Operation White Out

Chapter 4

General Dynamics Electric Boat.

General Dynamics Electric Boat.CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER ONECHAPTER ONEReturn to USS Teuthis

Return to USS TeuthisUSS TeuthisUSS TEUTHIS—GENERAL DYNAMICS, ELECTRIC BOAT

USS TEUTHIS—GENERAL DYNAMICS, ELECTRIC BOATFrom across the parking lot, as my official driver brought me to the pier, I saw that Teuthis had a fresh coat of paint—matt black with a white 002 on her sail. As I dragged my seabag and suitcase out of the trunk, topside watch Seaman Billy-Bob Yokum came down the brow to the pier, leaving his newbie assistant on deck.

Teuthis002“Welcome back, Commander. Glad you’re on your feet again.” He tossed my seabag over his shoulder and grabbed my suitcase handle as we headed toward the brow. “Where’s your dive gear, Sir?”

“I shipped it ahead. Ham probably already has it stowed in Dive Control. So, how’s your aim, Billy-Bob?”

“Never better, Sir.”

Billy-Bob was the shooter who took out the driver of the explosives-loaded pickup on Woman’s Bay wharf while we were getting underway for Operation Arctic Sting.

As we reached the top of the brow, I turned and saluted the flag flying from the stern—the National Ensign. Then I faced Yokum’s assistant.

“Request permission to come aboard,” I said, saluting.

He returned my salute. “Permission granted, Sir.”

“Commander,” Yokum said, “this is Seaman Ezra Ben-Gurion, one of our new guys. Everyone calls him Ben.”

BenI grinned and held out my hand, something I didn’t think he expected. “Give a hundred-ten percent, and we’ll get along fine, Sailor.”

“Wow, Commander! I never thought I’d meet someone like you, Sir.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yokum scowl at Ben-Gurion as he called the Duty Officer on the squawk-box. Moments later, a blond-headed, gangly twenty-seven-year-old officer stuck his head through the forward hatch, grinning from ear to ear.

“Welcome aboard, Mac. Great to see you again.” He saluted and shook my hand.

I first met Seth when he joined the crew as the Sonar and Radio officer before we undertook Operation Ice Breaker. Because I was a former Sonar Tech, I got to know him well, and we became friends. He was an eager learner and took to submarining like an old pro.

“Lieutenant Seth Beaumont,” I said, “congrats on the promotion—and being assigned Ops Boss.”

Lieutenant“And Navigator,” he added. “Thanks. Fonzie made chief; he’s my Chief Quartermaster now. And Lieutenant junior grade Wilbur O’Hara is Comm–Sonar, but I guess you already know that.”

“How’s the old alma mater?” I asked.

“University of Oregon? I’m working on my Master’s in math,” he answered, “by correspondence, can you believe it? Somebody they trust has to supervise my exams. Maybe you can do that.”

“Let me get settled first, and then we can look at that,” I said, heading toward the hatch.

It’s different this time, I thought as we descended through the forward hatch into the Torpedo Room. I can feel it in my bones. I’m a full commander now, not just responsible for the dive team and operations like before. I’m the Executive Officer, responsible for the entire crew and the entire sub under the skipper. I didn’t see this as a burden, however, more like a big challenge.

It’s different this timeI can feel it in my bones. I’m a full commander now, not just responsible for the dive team and operations like before. I’m the Executive Officer, responsible for the entire crew and the entire sub under the skipper

“Close the door and have a seat,” Commander Lonie Franken-Ester, Commanding Officer of Teuthis, told me with a warm smile.

TeuthisI made myself comfortable on his red Naugahyde-covered couch.

“Good to see you doing so well, Mac. I can’t tell you how sorry I am about Kate. I really appreciate your willingness to take on this assignment.”

I acknowledged, and in my pocket I fingered the ivory cylinder Kate gave me in Kodiak just before we headed into the Arctic, what seemed so long ago.

