2 A u g u s t 2 0 0 4

SUPSALV SENDS

SUPSALV Sends ........................................... 2

Get off the Bitts and Take Your Hits ............. 3

Historical Diving Society ................................ 3

The Pressure is On at NEDU ........................... 4

Fleet Diving Detailer ....................................... 6

USS LASSEN CPP Hub Modification ............. 7

Diving is the Love of Munk’s Life .................. 8

Master Diver List ........................................... 9

Building a Warship ....................................... 10

USS MOMSEN (DDG 92) ............................. 12

Vice Admiral Charles “Swede” Momsen ..... 15

DDG 51 Class In-water Sonar Installation .. 17

Command in the Spotlight ............................ 18

Rapture of the Deep .................................... 20

Hard Hat History .......................................... 21

The Old Master ............................................ 22

Jake’s Corner............................................... 22

Topside; Red Diver...From SUPDIVE ............ 23

FACEPLATE is published by the Supervisor

of Salvage and Diving to make the latest and

most informative news available to the Navy

diving and salvage community. Discussions or

illustrations of commercial products do not

imply endorsement by the Supervisor of

Salvage and Diving or the U.S. Navy.

Articles, letters, queries and comments should

be directed to the Commander, Naval Sea

Systems Command, NAVSEA 00C, 1333

Isaac Hull Ave. SE Stop 1070, Washington

Navy Yard, DC 20376-1070. (Attn:

FACEPLATE). Visit our website at http://

www.supsalv.org. To view an electronic

version of Faceplate in PDF format go to our

website and click on the word “Faceplate”

located in the left hand column. This link will

direct you to our list of Faceplate issues.

Captain Jim Wilkins, USN

Director of Ocean Engineering

Supervisor of Salvage and Diving

NAVSEA 00C

wilkinsjr@navsea.navy.mil

Captain Mark Helmkamp, USN

Supervisor of Diving

Editor In Chief

helmkampmt@navsea.navy.mil

LCDR Jim Bladh, USN (Ret.)

Managing Editor

jimbladhsr@aol.com

BMCM (MDV) Steve Smith, USN

BMCM(SW/MDV) Fred K. Orns, USN

Fleet Liaison Editors

smithss@navsea.navy.mil

ornsfk@navsea.navy.mil

Zoya Gorbunova

Production Editor

zgorbunova@roh-inc.com

Otto C. Adams

Graphic Designer

oadams@roh-inc.com

Forty years ago this month (I’m

writing this in July), the U.S. Navy Diving

Program embarked on an experiment that

literally changed the world – SEALAB I.

As the first of three Man-In-The-Sea

experiments, SEALAB I is renowned for

successfully achieving a dream — 4 Navy

Divers actually lived and worked in the

open ocean at a depth of 193 feet for 11

days continuously before resurfacing. Not

only did it usher in the era of deep (1,000

feet or more) military diving capability, but

it also provided commercial industry the

means to tap into natural resources

(particularly oil!) to support a growing

world economy.

Sadly, over a number of years,

though industry capitalized on saturation

technology, the Navy’s own ability to

conduct saturation diving nearly

atrophied to the point of near loss of

capability. The great news is that our

Chief of Naval Operations recently

authorized the procurement of a portable

(fly-away) saturation diving system for

use by Navy Divers for a mix of deep

ocean missions, including salvage, object

recovery, and if necessary, support for

submarine rescue operations. We expect

to bring the system into full capability

during late FY06 or FY07. The new

saturation diving system will be stored and

maintained in Panama City (quick access

to Tyndall AFB for emergency air

transport) and manned by a combination

of Divers from NEDU and MDSU. The

future is bright for exciting times in our

Diving Navy!

Speaking of exciting times, almost

all of you have now heard about

the recent effort to develop a new Navy

Diver rating as well as a new EOD

Tech rating. This initiative is being led

by the Learning Center for EOD and

Diving (CENEODD) in Panama City.

Captain Gary Windhorst and his team

at CENEODD reached out to the Fleet,

and working with inputs from a broad

spectrum of senior members of

both communities (Fleet Divers and

EOD) are pursuing final approval for

both new ratings. As I travel the

waterfront and talk to many of our

dive lockers, I get lots of questions

about the career impacts of the

new rating...and rightly so. Though

nothing is yet finally approved, I

can personally attest to the commitment

of all who are working this up through

the approval chain to make sure

we maintain or improve both the

war-fighting strength of the community

as well as viable enlisted career paths. It

is foremost in our mind, and I know it

is in yours. We will keep you informed as

decisions are reached.

Also — our April 2004 issue of

FACEPLATE dedicated a lot of space

to the ARS/T-ARS conversion question.

As of the middle of July, no Navy

decision on whether or not to transfer the

four ARS 50 Class ships to Military Sealift

Command has been announced, but we

expect one in the next few weeks. Stay

tuned!

 Capt Jim Wilkins

The U.S. Navy Salvage Divers Reunion will take place at the Holiday Inn, 2001

North Cove Blvd. in Panama City, Florida on August 25 to 29. Please contact Buck

Best at (941) 371-5070 to make arrangements or if you have any questions.

In This Issue
A u g u s t 2 0 0 4 3

They are out there, the “armchairquarterbacks” of the Navy, the First

Class Divers who sit in the background,

critiquing the actions of others, while

amazingly their watch management is

always on the button.

Then, there are others who lead the

team, overcoming the fear of criticism and

failure.

Teddy Roosevelt described such getit-done leaders when he said: “It’s not the

critic who counts. It’s not the man who

points out how the strong man stumbles,

or where the doer of the deed could have

done it better. The credit belongs to the

man in the arena, whose face is marred by

dust and sweat and blood, who spends

himself in a worthy cause, who strives

valiantly, who errs and comes up short

again and again, who at best knows the

high achievement of triumph, who at worst,

fails while daring greatly for he knows his

place shall never be with those cold and

timid souls who know neither victory, nor

defeat.”

The Master Diver Screening Course

conducted twice yearly at MDSU ONE is

designed to get aspiring candidates into

the arena and experience the “high

achievement of triumph” Roosevelt

described so inspirationally.

The MDV Screener emulates as

closely as possible the actual Master Diver

evaluation process conducted at Naval

Diving Salvage Training Center, Panama

City, Florida, where a 50 percent attrition

rate is the norm.

The two-week course begins with a

written exam on the morning of the first

day to gauge the knowledge the candidate

brings to the course. In the afternoon,

SCUBA diving operations begin, the first

of several evolutions to assess the

candidate’s experience, leadership, and

technical abilities.

During the following nine days,

candidates are challenged to lead a dive

team under various scenarios using all rigs,

incorporating various procedures and

testing leadership ability to overcome

adversities under stress.

This is a taxing course. It is not the

place for those who fear failure or

constructive criticism. It is home for those

who want to achieve the coveted title of

U.S. Navy Master Diver.

Here are some tips to prepare you for

the challenge of the MDV Screener:

DO: Keep it real in your mind. You really

are in the scenario.

DO: Know the procedures for picking the

course of action available to you.

DO: Properly prepare by running “dry

dives,” practice your neuro and brief.

DO: During the adverse scenario, place

yourself in the Diver’s situation to assist

you in picking the appropriate course of

action.

DO: Be “large and in charge.” When you

pick a course of action, stick with it and

make it work.

DO: LISTEN TO YOUR PROJECT

MASTER DIVER. (He wants you to

succeed.)

DON’T: Be in “drill mode.” You cannot

prevent the drill from happening. You plan

to run a normal dive. You must brief the

actual scope of the mission, not just what

can go wrong.

DON’T: Assume. See what you see, hear

what you hear, and say what needs to be

said.

DON’T: Arrive unprepared expecting to be

trained. The course is tailored for those

who are ready to perform.

DON’T: Run the dive operations the way

“the school house wants to see it.” The

MDV evaluators are scoring you, not the

school house.

DON’T: Blame others for your mistakes.

You cannot improve until you admit your

mistake.

DON’T: Be timid and quiet, yet do not talk

to hear yourself talk.

DON’T: Take everyone’s advice, especially

those on the “bits of knowledge.”

Master Diver evaluation attrition rates

should not trump ambition and discourage

aspiring candidates. Instead, it is a

challenge and an adventure. The course is

the open door for those who want to

become a member of the brotherhood of

U.S. Navy Master Divers and lead

America’s finest.

MDV Michael E. Moser is currently a

Master Diver at DET 5 of MDSU ONE

based in Pearl Harbor, HI.

U.S. Navy Diving

and the

Historical Diving

Society USA

The Historical Diving Society USA

is a non-profit educational corporation

formed in 1992. It has members in

37 countries and publishes the

award-winning quarterly magazine

HISTORICAL DIVER, which covers

many aspects of diving history, including

the U.S. Navy.

Among Society Advisory Board

members are distinguished Divers such

as Dr. Christian Lambertsen, Bob Barth,

Scott Carpenter, Surgeon Vice Admiral

Sir John Rawlins, Bev Morgan, Phil

Nuytten and Andreas Rechnitzer.

As a part of the HDS Educational

Outreach Program, the Society is offering

a complete set of back issues of

HISTORICAL DIVER, along with a

continuing subscription, free upon

request to any U.S. Navy diving unit.

