Edward L. Beach
AROUND THE WORLD SUBMERGED
The Voyage of the Triton
The man whose inspiration, genius, and perseverance created the power plant without which Tritons voyage could not have been conceived has never been categorized as easy to deal with, nor is his high resolve entirely without problems for himself and others. But his single-minded determination, his idealism, his relentless insistence upon the right, and his love for the United States of America distinguish him as one of the great men of our time.
To Vice-Admiral H. G. Rickover, United States Navy, who made Triton possible, and without whom the fantastic power of the nuclear reaction would still, in my opinion, be harnessed only for atomic explosives, this book, without his permission, is very respectfully dedicated.
IN GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Ships Company During Submerged CircumnavigationOFFICERS
LCDR Will Mont Adams, Jr., Executive Officer
CDR James Ellis Stark, MC, Medical Officer
LCDR Robert Dean Fisher, SC, Supply Officer
LCDR Robert William Bulmer, Operations Officer
LT Donald Gene Fears, Engineer Officer
LT Robert Brodie III, Communications Officer
LT Robert Patrick McDonald, Reactor Control Officer
LT Tom Brobeck Thamm, Auxiliary Division Officer
LT George John Troffer, Electrical Officer
LT Curtis Barnett Shellman, Jr., Machinery Division Officer
LT George Albert Sawyer, Jr., Gunnery Officer
LT Richard Adams Harris, CIC/ECM Officer
LT Milton Robert Rubb, Electronics Officer
LT James Cahill Hay, Assistant A Division
MACH Phillip Brown Kinnie, Jr., Assistant M Division
CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS
Chester Raymond Fitzjarrald, TMC Chief of the Ship
Alfred E. Abel, ENCA
Hugh M. Bennett, Jr., ICC
Joseph H. Blair, Jr., EMCA
James J. DeGange, EMCA
John F. Faerber, ENCA
Loyd [sic] L. Garlock, FTC
William L. Green, SDCA
Harry W. Hampson, ETCA
Herbert F. Hardman, EMCS
William R. Hadley, CTC
Clarence M. Hathaway, Jr., ENCA
Robert L. Jordan, ICC
Jack R. Judd, ETCS
Ralph A. Kennedy, ENCA
James T. Lightner, ENCA
Lynn S. Loveland, MMCA
William J. Marshall, QMC
George W. McDaniel, SOCA
Walter H. ODell, EMCA
Mack Parker, EMCA
Richard N. Peterson, ICCA
Bernard E. Pile, RDCS
L E [sic] Poe, EMC
John R. Poole, RDCA
Edwin C. Rauch, ENCS
Joseph Rosenblum, EMCS
Fred Rotgers, ENC
Frank W. Snyder, ENC
Joseph W. Walker, YNC
Joseph E. Walsh, RMC
Hosie Washington, ENCA
Roy J. Williams, Jr., HMC
Marion A. Windell, RMCA
ENLISTED
Walter J. Allen, ET1
Ronald Everett Almeida, RM2
Edward G. Arsenault, RM2
Erland N. Alto, EN1
Ramon D. Baney, CS2
Robert F. Barrila, EN3
Horace H. Bates, EN2
Curtis K. Beacham, QM1
Lawrence W. Beckhaus, SO1
James C. Bennett, RM2
Nathan L. Blaede, ET1
George M. Bloomingdale, EM1
David E. Boe, SN
John S. Boreczky, Jr., EN3
Robert U. Boylan, ETNSN
Richard L. Brown, EM1
Earl E. Bruch, Jr., CS2
Franklin D. Caldwell, EMFN
Edward C. Carbullido, SD2
Robert M. Carolus, EN1
Robert C. Carter, MM1
Leslie R. Chamberlin, Jr., CS3
Gerald J. Clark, RD3
Charles E. Cleveland, EM1
Colvin R. Cochrane, MM1
Raymond J. Comeau, Jr., EM2
William E. Constantine, FT1
William J. Crow, CS1
Bertram Cutillo, DK3
Raymond R. Davis, EN1
James Obie Dixon, Jr., YN2
Martin F. Docker, ET1
Gary L. Dowrey, SOSSN
Ralph F. Droster, EN2
Alan T. Ferdinandsen, IC3
Richard R. Fickel, HM1
James A. Flaherty, RM1
Joseph R. Flasco, EN1
Fred J. Foerster, FN
Ren C. Freeze, RD1
Gerald W. Gallagher, IC1