“We have a difficult assignment ahead of us, Mac.” He handed me a large sealed manilla envelope. “We’re headed for Antarctic waters to lay SOSUS arrays. As soon as you’re settled, study the contents, and then let’s talk. I’m putting you on the EOOW watch bill under Lt. Cmdr. Watson. Once Doug is satisfied with your performance, you can turn your attention fully to your XO duties.”

Ham met me as I stepped into Dive Control. “Mac!” He gripped both my forearms in warm friendship.

“Congrats, Warrant Officer Comstock! How’s the team?”

“We lost Whitey, and Ski made first-class. Bill’s the Team Master Sat Diver now. Our new guys are Electronics Tech Two José Romero and Torpedoman Two Gilbert Ross, both former submariners fresh out of sat school. And Sergyi is back with us, on loan from the DIA.”

We captured Sergyi, a Ukrainian diver, during Operation Ivy Bells with the USS Halibut. He defected and ultimately became part of both Operations Ice Breaker and Arctic Sting. Sergyi was a significant resource for the DIA and a man whose friendship I greatly valued.

USS Halibut“Where is everyone?”

Ham grinned. “I had them make themselves scarce while I briefed you. I wanted to see with my own eyes that you are the same Mac who twice took us through the Arctic. I heard things—some I believed, some I didn’t. But just lookin’ at you and hearing you…” He put his hand on my shoulder. “Mac, I’m so terribly sorry about Kate. We all loved her, you know.”

I fingered Kate’s ivory cylinder in my pocket. I didn’t open it very often, but when I did, her faint spicy odor still emanated from the thong she had placed inside when we first parted.

“Thanks, Ham. You guys were special to Kate, too. She saw all of you as heroes she had the good fortune to know personally.”

Fortunately, before things got too mushy, Ham signaled for the divers to join us. For a few heartfelt moments, I was not a navy commander, and the TOG divers were not navy enlisted men. We were fellow comrades who had faced danger and death together against overwhelming odds.

Then Ham called the team to attention. As a group, they saluted and said in unison, “Welcome home, Commander!”

USS TEUTHIS—GENERAL DYNAMICS, ELECTRIC BOAT

USS TEUTHIS—GENERAL DYNAMICS, ELECTRIC BOATUSS TEUTHIS—At a sharp rap on my stateroom door, I looked up from examining the mission orders the skipper had given me earlier.

“Enter,” I said, coming to my feet.

“Master Chief Torpedoman Jerry Boston, Chief-of-the-Boat, Sir.”

The COB was about my height, with weathered features and a short-clipped brown brush cut. He sported a trimmed mustache, and he obviously worked out regularly.

“Ready for your walk-through, Sir?” His voice had a medium timbre that I sensed could cut through any noise level should he choose. “I hear you served on Teuthis before her conversion and then again on her Arctic exploits. You’ve probably forgotten more about her than I ever learned.”

Teuthis“Let’s just take an easy stroll through each compartment so I can familiarize myself with things I haven’t seen in a while,” I said. “Please point out anything you think I should be specifically aware of.”

“Okay. Since I’m relatively new myself—I relieved Davis when you brought the Alfa to EB7—I recently spent a lot of time on my own quals, so I’ve got a good handle on things, especially forward.”

We started with the torpedo tubes and moved aft into the Crew’s Mess, where we grabbed cups of Joe. We checked out the crew sleeping spaces and heads and then mounted the ladder to the Control Room. I stuck my head into Radio and greeted Sparks, Senior Chief Garth Walkman, who was a holdover from my last assignment aboard Teuthis. Across the passageway in Sonar, I met three new sonar techs, First-class Godfry Mason, and William Ferrell and Scott Sportsman, both second-class. King—newly promoted Senior Chief Royal Bennett—with whom I had sailed since the beginning, was off the boat, working some angle.