For more information on this offer, please

contact the Society at hds@hds.org.
4 A u g u s t 2 0 0 4

I

t is midnight at Navy Experimental

Diving Unit (NEDU). Dive Watch

Officer (DWO) HTCS(MDV) Becker and

Dive Watch Supervisor (DWS)HTC

Schlagenhaft are mustering Dive Watch

Section TWO in preparation for Deep

Saturation Dive 2004 (DD-04). The watch

sections include the following

watchstanders: the Gas King, who is

responsible for running machinery

(compressors and the reclaim system),

lining up all the gases (helium, oxygen,

mixed helium and oxygen [He/O2

], mixed

nitrogen and oxygen [N2/O2], nitrogen,

and air), mixing gases, and executing

emergency procedures (EPs); the Chamber

Support Operator/Life Support Operator

(CSO/LSO), who is responsible for

compression and decompression, Diver

hot water, chamber temperature,

maintenance of proper constant chamber

depth, and execution of EPs; the Control

Technician (CT), who is responsible for

the operation of all electrical systems, all

communications systems, and the fire

suppression system in the chamber

complex; and the Atmosphere Analysis

Operator (AAO), who is responsible for

monitoring all gases in the complex’s

atmosphere.

The Watch Section performs

approximately five hours of operating

procedures (OPs) intended to fully shut

down and restart the Ocean Simulation

Facility (OSF) — the upper portion of

which is a dry, five-chamber living complex

complete with heads, showers, and racks

that is part of the most complex diving

system in the world. Below the center

chamber is a transfer trunk connecting the

five dry chambers to a 55,000-gallon “wet

pot” chamber.

For DD-04, a 14-day saturation dive

employing eight saturation Divers to a

maximum depth of 723 feet of seawater

(FSW), the goals were to exercise the

GASMIZER helium reclaim system and test

the secondary life-support (SLS) MK-IV

backpack (an emergency gas source that

allows a Diver to return to the bell), fitted

to the ULTRAJEWEL 601 helium reclaim

helmet.

The saturation dive team included

Team Leader DC1(DSW) Jorge Guillen,

Assistant Team Leader DC1(DSW) Jeremy

Mullis, HMC(DSW) Steve Allain,

HT1(DSW) John Valentine, GM1(DSW) Jim

Urban, BU1(DSW) Josh Ross, DC1(DSW)

Buddy King, and HM2(DSW) Tim Kerr.

A safety observer, DC1 Jorge Guillen (blue helmet) keeps a close eye on HMC Steve

Allain as he performs the steps of Deep Dive 2004 protocol to collect data points.

GM1 Jim Urban and HM2 Tim Kerr help DC1 Buddy King don the instrumented

17C Superlite prior to a dive in the Ocean Simulation Facility wet chamber.
A u g u s t 2 0 0 4 5

CWO3 Rick Strynar is a Fleet Project

Officer and a Command Diving Officer

at NEDU.

After the OSF had been compressed

to storage depth of 600 fsw, these Divers

performed repeated wet downward

excursions to 723 fsw, where their umbilical

gas was secured and they were required to

go on their SLS MK-IV backpacks. During

these excursions, each Diver pedaled a

test cycle at a rate of 60 watts until he

reached the termination criteria set for the

protocol. Then, to be recovered into the

trunk, he went back on his umbilical and

the next Diver began to perform the same

test. This testing routine was performed

12 times.

NEDU leased two SLS MK-IV

backpacks and one ULTRAJEWEL helmet

that attached to the SLS MK-IV backpack

from Divex, Ltd. This leased dive apparatus

and the Divers were instrumented to record

inhaled and exhaled carbon dioxide (CO2

),

oxygen partial pressure, temperature, and

heartbeat. Data from this instrumentation

were read and recorded on the Medical

Deck, which was manned by Diving

Medical Officers (DMOs) and Diving

Medical Technicians (DMTs) who monitor

all readings, collect data, and direct exercise

rates and durations.

One of the DMOs, the Dive Watch

Medical Officer (DWMO), monitors all data

for Diver safety and conducts twice-daily

Diver sick calls. The DWMOs for DD-04

were CAPT David Southerland, LT Vic

Ruterbusch, and LT Fernando Leyva. The

other DMO on watch was the Principal

Investigator (PI), LT Jeffrey Chao, who

monitored, collected, and interpreted data

to ensure that the equipment was

performing as designed and/or advertised.

The DMTs stand watch as Medical Deck

Technicians and Medical Deck

Supervisors: as Supervisors, they direct

the Divers and supervise data collection;

as technicians, they operate the varied

data collection equipment.

DD-04 involved two commands and

one private company besides NEDU:

Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit TWO

provided two qualified saturation Divers,

NAVSEA 00C provided funding for the

dive, and Divex, LTD provided a technical

representative as well as the equipment

for testing.

DD-04 was a 100% success, bringing

NEDU together with outside organizations

to achieve a common goal. This project

would not have succeeded without Task

Leader ENCS(DSW) Vern Geyman,

BMCM(MDV) Kent Johnson, and

ENCM(MDV) James Carolan, the last two

of whom also provided the benefits of their

wisdom throughout the dive.

As you can see from our latest

editions, FACEPLATE has evolved

into an attractive and informative

publication. The April 2004 cover

photograph is particularly eyecatching. On that note, I would like to

encourage competition for the

photographs to be used on the covers

of future editions. The winning cover

photograph will be acknowledged by

recognizing the photographer, Divers

depicted, and the Command or Diving

Locker. Photographs must be high

resolution with a Windows compatible

format (TIFF or JPG). Please send the

photographs to our Production Editor,

Zoya Gorbunova at zgorbunova@rohinc.com and our Graphic Designer,

Otto C. Adams at oadams@rohinc.com.

On page 21 is an article by Lee

Wolford regarding the First Class

Diving School and Experimental Diving

Unit, located in Building 214 at the

Washington Navy Yard years ago. On

the same page is a picture of my

graduation certificate from 1st Class

Diving School in 1954. I know that

there is no one on active duty that

predates that time. However, there are

many retired Divers who do and have

interesting stories. FACEPLATE would

like to hear from you and perhaps

publish some of your experiences in our

Hard Hat History section.

Jim Bladh

Managing Editor

Members of the 2004 Deep Dive Team (left to right): HMC Steve Allain, GM1 Jim

Urban, DC1 Jorge Guillen, DC1 Jeremy Mullis, HM2 Tim Kerr, HT1 Valentine,

DC1 Buddy King, and BU1 Josh Ross.

If you are interested in walking on the

ocean floor and becoming a saturation

Diver, please contact the diving detailer. If

you would like additional information about

the saturation diving program, please contact one of the Master Divers or the Command Diving Officer at NEDU.

FROM MANAGING EDITOR
6 A u g u s t 2 0 0 4

Fleet Diving Detailer

Hello from your Fleet Diving Detailer,Millington, Tennessee. First off, for

anybody interested in relieving me, the

diving is great up here! The skills used at

this job set you up for a smooth transition

into CIVLANT, i.e. AT&T operator or one

finger computer ninja. Seriously, there is a

lot of satisfaction helping each individual

Diver and supporting community needs.

One big issue at present is our community

manning. For the Divers in the Fleet there

are a lot of changes coming. Although

some may appear to be “not so good” at

first glance, have faith, stay focused, the

end result will benefit us all and carry our

community into the future. For those interested in becoming Navy Divers, there is

no better time than now. Listed below are

the requirements for becoming a Navy

Diver.

The U.S. Navy Diver Program is a

challenging and rewarding training

program which requires an individual to be

self-motivated and physically fit. The

opportunities offered by the program have

never been greater. As we continue to

expand our quest into the ocean depths,

the possibilities are limitless. During the

course of any given day, Navy Divers are

on the job around the world performing

underwater repairs, recoveries, salvage

missions, or research and development,

which all fall into the realm of today’s Navy

Diver.

The U.S. Navy is the leader in the

development of modern diving and

underwater operations. The general

requirements of national defense and the

specific requirements of underwater

reconnaissance, demolition, ordnance

disposal, construction, ship maintenance,

search, rescue, and salvage operations

repeatedly give impetus to training and

development.

Entry Requirements

The U.S. Navy Diver program requires

top physical condition and mental attitude

that is found in only a small percentage of

military men and women. The requirements

are outlined in the following documents. A

short recap of these requirements follows

the references:

References:

a. Navy Military Personnel Manual

(NMPC) 1220-100;

b. NAVMEDMAN P-117, Manual of the

Medical Department, Ch. 15, Art. 66-

Diving Duty;

c. ENLTRANSMAN (NAVPERS 15909E)

Art. 4.02.

Requirements:

1. Male or female, 30 years of age or less.

2. Be classified in or a designated striker

for a source rating for the program.

3. Meet a minimum ASVAB score of

AR+WK*=104**, MC=50. *For ASVAB

test numbers 5,6, and 7, use WK score.

** All HM NEC applicants must have a

minimum score of 110.

4. Meet the minimum obligated service

(OBLISERV) of 36 months, as of the class

convening date of initial training.

5. Have a clear record (no NJP or Courts

Martial) for the previous twelve months.

6. Pass the Diving Physical Examination.

7. Successfully complete the Physical

Screening Test.

8. Complete a personal interview with a

Diving Officer or Master Diver.

9. Pass the Hyperbaric Pressure Tolerance

Test.

10. Waivers will be considered on a case

 by case basis.

Course Description - U.S. Navy Diver

Second Class (A-433-0022)

objects. A Second Class Diver performs as

an integral member of a diving team and as

a hyperbaric chamber operator when

treating diving related casualties.

The Second Class Diver course

develops a confident and capable Diver.

The course was designed by experienced

Fleet Divers for the purpose of providing

the Navy with the best Divers to support

the various diving communities. Students

are trained using current procedures and

equipment, emphasizing the development

of skills required to successfully serve the

Fleet.

The course consists of twenty weeks

of intense academic and physical training.

Trainees are introduced to basic diving

physics and diving medicine. As training

progresses, they find themselves in

“confidence training” and a practical

evaluation of SCUBA operations.

