Submarine downs a Navy helo?

[helolumpy]

I have a submariner up here in Newport that swears that a sub launched an exercise torpedo that broached and hit a hovering helo. He can't remember a timeframe but says that it's mentioned in submarine school.

I tried Google with no-joy. Has anyone else ever heard this story before?

Thanks

 

[haubby]

Yes. I remember when I was on the USS Georgia the older crew always spoke about we had sunk a tug in Guam and then downed a helicopter. Can't remember how it happened (if it did at all) but the story definitely involved the Georgia.

 

[jt71582]

Tried to find the story on the helo with no joy, but here's the video of the tug.

 

[jt71582]

The guy goes... "there goes the mail..."

 

[Brett327]

WTF?

Brett

 

[lowflier03]

Considering that we hover at 70' and the H-3 hovered at 50' (iirc) that story seems a bit far fetched. If an EXTORP jumped 50' out of the water I'm sure there would be some serious investigations and such involved considering the safeguards involved and the sheer weight of those things.

 

[Flying Toaster]

Tried to find the story on the helo with no joy, but here's the video of the tug.

What was the logic behind that.... maybe if we go faster and turn it will magically detach? Every time I read about them grounding a multi-billion dollar vessel or see stuff like this, I come to the conclusion either serious brain fade is still possible under 20kts with millions of square miles of ocean, or it's less of an exact science than one would think.

 

[insanebikerboy]

That'd have to be one helluva broach, or the helo was hovering with their wheels in the water. There's no way in hell that a 750lb torp could jump that far up to a regular hovering helo.

 

[helolumpy]

Considering that we hover at 70' and the H-3 hovered at 50' (iirc) that story seems a bit far fetched. If an EXTORP jumped 50' out of the water I'm sure there would be some serious investigations and such involved considering the safeguards involved and the sheer weight of those things.

I have seen a Mk 46 EXTORP broach a good 30 feet out of a helo while at AUTEC after a hover launch.

Since I've never heard this story from a helo bubba, I am disinclined to believe it, but after seeing what a LWT can do, I can only imagine what a heavyweight torp, like a Mk 48 could do...

 

[Pags]

Safety Center?

 

[Gatordev]

I'm doubting the helo vs. torp story, however, a P-3 did launch a torp at my dad's sub (back in "the day"), which then decided to do it's own thing and hit the sub. Fortunately, it was only an EXTORP.

 

[Jim123]

@Gatordev, knowing the way those EXTORPs are built (and how I remember them chasing the targets on the big screen in the control room at AUTEC) the think probably ran into his sub, kept running, reacquired the sub, ran into it again, repeat until run out of fuel.

I'd put money on it that's happened more than once and it's also a good bet the sub guys don't find it quite as funny as the aviators do

 

[Gatordev]

@Gatordev, knowing the way those EXTORPs are built (and how I remember them chasing the targets on the big screen in the control room at AUTEC) the think probably ran into his sub, kept running, reacquired the sub, ran into it again, repeat until run out of fuel.

I'd put money on it that's happened more than once and it's also a good bet the sub guys don't find it quite as funny as the aviators do

Yeah, the tactical floor "broke," apparently. I don't remember if he said it reattacked a bunch of times, but I think it did put a dent in the super-structure (but not the pressure hull). It was a diesel fleet boat, so I'm not sure if it was more sturdy than a nuke or floating piece of metal fatigue.

 

[RobLyman]

I know of one extorp that hit the fair water plane of a sub as it dove/dropped (unguided) before activating. It was one fo the Mayport squadrons (HSL-42 or HSL-44) back in the 80s at AUTEC.

 

[MasterBates]

So you are saying his drop was bad?