Story of Diodon's travails in 1967

Since 08-03-02

 (Provided by Jim Santos and Barry Lebens)

CDR H. J. Sweet III was commanding officer. DIODON prepared to get underway to WestPac in late Spring of 1967. However, one of the cylinders in Engine #1, was scored as she backed out into the stream at Pt. Loma Submarine Base, San Diego. Several weeks later the engine was totally overhauled on board.

DIODON made the run to Yokosuka, Japan.

DIODON performed a 55 day surveillance patrol, and participated in various operations/maneuvers with the American and Japanese fleets.

DIODON, during that WestPac:

1.  After R&R in Okinawa, we hit something at 250 feet down during a dive while operating with the Japanese fleet off Okinawa.  We knocked up the sonar dome on the bow.  We continued on to Hong Kong for 3 days R&R, and then were going back to Yokosuka, to go into the yards for a few weeks to repair the sonar dome.

2.  Brian Slagle had Port Lookout and I had Starboard Lookout.  LT James Carlier had the OOD on the Bridge.  We had left Hong Kong R&R and were heading back to the shipyard at Yokosuka, Japan, to repair the sonar dome.

Suddenly, the fire alarm sounded and a belch of black smoke rose up through the Conning Tower upper hatch and up through the Sail to us on the Bridge.  What happened was a fire in Maneuvering, which caused DIODON to roll about a 45 degrees to starboard, in 45 foot high seas. Subsequently, during that roll, both starboard engines were flooded by sea water backfilling through their exhausts.

The port engine was under repair, and thus DIODON lost all propulsion. Had to wait three days drifting in that typhoon for a Navy Sea tug to arrive, which towed Diodon back to Yoksuka. DIODON, however, was able to get the port engine working, and made it in under her own power to port. EM2(SS) Pappy Graham and the Filipino EM1(SS) Augustus Emperador were almost killed by smoke inhalation in the Maneuvering Room fire.

In late 1967, DIODON returned to the U.S. Later, that year, Diodon made a trip to Washington State and British Vancouver, then came back to Mare Island for an interim overhaul.

In 1968, the overhaul was completed and Diodon performed various short operations from San Diego.

From: Barry Lebens [blebens@netzero.net]
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2000 5:13 PM

Barry Lebens, of the SS-349 then, remembers some details during that time.

There are parts of the '67 [WestPac] trip that I remember well and other parts are, as you said, partly blurred.  From your pictures on the web pages, I remember Grimes, but never did run into him after the Diodon.  Don't remember his first name either.

I spent just under 10 in the Navy.  Most of it on 2 other boats, USS Cutlass SS478, and they the USS Tunny, SSN682.  I did have one shore tour @ Treasure Island in San Francisco.............

Man, what a trip it is reliving the times we spent over in [WestPac].  I remember the barnacles on the superstructure and sail after that long trip.  I have always told people that it was a 43 day run, but if you have it as a 55 day run,  then I am corrected. 

I remember that I was in the rack, sleeping, when we "ran aground" just before getting into Okinawa, and that I was the first one to the watertight door between the after battery compartment and the Control room, and dogging it closed to the beat of the collision alarm. 

Then cruising the surface, after the R&R of Hong Kong, and the fire in maneuvering, and the rolls we were taking.  I had forgotten about the engines getting flooded.  I happened to be on [port lookout] watch when we were taking those side to side rolls, but I thought they were more severe, like maybe 75 port and 75 starboard. 

Do you  remember the Ships party in Yoko?  3 day affair as my gray matter says, but what the hell, that was only 34 years ago.

Did you visit my web site yet?  Look for "Our Real Page"  I have a really brief story there about me and my life here in NH.