Confidence training is the practice of ditch

and don of scuba equipment with various

problems imposed upon the student by the

instructor. In addition, trainees receive

instruction on Surface Supplied Diving,

Chamber Operations and Underwater Ship

Husbandry (UWSH).

Physical training is conducted daily.

Morning PT consists of calisthenics and

running, with increasing difficulty imposed

as the weeks progress.

With the proven ability to overcome

the rigorous mental and physical

challenges, the end result is a qualified

Second Class Diver who is an effective

member of any diving team.

By: MDV Gordo Westbrook

The mission of a Second Class Diver

brings the Diver to various diving

commands throughout the world, where

they are expected to perform as underwater

diving experts in direct support of Fleet

salvage operations, underwater

maintenance of ships and submarines, and

the recovery of sunken or submerged

All that sounds pretty easy. It is if you

are motivated. Time to cowboy up.

Give us a call here at NPC if you have

any questions.

BMCM(SW/MDV) Westbrook, Fleet

Diving Detailer (901) 874-3561, DSN

882-3561.

BMC(SW/DV) Bartholomew, Schools

Coordinator (901) 874-4261, DSN

882-4261.

HMCS(SW/DMT) Whitmire, Medical

Officer (901) 874-3557, DSN 882-3557.
A u g u s t 2 0 0 4 7

I

n the past twelve months a number of

DDG 51 Class ships have developed oil

leaks from their CPP hubs. Early

investigations in dry dock identified the

Blade Seal Base Ring (BSBR) as the

apparent smoking gun. The BSBR sits on

the outer diameter of the hub blade port

and is held in place by a large O-ring seal

on its outer diameter. Uneven loading of

the BSBR may cause the ring to move in

its recess creating an oil leak path.

The initial “quick fix” on the first ships

identified with the problem, USS MILUIS

(DDG 69) and USS CARNEY (DDG 64),

involved the insertion of a stainless steel

.025-inch shim between the inner diameter

of the BSBR and the outer diameter of the

bearing ring on all ten blades. This method

appeared to work on the ships in question,

but a more permanent fix was required.

In November 2003 this “quick fix” was

applied to USS MCCAMPBELL (DDG 85).

There was a great deal of interest and, in

addition to the team of Divers from CDU,

“A” teams from NAVSEA 00C5, PMS 400,

Rolls Royce, and Bath Iron Works were on

the pierside. “Forensic evidence” was

gathered at every juncture of the operation

as part of the ongoing

investigation into the cause of

the leaks. This involved a

complete underwater strip down

of both hubs (as far as is

possible in the wet), with

component analysis on the

surface and was the first time

this type of repair had been

conducted by Navy Divers.

The task took 20 days, but

many valuable lessons were

learned and with pierside 00C5

support, new tools, procedures,

and techniques were developed and applied on the spot.

Since then, a NAVSEA

approved modification has

been developed by Rolls Royce

Naval Marine to prevent the

BSBR from moving in its

recess. This involves the

insertion of a second antirotation dowel pin into the ring,

180 degrees from the original.

The anti-rotation dowel pin stops the BSBR

from rotating as the CPP blade is put

through its paces during maneuvering. The

second pin is intended to stop the BSBR

from twisting in its recess when load is

applied from the turning blade.

At the beginning of March 2004, CDU

was called into action to effect this

modification to USS LASSEN (DDG 82).

The procedure involved the removal of all

ten blades and the strip down of the

associated blade ports. One at a time the

blades were removed and shifted back to

the aft lift tunnels. As there was nothing

wrong with the blades there was no need

to bring them to the surface. The propeller

was then rotated 180 degrees so that the

open port work could be conducted at the

6 o’clock position. Although working in

the overhead made aspects of the task

awkward for the Divers, it was necessary

to ensure that as much CPP oil as possible

was contained in the hub. Using the

tools and procedures developed during the

USS MCCAMPBELL operation, CDU’s

BRAVO Team, under the supervision of

seasoned veteran BM1 Tim Roff, began

the painstaking and potentially timeconsuming task of removing the port cover,

BSBR, removing/replacing all the ‘soft

wear’ and putting it all back together in the

right order. Previous experience paid off

and the team of Divers soon had this

procedure down to 30 minutes.

There is always room for improvement

during these types of operations and once

again, with onsite NAVSEA 00C5 support,

tools and procedures were further refined

and applied. As a result, the USS LASSEN

hub modification evolution took only 9

days to complete even with time for a

weekend break in the middle.

Consolidated Divers Unit has set the

standard for this type of underwater CPP

hub modification operation.

Divers Removing BSBR.

Swimming BSBR to surface.

LCDR David Ince is attached to the

Underwater Ship Husbandry Division at

NAVSEA 00C. He is a Clearance Diving

Officer on exchange from the Royal Navy.
8 A u g u s t 2 0 0 4

Diving is the Love of Munk’s Life

By: David Hackett

Venice, Florida — Elmer Munk hasspent so much time under water, it is

amazing he does not have fins.

Since becoming one of the first

certified SCUBA Divers in the United States

more than a half century ago, Munk

estimated that he has spent 5,000 hours

(more than 200 days) hanging out with

grouper, sharks, and morays.

He is recognized by SCUBA Schools

International, a training company based in

Colorado, as one of only 1,300 SCUBA

Divers in the world to make more than 5,000

career dives.

“We call it ‘Platinum Pro,’ and it is a

remarkable and rare thing to make the list,”

said Gary Clark of SCUBA Schools

International. “Elmer Munk and the Divers

like him have taken the sport to another

level.”

This is just part of the 72-year-old

Venice resident’s story.

As a diving teacher, he claims to have

certified 3,500 students. As an underwater

photographer, he boasts a collection of

more than 5,000 photographs, including

one taken inches away from the gaping jaw

of a 9-foot green moray.

“Diving has been the great love of my

life,” Munk said.

Now he says he is ready to write the

closing chapters of his career. When he

retires after ten years as an administrative

specialist at the Venice Fire Department,

Munk plans to write a book about his life

under water.

”I’ve seen so much,” he said. “You

have to remember that when I started

diving it was literally just getting started in

this country. People had been helmet diving

for a long, long time. But SCUBA diving

came out of technology developed in World

War II.”

A love of fishing is what first hooked

Munk. He was working in Chicago in 1956

when he read a column in the Chicago

Tribune in which an outdoors reporter

confessed he had learned more about fish

in two hours under water than from years

casting a line.

When Munk

showed up at the

Evanston, Illinois YMCA

seeking instruction, he

was asked to develop

a class. By today’s

standards, SCUBA

diving was primitive, just

a steel tank, a canvas

strap, a mask, and fins.

Over the next few

years Munk cut his own

wet suit and in 1959

became one of the first

class of Divers to be

nationally certified by the

YMCA. He opened a

dive shop in Chicago in

1971.

The sea became his

life. During the winter

when business was slow,

Munk began organizing

more than 300 diving

trips to the Caribbean,

including the annual

Turkey Dive, held for more

than 30 years on the

Saturday after Thanksgiving. He says he even

has a dive site named after

him off the island of Bonaire.

In all his time under water, Munk said

that he never suffered an equipment failure

or other life-threatening calamity. He

brushed against sharks and rubbed the

sides of a spotted moray without ever being

bitten. He fed table scraps to grouper “like

they were big, old puppy dogs.”

”I have always felt that if you don’t

show them fear, they’re not going to

attack,” he said. “They’re not looking for

human flesh. We’re not on their menu.”

But increasingly in the late

1980s, Munk found himself “breathing

like a steam engine.” Doctors diagnosed

severe asthma. Munk stopped leading

dives “because you can’t take any

chances when you are responsible

for someone’s life.”

In 1991, he made his last dive. “Sure,

I miss it. It’s an amazing world down there.”

But these days, Munk said, he is content to live vicariously. He still travels on

diving trips to the Caribbean. He is a resource for the Venice Fire Department’s

dive rescue team. And he is pleased to see

how big diving has become, with half a

dozen diving schools advertising in the

local Yellow Pages.

”My only regret is that for some

people it has become more about selling

equipment than teaching,” he said. “Anyone who wants to dive should be a comfortable swimmer, find a good instructor,

and take at least five lessons.”

Elmer Munk, 72, retires from his job as administrative

assistant with the Venice Fire Department, after more than

6,000 dives.

This article was originally published in

the Venice, Florida Herald Tribune.
A u g u s t 2 0 0 4 9

MASTER DIVER LIST
1 0 A u g u s t 2 0 0 4

On September 19, 2000, Secretary of theNavy Richard Danzig announced the

forty-second Arleigh Burke Class Guided

Missile Destroyer (DDG 92) would be

named MOMSEN, in honor of Vice

Admiral Charles Bowers Momsen.

Momsen’s Naval career was highlighted

by several technological achievements and

an unyielding determination to improve

the safety and survival of Navy Divers

and submariners. A pioneer of early

diving and salvage equipment, a leader

among the submarine community, and a

visionary of future submarine design, it

was fitting to name one of the nation’s

most complex and technologically

advanced warships in his honor.

The keel was laid for MOMSEN on

November 16, 2001, at Bath Iron Works in

Bath, Maine. The Keel Laying Ceremony

was the first of five ceremonies that would

mark the progress of the ship’s

construction. At that time, the ship was

referred to as “Hull 475.” The name

MOMSEN would come later. In recent

years, BIW invested in the most advanced

shipbuilding process and built a Land Level

Transfer Facility. Ships are no longer built

on an inclined ways and slid into the

Kennebec River. Instead, large segments

of hull are assembled inside buildings and

then maneuvered on rails and craned into

position on the shipway. A ship is

assembled entirely on level land and is put

into the water only when a desired level of

completion is achieved. This production

technique is more efficient and MOMSEN

is the second Bath-built ship from this new

facility.

