The Most Secret Submarine in the US Navy Fleet?
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- čas přidán 11. 09. 2024
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Launched in the early 1970s, US Navy submarine USS Parche was initially built as one of many Sturgeon-class attack submarines. But as fate would have it, she would then be transformed into a highly specialized and unique vessel that included tiny retractable ski legs that allowed her to rest over undersea cables.
As the years went by, Parche’s missions evolved from ordinary attack submarine operations to secretive covert spy undertakings.
Subsequently, she was outfitted with the finest monitoring gear, reconnaissance, and surveillance systems of the time. Still, most of her service details remain unknown, as her main purpose was to serve in top-secret operations, something that she exceeded at.
Parche would eventually become the most decorated vessel in the history of the US Navy and would do so without ever firing a single shot in anger…
- As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas. -
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I will sign up for this paticular free trail. 💪🏻🙏🏻✨
I had the pleasure of taking a course with Professor Steinberg when I was in grad school. Excellent teacher and quite knowledgeable on Russian history, so can highly recommend viewing his presentation cited here.
@@michaellehman1549 I guess that explains why he hasn't done a video on the deliberate attack against the crew of the USS liberty.
Le
"it" not "she" ... its so disrespectful to women to refer to an object as "she" ... shameful in fact !!
I was a steam turbin machinist / mechanical assembler at Westinghouse Marine Division in Sunnyvale, CA from 1982-1994. During those years the SSN21, SSN22, SSN23 Seawolf turbines were manucafured, Im very proud of the personal time I have invested in those turbines. The stealthy Seawolf is still the most powerful, technically advanced and deadly submarine ever put to sea.
Maybe the Chinese or Russians think otherwise. Qui sait ?
I have had some simillar jobs! I CAN Only Imagine the feeling of having had Hands On!
Would you be interested in working for us? I represent a Hongkong based Chinese company. Our main aim is to make the Chinese Navy the best in the world.
Unfortunately, the Seawolf & CT have become parts bins for the Jimmy Carter. The CT was a hot mess when I was there (M-Div 2006)
@@mmcfreds I have a friend on the CT, he was on it when it collided with the sea mount, it’s still a shit show from what I hear 😂
Commitment to the mission: Having multiple Silent Service members retired in my family, I say this with the utmost respect, they are kinda crazy. Its like they expect not to return so many times they now have the utmost respect for life and enjoy every minute of it.
My dad's best friend was a WW2 submariner. Hardest, craziest man I've even known
Bubbleheads
My son, a LTJG, just returned from his second deployment on his SSBN. Hoping he gets to stay land side for a bit before deploying again. He said he actually got to drive the boat from the sail as it entered the harbor and docked this time! Those boats are 560ft long and 41ft wide. Then he had to run back down to help shut down the reactor. What an amazing experience he is having!
@@ChasWG Thank your son for his service from me.
My twin served, USS Los Angeles fast attack sub, he is exactly that way!!! Peaceful warrior...
In the US sub fleet from the mid 90's to '06, and the PUC (Presidential Unit Citation) was known among boat crews as the Parche Unit Citation, because she got so many of them.
Seen them on the Parche’s Conning Tower at tie Bremerton museum.
I got one of those from 1993.
I served on Seawolf (575) and Parche (683) in the Engineering Department. Your video got more right than most. Bravo Zulu.
And the ballistic missile in the cutaway of a sub when he's talking about a fast attack, was accurate too? I don't think he knows squat. Just regurgitates stuff he found on line.
@@bryanst.martin7134 He's limited because he doesn't have the resources to make his own animations, so he has to use video he finds. Sometimes he makes mistakes
@@bryanst.martin7134 I did not say he was 100% accurate. He's clearly not Qualified in Submarines, and I doubt he was in SUBDEVGRUONE, so he's just guessing. But everyone who wasn't there is guessing about the Wolf and Parche. And
others....;)
"Blind Man's Bluff" is an excellent account of submarine cold war exploits.
I noticed this book is available at a couple library locations where I live. I'll have to borrow it one day & read it.
I went to the commissioning of the Parche at Ingalls. Had a champagne cork fight with an ensign as we were assigned the duty to open them while others went inside for presentations. Got to go on board later. Good boat.
I served in the United States submarine force from 1980 to 1992. I held a top secret clearance with a SBI classification. Something that was hammered into us from the start was the old saying " loose lips sink ships ". I got my hands on a copy of blind man's bluff some years back. I was astonished by what I read. Because I was privy to a lot of the information during my active service needless to say somebody ran off at the mouth.
