Outward bound Operation Sandblast

departure (16 february 1960)



making announcement (17 february 1960)

triton departed new london on 16 february 1960 announced shakedown cruise (pictured). triton set course south-east (134 degrees true). @ dawn on 17 february, triton performed first morning star-sighting using built-in sextant in no. 1 periscope during nightly ventilation of shipboard atmosphere. inboard induction valve closed after removal of rusted flashlight had prevented closure.

captain beach announced true nature of shakedown cruise (pictured):

men, know you’ve been waiting learn cruise about, , why we’re still headed southeast. now, @ last, can tell going on voyage submariners have dreamed of ever since possessed means of doing so. have ship , have crew. we’re going around world, nonstop. , we’re going entirely submerged.

regarding upcoming voyage, beach adopted decidedly non-traditional command style:

early on, realized particular crew needed me not pressure light touch. once informed of our objective, enthusiasm infected did, , here , there might have caused stress-related dysfunction. extended separation home , family no means of communications not problem — submariners used — bearing down on job might be. concern our performance in emergency, being @ same time unable predict emergencies might in store us. important, thought, hold on pressure until tough problem came up. happened several times, knew would, , glad had in reserve.

for shakedown cruise, beach adopted specific weekly shipboard routine. mondays , tuesdays involved regular activities, drills, lectures, school of ship, , class programs noon 1600 watch. wednesdays had crew on reduced activities traditionally known rope yarn sunday. thursdays saw schedule of regular drills, , fridays involved keep , general maintenance activities known field day. saturdays had regular activities afternoon drills, , sundays had reduced activities normal watches , religious observances.

st. peter , paul rocks (24 february 1960)

also, beginning on 17 february during mid watch, triton came periscope depth take nightly fix using built-in sextant in celestial periscope, ventilate , replenish shipboard atmosphere using snorkel, , dispose of shipboard garbage. since triton did not have generator extract oxygen sea water, these nightly snorkeling activities crucial maintaining suitable atmosphere.

later same day, 17 february 1960, triton experienced serious leak main condenser circulating water pump, , reactor warning alarm tripped because of defective electrical connection. both incidents handled , did not affect ship s performance.

on 18 february triton conducted first general daily drill , on 19 february released first twice-daily hydrographic bottles, used study ocean current patterns. on 19 february, shipboard sensors detected radiation leak. subsequently determined radium dials on 3 wristwatches cause alarm, , once removed, no radiation detected balance of voyage. on 23 february, triton detected uncharted seamount fathometer.

beach maintained greatest challenge facing crew seeming mundane activity, garbage disposal , cleaning: 84 days of strenuous work keeping ship clean. amazing how dirt created, had field day every weekend. crew started objecting until saw how trash kept getting rid of. couldn t object. remove trash without surfacing, triton had garbage disposal unit (gdu), small inverted torpedo tube ejected weighted bag of refuse through bottom of ship. however, if gdu temporarily out of commission due repairs, on 22 february, after torpedo tubes used, less optimum solution.

on 24 february, triton made first landfall, reaching st. peter , paul rocks (pictured) after traveling 3,250 nautical miles (6,020 km; 3,740 mi). rocks served home plate triton s submerged circumnavigation. photographic reconnaissance carried out lt. richard m. harris, cic/ecm officer, , chief cryptologic technician (ctc) william r. hadley, served ship s secondary photo-recon team voyage. triton turned south , crossed equator first time later day, passing southern hemisphere, ship s personnel participating in crossing line ceremony (pictured).