As Charles Momsen challenged

twentieth-century technological barriers

and introduced revolutionary equipment,

the twenty-first century MOMSEN

introduces some of the Navy’s most

advanced surface combatant technology

and design. MOMSEN is a ship of firsts

for Bath Iron Works - the first vessel with a

completely commercial grade 60hz power

distribution system and the first Baseline 7

Phase 1 AEGIS weapon system that runs

entirely on commercial computers. There

is not a single military specification

(MILSPEC) computer on the entire ship.

MOMSEN is equipped with the SPY-1D(V)

three-dimensional phased array radar that

is a generational leap in capability over

previous SPY radars in the Fleet. Finally,

MOMSEN is built with the Remote

Minehunting System (RMS), the surface

Navy’s first organic mine warfare systems

to reach fleet production. RMS is a long

range, over-the-horizon, semi-submersible

system capable of detecting, identifying,

and relaying the location of underwater

mines.

LT Brad Stallings, the Chief Engineer

and first MOMSEN crewmember, reported

to the Pre-Commissioning Unit in Bath,

Maine during the summer of 2002. “Hull

475” was 61% complete and the shipyard

was focused on completing the construction of the segments that would

ultimately be assembled into a

complete hull. The priority for LT

Stallings was starting the long

complex task of establishing a

command organization and

administrative architecture.

Assisted by a superb Northrop

Grumman Pre-Commissioning

support staff, he “laid the keel”

for Pre-Commissioning Unit

MOMSEN, or more commonly

referred to as the PCU. PCU

MOMSEN was the name of the

command the crew belonged to

until the date when the Navy

officially accepted the ship. Crewmembers

arrived in four phases throughout the PreCommissioning process. Phase One was

the first 15 crewmembers and the core of

senior officer and enlisted expertise, who

established the priorities that guided the

organization through the remaining phases.

Phases Two and Three filled out the

organization with mid-grade officers and

enlisted, allowing divisions and work

centers to be formed. PCU MOMSEN’s

Phase Three was completed in December

of 2003 with just under 100 crewmembers

on site in Bath. Phase Four, the largest of

all phases, was the addition of the most

junior crewmembers, those that had

recently graduated from Recruit Training

Center and follow-on schools. Phase Four

was completed in May of 2004 with

MOMSEN’s crew just short of three

hundred personnel. By the time the ship

leaves the shipyard and is augmented by

an SH-60 helicopter detachment, the crew

size will be 350 personnel.

MOMSEN crewmembers first reported

to PCU MOMSEN’s Training Detachment

in San Diego, California. Under the

supervision of the MOMSEN’s Command

Master Chief, CMDCM(SW)(AW) Mark

Baker, they attended rate or job specific

MOMSEN Keel Laying Ceremony. schools before reporting to the PreLand Level Ship Construction.
A u g u s t 2 0 0 4 1 1

(Building a Warship... continued on page 14.)

Commissioning Unit in Maine. Bath Iron

Works offered many additional courses to

prepare crewmembers to work and live on

a DDG. Finally, well-trained individual

Sailors were organized and trained as

teams: watch teams, duty section teams,

and damage control teams.

Building a command from scratch

offers the unique opportunity to establish

priorities that will endure for the lifetime of

the vessel. For MOMSEN, those priorities

are training, innovation, and force

protection. Training is the backbone of

any successful Navy organization and is

the reason the Pre-Commissioning Unit

exists. The PCU ensures crewmembers

receive proper individual training and then

organizes the crew into a trained team

before moving aboard the ship. The PreCommissioning process is also a rare

opportunity to incorporate innovation into

the command’s organizational structure,

policies, and procedures. MOMSEN

created a new department in response to

the proliferation of fiber optic data

networking technology built into the ship’s

weapons and control systems. The

Systems Integration (SI) Department was

formed by consolidating all the rates with

responsibility for equipment that utilizes

fiber optic data management. The synergy

of consolidating similarly trained

technicians, without regard to source

rating, proved valuable during the systems

start-up testing phase of construction.

Anti-terrorism force protection was

MOMSEN’s third priority and the

command addressed this mission area by

creating an innovative full-time Force

Protection Division.

By the spring of 2003, all of the

functional segments of the hull were built

and a complete ship was assembled on the

Land Level Transfer Facility. Production

was 76% complete and it was time to

celebrate the stepping of the mast. The

Mast Stepping Ceremony is the second of

five ceremonies in the shipbuilding process.

Traditionally when a mast is stepped, or

affixed to the keel, coins are placed under

the base of the mast to commemorate the

event. This centuries-old tradition is linked

to mythology. If the ship goes down at

sea, the coins are placed to pay the

ferryman’s toll across the river Styx. The

MOMSEN crew had

grown to 68 by April 15,

2003 when the Mast

Stepping Ceremony was

held. Ninety-two coins

were gathered, one from

each member of the crew

and several from the

Momsen family representing significant

d a t e s i n VA D M

Momsen’s life. The

coins were welded in a

time capsule at the base

of the mast and will stay

with the ship until the

day she is stricken

from the Navy rolls.

Charles Momsen III, VADM Momsen’s

grandson, spoke on behalf of the Momsen

family and read a passage about

Midshipman Momsen from his U.S. Naval

Academy Class of 1920 yearbook. In the

short paragraph, Momsen was referred to

as the “Lucky Swede.” Swede was a

nickname he retained his entire Naval career.

Charles Momsen III offered that “Lucky

Swede” might be a possible nickname for

the ship, an idea that was quickly adopted

by both the crew and the shipyard.

The Land Level Transfer Facility has

two shipbuilding ways. Two vessels, in

various stages of construction, occupy

those ways at all times with completed

segments of additional hulls placed in

holding areas throughout the yard. A large

blue floating dry dock sits moored at

the end of the ways awaiting the delivery

of the next hull ready to be launched in

the Kennebec River. The dry dock has

permanent mooring chains that extend

into the center of the river and surround a

deep hole dredged in mid-channel. The

dock can move under its own power

between the two building ways and out to

the center of the river. By July of 2003,

“Hull 475” was 85% complete and ready

to be launched in advance of the

Christening Ceremony. The “float off” is a

slow and controlled process. The dock

detached from the end of the building ways

just after sunset and the ship floated free

from the dock structure just after sunrise.

A great deal of production work still

remained to be done, but “Hull 475” was

now in position to be christened.

Five hundred people gathered to

watch the ship’s christening on August 19,

2003. Evelyn Momsen Hailey, VADM

Momsen’s daughter, was the ship’s

sponsor. After several speeches including

Momsen’s grandson, Christopher Hailey,

and VADM Albert Konetzni as the principal

speaker, Evelyn Hailey proclaimed, “I

christen thee Momsen, the lucky Swede”,

and with the swing of a champagne bottle

“Hull 475” officially became USS

MOMSEN.

Building and outfitting an Arleigh

Burke Class destroyer is one of the most

complex processes in the industrialized

Charles Momsen III.

USS MOMSEN before undocking.

1 4 A u g u s t 2 0 0 4

(Building a Warship... continued from page 11.)

world. Only two shipyards in the United

States have the capacity and workforce

capable of the task. At Bath Iron Works, a

large sign sits over the main entrance to

the shipyard, “Through these gates pass

the finest shipbuilders in the world.”

It is not just a sign; it is a work ethic evident

in every facet of the company. The shipbuilding process begins with the 6,200 tons

of steel and 406,000 pounds of welding rods.

Forty-eight miles of pipe and 254 miles of

electrical cable are installed, all by hand!

Three hundred and fifty-seven doors/

hatches/scuttles, 6,500 light fixtures,

8,000 valves, and 69,000 gallons of

paint complete the process. Each

step worked with meticulous attention to

detail befitting BIW’s other slogan, “Bath

built is best built!”

As the shipyard

pressed on with its construction schedule, so did

the crew. Well-trained

individuals were forged

into efficient teams through

Land Based Engineering

Simulators in Philadelphia,

Combat Information Center

Team Training in Wallops

Island, Virginia and

innovative Fire Fighting

Team Training in Newport,

Rhode Island and Bath,

Maine. By March of

2004, MOMSEN was 98%

complete and ready

for sea trials. Just

four days at sea

were needed to test

every major system,

fire two standard

missiles, the 5-inch

62 caliber gun, run

the engineering

plant up to full

power, and complete

hundreds of other

system tests. The

ship performed

magnificently and

even had the

opportunity to

display good seakeeping ability

when some New England weather

rolled through the Gulf

of Maine!

In May, the crew

had grown to 290, 70%

of whom had never

served a tour of duty

aboard ship. Production

was 100% complete and

on May 6, 2004, the

Navy officially accepted

MOMSEN in a brief but

important Ship Custody

Transfer Ceremony.

The ship now belonged

to the Navy and the

crew was charged

with its maintenance,

training, and upkeep.

This article was written by the

Pre-Commissioning Crew of USS

MOMSEN (DDG 92).

All the functions necessary to support a

shipboard routine started that day. The

crew moved aboard, ate their first galley

prepared meal, and stood the first set of

shipboard watches.

At the end of July, MOMSEN will sail

down the Kennebec River and start the

transit to her homeport, Everett,

Washington. At the end of August, the

Commissioning Ceremony will be held in

Panama City, Florida. It is fitting that the

ship named after the father of Navy diving

will be commissioned in the home of Navy

diving and salvage.

In the early part of the twentieth

century, Charles “Swede” Momsen started

a legacy that lives through Navy Divers -

past, present, and future. USS MOMSEN

will bring the Momsen legacy to a new

generation of Sailors not involved with

diving or salvage and well into the twentyfirst century.

