system failure and THRESHER’s inability to recover from it were found to have stemmed from a combination of a lack of specifications for systems, quality control, maintenance practices, and operational procedures. The Court of Inquiry Report contained 19 recommendations, each of which were technically evaluated and incorporated into the Navy’s design and operational requirements. As a result, the Navy stood up a new safety program less than two months after THRESHER sank. On June 3, 1963, the Chief, Bureau of Ships established the Submarine Safety (SUBSAFE) Program. Today Naval Sea System Command’s Submarine Safety and Quality Assurance Office is responsible for managing the SUBSAFE Program. The SUBSAFE Program’s mission is to provide maximum reasonable assurance of watertight integrity to preclude flooding and of operability of critical recovery systems should flooding occur. Maximum reasonable assurance is achieved by certifying that each submarine meets the SUBSAFE Program’s technical and administrative requirements upon delivery to the Navy and by maintaining that certification throughout the life of the submarine. Further, for a submarine to leave port and submerge, it must be certified in accordance with SUBSAFE Program requirements.
Fusco, Gregory J., EM2 (SS)-P2, USN
The program focuses its efforts on those areas or components of a submarine that, should they fail, would result in a high likelihood of loss of ship due to flooding. Such systems include the submarine’s pressure hull, seawater systems, high-pressure systems, openings between the submarine and the ocean, and “fly-by-wire” ship control systems (the SEAWOLF and VIRGINIA classes). Mission assurance and personnel safety, though side benefits, are not within the SUBSAFE Program’s purview. SUBSAFE is central to the culture of our entire Navy submarine community, including designers, builders, maintainers, and operators. The SUBSAFE Program operates by four simple tenets:
Gallant, Andrew J., Jr., HMC (SS), USN Garcia, Napoleon T., SD1 (SS), USN Garner, John E., YNSN (SS), USN Garner, Pat M., LCDR, USN Gaynor, Robert W., EN2 (SS), USN Gosnell, Robert H., SA (SS), USNR Grafton, John G., LTJG, USN Graham, William E., SOC (SS)-Pl, USN
• Clear, concise requirements,
Gunter, Aaron J., QM1 (SS), USN
• Training to ensure qualified personnel are accomplishing the work,
Hall, Richard C., ETR2 (SS)-P2, USN
• Audits and surveillance to ensure qualified personnel are performing the work correctly with the proper material, and
Harvey, John W., LCDR, USN (CO of THRESHER)
• Accountability through documented objective quality evidence of the work.
Heiser, Laird G., MM1-P2, USN
In the world of submarines, it only takes a moment to fail. For that reason, the SUBSAFE Program built and continues to foster a culture based on healthy skepticism. This culture is a part of everyone, be they military, Civil Service, or contractor, who takes a role in certifying submarines. THRESHER’s loss led directly to establishing the SUBSAFE Program and the 129 men lost 50 years ago will always serve as a reminder of what happens when ignorance, arrogance, and complacency are allowed to exist.
Hayes, Norman T., EM1-P1, USN
Helsius, Marvin T., MM2, USN Henry, James J., Jr., LTJG, USN Hewitt, Leonard H., EMCA (SS), USN Hoague, Joseph H., TM1 (SS), USN Hodge, James P., EM2, USN
PERSONNEL OTHER THAN SHIP’S COMPANY Abrams, Fred P., Civilian Employee, Production Department, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Des Jardins, Richard R., Civilian Employee, Combat Systems Division, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Palmer, Franklin J., Civilian Employee, Production Department, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Allen, Philip H., LCDR, USN, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Dineen, George J., Civilian Employee, Production Department, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Prescott, Robert D., Civilian Employee, Design Division, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Shipyard
Fisher, Richard K., Civilian Employee, Design Division, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Stadtmuller, Donald T., Contractor’s Representative, Sperry Corp
Beal, Daniel W., Jr., Civilian Employee, Combat Systems Division, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Biederman, Robert D., LT, USN, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Billings, John H., LCDR, USN, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Charron, Robert E., Civilian Employee, Design Division, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Corcoran, Kenneth R., Contractor’s Representative, Sperry Corp. Critchley, Kenneth J., Civilian Employee, Production Department, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Currier, Paul C., Civilian Employee, Production Department, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Guerette, Paul A., Civilian Employee, Design Division, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Jaquay, Maurice F., Contractor's Representative, Raytheon Corp. Keuster, Donald W., Naval Ordnance Laboratory Krag, Robert L., LCDR, USN, Staff, Deputy Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Moreau, Henry C., Civilian Employee, Production Department, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Whitten, Lawrence E., Civilian Employee, Combat Systems Division, Portsmouth Naval Shipyardt