Frozen Hatch! 
 
by Chuck Elliott, END/FN(SS), ASSP-313


Patrolling somewhere in the Bering Sea and diving on contact - during the  Korean War - the Quartermaster was charged with the responsibility of spraying glycerin on the latch of the conning tower hatch (the weather was so cold that it would freeze). As an auxilliaryman I was at the air manifold, and when the order to dive came, I "bled air" on the command of the diving officer. He and I watched the aneroid barometer go up then begin to drop, at which time the skipper came down from the conning tower into the control room followed by a "ton" of freezing sea water. 

As the diving officer Lt. Schonert yelled at me to "blow everything," I already had my hand on the bow buoyancy valve and proceeded to open every valve including the safety tank.

The steward in the forward battery compartment had dogged the hatch and was looking through the window at me, the cook in the after battery/galley had vaulted the counter and dogged that hatch and was looking at me as I was directly in line with both of them on the starboard side. 

By this time I was ankle deep in freezing salt water, the pump room was at least 1 foot deep in water and the boat was shuddering under "full rise on bow and stern planes and all ahead flank," a command I had never heard before! The skipper was so cool, that as a 19 year old I still cannot forget what he said: "that was a wet one wasn't it?" The electricians and the E.T.s spent the next two days taking motors and electronics apart and baking them in the ovens to dry them out. 

I guess the part of this experience that sticks to my mind after all these many years is the training and experience that allowed all the people involved in this almost tragedy to perform their duties exactly as they were trained, and do it without a command from anyone! I am certain once the surface claxon went off immediately following the diving claxon, every compartment was closed off, even though they had no idea of what was going on in the control room. 

The quartermaster is not to blame as he had sprayed the latch: it was just so "bloody cold" the glycerin did not work!

To have been a part of this elite fraternity and to have the photos on the wall of my home now fills me with pride every time I look at them. Just one more small window into time, of the experiences none of us will ever forget.

For all you Nukers, I wish you could have been with me but, I wish I could have been with you.

Respectfully submitted,
Chuck Elliott END FN (SS) USS Perch ASSP 313


If you have any comments for the author, he can be reached at CE918VLT187PC@aol.com 

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