The life cycle of a warship

is thirty years. During that time, 3,500

Sailors will cross the brow and

call MOMSEN “their ship.”

 The commissioning crew of

MOMSEN welcomes all Divers into this

new fraternity and hopes Navy Divers

everywhere consider USS MOMSEN

“their ship”, too.

Evelyn Momsen Hailey breaks champagne bottle on the

hull of USS MOMSEN.

The Christening Ceremony!

CDR Ed Kenyon, Commanding Officer, and LCDR Bill Bullard,

Executive Officer, on an icy bridge wing during sea trials.
A u g u s t 2 0 0 4 1 5

Vice Admiral Charles Momsen was amajor contributor to diving research,

submarine rescue, diving equipment

development, deep diving operations, and

operations with military submarines.

During his long and distinguished career

in the U.S. Navy, he contributed many

diving innovations, developed some very

advanced diving techniques, and was

instrumental in numerous progressive, lifesaving operations.

Charles Bowers Momsen was born

on June 21, 1896 in Flushing, Long Island,

New York. He attended public schools in

Washington, D.C. and St. Paul, Minnesota

before his appointment in 1916 to the U.S.

Naval Academy. He graduated from

Annapolis with the Class of 1920, was

commissioned an Ensign on June 7, 1920,

and served aboard the battleships USS

OKLAHOMA and USS MARYLAND

before reporting for submarine training at

the Navy Submarine Base, New London,

Connecticut in 1921. He served as

Executive Officer of the submarine USS

O-13 and commanded the submarines USS

O-1 and USS R-24.

He was then transferred to the Bureau

of Construction and Repair where he

helped develop the famous submarine

escape device known as the Momsen Lung.

After the submarine USS S-4 sank

off the coast of Provincetown in

December of 1927 with the loss of forty

lives, the U.S. Congress appropriated

money for the Navy to develop effective

submarine safety and rescue systems.

Just a few months before the USS S-4 sank,

LT Momsen had been in command of

her sister ship, the USS S-1.

Momsen and his team started

from scratch in developing a submarine

escape breathing system. Momsen was

given a submarine to use as a floating

laboratory - none other than the salvaged

and reconditioned USS S-4, which

served as a constant reminder of the

importance of success by the research

team. The result of their hard and dedicated

work looked like a hot water bottle with

a gas mask. It had a capacity equal to

that of the human lungs. One tube carried

air from the mouth to the bag. Another

tube enclosed a container of soda lime

to purify the air of carbon dioxide and

carried the air from the bag to the mouth.

On February 5, 1929, the submarine

USS S-4 was submerged in 40 feet of

water at Smith Shoals, 11 miles off the

coast of Key West, Florida. Lieutenant

Momsen and Chief Torpedoman

Edward Kalinowski were the first to

successfully test the Momsen Lung. The

test team continued to test the Momsen

Lung, going deeper and making

refinements. Finally, on March 7, 1929,

Momsen and Kalinowski escaped from 204

feet. For this development he was awarded

the Distinguished Service Medal.

LCDR Momsen became OfficerIn-Charge of the U.S. Navy Experimental

Diving Unit (NEDU) in Washington, D.C.

in August of 1937. He became a qualified

deep sea Diver himself. Two surgeons from

the Navy Medical Corps were assigned to

work with Momsen to find a substitute for

nitrogen in the Diver’s breathing gas for

deep diving. Under Momsen’s leadership,

the NEDU Team perfected new heliumoxygen mixtures and new decompression

tables to allow Divers to safely work at

depths over 300 feet.

Crewman A.L. Rosenkotter of USS V-5 (SC 1)

demonstrates the use of the submarine's after

escape hatch and the emergency escape "lung"

during V-5's trials in July of 1930.

Vice Admiral Charles B. Momsen, USN (1896 -

1967).

On May 23, 1939, the submarine

USS SQUALUS sank off the coast of

Portsmouth, New Hampshire during sea

trials. The submarine was stranded on the

bottom 243 feet down. Since the submarine

was below the safe limit to use the Momsen

Lung, the SQUALUS captain decided to

wait for possible rescue.

Momsen and the NEDU Divers, their

new mixed-gas diving equipment, and the

McCann Rescue Chamber were quickly

loaded aboard the salvage ship USS

FALCON. Some years earlier, Momsen had

worked with CDR Allan McCann in

development of the McCann Rescue

Chamber. LCDR Momsen directed the

NEDU Divers in descending to the stricken

submarine, making contact with the

crewmen inside, attaching the rescue

chamber haul-down line and assisting in

the rescue. The McCann Chamber

successfully rescued 33 of the 50 crewmen

aboard the submarine USS SQUALUS.

Following Momsen’s direction, the NEDU

Divers made 640 additional mixed-gas dives

over the next few months to salvage the

sunken SQUALUS, bringing the submarine

to the surface under the most severe

weather and water conditions. Four of the

Divers on the rescue and salvage

operations were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President

Roosevelt.

VICE ADMIRAL CHARLES “SWEDE” MOMSEN

U.S. Navy Diving and Submarine Pioneer
1 6 A u g u s t 2 0 0 4

LCDR Momsen and 44 of

his men were awarded the Navy

Cross. Momsen was promoted

to Commander and assumed

command of the cargo ship USS

SIRIUS in September of 1939,

where he remained until

October of 1941 when he was

detached for duty in the

Fourteenth Naval District, Pearl

Harbor. He remained there in

connection with war operations

after the Japanese attack on

December 7, 1941. In July of

1942 Momsen was designated

as Assistant Chief of Staff and

War Plans Officer to the

Commander Hawaiian Sea

Frontier.

 He was promoted to Captain and

served as Commander of Submarine

Squadron Two, and subsequently

Submarine Squadron Four. Captain

Momsen personally took over the

investigation into the alarming number of

“dud” torpedoes that were not exploding

when hitting their target. An improved

exploder was developed which increased

the effectiveness of American submarine

attacks. For his special contributions to

submarine warfare from February of 1943

to June of 1944, he was awarded the Navy

Cross (his second), the Legion of Merit,

and a Gold Star in lieu of a second Legion

of Merit, with Combat “V.”

Between June and December of 1944,

he had duty in the Office of the Chief of

Naval Operations, Navy Department,

before he assumed command of battleship

USS SOUTH DAKOTA. Under his

command, that battleship took part in

operations against Japan, attacking enemy

installations in the area of Tokyo. He was

awarded a Gold Star in lieu of the third

Legion of Merit, with Combat “V.” He also

received a letter of commendation from the

Commander Fifth Fleet, with authorization

to wear the Commendation Ribbon and

Combat “V,” for outstanding service while

in command of USS SOUTH DAKOTA

during the support of the assault operations

on Okinawa from March 14 to

May 14, 1945.

When relieved of the

command of the USS SOUTH

DAKOTA in July of 1945, he

was assigned to Headquarters,

Commander in Chief, United

States Fleet, at the Navy

Department in Washington,

D.C. to prepare for the invasion

of Japan, scheduled for April

of 1946.

After the Japanese

surrender on September 2,

1945, Momsen was ordered to

duty as Administrator, U.S.

Naval Shipping Control

Authority for Japanese

Merchant Marine, concerned

with repatriation of Japanese

civilian and military personnel.

He was promoted to Rear

Admiral and on October 15, 1946,

he became Commandant of the

Naval Operating Base, Guam,

Marianas Islands, continuing to

serve as such until January of

1947, when he joined the staff of

Commander, Marianas Islands as

Chief of Staff and Aide.

After his return to the

United States, he was a member

of the General Board from June

1947 to May of 1948 and for three

years thereafter served as

Assistant Chief of Naval

Operations for Undersea

Warfare.

On May 21, 1951, he reported as

Commander Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet.

On June 2, 1953, he became Commandant

of the First Naval District, with additional

duty as Commander Naval Base, Boston,

and Commander Naval Base, Portsmouth,

New Hampshire.

In April of 1955 he was designated

Commander Joint Task Force Seven and

continued to serve as such until relieved

of all active duty upon his retirement on

September 1, 1955, when he was advanced

to the rank of Vice Admiral.

The U.S. Naval Diving and Salvage

Training Center (NDSTC) in Panama City,

Florida named its main building after VADM

Charles Bowers Momsen.

In honor of Momsen’s many

contributions to the U.S. Navy, an Arleigh

Burke Class destroyer was named USS

MOMSEN (DDG 92).

VADM Momsen contributed greatly

to the safety of submariners and Divers

through diving research, and extension of

the time and depth limits for diving. His

leadership and bravery in many at-sea

operations are legends in Naval history.

On May 25, 1967, Vice Admiral

Charles B. Momsen died of cancer at the

age of 70, in Bay Pine Veterans Hospital in

St. Petersburg, Florida.

This article is from the book, Pioneers In

Diving, by Edward C. Cargile. For more

information, contact ecargile@cox.net.

USS WANDANK (AT 26) and USS FALCON (ASR 2) moored over

the sunken SQUALUS during rescue operations in May of 1939.

The McCann Rescue Chamber is visible on FALCON’s afterdeck.

Several variations of the “Momsen Lung” apparatus.

Left to right: TM1(DV) Edward Kalinowski in an experimental metal canister, SF1(DV) John Iben in an

experimental rubber canister, and LT Charles Momsen

in a circular tube around shoulders, March 1928.
A u g u s t 2 0 0 4 1 7

I

n an effort to improve the search capabilities of the DDG 51 Class against the

submarine threat and reduce costs of

installation, PEO IWS asked SEA 00C5

whether it would be possible to install a

new sonar array pierside on Arleigh Burke

Class guided missile destroyers. The

Sparsely Populated Volumetric Array

(SPVA) provides surface combatants with

superior acoustic intercept detection,

greatly expanding detection bandwidth

and is similar to the unit that is currently

available to the submarine fleet. Two

Spruance Class destroyers were

previously equipped with a prior

generation SPVA; all completed in drydock

at a significant expense in time and money.