But a lot was written in gov docs.
Once surprised an Old College buddy by telling him what he was working on it his top secret weapons Program.
He went ape shit!!!
BUT all was from open Sources.
read that book, operation Ivy bells is interesting
I server in FFD. In NY. While lose lips sink ships.....What would you call the Gulf of Tonkin? Iraq having "wmd's" That would be our government starting wars on a lie. Love me some ships. But see more value in the lives lost, sadly based on those "loose lips".
I served aboard a 688 from 82-89.
I was injured at sea.
That's all you need to know.
The information about my boat USS Baltimore SSN-704 is incorrect in the book Blind Man's Bluff.
I can't tell my children what we did at the end of the Cold War.
They wouldn't believe me anyway?
@@randydobbs2177 You can tell them. It’s just ego not to.
This was one of the most interesting videos I’ve seen here. Barely even heard of the Parche. Clearly amazing missions, tech, and crew even with what little information can still told about them.
I was stationed on another sub out of Bremerton while the parche was operational. My friends and I didn't know much more about the Parche than what was captured in this video.
I remember seeing that sub being worked on at Puget Sound Naval Ship in Bremerton. I never knew what it was. Now I know. I was told not to ask. My grandfather was a nuclear welder working on it at the time. My grandfather designed and built the ring they use to take off the front to get to the reactors and other things in nuclear subs. I saw it in two pieces. My grandfather got a big check for inventing the ring they still use to this day from the government and an award he use to show us proudly.
The most funny part of the Sea of Ochotsk tapping operation was that the CIA and NURO were both unable to locate the exact location of cable. But one smart captain came with the solituon. "Look ať the shore and there must be the information sign "Do not anchor! Cable underwater" And the sign was exactly where it should be.
I served on another type of special projects submarine and we saw a lot of special deployments. We received numerous PUCs too...not as many as the Parche though. They are top secret and are not publicly known. Most of the crew do not even know what/where we did to earn them.
Sturgeon Class SSN was a very good sub class for it's crew. Anyone I ever knew who served on one loved it. My first boat was a Permit Class SSN & I cross decked to a Los Angeles Class, regretted everyday I spent on that 688 class boat.
Oh why was the 688 bad? That’s surprising to hear
Really enjoyed my U.S. Navy Submarine service time. We did some really cool stuff.
It would be nice if more of these missions were declassified so that the sub sailors who lived and worked on these submarines in often miserable conditions, with out sun shine for months on end, having to endure endless hours of work with no holidays or weekends, missing our on and being excluded from Family events like births and Funerals, all in the name of the mission.
Today's wimpy U.S. Navy would call it abuse and go to their safe space. Ahahahah ahahaha ....
We were offended every day we were underway in the old Submarine Navy.
We were men. We sacrificed our lives and our youth to defend the former USA. Jim
USS Sargo (SSN-583), 1984-87.
"We all lIve on a black Fast Attack..."
@winka trewa Ya I love being in Chile.
There are a lot of U.S. Navy Veterans here in Chile. We all fled the former USA due to the tyranny.
The new DEEP SOUTH.
Come see us. Jim
It has gotten softer, at least for the cone. Back aft in engineering it’s still harsh at times, we shit on each other all the time. We’re still salty submariners, I wish I had the opportunity to go on a fast attack but I just get to do circles, SSBN 737 baby
Don’t join if you wanted backslapping. The term secret is meant to mean something: not give you bragging rights for a testosterone boost
@@shawnphillips4941 I served on both a boomer and fast attack. SSBN 643 and SSN 690.
The fast attack was brutal work load. The time off on the Boomer was a great benefit. Jim
Parche ended her career at the Bremerton naval ship yards along with so many other SSNs/SSBNs under the breakers torches. The navy command hated her since they didn’t have operational command of her.
I seriously doubt the Navy "hated" her.
@@bobcranston3414 …. Parche fell under a separate command from Submarine Squadrons and the Commander Submarines Pacific Fleet. A separate chain of command that went even higher. It was unique
@@bobcranston3414 admiral Rickover hated that he had no authority offer the Parchi and could never be told where one of his subs were.
I grew up in Virginia Beach. You should do a doc on all the U boats sunk off the Va NC coast and how there where German boots on the Outer banks of NC coast. How we perfected the radar ping triangle from The Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach to the Life guard station in Carolla NC. While sinking these 200 plus uboats. Its a great story.
