USS Triton (SSRN-586)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Triton.

USS Triton (SSRN-586)
History
United States
Builder	General Dynamics Electric Boat
Laid down	May 29, 1956
Launched	August 19, 1958
Commissioned	November 10, 1959
Decommissioned	May 3, 1969
Stricken	April 30, 1986
Homeport	1959: New London, Connecticut 1964: Norfolk, Virginia 1967: New London, Connecticut
Motto	Nulli Secundus (Second to None)
Fate	Recycled
General characteristics
Displacement	5963 tons surfaced 7773 tons submerged
Length	447 ft 6 in (136.40 m)
Beam	37 ft 0 in (11.28 m)
Draught	23 ft 6 in (7.16 m)
Propulsion	2 × pressurized-water S4Gs 22,500 shaft horsepower each
Speed	30+ knots surfaced (56 kph) 27+ knots (50 kph) submerged
Test depth	700 ft 0 in (213.36 m) operational 1,050 ft 0 in (320.04 m) crush
Complement	172 personnel (radar-picket role) 159 personnel (attack role)
Armament	6 × (four bow, two stern) 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes

USS Triton (SSRN/SSN-586), a nuclear-powered radar picket submarine, was the first vessel to execute a submerged circumnavigation of the Earth which was accomplished during its shakedown cruise in early 1960.

At the time of her commissioning, Triton was the largest, most powerful submarine ever built, as well as being the only non-Soviet submarine to be powered by two nuclear reactors.

Triton was the second submarine and the fifth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Triton, a Greek demigod of the sea who was the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite.

Design History

Radar Picket Role

File:USS Triton CIC.JPG

Triton's combat intelligence center (CIC)

Radar-picket submarines were developed during the post-war period to provide intelligence information, electronic surveillance, and fighter aircraft interception control for forward-deployed naval forces. Unlike destroyers used as radar picket ships during World War Two, these submarines could avoid attack by submerging if detected. However, a key limiting factor was that these conventionally-powered submarines were too slow to operate with high-speed carrier task forces.

Triton was designed in the mid-1950s as a radar picket submarine capable to operate at high speed, on the surface, in advance of an aircraft carrier task force. Triton's high speed was derived from her twin-reactor nuclear propulsion plant, with a designed speed, surfaced ad submerged, of 28 knots (52 kph). On 27 September 1959, Triton achieved 30 knots (56 kph) during her initial sea trials.

Triton's main air search radar was the AN/SPS-26, the U.S. Navy's first electronically scanned, three-dimensional search radar which was laboratory tested in 1953. The first set was installed onboard the destroyer leader USS Norfolk (DL-1) prior to its installation onboard the Triton in 1959. The SPS-26 had a range of 65 nautical miles (120 km) and could track aircraft up to an altitude of 75,000 feet (22,866 m). It was scanned electronically in elevation, and therefore did not need a separate height-finding radar. The radar could be stowed in Triton's massive sail when not in use.

Triton had a separate air control compartment, located between its reactor and operations compartments, that housed a fully-staffed combat intelligence center (CIC) to process its radar, electronic, and air traffic data.

Twin Nuclear Reactor Propulsion Plant

Triton sea trials (27 September 1959)

To achieve the high speed required to meet her radar-picket mission, Triton was designed with two reactor propulsion plants. Triton was the only United States nuclear submarine ever to have been thus built. Her S4G reactors were identical sea-going versions to the land-based S3G reactor prototype.

As originally designed, Triton's total reactor output was rated at 34,000 horse power. However, Triton achieved 45,000 horsepower during her sea trials, and her first commanding officer, Captain Edward L. Beach, believed that Triton's plant could have reached 60,000 horsepower "had that been necessary."

The number one reactor, located forward, supplied steam to the forward engineering room and the starboard propeller shaft. The number two reactor supplied steam to the after engineering room and the port propeller shaft. Each reactor could supply steam for the entire ship, or the reactors could be cross-connected as required. It is this enhanced reliability, redundancy, and dependability of its dual-reactor plant that was a key factor in the selection of Triton to undertake the first submerged circumnavigation of the world.

Triton's dual-reactor plant served a number of operational and engineering objectives which continues to be a source of speculation and controversy to this day:

• Reliability Concerns — During the early 1950s, many engineers at Naval Reactors branch of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) were concerned about depending on single-reactor plants for submarine operations, particularly involving under-the-ice Arctic missions.

• Surface Ship Testbed — The presence of two de-aerating feed tanks, which are used only on surface warship, suggests that Triton's twin-reactor plant served as a testbed for future multi-reactor surface warships.

• Performance Optimization — The U.S. Navy was debating the best approach to optimize performance, particularly underwater speed. Triton represented sheer brute horsepower to achieve higher speeds, while the other approached emphasized the more hydrodynamic teardrop-shaped hull-form pioneered by the USS Albacore and, when combined with nuclear power, the USS Skipjack to achieve higher speed with less horsepower.

Finally, Triton's twin-reactor plant posed a number of major technical issues which delayed her eventual disposal for years following her disposal.

Other Design Features

Triton featured a knife-like bow, with a bulbous forefoot to enhance her surfaced sea-keeping, and a high reserve buoyancy (30%) provided by 22 ballast tanks, the most ever installed on an American submarine.

She was the last submarine to have a conning tower (a water-tight compartment built into the sail), as well as the last American submarine to have twin screws or a stern torpedo room. Its sail was the largest ever installed onboard an American submarine, measuring 70 feet long, 24 feet tall and 12 feet wide (22.5 x 7.3 x 3.7 m), which was designed to house the large AN/SPS-26 3-D air-search radar antenna when not in use. She also had a compartment dedicated solely for crew berthing, with 96 bunks, and two separate chief pettty officer (CPO) quarters.

With an overall length of 447 feet 6 inches (136.40 m), Triton was the longest submarine ever built by the Navy until the commissioning of the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines.

