The Italian submarine ITS Salvatore Todaro (S 526) arrived at Naval Submarine Base New London on Thursday, August 21, at 8:00 a.m. for a 14-day visit. ITS Todaro was commissioned on March 29, 2006, and is the first of four submarines in the U212A class.  The submarine is led by Commanding Officer Lieutenant Commander Mauro Panebianco.  Its homeport is Taranto, in southern Italy.

Todaro’s port visits, including Mayport, FL and Norfolk, VA, are historic for the Italian Navy - it is the first time since World War II that an Italian submarine crossed the Atlantic.

During this deployment, ITS Todaro will be involved in training activities with the U.S. Navy, testing several on-board systems in an operational environment different from the one the Italian Navy usually operates in. Before leaving the U.S., Todaro will also participate in 2008 Columbus Day celebrations in New York City. The diesel and electric-powered Todaro is 183 feet long, and has a diameter of 22 feet.  The submerged displacement is 1,830 tons.

story & photo
by Jessica Warzeniak

“At seventy-two degrees and fifty percent humidity, that is the way to explore the Artic!” joked retired Navy Commander Al Charette at the Submarine Force Library and Museum during his discussion of USS Nautilus’ (SSN 571) historic 1958 voyage under the North Pole. The lecture by Cmdr. Charette, a chief sonarman on board Nautilus during the voyage, began a morning of events kicking-off the museum’s Golden Year celebrations. Additionally, a special film screened and a new temporary exhibit opened; all honoring the 50th anniversary of Nautilus’ world-shattering achievement: the first crossing of the North Pole by a ship, August 3, 1958.

Cmdr. Charette’s humor veiled the seriousness of the dangers faced by submarine and crew. Dangers touched on in Cmdr. Charette’s recounting and highlighted in the film, “Operation Sunshine,” and the new exhibit “Uncharted Waters: Journey to the North Pole.”

Prior to Nautilus, much of the Arctic Ocean was unexplored. “Sub-surface it was a new frontier,” said Cmdr. Charette. A new frontier in which the US with the Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear powered ship, might have an advantage over the then Soviet Union, which was leading the space race with the launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, into orbit in October 1957. “We wanted to out-Sputnik the Russians,” explained Cmdr. Charette. To do so, Nautilus would make two attempts at crossing the Pole before success.

Gyrocompass failure forced submarine and crew to turn back from an August 1957 attempt that brought Nautilus to within 180 miles of the Pole. Navigation beneath the Arctic ice sheet is difficult and there was a risk that the submarine would become disoriented beneath the ice. Magnetic compasses are inaccurate that close to the Pole, so the submarine was equipped with two gyrocompasses, a compass that finds true north by using an electrically powered, fast-spinning wheel and friction forces in order to exploit the rotation of the Earth. When both gyrocompasses lost power, they were put on the same fuse, Nautilus Commanding Officer, Commander William R. Anderson gave the order to turn back because there was no way to find the ship’s position. The crew maneuvered a tactical turn, turning so many degrees at a certain speed, in order to follow their own track back.

During a second attempt in June 1958, extremely deep, underwater ice ridges almost trapped the ship. At the time, submarines didn’t have any equipment to look above them, so sonar from a destroyer was repurposed and pointed up to give Nautilus an idea of how close the ridges were above them. Unfortunately, the data was delayed, meaning when the crew noticed that they were being squeezed by land below them and ice ridges above, it was already happening. The submarine, more than 300-feet long, had just 20-feet of water beneath its keel and less than 8-feet of clearance above its sail. “I know we were running through mush,” said Cmdr. Charette. “You could almost feel everyone in the attack center watching the data, hunch down trying to bring the submarine with them!”

Finally, ice conditions proved favorable for a late July 1958 attempt. Ninety-six hours and 1,830 miles after submerging under the ice in the Chukchi Sea, Nautilus surfaced off the coast of Greenland and sent the momentous and succinct message: “Nautilus 90 North.”

