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Jim Regan -- Site Reviews

Fast Attacks & Boomers: Submarines in the Cold War

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Jim Regan has provided 'Today's Links' to csmonitor.com since its launch in 1996. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

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    • While the Smithsonian Institution has some fairly large artifacts within the walls of its various museums, (complete aircraft, for example) there probably isn't enough space in any of them to house your average nuclear submarine. Nevertheless, the National Museum of American History is currently holding an exhibition on these pioneers of stealth, and for those who can't make it to Washington, Fast Attacks & Boomers: Submarines in the Cold War is also available on the Web.

    The online version of the exhibition -- which coincides with the 100th anniversary of the US Navy's Submarine Service -- divides its tour into eight sections. After a brief introduction to the cold war time-frame, the philosophy of putting ICBMs on a submarine, and a quick lesson in the difference between Fast Attack and Ballistic Missile submarines, the Smithsonian traces the history of both the cold war and the submarine itself.

    The latter chronology begins by noting early attempts to develop underwater boats during the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and then traces developments from the Navy's first submarine, (the USS Holland: SS-1) through both World Wars, to the world's first nuclear powered submarine, USS Nautilus: SSN-571 (constructed by the same company that built the Holland, and commissioned in 1954).

  • Construction and Anatomy of a Nuclear Submarine - which also touches on submariner training, and looks at subs developed by the Soviet Union.

  • Submarine Weapons - from torpedoes, mines and anti-ship missiles, to cruise and long-range ballistic missiles.

  • Nuclear Submarines at Work - exploring both military and scientific missions performed by the boats, and -- through a series of audio clips -- allowing the visitor to sample the sounds that a sonar operator might hear.

  • Operating a Nuclear Submarine - from the Attack Center and Sonar Room, to the Nuclear Reactor, and the unique living conditions for crews that may spend months at a time without surfacing.

    Other sections include Life Ashore, and a look at the future of submarine deployment and development.

    Links to related sites are also provided for those interested in more material. (While the Smithsonian's coverage is wide, it's not very deep, and anyone sufficiently intrigued by the presentation will need to move offsite for detailed information.)

    Finally, Angles and Dangles (a term for a 'housekeeping' exercise performed at the start of every patrol) offers behind-the-scenes looks at the challenges encountered in mounting such an exhibition. The first essay posted retraces the steps involved in convincing the Navy to allow the museum to display "one of the most secret aspects of modern nuclear submarines" - the propeller. (These designs are so closely guarded that propellers are shrouded whenever a sub returns from patrol.)

    With an appropriately blue color scheme, quality graphics and abundant illustrations, Fast Attacks has a look worthy of the Smithsonian. Navigation is straightforward, and JavaScripted pull-down menus allow for fast movement around the site, though it is possible to get sidetracked and skip a page or two - so before leaving, you might want to check the site index just to be sure you didn't miss anything.

    Fast Attacks & Boomers: Submarines in the Cold War can be found at http://americanhistory.si.edu/subs/.

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