Triton "Beyond Magellan" US Navy

2 years ago
562

We are a Public Domain sharing community,with a focus on American life pre-1970's..
These videos are for Historic and Cultural preservation. See something interesting?
We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional
information about our videos by adding a comment!

This film made by General Dynamics shows the cruise of the submarine USS Triton (SSRN-586) around the world (underwater) in 1960. Triton was one of the largest submarines of its era and equipped with twin nuclear reactors. The circumnavigation of the world, codenamed Operation Sandblast, was conducted under the command of famous submariner Edward L. Beach. This color film details life aboard Triton during that epochal trip, and shows its triumphant homecoming, including a visit from President Dwight Eisenhower. Triton was to be used as a radar picket submarine, but problems related to its design meant that it was eventually relegated to use as a command vessel, and then ingloriously decommissioned a mere ten years after its first cruise.

The actual submerged circumnavigation occurred between 24 February and 25 April 1960, covering 26,723 nautical miles (49,491 km; 30,752 mi) in 60 days and 21 hours at the average speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) while crossing the Equator on four different occasions. Also, the total duration of Triton's shakedown cruise was 84 days 19 hours 8 minutes, covering 36,335.1 nautical miles (67,292.6 km; 41,813.7 mi), and Triton remained submerged for a total of 83 days 9 hours, covering 35,979.1 nautical miles (66,633.3 km; 41,404.0 mi) during her maiden voyage. The New York Times described Triton's submerged circumnavigation of the world as "a triumph of human prowess and engineering skill, a feat which the United States Navy can rank as one of its bright victories in man's ultimate conquest of the seas."

Although official celebrations for Operation Sandblast were cancelled following the diplomatic furor arising from the shooting down of a CIA U-2 spy plane over the Soviet Union in early May 1960, the Triton did receive the Presidential Unit Citation with a special clasp in the form of a golden replica of the globe in recognition of the successful completion of its mission, and Captain Beach received the Legion of Merit for his role as Triton's commanding officer. In 1961, Beach received the Magellanic Premium, the United States' oldest and most prestigious scientific award, from the American Philosophical Society in "recognition of his navigation of the U.S. submarine Triton around the globe."

USS Triton (SSRN/SSN-586), a United States Navy radar picket nuclear submarine, was the first vessel to execute a submerged circumnavigation of the Earth (Operation Sandblast), doing so in early 1960. Triton accomplished this objective during her shakedown cruise while under the command of Captain Edward L. "Ned" Beach, Jr. The only member of her class, she also had the distinction of being the only Western submarine powered by two nuclear reactors.

American Media Ephemera

Truth Social
@AmericanMediaEphemera

https://discord.gg/ntSk5qEs45

#ephemera #educational #culture #knowledge #news
#lifestyle #makesocialmediafunagain #christianfamily #nuclearfamily #truth
#socialguidance #Religion #conservative #rights
#Republican #DIY #elections #miltary #shooting #missle #submarine #guns

Loading comments...