Submarine and crew conquered the Arctic, transiting from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean and “piercing” the North Pole on August 3. As the submarine passed through the Pole, Cmdr. Anderson addressed the crew via ship’s intercom with the memorable words, “For the USA and the US Navy, the North Pole.”

“Operation Sunshine,” a film produced by the Navy shortly after the record setting voyage, documents the achievement through period photography, video, and interviews, will continue to be shown in the new temporary exhibit area dedicated to Nautilus’ Arctic transit.

Featured in this exhibit are never-before-seen color photos and artifacts from Nautilus’ under ice ventures. Highlights include a vinyl record of audio clips from the historic voyage and a special North Pole cachet, carved from the sole of a shoe by one of the Nautilus’ crewmen, for cancelling letters written during the historic voyage.

The film, “Operation Sunshine,” and the new exhibit “Uncharted Waters: Journey to the North Pole,” will run until March 2009. The Historic Ship Nautilus and Submarine Force Library and Museum are free and open to the public. Summer visiting hours are Wednesday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Tuesday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Visit www.ussnautilus.org for more information about Nautilus and its Golden Year.

story & photos
by Jessica Warzeniak

Captain Richard “Rick” P. Breckenridge turned over command of Submarine Squadron 4 to Captain Robert Clark II, in a Change of Command ceremony at 2:00 p.m., June 27, at USS Virginia (SSN 774) pier side at the Naval Submarine Base New London. The Change of Command ceremony is a time-honored tradition which formally signifies to officers and personnel the continuity of authority of the command.

“I am proud and fortunate to serve in a profession where our navy is second to none and our submarines are the most advanced,” said Capt. Breckenridge. During his tour as commodore, Submarine Squadron 4 became the Virginia Class “Center of Excellence” and assisted in the deployment and interfleet transfer of USS Seawolf (SSN 21) and USS Connecticut (SSN 22). Capt. Breckenridge will next serve on the staff for the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

“One thing remands constant, over the last 200 years this great nation was formed from sweat and blood,” said Capt. Clark. “No matter how many things change - freedom is never free.” Capt. Clark previously served as Executive Officer aboard USS Grayling (SSN 646) and USS Hampton (SSN 767) and as Commanding Officer aboard USS Connecticut. A native of West Chester, PA, Capt. Clark graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1984 and is a 2007 inductee into the West Chester East High School Hall of Fame.

Rear Admiral Bruce E. Grooms, commander, Submarine Group 2, gave the introductory remarks. The guest speaker was Rear Admiral Cecil Haney, director, Submarine Warfare Division.

story & photos
by Jessica Warzeniak

Admiral Jonathan Greenert, Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, presented the Atlantic Fleet Arleigh Burke Trophy to the Los Angeles class fast-attack submarine USS Providence (SSN 719) during a ceremony at Naval Submarine Base New London on June 12.

The award is presented annually to the ship or aviation squadron - one in the Atlantic Fleet and one in the Pacific Fleet - that achieved the greatest improvement during the preceding year in operational readiness, inspections, retention and improvement in the Battle Efficiency Award program. Providence was rated six out of six in 2006, but with hard work and dedication, the 140-man crew was able to raise their rating to one out of six, earning them this distinction.

“A unit this size, to be able to be the best in the fleet… It’s extraordinary,” said Admiral Jonathan Greenert, Commander, US Fleet Forces Command. The Admiral explained that compared to a destroyer or other vessels in the fleet, submarines have fewer areas that are rated, making it more difficult for improvement. “Hats off to you! It’s really unusual, but you did it!”

“This isn’t individuals or a small group of individuals,” said Commander Michael Holland, Commanding Officer, USS Providence. “This is every one of you doing things very well, for a very long time.”

During the ceremony, Admiral Greenert passed out awards the crew earned, including the Dolphins Machinist Mate Second Class Daniel Messier earned by passing his submarine qualifications recently.

Providence returned last spring from a demanding seven-month around-the-world deployment, including the execution of three missions in the Western Pacific. Providence was also awarded the Tactical Operations White “T” as part of the 2007 Battle Efficiency Award program.