Fleet Plan of the Day
- Details
- Brad Williamson
- POD - Fleet
Cold War Boats has recently assumed responsibility for the USS HADDO (SSN 604) website.
Ralph Stroede, the current USS HADDO webmaster, graciously allowed us to capture all of the content of the old usshaddo.com website, and import it into the SSN 604 site at coldwarboats.org, provided we allow him to retire as webmaster!
Until we get the usshaddo.com domain name transferred and redirected, the new USS HADDO site can be found here: either https://ssn-604.coldwarboats.org or https://ssn604.coldwarboats.org.
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- Details
- Brad Williamson
- POD - Fleet
- Details
- Brad Williamson
- POD - SSN 680
“The Dink List has grown to unacceptable proportions!”, the COB bellowed at the assembled mass of non-quals in the Crew’s Mess. “There will be no liberty until that, that, that damn list”, his finger pointing at the wrinkled paper taped to the bulkhead, spittle flying from his lips, “is EMPTY!”
At least that’s how I remember it! Your experience may have been either more or less fun.
Our dink list is a bit different, but just as unacceptably long. It represents all the Bates shipmates registered at coldwarboats.org whose email addresses are no longer valid, as indicated by our ‘bounce’ tracker.
If you recognize a name here, and have a way of tracking them down, please do so, post haste, and get them to update their email, street address, and phone number on the website.
And don’t forget to let them know that, until they do, they are missing out on much, including planning for REGROUPEX 25!
- Details
- Brad Williamson
- REGROUPEX 25 - 680
It’s been seven years since our last reunion. In 2017, the last time we met in Orlando, the consensus was that we ought to be getting together every three years or so.
2020 came and went, with the lockdown and isolation squashing our reunion hopes fast than you can say “liberty ports confirmed through Hobart!”
2023 looked like a possibility, but the Navy was still restricting access to bases and boat tours, and before we knew it, 2024 was on us like a Sturgeon-class stretch hull on a Victor III - undetected, unexpected, and soon to vanish.
So here we are.
Miles Bradley poked us awake, as surely as a messenger yanking back the rack curtains. Ron Squiers and Scott Elder joined in the conversation, all starting with Miles’ question, “Any more reunions?”
The answer was a resounding yes, and now more than ever, which is how it must begin.
REGROUPEX 25 will be the next USS WILLIAM H. BATES (SSN 680) reunion. At the moment, we don’t know where, and we don’t know when, but we do know how.
That how depends on you…telling us what you think, volunteering to help, making your voice and support heard. After all, it’s you we do this for!
- Details
- Brad Williamson
- POD - Fleet
The USS GUITARRO (SSN 665) website at coldwarboats.org has been launched, and already has a few photos, a Commissioning Booklet from 1972, and a couple of interesting postal covers in the Ship’s Post Office.
The site is ready for fitting out - all it needs is your submissions of photos, stories, and artifacts. It can be found here: https://coldwarboats.org/the-boat-665/uss-guitarro-ssn-665/quarterdeck-665
Guitarro was a Sturgeon-class submarine, and boasted an impressive service career during the Cold War. She played a major role in developing tactics for prototype combat systems deployed to the Pacific submarine fleet, in particular the Submarine Towed Array Sensor System (STASS) along with its BQR-20 series digital sonar displays. In the mid-1970s, Guitarro also installed the first digital submarine combat system (BQQ-5 sonar and Mk-117 fire control system) and participated in the development of submarine-launched Harpoon and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Despite her accolades, she is remembered for her pre-commissioning sinking at the pier during fitting out at Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 15 May 1969. Lack of oversight and communication between civilian construction testing groups resulted in a complete flooding of the boat, a rapid unrecoverable sinking, leaving her resting on the bottom showing nothing but sail.
- Details
- Brad Williamson
- POD - Fleet
The USS ARCHERFISH (SS/AGSS 311) website at coldwarboats.org has been launched, and is ready for fitting out with your submissions of photos, stories, and artifacts. It can be found here: https://coldwarboats.org/the-boat-311/uss-archerfish-ss-311/quarterdeck-311
Archerfish was a Balao-class submarine. She was the first ship of the United States Navy to be named for the archerfish.
Completing seven war patrols between December 1943 and September 1945, Archerfish is best known for sinking the Japanese aircraft carrier Shinano in November 1944, the largest warship ever sunk by a submarine. She was decommissioned at the in JUN 1946 and placed in the Pacific Reserve Group at MINSY.
Her Cold War service began during the Korean War in 1952 and continued through OCT 1955 when she was again decommissioned and placed in reserve.
After a short respite, Archerfish was reactivated as an auxiliary submarine (AGSS) in JUL 1957 and performed oceanographic work, specifically Operation Sea Scan, gathering data on maritime weather, water composition, ocean depths and temperature ranges. She would pursue various other research in support of Cold War submarine operations until 1968. Declared unfit for further naval service, she was sunk off the coast of San Diego by the USS SNOOK (SSN 592) on 19 OCT 1968.
- Details
- Brad Williamson
- POD - Fleet
Cold War Boats has taken over responsibility for the USS SHARK (SSN 591) website. We are in the process of transferring all material from the old site (shark591.com) courtesy of Barry R. Trosper. Check in often as we will be added new material frequently.
If you were registered at shark591.com, you are already included in the Cold War Boats Master Sailing List. Simply attempt to log in using either the LOGIN/REGISTER button in the upper right corner of every page, or the LOG IN/LOG OUT link on the WATCH, QUARTER, AND STATION BILL menu midway down the right column. When the login popup appears, select"Forgot your username or password? Click here for a reminder." Enter your email address, and your user name will be sent to you. Follow the same steps to reset your password, and you will be able to create a new password for Cold War Boats.
Please contact me at admin@coldwarboats.org directly if you have any trouble logging in.
If you have photos, stories, or artifacts related to the 591, reach out to me until we get a Site Lead volunteered! I'll make sure it gets on the Shark site. If you're planning a Shark reunion, again, let me know. The new Shark website has a reunion function already built in that will let you organize, promote, and keep track of attendees and events.
All Shark shipmates are invited to make the USS SHARK (SSN 591) site on Cold War Boats their new on-line home.
Welcome Aboard!