Combat Systems

• AN/BQS-4 — This active/passive sonar detecting-ranging set had a listening range up to 20 nautical miles (37 km) for surfaced or snorkeling submarines, optimized to to 35 nautical miles (65 km) with target tracking capability within 5 degrees of accuracy.
• AN/BQR-2 — This hull-mounted passive sonar array supplemented the BQS-4 system, with a range up to 10 nautical miles (18.5 km) and a bearing accuracy of 1/10th of degree, allowing the BQR-2 to be used for fire control in torpedo attacks.
• MK-101 — Fire-control system.
• Mark 37 torpedo

Construction History

Keel Laying

Triton was authorized under the U.S. Department of Defense appropriation for Fiscal Year 1956 as SCB 132. Her keel was laid down on 29 May 1956 in Groton, Connecticut, by the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation.

Electric Boat built the Triton using material supplied by 739 different companies during the ensuing 26 months of construction following her keel-laying.

Triton's length presented Electric Boat with many problems during her construction. She was so long that her bow obstructed the slipways railway facility used for transporting material around the yard, so the lower half of her bow was cut away and re-attached just days prior to her launch. Similarly, the last 50 feet (15 m) of her stern had to be built on an adjoining slipway and added before she was launched. Her sail was found to be too high to go under the scaffolding, so the top 12 feet (4 m) of the sail were cut away and re-attached later.

Launching

Launch of USS Triton (19 August 1958)

Triton was launched on 19 August 1958, with Louise Will, the wife of Vice Admiral John Will USN (ref.), as its sponsor. The principal address was delivered by Admiral Jerauld Wright, the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT) and Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) for NATO. Over 35,000 guests attended the launching, the largest crowd to witness a submarine launching up to that time.

On 1 February 1959, Triton was provisionally accepted for service in the US. Navy, with Captain Edward L. Beach, Jr., the Prospectve Commanding Officer, now designated as Officer-in-Charge.

Triton would meet several key milestones before her commissioning, as listed below in chronological order:

• Reactor No. 2 achieved initial critical mass — 8 February 1959
• Reactor No. 1 achieved initial critical mass — 3 April 1959
• Initial Sea Trial — 27 September 1959
• Preliminary Acceptance Trials (PAT) — 20 October - 23 October 1959

Two shipboard accidents occurred during Triton's post-launch fitting out:

• 2 October 1958 — A steam valve failed during testing, causing a large cloud of steam that filled the compartment.
• 7 April 1959 — A fire broke out during the testing of a deep-fat fryer which spread from the galley into the ventilation lines of the crew's mess.

Both incidents, neither nuclear related, were quickly handled by ship personnel, with Lt. Commander Leslie B. Kelly, the prospective chief engineering officer, being awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his quick action during the 2 October incident.

Commissioning

USS Triton commissioning (10 November 1959)

Triton was commissioned on 10 November 1959 with Captain Edward L. Beach, Jr. in command. The keynote address was given by Vice Admiral Bernard L. Austin, the Deputy CNO for Plans and Policy, who noted:

As the largest submarine ever built, her performance will be carefully followed by naval designers and planners the world over. For many years strategists have speculated on the possibilities of tankers, cargo ships and transports that could navigate under water. Some of our more futuristic dreamers have talked of whole fleets that submerge. Triton is a bold venture into this field.

A water color painting of the ship was presented by the American Water Color Society, and the original ship's bell for the first submarine Triton was donated by the widow of the late Rear Admiral Willis Lent, the first skipper of that ship.

The final cost of building Triton, less its reactors, nuclear fuel, and other related costs paid by the AEC, was $109,000,000 USD, making Triton the most expensive submarine ever built at the time of her commissioning.

Triton was assigned to Submarine Squadron 10, the U.S. Navy's first all-nuclear force, based at the U.S. Submarine Base in New London, Connecticut, under the command of Commodore Tom Henry.

Triton subsequently completed torpedo trials at Naval Station Newport and conducted other special tests at the Norfolk Navy Base before returning to Electric Boat on 7 December 1959 in order to install special communications equipment. Work on the Triton at Electric Boat was delayed as priority was given to completing the Navy's first two fleet ballistic missile (FBM) submarines, the George Washington and the Patrick Henry.

On 20 January 1960, Triton got underway to conduct an accelerated series of at-sea testing. Triton returned on 1 February as preparations continued for her forthcoming shakedown cruise, scheduled for departure on 16 February 1960, which involved operating with the command ship USS Northampton (CLC-1), the flagship of the U.S. Second Fleet, in northern European waters.

On 1 February 1960, Captain Beach received a message from Rear Admiral Lawrence R. Daspit, Commander Submarines Atlantic Fleet (COMSUBLANT), instructing Beach to attend a top secret meeting at The Pentagon on 4 February.

Operation Sandblast — First Submerged Circumnavigation

Mission Objectives

On 4 February 1960, Captain Edward L. Beach and Commodore Tom Henry of Submarine Squadron 10 arrived at The Pentagon in civilian attire to attend a top-secret, high-level meeting with the following individuals:

• Vice Admiral Wallace M. Beakley, Deputy CNO for Fleet Operations and Readiness
• Rear Admiral Lawson P. Ramage, Director, Undersea Warfare Division, OPNAV
• Captain Henry G. Munson, Director, U.S. Navy Hydrographic Office
• Representatives from COMSUBLANT and COMSUBPAC

It was announced that Triton's upcoming shakedown cruise was to be a submerged world circumnavigation, code-named Operation Sandblast, with the following mission objectives:

For purposes of geophysical and oceanographic research and to determine habitability, endurance and psychological stress - all extremely important to the Polaris program - it had been decided that a rapid round-the-world trip, touching the areas of interest, should be conducted. Maximum stability of the observing platform and unbroken continuity around the world were important. Additionally, for reasons of the national interest it had been decided that the voyage should be made entirely submerged undetected by our own or other forces and completed as soon as possible. TRITON, because of her size, speed and extra dependability of her two-reactor plant, had been chosen for the mission.

Triton would generally follow the track of the first circumnavigation (1519–1522) led by Ferdinand Magellan, departing 16 February, as scheduled, and arriving back home no later than 10 May 1960. Beach and Henry arrived back in New London at 5:45 A.M. on 5 February. Later that morning, after breakfast, Beach briefed his officers, whom Beach had insisted needed to know, about their new shakedown orders and the mission objectives for Operation Sandblast.

