Al Konetzni, Jr., Vice Admiral, US NAVY

https://plus.google.com/110447209942807836799/posts/So9v58t2r92

From the book "Heroes Beneath the Waves

USS GUAVINA SS-362

This is a chapter from the book Pacific Patrol, self-published in 1993 by Marion Shinn. He tells his experiences in his own words on the last half of the fifth war patrol of the submarine D.S.S. Guavina (SS362) in February 1945 (reprinted with permission).

It was Valentine's Day, 1944, when our boat arrived at Cam Ranh Bay, off the coast of what was then French Indochina; but love and red hearts were far from our minds. The weather was still bad, but the waves were not as vicious as we had experienced here the previous December. The electronic surveillance from the beach still caused interference on our radar screens, but it was not persistent. The captain felt reasonably safe patrolling close to the beach. There was no little patrol boats, only low- flying float planes continuing to search. They kept us submerged most of the time.

Our assigned patrol station was familiar. It was from Cam Ranh, past Phan Rang, to Padaran Cape, a forty- or fifty-mile coastline. For several consecutive days, we raced to battle stations at 0730 hours. This was breakfast time, and we left our plates of food on the tables. The captain made no attacks. The possible targets were either the tiny boats from the local ports or big ones that were too far away.

On 20th February at 0730, the mess cook had breakfast ready, and we had just started eating. The battle stations bell rang, "Bong, bong, bong" throughout the boat just as it had for three or four days. Many of us went half-hardheartedly to our battle stations. I thought a cold breakfast wasn't the way to start the day.

I proceeded at a reasonable rate to my battle station in the forward torpedo room. Put on my headset to the JP sound gear. As I rotated the sensitive listening head, I could clearly hear the sound of the screws from a passing ship. The sound became closer and closer until it appeared to be directly overhead. I thought it was odd there was no comment or action from the conning tower.

I relaxed for a moment thinking maybe the ship had left the area. Suddenly, I sat upright as orders came from the conning tower, "Stand by forward." I rapidly spun the sound head around straining to hear the activity above the sea. Suddenly, the captain shouted, "Fire 1, Fire 2, Fire 3, Fire 4!" 

Brothers and Sisters,

The search is still on for our neighbor's boat. All of us in the International Community of Submariners are praying for a good result of that rescue mission. Argentina is a member of the International Submariners Association, and they do attend the congresses.

Those, which have gone down to the sea in a submersible ship know all too well that this could be one of us fighting for our lives. Using our skills and experience to beat once again the odds of ending up in Davy Jone’s locker. Our prayers are that the sea is so rough that they are keeping their heads down in hopes of riding it out.

Thanks Bud

An Argentinian national flag with messages in support of the 44 crew members of the missing ARA San Juan submarine at the Mar del Plata naval base. Photograph: Marcos Brindicci/Reuters

(CNN)Sounds,  which were detected during the search for a missing Argentine navy submarine did not come from the vessel; the navy said late Monday.

Noises that had been detected earlier Monday were thought to be a possible distress signal from the crew of the sub.

A US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft was brought to the area to record an acoustic footprint of the sound, but analysis of the file determined the noises were not from the missing vessel, Argentine navy spokesman Enrique Balbi said from Buenos Aires.

The noises were possibly from the ocean, or marine life and two vessels searching for the sub had heard a "noise" at a depth of about 656 feet. The location of the noise coincided with the route the submarine would have taken on the way to its home port in Mar del Plata.

Argentina's missing submarine: What we know

The sonar systems of the two ships had detected noises sounding like tools being banged against the hull of a submarine, according to a senior US Navy official familiar with the Navy's assistance in the search for the Argentine vessel. The official said that crews of submarines in distress bang on the vessel's hull to alert passing ships to their location.

The missing submarine -- ARA San Juan -- has a crew of 44. The sub was heading from a base in southern Argentina's Tierra del Fuego archipelago to Mar del Plata. It was scheduled to arrive there Sunday.

'Failure' reported in the vessel's battery system

The vessel's captain reported a "failure" in the vessel's battery system shortly before it disappeared last week, Navy spokesman Gabriel Galeazzi said.

After he reported the sub had experienced a "short circuit," he was told to "change course and return to Mar del Plata," said Galeazzi.