Imagine serving on a sub performing clandestine activities. Then hopping back on for more after they cut her apart and added 100ft.
I stopped Pink Floyd and wu tang dark side of the wu for this. This better be good.
I stopped Krewella for this. This better be good
Is it actually legal to say Pink Floyd and wu tang in the same sentence 🤔 😳 👀?
@@johnF1958 I say no.
Try: "Dub Side Of The Moon" -Easy Star All Stars
o gawd that was a train wreck you were saved trust me. Pink floyd should be respected more than that 😞
As an ex uk submariner in the 1970s, it fascinates me to see the equipment on boats at the time. State of the art fits, replaced nowadays by equipment about the size of an IPad.
This reminds me of how very few people know about the National Underwater Reconnaissance Office, the oceanic equivalent of the NRO.
I’m not really into military history but your video are so interesting I have to watch. All your channels have great content and production. Also stellar narration.
He literally reads Wikipedia entries almost word for word. Look one up and watch one of their videos, identical.
4:50 The USS Halibut was chosen to join in on the spy mission because, well, just for the halibut….
Great video. I live about 30 minutes north of Bremerton. Now I have a reason to go there!
A very interesting video on Parche. The many accomadations Parche was awarded show just how dangerous her missions truly were. 💪🏻🙏🏻✨
commendations - damn, people are so retarded these days.
I worked in the Public Affairs Office at Naval Submarine Base Bangor, in Washington State, when USS Parche was transferred there in 1994. We were told about the subs impending arrival, and while our office regularly escorted the public on the Ohio Class submarines stationed there, we would not be providing tours on the Parche. We got a little vague information about the fact the subs mission was secret, and we were not to talk about it to the public (we didn't know anything anyway, and I don't recall even seeing the sub before I transferred in '95). Basically, any inquiries about Parche were to be forwarded to the Public Affairs Officer.
Common remark of USS Parche crew members - No, we were never there. It must have been someone else.
Well after China decided to send a bunch of the latest missiles over Taiwan this would be a perfect opportunity for the navy to collect some new Chinese missile tech. Considering the amount of espionage they conduct on the US I feel like we owe them much much more.
Hard to learn much when everything they have is just a bad knockoff of your own tech.
@@Remsster Agreed but at least we can learn what capabilities they have stolen and what they failed to take. Maybe even something we didn’t know they had. Who knows?
3:16 your welcome
The American People and the Free world in general were very very well served by the Navy's silent service. Not with standing of a couple of tradors that sold out for chump change.
Awesome
First. Good stuff man been learning from you for years
EM1/SS and I’d do it all over again! Pride Runs Deep!
10:08 "The spy submarine carried HBX explosive as a last resort to the crew's commitment" So in other words the submarine was designed to explode wile the crew was inside?? ( like a suicide mission? )
This is not uncommon in the sub fleet. Todays most secret squirrel sub,the jimmy carter, is never to fall into enemy hands as well as other subs on specific missions. To this day those subs will be loaded up with explosives and if the CO thinks they’re about to be overtaken he can make the call to blow it.
@@TheFluffywuffy WITH THE CREW INSIDE?!! Oh hell no lol 😳
@@mrjason0290able If you are a part of that crew your captures are going to torture you for info..... so better to go out fast and not let them get info/the sub.
@@mrjason0290able Submarine service is voluntary in the Navy. On top of that, I am fairly certain any submariner offered a tour on the Jimmy Carter would be made well aware of what they would be getting into beforehand.
The cable tapper. Read Blind Man's Bluff
I was stationed at Rota from 75 to 77, this sub came in for a few days to restore. I docked on the T Pier under heavy security.
I have worked on the boat, and she was the bottom gun, outstanding service.
Just imagine what the super secret squirrels have now.
If they haven't yet; the US Navy needs to name a sub class after 'Lucky' Flucky.
Perhaps have an optional scuttling charge, removable incase any uppity trains need to be thrown into the sea.
Any navy buffs know how effective the "Seawolf" class of subs are effective today ? Thank you
Seawolf class spends a lot of drydock time replacing anechoic tiles they have a habit of shedding. Between that an the collapse of the USSR, Seawolf class was canceled after 3 units delivered.
The Virginia class is the new attack class and not much is known of true capability as they always keep the good stuff classified secret and above.