Mission Preparations

Loading ship's stores

The officers and crew of the USS Triton had just 12 days to complete preparations for their much more ambitious, but top secret shakedown cruise. With one exception, the enlisted personnel did not know the true nature of their upcoming mission.

A key personnel change occurred on 2 February when Triton's veteran chief engineering officer, Lt. Commander Leslie D. Kelly, left the ship for duty at the Naval Reactors branch of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. His relief was his former assistant engineering officer, Lt. Commander Donald G. Fears.

A cover story was devised that, following the shakedown cruise, Triton would proceed to the Caribbean Sea to undergo additional testing required by the Bureau of Ships. The crew and civilians were instructed to file their Federal income taxes early and take care of all other personal finances that may arise through mid-May.

Lt. Commander Will M. Adams, Triton's executive officer, and Lt. Commander Robert W. Bulmer, Triton's operations officer, prepared the precise, mile-by-mile track of their upcoming voyage at the secure chart room, located at COMSUBLANT headquarters, with Chief Quartermaster (QMC) William J. Marshall, the only non-officer to know about Operation Sandblast prior the ship's departure.

Lt. Commander Robert D. Fisher, Triton's supply officer, coordinated the loading of ship's stores sufficient for a 120-day voyage. Eventually, some 77,613 pounds (35,205 kg) of food was loaded onboard, including 16,487 pounds (7,478 kg) of frozen food, 6,631 pounds (3,009 kg) of canned meat, 1,300 pounds (590 kg) of coffee, and 1,285 pounds (583 kg) of potatoes.

Vice Admiral Hyman G. Rickover sent special power-setting instructions for Triton's reactors, allowing them to operate with greater flexibility and a higher safety factor. On 15 February 1960, Triton went to sea to do a final check of all shipboard equipment. Except for a malfunctioning wave-motion sensor, Triton was ready for her shakedown cruise, set for 16 February.

Around the World Submerged — 1960

Outward Bound — 16 February to 24 February

Making the announcement (17 February 1960)

Triton departed New London on 16 February 1960 for what was announced as her shakedown cruise. Her crew had been told to prepare for a longer than normal voyage. Triton shaped course to the south-east (134 degrees True).

At dawn on 17 February, Triton performed its first morning star-sighting using the built-in sextant in its No. 1 periscope during the nightly ventilation of the shipboard atmosphere. The inboard induction valve was closed after the removal of a rusted flashlight that had prevented its closure.

Captain Edward L. Beach announced the true nature of their shakedown cruise:

Men, I know you’ve all been waiting to learn what this cruise is about, and why we’re still headed southeast. Now, at last, I can tell you that we are going on the voyage which all submariners have dreamed of ever since they possessed the means of doing so. We have the ship and we have the crew. We’re going around the world, nonstop. And we’re going to do it entirely submerged.

Later that day, Triton experienced a serious leak with a main condenser circulating water pump and a reactor warning alarm tripped because of a defective electrical connection. Both incidents were handled successfully and did not affect the ship's performance.

On 18 February, Triton conducted its first general daily drill and, on 19 February, released its first twice-daily hydrographic bottle used to study ocean current patterns.

On 23 February, Triton detected a previously uncharted seamount with its echo-sounding fathometer.

Triton made its first landfall, reaching St. Peter and Paul Rocks on 24 February after travelling 3250 nautical miles (6019 km}. The Rocks would serve as home plate for Triton's submerged circumnavigation. Photographic reconnaissance was carried out by Lt. Richard M. Harris, the CIC/ECM officer, and Chief Cryptologic Technician (CTC) William R. Hadley, who would be the ship's secondary photo-recon team for the voyage. Triton turned south and crossed the equator for the first time later that day, passing into the Southern Hemisphere, with ship's personnel participating in the crossing the line ceremony.

Destination: Cape Horn — 24 February to 7 March

Cape Horn (7 March 1960)

On 1 March 1960, as Triton passed along the east coast of South America, a trio of crises threatened to end Operation Sandblast:

• Chief Radarman (RDCA) John R. Poole began suffering from a series of kidney stones.
• The ship's fathometer malfunctioned, putting it out of commission, with its loss meaning Triton could no longer echo-sound the sea floor, risking possible grounding or collision.
• Readings on one of the reactors indicated a serious malfunction which require its shutdown.

As Captain Beach noted: "So far as Triton and the first of March were concerned, it seemed that troubles were not confined to pairs. On that day we were to have them in threes."

Later that day, Lt. Milton R. Rubb and his electronics technicians returned the fathometer to operational status, as did Chief Engineer Donald D. Fears, Reactor Officer Robert P.McDonald, and Triton's engineering crew regarding the reactor in question. Since Poole's symptoms were intermittent, Triton continued south, although there was a detour to the Golfo Nuevo when the ship investigated an unknown sonar contact. Contemporary news accounts reported that the Argentine Navy had been encontering numerous unknown submarine contacts in the Golfo Nuevo area during early 1960, but Triton's sonar contact turned out to be a school of fish.

On 3 March, Triton raised the Falkland Islands on radar and prepared to conduct photoreconnaissance of Port Stanley, but before they could sight the islands, Poole's condition worsened so, taking a calculated risk, Captain Beach ordered Triton's course reversed, ran up all ahead Flank, and sent a radio message describing the situation. From the ship's log on that date:

In the control and living spaces, the ship had quieted down, too. Orders were given in low voices; the men speak to each other, carrying out their normal duties, in a repressed atmosphere. A regular pall has descended upon us. I know that all hands are aware of the decision and recognize the need for it. Perhaps they are relieved that they did not have to make it. But it is apparent that this unexpected illness, something that could neither have been foreseen nor prevented, may ruin our submergence record.

USS Macon (CA-132)

Fortunately, the heavy cruiser USS Macon (CA-132), Captain Reuben T. Whitaker commanding, was on a good will cruise to South American ports since January as the flagship for Rear Admiral Edward C. Stephan, Commander Naval Forces South Atlantic. The Macon had been in Argentine waters in conjunction with President Eisenhower's visit to Argentina from February 26 - 29, 1960.

