"Wake up! There's something you need to see!" That's how my wife awakened me on May 12, 2023. I stumbled out of bed and followed our friend and her outside.
We were in Groton, Connecticut staying at an Airbnb on the Thames River. Peering out at the river I saw it. A breached submarine was gliding slowly and smoothly right in front of us with several crew members standing atop! The crew were standing in groups of 3, 4, or 5. Their formations kept changing as they moved around but at one point we counted 23 in all. What were we witnessing? Whatever it was seemed to be a big deal because there were police tug boats accompanying the sub.
Groton is known as "The Submarine Capital of the World". It is the home of Naval Submarine Base New London which houses 22 submarines. We knew about the Submarine Force Library and Museum located there as we planned to tour its prized possession, the U.S.S. Nautilus, later that day. The Nautilus was the first nuclear submarine and we couldn't wait to climb aboard. In fact, the tour is what propelled us to stay in Groton. Still, knowing about the base and museum didn't help us to comprehend what we were seeing. We knew, however, that we had stumbled upon something special.
It turns out my wife knew something was up as soon as she sat down on the patio to enjoy her morning coffee. Things looked different. Looking toward the base she spotted flags, canopies, white folding chairs, and sailors dressed in their Navy whites. Her first reaction was fear that our Nautilus tour might be cancelled due to a special event. Soon after she noticed the sub coming into view. We watched intently for the next ten minutes or so as the sub majestically made its way past us and to the base.
As the sub docked the Star Spangled Banner echoed down the river. Trumpets and bugles played ceremonial music. This heightened our curiosity even more and we couldn't wait to get to the museum.
So, off we went! Entering the museum we passed numerous Navy personnel, mainly men, in their sharp white dress uniforms just like Zack Mayo at the end of An Officer and a Gentleman. Many were highly decorated. We asked an employee what all the commotion was about. Turns out it was a changing of command ceremony. How fortunate were we to have it occur during our two day stay in Groton!
Specifically, it was a change of command ceremony for the Navy's Undersea Warfighting Development Center(UWDC). Captain Andrew Miller relieved Rear Admiral Martin Muckian. The UWDC is the intellectual center of the Submarine Force and is constantly incorporating new technology to develop and deliver tactics to give the US a competitive edge. In fact, the UWDC is home to the Navy's submarine Aggressor Squadron, popularly know as the Navy's "Top Gun for Submariners". The crème de la crème!
Before going any further just a bit about the sub we saw that morning. It was the U.S.S. California, part of the Virginia-class of nuclear-powered subs that feature the latest in stealth, intelligence gathering, and weapons systems. They were first built in 2000 and will be acquired through 2043 and in service until at least 2060. There are currently 23 active and the US plans to build 66 in all. Oh, and they cost 4.3 billion a pop!
As you can imagine the staff and visitors, including us, were in a jovial mood as we boarded the Nautilus. We were interested in how a submarine functions in general: the tight quarters, narrow staircases, the engineering, and the missiles and torpedoes.
And this wasn't just an ordinary submarine. The Nautilus was built between 1952-1955 and in use until 1980. As it set out on its first voyage in 1955, history was made as the message was signaled, "Underway on nuclear power". Because her nuclear propulsion allowed her to stay underwater longer she was able to do things no submarine had ever done before.
One of her most notable missions happened in 1958. The Nautilus became the first watercraft to reach the North Pole which involved traveling 1,830 miles(2,940 km) under the ice. A special gyrocompass had to be installed because normal ones won't function above 85° N. There was real concern that the Nautilus might become disoriented. And, because some of the ice sheets were 60 feet below sea level, the commander considered the possibility of using torpedoes to blast through the ice if the sub needed to surface. The success of the mission was a huge morale and confidence boost for the US because it happened just after the Soviets, who did not have nuclear subs, had launched Sputnik.
During our tour, we marveled at how the sub was its own community complete with a doctor, a dentist, a barber, and a chef responsible for the two month food supply. Any mission on a sub is hard to fathom. A tour is usually 3-4 months long. Imagine being underwater with no sunlight, close quarters, the smell of sweat and machinery, the food, the waste, etc. Wow! We found it fascinating to see the command center and see all the guts of the sub. Most of the technical stuff was way over our heads but that just reinforced the miracle of the U.S.S. Nautilus. She truly was a game changer.
So, believe it or not, in one day we were lucky enough to witness the highest-tech submarine coming into the "Submarine Capital of the World" after which we toured the first ever nuclear sub. Oh, and we exchanged waves with the crew on top of the sub as they headed into the base for the change of command. Not a bad day in Groton, CT. I sure am glad my wife woke me up!
More from Groton
We loved this Airbnb! (Waterfront Home with a View) It was a huge three-story house with big balconies and patios. It was divided into 4 separate units but we had the whole place to ourselves. There was a railroad track running along the river. We had learned in the reviews that the train only ran once a day. 10pm. Always in the same direction. There was even a wooden deck from which to view the train from close range. Our first night we waited to see if the train would come. At 9.57pm headlights appeared from around the bend, followed by a train horn. We leapt up from our seats around the patio table. What commenced was a combination of a run and childlike skip towards the train. We stood on the viewing deck and waited as it approached. We became a bunch of Arties from What's Eating Gilbert Grape...so excited, so free. Jac raised her arm and gave the train conductor the old Honk Honk sign, and instantly a loud horn bellowed. Almost simultaneously a gust of wind pushed us back a couple steps. We could feel the train travel through us. As the train blew past, Jac continued the Artie theme by clapping with pure joy and excitement. We all joined in. It was a memorable few minutes that we knew we would get to experience one more time on our stay.
Watch our video HERE!
I knew right away I liked this place. There were so many smells when I got out of the car, lots of birds, and a view of the water! I got to be free in the yard because there weren't any other humans or roads nearby. I don't get to be free much because sometimes I like to run off. My humans sat outside a lot so that made me happy because I got to explore. If you ask me, the best part of Groton was that Val, one of my favorite humans, was with us on this part of the trip. Whenever she travels with us I get extra love and attention AND I get to sit on her lap in the car!
I wasn't sure what everyone was so excited about our first morning but it made me excited that they were excited and I barked to join in. It was something on the water.
Something bad happened to me in Groton, though. Some pesky visitors tried to invade my body. I guess they wanted a lift somewhere. They pinched me and I didn't like it. Then my humans had to carefully examine my fur every time I went inside. They had to examine each other, too.
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