Mar
22
To the crew who lost their shipmates and families who lost their sons under the sea, my heart felt condolences and understanding go out to you. My thoughts are with you during this trying time.
From one who knows,
Kirk M. Blanchard, FTG1/SS, USS Silversides/SSN 679–On board: 1979-1983
Technorati Tags: HMS Tireless, submarines, submariners
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April 2nd, 2007 at 3:35 pm
My son is on HMS Tireless and arrived home today, it has been a sad couple of weeks. Both submariners lost are from my sons section and were both close friends of his. My thoughts and those of my family go out to the families of the two lost submariners.
April 2nd, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Give your son my condolences would you? Being a submariner is never easy normally and although a tremendous amount of preparation and training goes into preventing just such an accident, the simple fact is that they do happen. Thankfully, not very often. Please tell your son I’m sorry he lost his mates and to carry on for them. I’ll be keeping him and all the others in my thoughts.
April 8th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
Thanks
Much appreciated and he is determined at this time to continue but then I wouldn’t expect anything different. The crew did a magnificent job and we are proud of all of them.
Mel
August 28th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
So how did an O2 candle cause an explosion, and they said it was the generator, that would bew more plasuable. Sorry for the loss, if it was the candles there needs to be a better way than using those dang things. Hats off to ya mates!!!!
August 28th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
It was indeed a candle that exploded, we have recently had a public enquiry report and its initial findings are frightening. It appears that the candles had a: been sent to a hazardous waste dump and then subsequently re-certified and b: stored in poor conditions for 2 months before being supplied to HMS Tireless, the poor storage turned out to be on the open dockside (cracks or grease can cause the candles to explode !!!). Worse still during the investigation they found more candles on the dockside that had been there for nearly 2 years and were due to be supplied to another submarine.
We now wait to see if anyone will be charged with corporate manslaughter or anything realy, I don’t think so somehow.
August 28th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
MM1/SS Bert & Mel,
Welcome to Just Thinkin’ to the both of you. Glad you decided to provide a bit of info here.
As an old Cold War submariner, safety on board any of our subs runs 200% overkill or better and O2 candles were always inspected by date and lot number plus a cursory visual inspection before allowed on board and a thorough recheck before put into use. Even with all that no one was ever comfortable using those damn things. There were only a couple times we had to use O2 candles during my time on board my boat and everyone was on edge until we were able to douse them.
And bringing the perpetrators to justice? I have to agree that probably nothing will happen but it’s still a hanging offense (without the short drop, just haul ‘em up and let ‘em choke).
My hat will always be off to HMS Tireless crew.