In the early hours of 5 March, Triton rendezvoused with the Macon off Montevideo, Uruguay, after a diversion of over 2000 nautical miles (3706 km). Triton broached, exposing only her sail while the rest of the ship remained submeregd. A boat-handling party led by Lt. George A. Sawyer, the ship's gunnery officer, transferred Chief Poole to the waiting whale boat which returned to the Macon. Poole would be the only crew member who did not complete the voyage. Meanwhile, the Macon completed its cruise at Rio de Janeiro on 10 March, returning to the Boston Navy Yard.

Returning south, Triton passed to the west of the Falklands, and rounded Cape Horn through Estrecho de le Maire on 7 March. Captain Beach described his first impressions of this legendary lands-end of the Western Hemisphere as being "bold and forbidding, like the sway-backed profile of some prehistoric sea monster." Captain Beach allowed all crew members the opportunity to view the Horn through the periscope, requiring five reverses of course to keep it in sight.

Across the Pacific — 7 March to 31 March

Petty Officer Edward Carbullido and Captain Edward L. Beach, off Guam (28 March 1960)

On 7 March 1960, Triton entered the Pacific Ocean and passed into the operational control of Rear Admiral Roy S. Benson, Commander Submarine Force U.S. Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC), who had been Captain Beach's commanding officer on the USS Trigger (SS-237) during World War II. Triton's first Pacific landfall was Easter Island, some 2500 nautical miles (4630 km) away.

On 8 March, Triton detected a seamount, registering a minimum depth of 350 fathoms (640 m), with a total height of 7000 feet (2134 m) above the ocean floor. Also on that day, Triton successfully conducted a drill simulating the emergency shutdown of its reactors and loss of all power.

On 9 March, the starboard shaft seal sprung a major leak in the after engine room. A make-shift locking clamp was jury-rigged to contain the leak.

On 12 March, the trouble-plagued fathometer ceased operation when its transducer header flooded, grounding out the entire system. Since the transducer head was located outside the ship's pressure hull, it could not be repaired except in drydock. Without an operational fathometer, Triton could be vulnerable to grounding or collision with uncharted submerged formations.

An alternative to the fathometer was devised involving the use of the ship's active forward search sonar with the gravity meter installed in the combat intelligence center (CIC). By using both systems in tandem, underwater masses could be detected and avoided, although this approach lacked the capability of the fathometer to echo-sound the depth of the ocean floor.

On 13 March, Triton detected a submerged peak using active sonar and the gravity meter that confirm the feasibility of this procedure.

Triton next raised Easter Island on that same day, first by radar, then by periscope. She photographed the northeastern coast for some two and a half hours before spotting the statue Thor Heyerdahl had erected. Again all crewmen were invited to observe through the periscope. Triton's next landfall was Guam, some 6734 nautical miles (12,471 km) away.

On 17 March, a mal-functioning air compressor used was repaired, requiring the re-wiring of its armature, a task ordinarily done by a submarine tender. Captain Beach was deeply impressed by "this spirit and outlook [that] permeated our crew." He was also "astonished" by two different make-shift fathometer sound transmitters created by the electronic and engineering crew. One was based on a general announcing speaker while the other used a stainless steel cooking pot from the galley, with stainless steel rods and copper wiring. Beach noted: "I could only marvel at the ingenuity of the American sailor."

On 19 March Triton detected another submerged peak, using its sonar and gravity meter, and then crossed the equator for the second time and passed into the Northern Hemisphere. Another submerged peak was successfully detected on 20 March. Later that day, Triton made its closest approach to Pearl Harbor, and the crew celebrated with a Luau party.

On 23 March Triton crossed the International Date Line and lost 24 March from her calendar.

On 25 March, sonar indicated another rise from the ocean floor, which was previously uncharted, and was logged with a depth of 350 fathoms (640 m).

On 27 March she passed the point of closest approach to the location where the previous Triton was lost during World War II, and a memorial service was held to commemorate the occasion. A submerged naval gun salute was fired to honor the lost crew when three water-slugs were shot in quick succession from the forward torpedo tubes.

On the morning of 28 March Triton raised Guam and observed activity on shore. Petty Officer Edward Carbullido, who had been born on Guam but had not returned home for 14 years, was asked to identify his parents' house through the periscope while the boat remained submerged in Agat Bay. Triton then changed course for the Philippines, the mid-point of her around-the-world voyage.

The Philippines: In the Wake of Magellan — 31 March to 4 April

Off Mactan Island (1 April 1960)

On 31 March, Triton crossed over the Philippine Trench and began threading her way through the vast Philippine archipelago, passing from the Philippine Sea through the Surigao Strait into the Mindanao Sea, and then through the Bohol Strait into the Camotes Sea.

A special water sample was taken during Triton's transit of Surigao Strait; its recipient was retired Vice Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf, the task force commander whose battleships had defeated the Japanese Southern Force during the Battle of Surigao Strait, history's last naval battle fought only by surface warships, during World War II. Captain Beach observed: "We think that Admiral Oldendorf will appreciate a sample of this body of water."

On 1 April, Triton raised Mactan Island and shortly before noon sighted the monument commemorating the death of Ferdinand Magellan at that site, with Triton thereby reaching the mid-point of its submerged circumnavigation. Captain Beach reflected on Magellan and his demise:

Ordinarily a leader given to the most meticulous preparations for any important undertaking, one who personally checked every item and left no stone unturned in his effort to eliminate any possible cause of failure, Magellan's every action during this entire episode ... might almost have been calculated with the intention of seeking defeat. Such was the height of his religious fervor that divine intervention was expected as a matter of course. God, having brought him this far, would not forsake him now So much have thought Magellan in the height of his exaltation, forgetting entirely that God is not bound by the conventions of man's thought.

Later that same day, April Fool's Day, Triton was sighted by the only unauthorized person to spot the submarine during her secret voyage — a young Filipino man in a small dugout canoe about 50 yards off Triton’s beam. That afternoon, Triton proceeded through Hilutangan Channel into the Sulu Sea via the Bohol Strait.