I was on the nuke community so a lot of males I trained with went on subs and I’m still close with many of them today. They are very effective I would suppose but unless you’re on the crew you don’t know what they do. The Jimmy Carter has a whole extra part added to it and only those who have served on that ship know what it does
@Lauren Lopez thank you, that's why I asked. Got it
@@lawrencestrabala6146 thank you for your expertise
Amazing! I do find your videos and conclusions compelling and couldn’t miss an episode !!!
Thanks
Bob
England
Remember that Russian sub that went missing off the coast of Alaska? It was tapping fiber lines and had a faulty seal that doomed the whole crew.
That was disinformation by Russia.
🎶 WE ALL DROWN ON A COMMIE SUBMARINE, A COMMIE SUBMARINE, A COMMIE SUBMARINE 🎶
When was this ? Which sub
My cousin was on the USS Nautilus. We would discuss many things but little info. on Nautilus.
My twin brother served on the Uss Los Angeles attack sub, 1987-1992! Bad ass!
We need a ‘most decorated’ series
At 4:13 in the video is the special "Cage" designed to allow J Kennedy to board the boat. His back injuries made climbing ladders difficult. It is on display at the Sub Museum Groton CT.
What ? It said it came out 73 didn’t it ? He was dead ten years
@@johnscanlon2598 Clearly a stock photo. President John F. Kennedy’s World War II naval service undoubtedly gave him some understanding of submarine operations, but his association with the Silent Service was brief. As President, he visited the USS Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610) as part of a fleet visit on 13-14 April 1962. He made a short surface transit in Hampton Roads before departing to tour additional ships. In November 1962, Kennedy visited the USS Chopper (SS-342) in Key West. The Chopper had recently returned from quarantine duty off Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy’s final contact with the submarine force was in November 1963, witnessing the firing of a Polaris missile by the USS Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619) from on board the USS Observation Island (EAG-154).
@@gapratt4955 oh I see interesting thanks for the info
Wow , great historical tale . Amazing footage of Burt Reynolds in the Navy towards the end of video.
If you're referring to the video at 11:35 I don't know how you would know that for sure. But it does look a little like him.
7:17 I hope they at least bought them dinner first 😹😹😹
So the inclusion of a ballistic missile in the subs cutaway was unintentional, right?
I served aboard this submarine, a lot right in this video and some wrong, we weren’t even allowed to wear the rocker patch on our sleeves for our dress uniforms that had the ships name on it, I made friends with the deep sea divers and they showed me some crazy shit while we were out to sea. Miss my friends. I was walking down the pier for a normal day at work when 9-11 happened, many of us crammed into the galley to watch the tv on the wall as it all happened.
It IS NO WONDER the Ship saw Zero Combat but IS well AWARDED and DECORATED! Just think about the missions. Come Back 100% Sucsessfull! or Scuttle Your Boat WITH All HANDS! and ALL Volunteered and Had 100% SUCSECSS!
I live these covert operations stories.
I was trained to dive by the Navy's lead technical diver for these various operations. He had mentioned this vessel, where other declassified stories never mentioned Parche.
So the great courses plus is wondrium now. Ok. I kinda liked the old name to be honest.
If you want to see the Parche Sail, you can in Bremerton WA.
Outstanding Presentation.
I had a good laugh at at “Jimmy Carter’s extension”
Viagra was first tested on U.S. Submarines.
@@daveb.4268 it allowed him to fire a greater payload
10:17
I didn't know sailors could hover.
The sail is downtown from me, I might have to pay it a visit
Look out 1m subs soon! Congrats and well deserved
Superb again Dark Docs .! Thoroughly researched, and presented. Very informative. I guess you guys are VERY familiar with FOIA requests..! And thanks to your sponsor Wondrium . A CZcams add I will engage with...
What folks might not understand about submarine warfare and the “tech.” that allows for such SUCCESSFUL maritime operations; is the actual (Environment) I.E. operations underwater!!!
If you understand the concept of “fluidic-space” and harmonics you’ll know exactly what I’m referring too!!!
they had a lot of accidents in the 60s
"never fired a shot in anger"
Did it only shoot for fun?
It would have fired in testing and training
Ah…yup.
I feel like they could have said “in response”
Been on the (old) Seawolf and the Parche, awesome boats. Berth 20 at Mare Island was a crazy place when she was in.
So was the Horse and Cow as the local sub bar.
Crew 575 here, 75-77. Most of the berths at are Island were crazy all the time I was there.
I worked ISR even most of the crew don't know sh*t. Only way to keep the secrets secret.