NAVSEA 00C5, in conjunction with its

diving services contractor, Phoenix

International Incorporated, was tasked to

provide concept, design, and installation

of the SPVA on a DDG 51 Class ship. It

was immediately apparent that major

hurdles would include establishing two

perfectly aligned hull cuts in which to

install the SPVA, obtaining access to the

worksite, and ensuring double hull

protection at all times when personnel were

not immediately present.

The SPVA was to be installed forward

in the same approximate area as the sonar

dome rubber window directly beneath the

sonar room to where data collected by the

SPVA would be transmitted. The area

Creating second of two hull cuts.

provided was the“Banjo,”

a structure encompassing

the sonar dome rubber

window inclusive of a

cylindrical rotunda in the

center. Cramped access

to the rotunda was

provided through seven

frames of lightening

holes, transducer cables,

degaussing equipment,

and an airlock.

The hull structure

near the “Banjo” consists

of both an internal and

external 3⁄4-inch hull plate,

separated by approximately 30 inches of

acoustic foam and tile. The two hull plates

were rigidly supported by internal stiffeners

installed 12 inches on center. The bend

radius of the fiber optic cable utilized by

the SPVA sensor required that a seachest

be utilized that allowed only a maximum 1⁄4-

inch clearance between the forward and aft

sides and the respective support member.

Precise layout and cutting techniques were

required to accomplish this.

NAVSEA 00C5 commissioned

the design and development of a

hydraulic drill that could both access the

rotunda through the cramped passage and

also ensure a perfectly aligned cut with

relation to the interior and exterior hull

plates. Proper alignment was crucial

in order to prevent

binding of the seachest/

SPVA assembly as it was

inserted through both hull

cuts into the rotunda.

The seachest was fabricated with a doubler plate

that had been prefitted to the curvature

of the hull and did not

allow alteration due to

previous weld certification.

A slight misalignment of

the two cuts could either

damage the seachest and

internal stiffeners or not allow fit up

tolerances to be met.

The drill was comprised of the motor

assembly, centering shaft, support bridge,

alignment guides, cutting arm, and cutting

heads. After layout and drilling of pilot

holes, the hydraulic drill arrived in the

rotunda in ten pieces via a “daisy chain”

of personnel. The support bridge was

welded in place ensuring consistent

placement of the drill for both cuts. The

drill was installed and cut the internal hull

plate in 35 minutes. Removal of the drill

allowed personnel to excavate large

portions of foam and tile, leaving only outer

circumference edges remaining for a close

fit between seachest and acoustic foam;

easy work for an improvised lawn mower

blade installed on the drill. The centering

shaft was fabricated with a tip inserted into

a bushing drilled into the exterior hull plate.

The centering tip ensured precise

alignment between interior and exterior hull

cuts, the second of which was completed

in four hours of cutting. Double hull

protection was ensured during the cutting

process by the use of an eductor box on

the exterior and a Tooker patch covering

the interior hull plate cut.

With the hull cuts ready to receive the

seachest from the wet side, the eductor box

and the Tooker patch were replaced with a

cofferdam and custom designed drybox.

(Sonar Installation....continued on page 20.)

Divers inserting seachest into hull.
1 8 A u g u s t 2 0 0 4

By: LT Todd Ochsner

Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit ONE Detachment THREE

I

n mid-January of 2004, Mobile Diving

and Salvage Unit ONE Detachment

THREE (MDSU ONE Det 3), stationed in

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was tasked to provide diving, salvage, and recovery operations for a stranded Torpedo Retriever

(TR-73) located in Port Allen, Kauai. In the

early morning of January 14, severe

weather had caused TR-73 to break loose

from her moor, eventually drifting and

stranding herself on nearby rocks. MDSU

ONE was able to rapidly mobilize, deploy,

assess, salvage, and recover TR-73 in just

twelve days.

MDSU ONE was notified of the vessel

stranding on the afternoon of January 14.

Within hours of the notification, Command

deployed one of its Master Divers to

conduct the initial assessment and survey.

MMC(SW/MDV) Thomas Perkins arrived

on the island and completed the initial

survey to determine what support assets

and equipment was required to salvage the

TR-73. The storm had not completely

passed Kauai so the weather and rough

seas presented a significant challenge, but

not one too difficult for Team MDSU to

conquer. The next morning, eight MDSU

ONE Det 3 personnel, along

with their SCUBA equipment

and rigging gear, were flown

via H-3 Sea King helicopter to

the Pacific Missile Range

Facility (PMRF) located

approximately 30 miles from

Port Allen.

On January 16, MDSU

ONE Det 3 conducted the

initial in-water survey of TR73 utilizing their SCUBA gear.

The results of the initial

survey revealed the 65-foot

aluminum craft to be stranded

with its keel aground in a sand

bottom and starboard side

pinned against the rocks.

Apparently, the heavy surf

had caused the vessel to surge

off the sand bottom

and settle directly

onto the rocks. One

particularly large rock

pinned the vessel’s

superstructure against

the shore. Three of the

TR-73’s compartments

were open to the sea

and a hole, measuring

4.5’ by 2.5’, was

discovered on the port

side. The Divers noted

the starboard aft side to

be damaged as well, but

could not conduct a

thorough assessment

due to the severe swells and adverse

weather. The initial attempt to recover the

vessel utilizing bellybands (attached by

SCUBA Divers) was unsuccessful because

of the various metal obstructions located

on the hull, as well as the challenge posed

by the rough seas. Realizing a more

aggressive recovery procedure utilizing

surface supplied diving and lift bags would

be required, MDSU ONE Det 3 requested a

MK III system with MK20 and EGS. This

equipment was promptly transported from

Pearl Harbor to Kauai the next morning via

a U.S. Coast Guard C-130.

The next morning, the Team

commenced diving with MK 20 and MK III

systems. A more thorough survey revealed

a 6-inch vertical tear at a forward

compartment and a 7-foot gash in the keel.

With TR-73 stranded in shallow water just

off the shoreline, the Team quickly realized

the 10-ton lift bags that were intended to

lift the hulk would be

useless if used in the

traditional manner

(attached alongside,

outside the vessel).

Instead, the Team used

some ingenuity and

inserted four of the 10-

ton lift bags inside the

TR-73 superstructure.

Lift bags were placed

inside the aft machinery

room, the forward cabin,

and two within the

central internal compartments of the TR-73.

Divers literally stuffed

the lift bags through

hatches into the boat’s

TR-73 beached at high tide. internal compartments.

Storm conditions at Port Allen upon arrival.
A u g u s t 2 0 0 4 1 9

LT Todd Ochsner is currently the DMO/

PAO at MDSU ONE.

Once inside, the lift bags were inflated.

Four mooring buoys were rigged outside

the TR-73 for added lift. Additionally,

cofferdams were placed on various fuel

fittings to prevent leakage of an estimated

500 gallons of DFM.

On January 19, the TR-73 was successfully lifted and towed 200 feet from the

rocks to her safe haven - a mooring buoy.

The starboard had massive damage to its

aft portion. Several tons of sand were

found within the aft compartment. The

Divers began removing sand using trash

pumps and hand buckets which improved

TR-73’s buoyancy. Although successfully

lifted, damage was too extensive to safely

tow the craft to Oahu, some 100 miles away.

The decision was made by PRMF to use

A view of the damage to the starboard aft engine room

during the initial grounding.

an excavator for disposal once the vessel

was safely retracted

ashore.

Prior to the arrival

of the excavator, heavy

swells and adverse

weather continued over

the next several days,

breaking over a dozen

wire pennants designed

to hold the craft in

place.

Additionally,

several lift bags were

punctured by hull

damage and eventually

leaked. The Divers

performed multiple in-water repairs

on the lift bags inside TR-73 and rerigged the craft for retraction.

On January 25, the excavator arrived on site and the Team set up

the retraction and recovery gear on

a ridge near the Port Allen harbor.

Though several wire pennants broke

during the beaching process, the TR73 was successfully retracted onto

shore on the evening of January 27.

The next morning, the Team retrieved

lift bags and rigging from TR-73,

packed their gear, and prepared for

redeployment to Oahu. TR-73, totally beyond repair, was eventually

sold for scrap.

“As my first salvage job at

MDSU ONE, I

would say this was a

very frustrating and

challenging job because

it required lots of rethinking and looking at different ways of doing things

to get that boat out of the

water,” said BM2 Joseph

Theodorou, a MDSU

ONE Det 3 Diver. “It

took a lot to get the

TR-73 out of there,

but the team work was

great and the support we

received from the PMRF

personnel was the best.”

Team MDSU displayed the mobility

and flexibility often needed in salvage

operations to successfully recover the TR73. Being able to deploy a rapid response

dive team and its equipment via helicopter

exhibited a new level of mobility previously

unheard of in the salvage Navy and further

validated MDSU’s role in Expeditionary

Diving and Salvage. Indeed, MDSU ONE

Det 3 was able to successfully complete its

mission in spite of short notice of tasking,

rough seas, and damaged equipment.

MDSU ONE Det 3 Officer-in-Charge,

BMCS(DSW/SS) Wade Bingham,stated

that: “All branches of the dive Navy make

plans and implement them. Usually

though, if an obstacle presents, the

inclination for most is to turn back and rethink or re-plan. On the salvage side of

the house though, turning back is

not an option, the job has to get done.

Re-thought strategies, onsite ingenuity,

and relentless persistence are necessary

to do that job. Obstacles do not show

up on the planning board, so we

have to overcome them out there on

the side.”