On 2 April, Triton's gyroscopic repeaters experienced severe oscillations, possibly caused by a mal-functioning syncro amplifier, which ceased when shifted to direct gyro input to the helm. Later, while transiting Pearl Bank Passage, this gyro malfunction nearly caused a potentially hazardous helm error that was quickly corrected. Triton then proceeded through the Sibutu Passage into the Celebes Sea, leaving Philippine waters. Triton entered the Makassar Strait, crossing the equator for the third time, on 3 April, and then, during 4 April, transited the Flores Sea, bound for Lombok Strait, the gateway to the Indian Ocean.

Indian Ocean: Sealed Ship — 5 April to 17 April

On 5 April Triton entered the Indian Ocean via the Lombok Strait. The transition proved to be dramatic. The change in salinity and density of the seawater caused the Triton to dive abruptly from periscope depth to 125 feet in about 40 seconds. Captain Beach noted: "I had experienced changes in water density many times before, but never one of this magnitude." Triton returned to periscope depth and subsequently entered the Indian Ocean.

While crossing the Indian Ocean, Triton conducted a sealed-ship experiment. Beginning on 10 April, rather than refreshing the air in the boat by snorkeling each night, she remained sealed, using compressed air to make up for consumed oxygen, as well as burning oxygen candles to replenish the ship's atmosphere. Also, starting on 15 April, the smoking lamp was extinguished, with no tobacco smoking permitted anywhere aboard the ship.

On Easter Sunday, 17 April, Triton rounded the Cape of Good Hope and entered the South Atlantic Ocean, returning to the operational control of Rear Admiral Lawrence R. Daspit (COMSUBLANT).

Return to the Rocks — 17 April to 25 April

The smoking lamp was relit on 18 April, with the three days of prohibition having taken a noticeable toll on the crew's morale. Rather than passing the word in a tradition manner, Captain Beach demonstrated the lifting of the ban by walking though the ship smoking a cigar, blowing smoke in people's faces, and asking: "Don't you wish you could do this?" He recorded in his log that "it took some 37 seconds for the word to get around." On 20 April, Triton crossed the Prime Meridian, and on 24 April, the sealed atmosphere experiment was terminated.

On that same day, the hydraulic line to the stern plane mechanism burst, caused by a fractured valve, occurred in the after torpedo room. Through the quick action by Torpedoman's Mate Third Class (TM3) Allen W. Steele, aided by Engineman Third Class (EN3) Arlan F. Martin, this potentially catastrophic event was successfully contained. Eventually, the main hydraulic system was restored with a control valve from the steering system, but the ship's steering controls remain on emergency mode for the balance of the voyage.

On 25 April, Triton crossed the equator for the final time, entering the Northern Hemisphere, and shortly thereafter, sighted St. Peter and Paul Rocks were sighted, completing the first submerged circumnavigation. As Captain Beach noted: "We are not yet home, but we may be considered to have taken a long lead off third base."

Homeward Bound — 25 April to 11 May

Off Cadiz, Spain (2 May 1960)

During 28 - 29 April, Triton conducted engineering drills, and then proceeded to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, arriving on 30 April, and thereafter setting course for Cadiz, Spain, to complete two additional goals of Operation Sandblast on 2 May:

1. To honor the seaport where Magellan set sail from in 1519
2. To make the delivery of the plaque created to honor Magellan's and Triton's historic voyages {see below)

Afterwards, Triton descended to cruise depth and increased speed to all ahead full. As Captain Beach noted: "We are on the last leg of our trip enroute to the United States."

Triton returned to the United States, surfacing off the coast of Delaware on 10 May. Captain Beach was helicoptered to Washington, DC, where news of Triton's submerged around-the-world voyage was announced by President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the White House, with Vice Admiral Hyman G. Rickover, the Father of the Nuclear Navy, in attendance. Beach was helicoptered back to his ship later that day, and Triton arrived back at Groton, Connecticut on 11 May 1960, completing her shakedown cruise and the first submerged circumnavigation of the earth.

Mission Accomplishments

File:021201-N-0000B-003.jpg

Captain Beach traces the route of the Triton's submerged circumnavigation

Key Figures

• Triton traveled 35,979 nautical miles (41,411 statute miles, or 66,645 kilometers) submerged, over the course of 84 days, 19 hours, and 8 minutes, between 16 February and 10 May 1960.
• The actual circumnavigation occurred between 24 February and 25 April 1960, with a submerged track of 26,723 nautical miles (30,752 statute miles, or 49,491 kilometers), traversed in 60 days and 21 hours, at an average speed of over 18 knots (21 mph, or 33 kph).
• Triton crossed the equator four times during its circumnavigation.

Scientific Accomplishments

• Water samples were taken throughout Triton's circumnavigation, which were tested for differences in chemical composition, salinity, and density.
• Measurements were kept using the installed gravity meter, providing a continuous record of variations in earth's gravity field throughout Triton's circumnavigation.
• Some 144 hydrographic bottles to track ocean currents were released during Operation Sandblast.
• Triton mapped uncharted seamounts, coral reefs, and other submerged topographic structures using its fathometer and sonar systems.

Vital National Interests

• Operation Sandblast proved nuclear-powered submarines could undertake extended operations independent of any external support.
• Triton tested a prototype ship inertial navigational system (SINS) for submarine use, as well as being the first submarine to test the floating very low frequency (VLF) communications buoy system, with both systems being vital for the Navy's upcoming Polaris fleet ballistic missile submarines (FBM) deterrence patrols.
• The psychological testing of Triton's crew members to determine the effects of long-term isolation was particularly relevant for the initial deployment of the Navy's fleet ballistic missile submarines, as well as NASA's upcoming manned space program, Project Mercury.

Aftermath

Mission accomplished

Because of the public uproar over the U-2 Incident, most of the official celebrations for Triton's submerged circumnavigation were cancelled. The voyage did receive extensive contemporary coverage by the news media, including feature magazine articles by Argosy, Life, Look, and National Geographic, as well as television and newsreels.

Official Recognition

On 10 May 1960, Triton received the Presidential Unit Citation (PUC) from United States Secretary of the Navy William B. Franke, which was accepted by Chief Torpedoman's Mate (TMC) Raymond Chester Fitzjarrald, the chief of the boat (COB), on behalf of the officers and crew of the Triton. This was only the second time that a U.S. Navy vessel had been awarded the PUC for a peacetime mission.

