Spy Sub. Roger C. Dunham
SPY SUB
The book has been brought to publication with the generous assistance of Marguerite and Gerry Lenfest.
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
© 1996 by Roger C. Dunham
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
First Naval Institute Press paperback edition published in 2015.
ISBN: 978-1-61251-827-5 (ebook)
The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:
Dunham, Roger C., 1944-
Spy Sub: A top secret mission to the bottom of the Pacific / Roger C. Dunham.
p. cm.
Include bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-55750-178-5 (cloth: alk. paper)
1. Intelligence service—United States. 2. United States. Navy—Submarine forces. 3. Soviet Union. Voenno-Morskoĭ Flot—Submarine forces. 4. Submarine disasters—Soviet Union. I. Title.
VB231.U54D86 1996
359.9’33’0973-dc20
96-10576
23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First printing
To the men, on patrol beneath the seas, who serve our country in the United States Submarine Service
CONTENTS
1 REPORTING ON BOARD
2 PREPARATION FOR SEA
3 SEA TRIALS
4 DRILLS AND MORE DRILLS
5 THE SEA BAT AND OTHER CREATURES
6 NON-QUAL PUKE
7 THE DOLPHINS
8 MINOR FAILURES, MAJOR LOSSES
9 THE DOMAIN OF THE GOLDEN DRAGON
10 MAN OVERBOARD!
11 “YOU CAN’T GET TO ME”
12 THE FINAL SEARCH
Epilogue
Sources
THE CONFIDENTIAL NATURE OF THIS PROJECT prevents credit to many people who are well deserving of tribute for their assistance. I received encouragement and help from several of my shipmates, and I am thankful for invaluable assistance from Chief Warrant Officer Sandy Harless, USN (Ret.); Captain C. E. Moore, USN (Ret.); and Senior Chief Petty Officer Gary Patterson, USN (Ret.). Sandy Munroe and Val Muth provided encouragement and helpful information used in developing the story. John P. Craven, Ph.D., provided details that were useful in many ways, and four individuals working with the Department of Defense, whose identities must remain unknown, provided valuable assistance and guidance. The long hours of editing by my wife, Keiko, helped me to resolve many technical matters. I also greatly appreciate the editorial assistance of Terry Belanger.
Richard Whiston, JD, provided generous assistance and availability during the challenges of manuscript development. The recounting of personal experiences by Max Brown, senior vice president, CaliforniaCare Health Plans, was helpful to certain important aspects of the manuscript. Joseph Lord and Alvina Lord gave me invaluable access to military channels for which I will always be appreciative. Historian Sue Lemmon, Mare Island Naval Shipyard; David Stumpf, Ph.D.; and FTB1(SS) Don Merrigan, USN (Ret.), provided encouragement and valuable technical assistance.
I am especially thankful to the men who served with me on board our submarine during the difficult times of the late 1960s: from “Mathews,” who almost lost it all, to “Lane,” who paid far too high a price, and from the men who taught me nuclear operations to those who learned them from me. These were the people who believed in our mission and made it successful. Like those currently dedicating their lives to our country, these men were the finest of our society. They brought a high degree of credit to the Submarine Service of the U.S. Navy. That I was privileged to serve as their shipmate was a great honor.
SPY SUB
This is a true story.
The mission of the USS Viperfish (not the submarine’s real name) was top secret.
Technical modifications are employed to protect the intelligence interests of the U.S. Navy Submarine Service. The names of the crew are changed to preserve the privacy of the brave men who served in this elite branch of the Navy during the events chronicled in this story.
THE LADY HAD BECOME a widow long before her time.
Dressed in elegant attire appropriate for the formal gathering of United States and Russian government officials, she had been invited to the affair only because of the military stature of her late husband. This would be her last encounter with these officials; she knew there were no further ties between herself and those who planned such events.
She spotted the cluster of American naval officers standing at the far side of the room. Their dark