Team MDSU adds another successful

operation to their report card. HOO YAH -

Go Navy Divers!

BMCS(DSW/SS) Bingham coming up through TR-73’s

pilothouse after conducting first internal inspection.

After putting in internal flotation devices and

with the amount of sand retained while aground

on rocks, more external flotation devices were

required for the port aft corner.
2 0 A u g u s t 2 0 0 4

“Service to the Fleet”

This page is designed to give the readers the latest “Buzz” on various topics to USN diving and its systems.

Compiled and written by MDV Steve Smith (smithss@navsea.navy.mil)

MDV Pratschner was asked to

compare a Miller Board to a non-rigid

stretcher. His trial runs indicate that using

the non-rigid litter offers a few advantages

over using the Miller Board. The flexible

litter is much easier to use when getting a

man out of the water. This litter should not

be used when spinal injury is suspected,

but if this is the only stretcher available,

slide a boat hook through the handle on

each side to make a somewhat rigid

stretcher. In addition, the non-rigid litter

folds up and is easily put into an O2

 kit or

dive supplies briefcase, and takes up a lot

less room than a Miller Board.

The wave piercing sealift catamarans

HSV-X1 Joint Venture (INCAT hull 60) and

HSV-X2 SWIFT (INCAT hull 50) were built

in Hobart-Tasmania, Australia. The 327’

length, 87’ beam, and 13’ draft vessels are

based on a commercial ferry design

modified for military operations. The

underwater hull coating systems on these

vessels pose serious health risks to diving

personnel and special precautions must be

taken to avoid contact with the coating

systems. For further information, see AIG

239 Diving Advisory 04-06.

Several reports indicate the potential

for the fabric cover to fray and expose the

inflation bladder of Zeagle BCs

manufactured from 1996 to 2003. This was

caused by a spring rated at 4 PSID located

in the overpressurization valve and the

remote exhaust valve. Zeagle has lessened

the tension on the spring to 2 PSID to

alleviate the potential problem. Please see

AIG 239 Diving Advisory 04-04 for further

details and resolution of problem. MK-11

BCD is not affected by this AIG and no

further action is required.

Hydrostatic testing requirements for

carbon fiber composite flasks do not call

for a 5% permanent expansion as

acceptance criteria as is done on the Kevlar

flasks. Per the DOT exemption (DOT-E10945 (SCI) and DOT-E-10915 (Luxfer)),

there is a Rejection Elastic Expansion (REE)

number stamped on the flask which is the

acceptance criteria for these flasks. Carbon

fiber flasks must be hydrostatically tested

every five years. There is no documenation

of a hydrostatic test when delivered new.

Documentation provided lists the

autofrettage date, which is effectively the

initial hydrostatic test. This date will also

be on the label attached to the flask. There

is no requirement in DOT for the facility

performing subsequent hydrostatic testing

to provide any documentation of the test

beyond the label attached to the flask, but

a copy of the test report should be

requested for inclusion in the certification

package.

The exemptions for the Kevlar

wrapped composite flasks used on the

LWDS, TRCS, and FADS III are DOT-E8162 (SCI) and DOT-E-10970 (Luxfer).

These flasks still have the 5% permanent

expansion criteria and they still need to be

hydrostatically tested every three years.

The exemptions for carbon fiber

flasks, which we use on the LWDS,

TRCS,and FADS III must be carried with

the system any time they are in transit. The

manufacturer renews these exemptions

every three years, so it is necessary to go

to the DOT website periodically to get the

most recent update of exemption. These

can be found at http://hazmat.dot.gov/

exemptions_index.htm.

Biodegradable hydraulic fluid is

authorized for use in all Hydraulic Power

Units. Envirologic 132 manufactured by

Terresolve Technologies, LTD may be

used in lieu of Houghton PR1192 Mil

Spec-C-81309 TY2 CLII. The fluids shall

not be mixed together. You must

thoroughly clean power unit and all

tools when switching from one fluid to the

other. MIPS 5921/013, 5971/004, 5971/005,

and 5971/068 will reflect the use of this fluid

or the PR 1192.

If interested, you can contact

Terresolve Technologies, LTD at

(800) 661-3558.

Recently the phone numbers at

ESSM have changed. Diving Manager,

Paul Schadow can be reached at

(757) 637-9044. Diving Coordinator,

Jeff Washburn can be reached at

(757) 637-9061. Quality Assurance, Eric

Cress can be reached at (757) 637-9060.

The prefabricated seachest with doubler

plate was modeled from Bath Iron Works

structural drawings and inserted into the

hull openings, allowing Divers to perform

a dry chamber weld on the hull of the

“Banjo.”

All that remained of the operation was

the running of the fiber optic cable from

the rotunda along the same route utilized

by the existing transducer cables to a

termination in Sonar Room 3. Diagnostics

conducted by Advanced Acoustic

Concepts, the SPVA’s manufacturer,

demonstrated complete operational

capability.

The full capabilities of the SPVA

system will not be known for many months.

Testing at this year’s RIMPAC exercise will

(Sonar Installation... continued from page 17.)

start to show the capabilities of the system.

Once again the Underwater Ship Husbandry

program has demonstrated its value to the

Navy by reducing costs and increasing

ship operational availability.

LT Mark B. Williamson is currently a

Program Manager at the Underwater

Ship Husbandry Division of 00C.

Stretchers

U/W Paint

Zeagle BCs

Carbon Fiber Flasks

If You Did Not Know

ESSM Phone Numbers
A u g u s t 2 0 0 4 2 1

Dive School at the Washington Navy Yard

By: Lee Wolford

Dive School History provided by

Mr. Jim Dolph (dolphje@mail.ports.navy.mil).

An Experimental Diving Organizationwas established at the New York

Naval Shipyard in 1913 under the

Command of Chief Gunner George D.

Stillson. The organization was formally

designated as the Navy Experimental

Diving Unit (NEDU) in 1927 and was

relocated to the Washington Navy Yard

(WNY) to centralize all Navy research that

related to diving. Relocating NEDU to

close proximity with the Navy Diving

School ensured that the latest NEDU

technology could be rapidly incorporated

into the training procedures.

The first Navy Diving School was

established in 1926 in Building 146 at the

Washington Navy Yard. The name was

changed to Deep Sea Diving School

(DSDS) in 1928. The Navy Salvage School

was moved to the WNY from Bayonne, NJ

in 1957 and combined with the DSDS.

NEDU and DSDS were a joint command

until 1966 when they were separated, with

NEDU commanded by an Engineering Duty

Officer and DSDS under a Diving and

Salvage Officer. In 1970, Deep Sea Diving

School’s name was changed to the Naval

School of Diving and Salvage (NSDS) to

reflect its combined mission.

The records indicate that Building 214

was constructed in 1943 as the “U.S. Navy

Experimental Diving Unit and Deep Sea

Divers School.” The

building was outfitted with

multiple air and gas

systems, four pressure

complexes, and two open

tanks to support NEDU and

DSDS. The diving barge

TOM O’MALLEY and

various support craft were

moored to the quay wall on

the Anacostia River in front

of the school. NEDU

relocated to the Naval

Coastal Systems Center in

Panama City, Florida in 1975 and the Diving

School followed in 1980.

During the 37 years of operation in

Building 214 at the Washington Navy Yard,

the school trained the Navy’s heliumoxygen mixed gas Diving Officers, Salvage

Officers, Diving Engineering Duty Officers,

Diving Medical Officers, Master Divers,

First Class Divers, and Diving Medical

Technicians. The school also trained

Divers from other branches of the American

Armed Forces, numerous foreign countries,

Department of Defense civilians, and

civilian law enforcement agencies.

The school side of Building 214

contained two pressure complexes for deep

air and mixed-gas dives, and the open tanks

for other underwater projects. The majority

Lee Wolford was until recently a Salvage

Operations Specialist at NAVSEA 00C.

of the training projects were accomplished

in the Anacostia River diving from the

barge TOM O’MALLEY. The river bottom

mud varied in depth from mid-thigh to

helmet, and visibility was nonexistent. The

saying was: “If you can dive in the

Anacostia, you can dive anywhere in the

world.” This was especially true in

February. The practical portion of the

Salvage Course consisted of surveying,

patching, pumping, and raising a sunken

ship located near the Woodrow Wilson

Bridge in Oxon Cove. Open water air and

mixed-gas dives were supported by an YDT

moored over a 110-foot deep hole in the

Potomac River off Popes Creek, Maryland.

After NSDS moved to Panama City,

Building 214 was demolished and replaced

with a parking lot. The quayside where the

TOM O’MALLEY was moored was

refurbished and now has a railing, trees,

and benches, but nothing acknowledging

NSDS or NEDU on this site.

In recognition of the accomplishments

of all those who worked and trained at

NSDS and the numerous advancements in

diving that were perfected at NEDU, it is

fitting that a suitable marker be erected here.

The Commandant Naval District

Washington is agreeable to this, if certain

conditions are met. A design would have

to be developed and submitted for

approval and the project would have to be

completed at no cost to the Navy.

Barge TOM O’MALLEY at NEDU/NSDS at “The Yard.”
2 2 A u g u s t 2 0 0 4

Let me tell you a little story about howthe Master Diver Evaluation process

began. Legend tells us it has been in existence for many moons, as far back as the

1930’s, and even today the core principles

are intact and well preserved. The tale

goes like this. In the 1930’s a First Class

Diver, First Class Petty Officer was in

charge of some major salvage projects and

was being recognized by the CNO at the

time. CNO asked the Sailor why he was

not a Master Diver yet? The young man

replied: “Because I’ve not been selected

for Chief yet.” That very day, this Sailor

was spot-promoted to Chief and Master

Diver by the CNO. Soon after, the Master

Diver Evalution process was born.