Yep, need to know! I remember being kicked out of my torpedo room rack during missions and having to hot rack, some of the time.
The USS Parche tapped that Russian ass.
As to the Combat question, I say that she saw the MOST combat of any US Warship.
I understand why a sub has the sail component...but, is it necessary? Seems like it would create unnecessary drag and noise? Nevermind, I'm calling the Sect'y of Navy and get that changed all by myself...stand by.
It acts as a vertical stabilizer, kinda like why airplanes have them.
The sail allows the sub to operate safely near the surface without risking being swamped by a wave while concealing the bulk of the vessel. Second, while a much more telescoping periscope or other mast could be made, it's much simpler to have the extra height provided by a sail to a mast for periscope as well as a higher vantage point to observe friend or foe.
@@michaellehman1549 gotcha and thanks...the SecNavy wasn't as responsive. Still, I have to wonder if a sailess sub design might afford any advantages...tactical or otherwise?
My favorite part was when the submarine had an illustrious career.
The best boat and crew
Excellent work, keep it up!
I don't think I could spend 2 days on a submarine - much less weeks or months cooped up like that. I'd never pass the psych test to be assigned to one. Props to the guys who live in these thingS
,
Try working inside them for over 30years and I'm a thin skinny guy. So happy I'm retired ☺
I was a janitor cleaning up the place at night and its a great wayto say i didn't do it😁
Cool
The fact that they can sail giant subs by instrument only is amazing
They rely on super accurate charts and high precision clocks and speedometers. It would be like trying to pilot a slow aircraft through a foggy mountain range using instruments and charts only, you better have good communication between the navigator and controller.
The submarine makes me think of the movie, Red October.
A great tie in to the submarine videos is an anti submarine warefare video. The Navy’s VPU-2 command would be a great “secretive” research video!
4:17 Navy Chris Angel! Mind Blown!
Are you able to name a single USN submarine that did fire a weapon in anger?
All those subs that fired cruise missiles during Desert Storm and other actions. Has happened hundreds of times. No torpedoes and no SLBMs.
it-would-have-been-helpful-to-tell-us-what-all-those-markings-on-the-sail-mean.
Three times! Being loaded into torpedo tube!
The Seawolf class is years ahead of anything China or Russia has.
Wouldn't it be weird if a sub of this nature damaged Nordstrom 2 in order to pull a super power into a proxy war with a nuclear power. Not that it would happen, bit it'd be crazy
Exactly what I was thinking.
That would be darn right crazy.
There have already been ships indentified in the general area that suspiciously turned their responders off and bomb fragments have been found on the wreckage...
Not at all. Also, with russia not selling the eu gas, you know who is? Just saying
@@b.w.9392 oy vey
🤔
Nord pipeline 👀
I would like to think that the NR1 is the most secret sub in the us fleet.
I would like to think we have no idea about the US Navy’s most secretive sub
Video starts @3:16 . You're welcome.
I had the most secret sub in the non naval fleet. The U.S.S.S. ( The United States Secret Sub Cypress Station ) ( Houston based captain…me ).
After a night of non stop alcohol research, I found myself commanding my 1972 Ford Pinto wagon in Cypress Creek in Spring Tx. All of the seals in the bulkhead’s failed as did the engine. I escaped through the porthole in the rear with my life. As of today the super secret U.S.S.S. Cypress Station still remains somewhere in the creeks depths. Fearful that the enemy ( The police ) would turn me over to the authorities to get me to revel my secrets into alcohol submarine research, the incident to this day has never been reported.
A true american hero
another good doc
To serve on a sub during the 80's was when the cold war was at its hottest.
Wow thanks
I wonder if its the same subs as the 1z there making for australia
Your content always gives me hope that we are still The White Hats, when so many other historical documentaries piss on our military. Thank you, God be with us.
Sorry WW2 was the end, America is nothing more than the biggest war criminal on earth. Even back then we committed some horrific war crimes that out did Hitler. Even most servicemen know they were lied to as to why we were even fighting these wars, all false flag attacks to enrich our politicians.
I prefer truth in history. If I wanted lies and fairy tales, I'd go to church.
Jimmy Carter's extension 🤣
Did I see a uum-44’SUBROC on torpedo table?!!! Twice!
Very cool!
3 minute commercial. Secret secret information released in the 1970’s.
wack
listening to submarine videos while at work for a machine shop that makes parts for em.
So the habitat for humanity gig is just a front for Jimmy Carter?
3:14
So secret they have pictures of it!