SecNav Franke also presented the U.S. Navy Commendation Ribbon to Torpedoman's Mate Third Class (TM3) Allen W. Steele for his quick and decisive actions in handling a serious hydraulic oil leak that occurred in the after torpedo room on 24 April 1960

Captain Edward L. Beach received the Legion of Merit from President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower at the White House on 10 May 1960. He also received the 1960 Giant of Adventure Award from the popular men's magazine Argosy, which dubbed Beach the "Magellan of the Deep." In 1961, the American Philosophical Society presented Captain Beach with its Magellanic Premium, the nation's oldest and most prestigious scientific award, in "recognition of his navigation of the U.S. submarine Triton around the globe."

Circmnavigation Crew List

I'm proud of Triton's around-the-world cruise, but I didn't really do that. That was done by my crew and the Navy - the ship the Navy built and put me in command of. That's not a personal achievement, although I was captain of the ship.

— Captain Edward L. Beach, Jr., U.S. Navy (ret.) (1999)

See the List of USS Triton submerged circumnavigation crew for complete details.

Other Points

• President Eisenhower's naval aide, Captain Evan P. Aurand, is credited with recommending that a successful submerged circumnavigation, timed to conclude just prior to the upcoming Paris four-power summit in May 1960, would provide a much needed boost to American prestige.
• Captain Beach wrote the lead article (“Triton Follows Magellan's Wake”) on the Triton's circumnavigation of the November 1960 issue of National Geographic Magazine, which also revealed the identity of the fisherman who had sighted Triton's periscope in Magellan Bay on 1 April 1960. He was then 19-year-old Rufino Baring of Punta Engano, Mactan Island, who believed that he had encountered a sea monster: "I was very frightened. I tried to get away as fast as I could.".

• Chief Radarman John R. Poole was examined by both the medical staff of the Macon and subsequently at a hospital in Montevideo, and his third kidney stone attack, which prompted his transfer off Triton, proved to be his last, without the need for an operation.

• Petty Officer Edward C. Carbullido of the USS Triton was able to go home to Guam for Christmas 1960 on a 60-day leave, with the cost of his flight paid with the sell of a magazine article on Triton's circumnavigation and the assistance from Pan American Airways.

• It was determined that the cabling to Triton's fathometer head, located in the bulbous forefoot of her bow, had not been properly insulated, and the constant buffeting caused by Triton's high speed ruptured these cables, rendering the fathometer inoperable.

Operational History

Initial Deployment

Following her post-shakedown availability, Triton deployed to European waters with the Second Fleet to participate in NATO exercises against British naval forces led by the aircraft carriers Ark Royal and Hermes under the command of Rear Admiral Sir Charles Madden. Triton climaxed the deployment with a port visit to Bremerhaven, West Germany, the first visit by a nuclear-powered ship to a European port.

Overhaul and Conversion

Triton being fitted out at Electric Boat

Even before her launch, there was considerable discussion of Triton's role beyond its radar picket mission. An internal Navy memorandum set forth the following options:

1. Command ship for a fleet or force commander
2. Advanced sonar scout for the fleet
3. Regulus cruise missile submarine
4. Minelaying submarine

However, with the exception of option #1, all would require extensive modification to Triton's original design.

Another potential mission for Triton was as a underwater tugboat that could rescue disabled submarines under the Arctic ice pack. Captain Beach requested that plans be drawn up for this modification, which he characterized as being "easy and inexpensive" to do. Although this underwater towing capability was never used, it later became a key plot element in Beach's 1978 novel Cold is the Sea.

For the first half of 1961, Triton conducted operational patrols and training exercises with the Atlantic Fleet. During this period, the rising threat posed by Soviet submarine forces increased the Navy's demands for nuclear-powered attack submarines with antisubmarine warfare (ASW) capability. Accordingly, upon the demise of the Navy's radar picket submarine program following the development of the carrier-based Grumman WF-2 Tracer airborne early warning aircraft , Triton was redesignated to hull classification symbol SSN-586 on 1 March 1961 and entered the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in June 1962 for conversion to an attack submarine. Her crew complement was reduced from 172 men to 159. The Navy had no plans to use her radar picket capability, but she still carried her BPS-26 search radar and could have fulfilled this role. She was overhauled and refueling at Groton, Connecticut, from September 1962 to January 1964.

Subsequent Operations

In March 1964, upon completion of its overhaul, Triton's home port was changed from New London, Connecticut, to Norfolk, Virginia. On 13 April 1964, Triton became the flagship for the Commander Submarine Forces U.S. Atlantic Fleet (COMSUBLANT), and served in that role until relieved by submarine Ray (SSN-653) on 1 June 1967. Eleven days later, Triton was shifted to her original home port of New London.

Floating White House Controversy

Because she served as the COMSUBLANT flagship, one area of continuing speculation has been whether Triton had been part of the National Emergency Command Post Afloat (NECPA) program. NECPA was tasked to provide afloat facilities for the President of the United States in case of an emergency or war, with the USS Northampton (CC-1) and USS Wright (CC-2) assigned to perform this mission.

Triton would have made an attractive NECPA platform for the following reasons:

• Size — Triton's size allowed for ample growth margins for additional shipboard systems and accommodations.
• Speed — Triton's designed speed allowed for rapid transit, wih her nuclear power plant also offering virtually unlimited endurance and range.
• Combat Information Center (CIC) — This large shipboard facility offered substantial command-and-control capabilities.
• Communications Suite — This would have included its very-low-frequency (VLF) communication buoy system for receiving and sending radio transmissions while submerged.
• NBC Protection — Being a submarine, Triton offered superior protection against nuclear-biological-chemical (NBC) contaminants over surface ships or aircraft.

However, the record remains unclear if such a conversion was ever undertaken.

Decommissioning

Because of cutbacks in defense spending, Triton's scheduled 1967 overhaul was cancelled, and the submarine — along with 60 other vessels — was slated for inactivation. From October 1968 through May 1969, the submarine underwent preservation and inactivation processes, and Triton was decommissioned on 3 May 1969.