This type of problem is considered routine, and the vessel's crew was reported safe, he added.

The Argentine navy had one more communication with the captain before the sub went missing, said Galeazzi. The Navy did not give details of the content of that final communication.

Mixed signals as rescuers hunt missing Argentine submarine

On Saturday, seven reported communication attempts were initially believed to originate from the San Juan -- but on Monday officials said the radio calls had not come from the missing sub.

The last confirmed contact with the submarine was Wednesday, the Argentine navy said.

The US official said that the waters of the Atlantic Ocean where the sounds originated are extremely deep. The official stressed that search efforts thus far have yet to locate the submarine.

The Argentine military has also been working with a US company that specializes in satellite communication to determine the location of the submarine.

The search area, off the Patagonia coast, is notorious for strong storms.

Clock is ticking

In the "worst-case scenario," the missing sub could run out of oxygen in two days, Balbi said.

Under normal circumstances, the vessel has sufficient fuel, water, oil and oxygen to operate for 90 days without external help, Balbi said, and the vessel could "snorkel" -- or raise a tube to the surface -- "to charge batteries and draw fresh air for the crew."

If the sub is bobbing adrift on the surface and the hatch is open, it will have an available air supply and enough food for about 30 days, he said.

If it is immersed and cannot raise a snorkel, oxygen may last about seven days. When the sub last made contact on Wednesday, five days ago, it was immersed, Balbi said.

"This phase of search and rescue is critical," Balbi said. "This is why we are deploying all resources with high-tech sensors. We welcome the help we have received to find them."

A large number of international ships and airplanes, including a British polar exploration vessel, are braving strong winds and six-meter high waves in the area off the coast of Patagonia where the submarine was lost.

The rough conditions were shown in footage posted online by the Argentinian navy on Monday. “These were the meteorological conditions and the state of the sea yesterday in the search and rescue operations zone,” the navy tweeted.

The US Navy has also joined the search, deploying unmanned submersibles and airplanes to the South Atlantic.

Two US air force planes landed in the southern coastal city of Comodoro Rivadavia on Sunday carrying a US Navy submarine rescue team, including a mini-sub, a submersible rescue vehicle and a remote control unmanned submersible equipped with video cameras.

A British Royal Navy Hercules C-130 plane and the HMS Protector, ice patrol ship, are also participating in the rescue effort.

Mauricio Macri met relatives of the crew at the Mar del Plata naval base on Monday morning. The president said on Twitter that the government was “deploying all possible national and international resources to find [the crewmembers] as soon as possible.”

But the wait is taking its toll on the relatives of the missing submariners. “Every day is leading us closer to a sad ending, regrettably,” Carlos Mendoza, brother of crew member Fernando Ariel Mendoza told the Infobae website. “It’s sad, but we have to be realistic.”

Karina Vargas, the wife of crew member Cayetano Vargas, told the local newspaper San Juan 8 that she had seen her husband in a dream after the submarine had left Ushuaia.

“I’ve never had a bad feeling before, but this time I saw him arriving at home before time. He said hello, and I made a joke about asking him to look after the boys so I could go out.”

Other family members have used social media to ask for support during the search.

“Pray so that my husband Fernando Santilli can return home,” Jesica Gopar said on Twitter. “He’s on the San Juan submarine.”

In another message, she tweeted a picture of her missing husband, with the message: “Your son and I are waiting for you. I love you.”

Local Authors Book Signing

https://www.facebook.com/events/366329160480889/

God Bless our Military

Book Signing December 9th Baxter County Library 10-2

Author, Mary Nida Smith will be attending to promote and sell, "Heroes Beneath the Waves: Submarine Stories of the Twentieth Century." An easy read for preteens and up, to learn more about the U.S. Navy Submarine Service and the men who served. Hopefully,family members and friends will understand why their love one, who served, will not talk about it . The submariners were taught "Loose lips Sink Ships." I tried to gather stories and information that would help young kids, wives, and others to have a better understand what happens below the seas --- and of the ones, who never returned, as sea became their final grave.

https://www.facebook.com/events/366329160480889/?active_tab=discussion

Heroes Beneath the Waves

Heroes Beneath the Waves

https://www.audible.com/search?searchAuthor=Mary+Nida+Smith&source_code=MSNGBWS080516903E