Located outside the museum is the sail of the first
SSBN, the USS George Washington. |
Next to the sail is this plaque. |
Also nearby is a monument to the first 41 SSBNs built
for the Navy. |
Here I am pointing out the submarine that was
eventually converted to the MTS that I qualified on in Charleston. |
Another outdoor exhibit is the X-1, an experimental
Navy submarine from the early Cold War era. |
Another view of the X-1 |
Here is the plaque that explains the X-1's history. |
Next to the X-1 was a WW II Japanese midget sub. |
In front of the museum entrance are two metal rings,
with the first one representing the pressure hull diameter of the Navy's
first sub, and the outer representing the diameter of the Ohio class
SSBNs. |
In the entryway hangs this model of Captain Nemo's
Nautilus from the Disney version of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
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Nearby is a large model of a modern SSN. |
The museum contains a great deal of sub memorabilia,
such as this flag from the USS Pittsburgh. |
This flag is from the WW II submarine USS
Silversides, which exists as a museum in Michigan. |
This famous flag is from one of the most highly
decorated WW II US subs. |
This patch is the old emblem for the Daniel Webster,
which was converted into the MTS I trained on in Charleston. |
My friend Vince mans the 20 mm deck gun in the
exhibit hall. |
This is a life-size model of the Turtle, a submarine
built during the American Revolution. |
Above hangs an impressive 30' model of a WW II
diesel-electric submarine. |
Here is the model from the forward end. |
The model contained numerous detailed cutaways,
including this one of the conning tower. |
Without a doubt, the centerpiece of the museum is the
USS Nautilus, SSN-571. She was the first nuclear powered submarine ever
built. |
This cutaway greets visitors on the pier before they
board the Nautilus. Unfortunately, the engineering spaces aft are still
strictly off-limits. |
This is a picture of the ship's control room, showing
where the bow planes, stern planes, and rudder are controlled.
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These hydraulic valves control the vents that allow
water into the ship's ballast tanks. |
This shot shows more of the ship's hydralic controls. |
This is a picture of a crew's berthing area. Modern
boats aren't much bigger! |
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This is a shot of her galley, where all the crew's
meals were prepared.
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Here is a shot of the crew's mess. In the foreground
is a damage control (DC) tool roll. |
This is another shot of the mess, showing more DC
equipment. |
This is the torpedo room of the Nautilus. |
This is how she looks from pier side. Note the
heavy-duty permanent moorings! |
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