Triton became the first U.S. nuclear-powered submarine to be taken out of service, although the Soviet Navy's November-class submarine K-27, equipped with two liquid metal (lead-bismuth) cooled VT-1 reactors, had been deactivated by 20 July 1968.

Commanding Officers

• Edward L. Beach — November 1959 to July 1961
• George Morin — July 1961 to September 1964
• Robert Rawlins — September 1964 to November 1966.
• Frank Wadsworth — November 1966 to May 1969

Awards and Commendations

Presidential Unit Citation

Citation:

For meritorious achievement from the 16th of February 1960 to the 10th of May 1960.

During this period TRITON circumnavigated the earth submerged, generally following the route of Magellan’s historic voyage. In addition to proving the ability of both crew and nuclear submarine to accomplish a mission which required almost three months of submergence, TRITON collected much data of scientific importance. The performance, determination and devotion to duty of TRITON’s crew were in keeping with the highest traditions of the naval service.

All members of the crew who made this voyage are authorized to wear the Presidential Unit Citation ribbon with a special clasp in the form of a golden replica of the globe.

The White House – May 10, 1960

Navy Unit Commendation

File:NUCd.jpg

Citation:

For exceptionally meritorious service during a period in 1967, USS TRITON, a nuclear submarine, conducted an important and arduous independent submarine operation of great importance to the national defense of the United States. The outstanding results during this operation attest to the professional skill, resourcefulness, and ingenuity of TRITON’s officers and men. Their inspiring performance of duty is in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.

Secretary of the Navy – 1967

Submarine Hall of Fame

The USS Triton (SSN-586) was inducted into the the Submarine Hall of Fame located at Naval Station Norfolk.

Final Deposition

File:Tritonv.jpg

Triton in dry dock at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (November 2007)

On 6 May 1969, Triton departed New London under tow and proceeded to Norfolk where she was placed in the inactive fleet. She remained berthed at Norfolk or at the St. Julien's Creek Annex of Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia into 1993. Triton was only stricken on 30 April 1986 from the Naval Vessel Registry.

In August 1993, the hulks of Ex-Triton and Ex-Ray were towed by the USS Bolster (ARS-38) to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PNSY), in Bremerton, Washington, arriving on 3 September 1993, to await their turn through the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program (SRP).

Beginning in June 2007, Ex-Triton made preparations for entering drydock for recycling. Ex-Triton landed on the keel resting blocks in the drydock basin in October of 2007.

Cultural References

File:ANTI1034.jpg

Commemorative Stamp issued by Antigua-Barbuda

Antigua-Barbuda issued a stamp commemorating Triton's 1960 submerged circumnavigation (see image). Triton was also referenced briefly in three popular Cold War novels:

• The Last Mayday by Keith Wheeler (1968) depicts Triton participating in a submarine training exercise at the beginning of the novel, with special notice made of her large, rectangular sail.
• Cold is the Sea by Edward L. Beach, the 1978 sequel to his 1955 best-seller Run Silent, Run Deep, mentions Triton several times.
• The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy (1984) mentions, as biographical background, that the Charlie-class submarine commanded by Marko Ramius "hounded mercilessly for twelve hours" the Triton in the Norwegian Sea. Subsequently, Raimius "would note with no small satisfaction that the Triton was soon thereafter retired, because, it was said, the oversized vessel had proven unable to deal with the newer Soviet designs."

Triton was the name of one of the submersibles used in the Submarine Voyage attraction at Disneyland which operated from 1959 to 1998. Finally, Operation Sandblast may have inspired two globe-circling submarine films of the period, Irwin Allen's 1961 film Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and Ivan Tors' 1966 film Around the World Under the Sea.

Legacy

The sea may yet hold the key to the salvation of man and his civilization. That the world may better understand this, the Navy directed a submerged retrace of Ferdinand Magellan's historic circumnavigation. The honor of doing it fell to Triton, but it has been a national accomplishment; for the sinews and the power which make up our ship, the genius which designed her, the thousands and hundreds of thousands who labored, each at his own metier, in all parts of the country, to build her safe, strong, self-reliant, are America. Triton, a unit of their Navy, pridefully and respectfully dedicates this voyage to the people of the United States.

— Captain Edward L. Beach, Jr., U.S. Navy (2 May 1960)

Ship's Crest, Insignia, and Bell

The ship's crest depicts two atoms, which are symbolic of Triton's twin reactors; the falcons are symbolic of reconnaissance, which was Triton's initial mission; and the hand rising out of the sea with the trident refers to the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, and his son Triton, which is symbolic of sea power from the deep.

The insignia patch depicts Triton holding his twisted conch shell which he blows like a trumpet to calm or raise the waves, with Triton's ship number SSRN 586 over his right shoulder.

The ship's bell was the original ship's bell for the first submarine Triton which was donated by the widow of the late Rear Admiral Willis Lent, the first skipper of that ship, at new Triton's commissioning ceremony on 10 November 1958.

Images

• Ship's crest
  Ship's crest
• Insignia patch
  Insignia patch
• 
  Ship's bell

Triton Plaque

The Triton Plaque

In the eight days prior to Triton's departure on its around-the-world submerged voyage, Captain Edward L. Beach approached Lt. Tom B. Thamm, Triton's Auxiliary Division Officer, to design a commemorative plague for their upcoming voyage as well as the first circumnavigation of the world led by Ferdinand Magellan.

The plaque's eventual design consisted of a brass disk about 23 inches (58.5 cm) in diameter, bearing a sailing ship reminiscent of Ferdinand Magellan's carrack Trinidad above the US submarine dolphin insignia with the years 1519 and 1960 between them, all within a laurel wreath. Outside the wreath is the motto AVE NOBILIS DUX, ITERUM FACTUM EST ("Hail Noble Captain, It Is Done Again").

Commodore Tom Henry of Submarine Squadron 10 supervised the completion of the plaque. The carving of the wooden form was done by retired Chief Electrician's Mate Ernest L. Benson at the New London Submarine Base. The actual molding of the plaque was done by the Mystic Foundry.