Bruce F. Gaudet, IC3
Adrian D. Gladd, HM1
Edward R. Hadley, EN3
Carl C. Hall, QM3
Lawrence C. Hankins, Jr., EN1
Carlus G. Harris, EN2
Ralph W. Harris, EN2
David L. Hartman, EN2
Gene R. Hoke, IC1
William C. Holly, RD2
Floyd W. Honeysette, QM2
Berten J. Huselton, IC1
Wilmot A. Jones, TM2
Edward K. Kammer, EM1
Fred Kenst, SN
Ronald D. Kettlehake, EMFN
Peter P. J. Kollar, GM1
Richard R. Knorr, ENFN
John F. Kuester, CS3
Raymond R. Kuhn, Jr., FN
Leonard F. Lehman, EM1
Larry N. Mace, EM1
Ross S. MacGregor, FT2
Edward J. Madden, EN2
Anton F. Madsen, QM3
Robert M. Maerkel, FN
Harry A. Marenbach, MM1
Harold J. Marley, Jr., RM1
Arlan F. Martin, EN3
George W. Mather, ET1
Boyd L. McCombs, EN1
Douglas G. McIntyre, EN1
William A. McKamey, SN
J C [sic] Meaders, HM1
Charles F. Medrow II, ETN3
Roger A. Miller, QM3
Philip P. Mortimer, Jr., EN2
John Moulton, FA
Larry E. Musselman, MM1
Bruce H. Nelson, FN
Ronald D. Nelson, EN1
Rudolf P. Neustadter, IC3
Raymond J. OBrien, SK1
Harry Olsen, EN2
Charles S. Pawlowicz, ETRSN
Charles P. Peace, ET2
Robert C. Perkins, Jr., RM2
Richard H. Phenicie, IC3
Russell F. Pion, ET1
George V. Putnam, TM2
Donald R. Quick, EN1
Kenneth J. Remillard, SO1
Max L. Rose, SN
Richard M. Rowlands, TM1
Jerry D. Saunders, RD2
Russell K. Savage, QM2
Paul K. Schulze, EN1
Thomas J. Schwartz, TM3
Stanley L. Sieveking, TM1
Donald P. Singleton, EN3
Gordon E. Simpson, ET1
James H. Smith, Jr., SN
Peter F. Springer, EN1
Allen W. Steele, TM3
Richard W. Steeley, EN3
James A. Steinbauer, EN3
Gerald Royden Stott, ET1
Leonard H. Strang, EN3
Robert R. Tambling, TM1
Joseph W. Tilenda, SN
Jessie L. Vail, EM1
James O. Ward, SD3
William R. Welch, MM1
Henry H. Weygant, EN1
Robert W. Whitehouse, EN1
Lamar C Williams, EN2
William Williams, EN1
Audley R. Wilson, RD1
Donald R. Wilson, SD3
John W. Wouldridge, RM1
Gordon W. Yetter, EN1
Raymond F. Young, YNSN
Robert C. Zane, YN2
Herbert J. Zeller, EM1
Ernest O. Zimmerman, RD2
TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL
CDR Joseph B. Roberts, USNR, Office of Information, Navy Department
Earnest R. Meadows, PH1
Dr. Benjamin B. Weybrew, Psychologist, Naval Medical Research Laboratory, Submarine Base, New London
Mr. Michael Smalet, Geophysicist, USN Hydrographic Office
Mr. Gordon E. Wilkes, Civil Engineer, USN Hydrographic Office
Mr. Nicholas R. Mabry, Oceanographer, USN Hydrographic Office
Mr. Frank E. McConnell, Engineer, General Dynamics
Mr. Eldon E. Good, Inertial Guidance Division, Sperry
In the account of Tritons voyage which follows, I have drawn freely upon the narrative section of the official report of our trip. When assembled, this report formed a tome about three inches thick. It contained many detailed tabulations and much succinctly presented raw information, and all the officers of the ship participated in its preparation. My contribution was the narrative section, which was made public when we arrived back in the United States.
Here, interspersed between the sections of the Log and forming the major portion of this book, are my own personal thoughts and observations as later reconstituted at my typewriter at home after all the excitement had died down.
All portions of this manuscript have been submitted to the Navy Department for clearance, and each chapter bears the stamp no objection to publication on grounds of military security. Over and above this, the entire responsibility for everything which appears in these pages obviously must be my own.