TeuthisIn the Nav Station, I chatted with newly minted Chief Quartermaster Gary Fonzarelli and Jubal Hanshaw, proudly sporting first-class stripes. They had two new second-class quartermasters whom I would meet later. I entered the Nav Center and congratulated Senior Chief Rusty Jackson on his promotion.

“Let’s skip Dive and Cable Reel,” I said. “I visited Ham earlier today.”

We passed through Dive upper compartment, over the Cable Reel Chamber (CRC), through the Reactor Tunnel into the Auxiliary Machinery Space, and then into the Engine Room.

As I entered the Maneuvering Room—or Maneuvering as it was normally called—Engineer Doug Watson showed up with a wide grin and outheld hand.

“Welcome back, Mac. Looks like I get to herd you around for a while when you’re not playing XO.” He looked at the COB. “Thanks, COB. I’ll take it from here.”

USS TEUTHIS—GENERAL DYNAMICS, ELECTRIC BOAT

USS TEUTHIS—GENERAL DYNAMICS, ELECTRIC BOATUSS TEUTHIS—Doug and I entered Maneuvering and made ourselves as comfortable as possible. Doug refilled my coffee cup.

“Would you believe,” he said, “I got a call from Admiral McKee himself? He wanted to ensure that I don’t gundeck your EOOW quals.”

“I think he felt pressured by CNO to make allowances for me,” I said. “I’m sure you’ve seen my Nuke School transcript.”

“Yeah. Top of the class, despite everything. ‘That’s just book learning,’ the Admiral said. He wants to ensure you are fully conversant with the actual equipment.”

I chuckled. “I agree with him. Nobody wants someone back here who won’t instinctively take the right action in an emergency.”

“I’ve still got my officers,” Doug said, “although Zeb made full lieutenant and Bert was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer-five. We can rotate you through the watches, so you get experience with each of them. I don’t need to expand my watchbill—I just need to get you fully qualified.”

THE OASIS—NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT

THE OASIS—NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUTLike in my previous visits, I parked my Vette—yeah, I replaced the one the Thames River claimed—on Bank Street outside the Oasis and pushed my way through the glass door. I’ve been in a bar or two in my time, some good, some bad. Those of you who have followed my missions know that I think Winnie & Moo ranks near the top of places to get a drink, but I’ve got to say, the Oasis is okay. Oasis caters to Submariner and Coastie wannabees who hang out at the bar whenever they can, with their own kind, of course.

This time was no different. Through the smoke, I saw several clusters of short-haired young men talking earnestly over pitchers of beer. No uniforms, but I could tell the difference.

“Over here, Mac!” Ham called through the low din and the smoke.

The guys had pushed the same two tables together that I remembered from before—way before. They had obviously been there a while. That was fine with me. They deserved it, and ahead lay a long dry spell.

Ham handed me a foaming mug. I lifted it high. “To past adventures and more to come!” I said, taking a seat next to Ham.

Sergyi stood, holding his mug up, and said, “За друзей, за дружбу, за щастя, на здоровье.” (Za druzi, za druzba, za shchastya, na zdorovya).

За друзей, за дружбу, за щастя, на здоровье. (Za druzi, za druzba, za shchastya, na zdorovya).I came to my feet with mug lifted. “For you non-Russian-speaking pukes, that’s For friends, for friendship, for happiness, for health.” I paused with mug held high. “I second that!”

For friends, for friendship, for happiness, for healthHooyahs! all around.

Hooyahs!I spent the next hour with the divers, listening to their individual, mostly exaggerated versions of things we had done together. The two new guys, José and Gil, hung on every word, especially when the conversation turned to Borysko, the Orca who had adopted the guys.

“Before things get out of hand,” I told Ham, “I need to get back to Teuthis. We go on fast cruise tomorrow morning. I’ll see you then.”

TeuthisAs I left the Oasis smoky interior, I heard a quiet chorus of “Yo, Diver Boy!”

Yep, I was home for sure.

_____________

7 See the third Mac McDowell Mission, Operation Arctic Sting.

Operation Arctic Sting.