During the homeward leg of its around-the-world voyage, Triton rendezvous with the destroyer USS John W. Weeks (DD-701) on 2 May 1960 off Cadiz, Spain, the departure point for Magellan's earlier voyage. Triton broached, and the Weeks transferred the finished plaque to the Triton for transport back to the United States. The Triton plaque was subsequently presented to the Spanish government by John Davis Lodge, the United States Ambassador to Spain.

Copies of the Triton Plaque are at the following locations:

• City Hall — Sanlucar de Barrameda, Spain
• Mystic Seaport Museum — Mystic, Connecticut
• Naval Historical Association — Washington, DC
• U.S. Navy Submarine School — Groton, Connecticut
• U.S. Navy Submarine Force Museum and Library — Groton, Connecticut

The plaque mounted on the wall of the city hall of Sanlucar de Barrameda also has a marble slab memorializing the 1960 Triton submerged circumnavigation.

Triton Medal

File:Triton Medal.01.JPG

Triton Medal (front & back)

The Triton Medal is a special commemorative heirloom of the 1960 around-the-world voyage by the Triton. It was presented to each member of the Circumnavigation Crew by Captain Edward L. Beach, who had the medals cast in Bremerhaven, West Germany, when the Triton visited that port following her first overseas deployment during the Fall of 1960.

On the face of the medal is a clear anchor with three electron rings circling the shank. The name of each recipient is engraved below the anchor crown. Around the circumference of the medal's face is the inscription, FIRST SUBMERGED CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF THE WORLD and USS TRITON SSRN 586 1960. The edge of the medal's face is encircled by rope. On the reverse of the medal is a miniature replica of the Triton Plaque.

Triton Light

The crew of the Triton provided samples of water taken from the 22 seas through which their ship had passed during their submerged circumnavigation, which were used to fill a globe built into the Triton Light along with a commemorative marker.

Triton Hall

The U.S. Navy dedicated the USS Triton Recruit Barracks at its Recruit Training Command (RTC) located at the Naval Station Great Lakes near North Chicago, Illinois, on 25 June 2004, which honors the memory of two submarines named Triton and includes memorability from both vessels. Guest speakers included:

• Captain Robert Rawlins, USN (ret.), who commanded the nuclear submarine Triton from September 1964 to November 1966
• Jeanine McKenzie Allen, a researcher on the history of both submarines
• Admiral Henry G. Chiles Jr., USN (ret.), who was the first naval officer to command the U.S. Strategic Command

Triton Hall is the fifth barracks constructed under the RTC Recapitalization Project and covers 172,000 square feet (15,979 square meters). The facility is designed to accommodate 1056 recruits and includes berthing, classrooms, learning resource centers, a galley, a quarterdeck, and a modern HVAC system.

Triton Park

Triton's massive sail superstructure is set to be preserved as the centerpiece for a future memorial park along the Columbia River. The park would include a display on the history of the Triton and serve as a tourist attraction. The park's tentative location is at the end of Port of Benton Boulevard in north Richland, Washington. The sail would be cut up for transport and re-assembly at the park site. Ground-breaking would taken place on April 3, 2008, with the dedication ceremony set for August 19, 2008 and a Fall 2009 start-date for construction.

See also

• Other USS Triton
• Edward L. Beach, Jr.
• Triton Light

References

Bibliography

Primary Sources

• USS Triton (SSRN-586). First Submerged Circumnavigation 1960 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1960) O - 550280
• Captain Edward L. Beach: Papers, 1953 1961 @ Dwight D. Eisenhower Library - Abilene, Kansas
• Papers of Vice Admiral Wallace M. Beakley, Operational Archives Branch, Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C.

Secondary Sources

 This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

• Beach, Edward L. (1962). Around the World Submerged: The Voyage of the Triton (first edition ed.). New York / Chicago / San Francisco: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. LCC 62-18406. AVE NOBLIS DUX ITERUM FACTUM EST {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)

• Beach, Edward L. (1999). Salt and Steel: Reflections of Submariner. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN: 1557500541.

• Beach, Edward L. (November 1960). "Triton Follows Magellan's Wake". National Geographic Magazine (Vol. 118, No. 5). {{cite book}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

• Duncan, Francis (2001). Rickover: The Struggle for Excellence. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN: 1557501777.

• Robert G Largess and Harvey S Horwitz (1993). "USS Triton: The Ultimate Submersible" (WARSHIP Volume XVII ed.). p. 167-187: Conway Maritime Press.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)

• Polmar, Norman (1993). The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet (15th edition ed.). Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN: 155750752. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)

• Norman Polmar and J.K. Moore (2004). Cold War Submarines: The Design and Construction of U.S. and Soviet Submarines. Washington, DC: Potamac Books, Inc. ISBN: 1574885308 (paperback).

Multi-media Sources

• "Beyond Magellan" (General Dynamics, 1960) Running time - 30:00
• "USS Triton Trails Magellan" (National Geographic Society, 1960) Running time - 40:00
• "Triton Launched: Giant Submarine First with Twin Nuclear Engines" (21 August 1958) Universal Newsreel by Ed Herlihy (1:35)
• "New Magellan: Triton Circles World Submerged" {12 May 1960) Universal Newsreel narrated by Ed Herlihy (1:11)

External links

• USS Triton (SSRN/SSN-586) @ Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS)
• Port of Benton, Washington - Future Triton Memorial [1]
• Google satellite view of USS Triton long-term storage days at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
• Unofficial USS Triton website
• Cold War Curiosities: U.S. Radar Picket Submarines - Article from Undersea Warfare Magazine, Winter/Spring 2002, Vol 4, No 2
• Around the World Beneath the Sea: the USS Triton Retraces Magellan's Historic Circumnavigation of the Globe
• Global Security: USS Triton (SSRN-586)
• NavSource.org: USS Triton (SSRN/SSN-586)
• Navysite.de: USS Triton (SSRN/SSN-586)
• Operation Sandblast - American Submariner Magazine
• "Nuclear Sub Coming to New Richland Park" - KNDO/KNDU - Washington, February 21, 2008 @ 12:02 PM EST, with video link (1:03)