Today’s Master Diver community still

covets hungry Chiefs and Senior Chief

Petty Officers who have the skills and

drive to be in charge. The process has

been massaged over the years to what we

have now. Retired MDV Don Curtis loved

to tell about the time he was going

through Master evaluations. Don’s stories were always funny and entertaining,

and got better as the years passed. Some

35 MDVs and Diving Officers evaluated

MDV Curtis throughout the week. They

would watch one or two days of the

evaluation process and leave, some

would leave their vote with the Project

Master, thumbs up or thumbs down. It

was the class of ‘87 that began the transformation to what we have today.

Today’s process if tough but fair.

Most Candidates spend a career preparing

for the gut-wrenching two weeks to prove

they are the man. The Candidate is

evaluated on his ability to correct a series

of problems that could quickly unravel and

paralyze most diving supervisors. I call

these problems “bears” and “rabbits.”

Most Candidates come hunting the big

“bear”, they do not worry about or even

notice the “rabbits” that leave them with

limited options that produce poor results.

When the dive is debriefed,

Candidates are asked a series of questions

such as: “What were your options at this

point in the dive?”, “Did you consider this

or that?”, “Why did you choose this

option?”, “What does the dive manual

say?”, “Can you justify your actions and

stand on firm ground?” Then we talk

about “the good, better, best rule.” It

starts to become clear what is expected of

them and the level of accountability and

responsibility they will take on. The

Master Candidate must be prepared to

hunt both “bears” and “rabbits.”

Many that came before me set my

foundation. I have learned something from

each one that is part of my daily routine.

The recipe is not a secret nor do we hide it,

it is within the one that will seek it. Like

MDV Kyle Gaillard would say: “Can’t

score if you don’t shoot.”

I would like to thank all the

evaluators for 04-40-MDV and say

congratulations to the newest MDVs: ENC

Broduer, BMC Costin, and BMC Shank.

MDV Bryon Van Horn.

JAKE’S CORNER

By: CWO4 Rick Armstrong

The Real Reason NAVSEA Brought Back Saturation Diving Bells...
A u g u s t 2 0 0 4 2 3

Topside; Red Diver...

From the Supervisor of Diving

 Captain Mark Helmkamp, USN

In the last issue of FACEPLATE, I discussed our efforts to bring computer-based

diving into the U.S. Navy diving program.

At the Working Divers Conference in Little

Creek, a group of Master Divers was selected to act as “change agents” and to

provide developmental and implementation

guidance for Fleet introduction. Recall that

our plan is to maximize diving efficiency by

using computers to control decompression.

Accurate tracking of the Diver’s exact

depth/time profile will reduce unwarranted

decompression obligation that accrues

from assuming that all dives are “square”

dives. In addition, we plan to introduce a

capability for oxygen decompression in the

water for air dives. Prototype computer

and oxygen delivery systems will be evaluated at sea this summer. A plan of actions

and milestones for the full development

program has been signed out. We expect

full capability by October of 2007.

I introduced those at NEDU and 00C

who are responsible for development in the

last issue. The following Master Divers,

or “elders”, are responsible to me for implementation guidance: BMCM(MDV) Fred

Orns, BMCM(MDV) Ken Brown, ENCM

(MDV) Dave Davidson, ENCS(MDV) Brian

Pratschner, and HTCM(MDV) Bryon Van

Horn.

Control of decompression will remain

topside - as it should be - the Diver’s only

concern will remain focused only on getting the job completed, thus making development of a topside computer a priority.

We will modify the current Cochran Navy

dive computer by disabling the shift to a

constant 0.7 ata PPO2

 mix at 77fsw for

SCUBA.

The POA&M calls for initial programming of the topside computer with the

VVAL-18 algorithm until NEDU develops

the next generation probabilistic model –

our desired end-state for this effort. Version 1.0 of the computer will support two

Divers and one standby Diver, both in a

no-decompression and a decompression

mode to 190 fsw on air, giving the decompression requirements for the three Divers

independently. The display will show current depth, maximum depth, remaining nodecompression time (for no-stop dives),

depth and required time at decompression

stops on air and oxygen (for decompression dives), and the number of Sur-D O2

periods. An alarm will be included in the

display to notify Supervisors of ascent

rates faster than 30 fsw/min and the system will support repetitive diving. A depth

sensor to support extremely accurate digitized input to the topside computer is in

development. Technicians recently visited

MDSU TWO to observe how we work and

abuse our equipment. For those of you

who enjoy ballast tank work, the sensor

will work in a dry environment. These criteria were suggested, discussed, and

agreed to by the MDV “elders” at the conclusion of the Working Divers Conference.

BMCM(MDV) Ken Brown of SIMA,

Norfolk will test the prototype computer

over a 3-month period and provide detailed

feedback to NEDU. The output of the prototype computer will be used only for information during this period; current USN

decompression procedures will be used for

the dives. I expect they will see they have

lost BT as the USN-57 tables/procedures

cannot account for multi-level diving.

Captain Chris Murray, Deputy Director Deep Submergence Systems and Submarine Rescue and Diving Programs, reports that at the request of NAVSEA PMS

395, OPNAV N773 is working with BUMED

and 00C to conduct an evaluation and

documentation of the effects of saturation

diving. The goal is to better understand

the long term effects of saturation diving

and how to best document and care for our

Divers. In some cases, a medical re-evaluation may be required of retired saturation

Divers with physical ailments that could

be attributed to saturation diving. Ultimately, we hope to work with the Veterans

Administration to have these documented

ailments covered as service related disabilities. We are just getting started, but there

is strong support within the Navy to do

the right thing and take care of our Divers.

Our Salvage Division Director, Mr. Tom

Salmon, reports that we lost a couple of

great Salvors last spring. In April, Earl

Lawrence (better known as Curly) passed

away. Curly was a Diver at Puget Sound

Naval Shipyard from 1941 to 1966 and

joined SUPSALV as a Salvage Master from

1966 to 1974. Curly had a great success

record, completing seemingly impossible

operations in a way that made them look

like a walk in the park. When the SIDNEY

SMITH went down blocking the St.

Lawrence Seaway, Curly came up with an

ingenious plan that allowed Divers to work

in the heavy currents. Large cofferdams

were installed on the side of the hull, allowing the Divers access to the bottom

unfettered by the swift current where they

could enter the hull to do their work. This

proved to be crucial to the successful salvage and re-opening of this critical seaway. Another notable operation was the

rescue of Pisces III, a manned submersible, entangled on the seafloor off the coast

of Ireland. Mobilizing the CURV III from

San Diego and installing it on a commercial

ship, Curly directed the operation and successfully rescued the two-man crew 74

hours into their 72-hour life support system.

In May, Robert Hamilton, CWO4

(Ret.), passed away. Bob was one of those

old school Boatswains who could rig anything. (Tom tells me Bob could rig lemonmeringue pie and yard, and stay it between

two lightly loaded ships 100 feet apart up

to sea state six, really.) He graduated from

the Dive School in Bayonne as a Salvage

Diver in 1956. Although Bob was no longer

actively diving when he retired, his knowledge of rigging and salvage made him one

of the best ARS Boatswains ever within

our community. Bob had a way with his

Long Term Effects of

Saturation Diving...

Curley Lawrence and Bob Hamilton,

4-4-4...

Computer-Based Air Diving...
2 4 A u g u s t 2 0 0 4

Topside; Red Diver... (continued)

crew, training a host of salvage Divers and

Boatswain Mates to do it the right way the

first time. After retirement, Bob worked for

Alcoa Marine Corp, supporting the

NAVSEA search and recovery contract. As

the first project manager for the ROV DEEP

DRONE, Bob led the way for the Navy’s

entry into the use of Remotely Operated

Vehicles for deep ocean salvage work.

The senior active duty MDV

“Old Copperhead” is ENCM(MDV) Jimmy

Evans. MDV Evans was born in November

of 1954 in Queens, NY. He enlisted in

the Navy on November 5, 1974 and

was promptly assigned to USS HUNLEY

(AS 31). In 1976, MDV Evans attended

2/C Dive School followed by 1/C Dive

School in 1978 and Saturation School

in 1980. MDV Evans successfully

conquered the formidable MDV evaluation

in 1986. He has 18 years of sea duty,

including a tour in the great submarine

rescue ship USS PETREL (ASR 14), and

will conclude his 30 years of service

on August 27, at the base marina in

Panama City. All are invited to attend.

Since MDV Evans is one of the last

MK V trained MDVs on active duty, a new

name for the senior active MDV will have

to be coined (unless you all like to keep it

as it is). I await your suggestions. “Old

Tupperware Head” will NOT be selected...

so don’t bother.

Lacking a good reason to support the

Historical Diving Society? Here is one. As

we prepare to celebrate the commissioning

of USS MOMSEN, a warship named for a

great leader in the development of our craft

VADM “Swede” Momsen, we received

from the Society’s President, Mr. Leslie

Leaney, a Momsen Lung for presentation

to the ship. The “Lung” will be presented

to the ship’s Commanding Officer, CDR Ed

Kenyon, on behalf of all USN Divers, active and retired, the evening before commissioning. I encourge you to look into

Leslie’s offer on page 3. CDR Kenyon has

told me that MOMSEN commemorates not

only the Admiral but also “...all Divers – I

want it to be thought of as your [Divers’]

ship...” Note the hard hat on the ship’s

seal in this issue’s centerfold. While

MOMSEN does not have an air system,

stage, or chamber, we at FACEPLATE/00C

wish this warship and crew the very best

as they enter the Fleet and engage in the

business of this Nation’s defense.

the oceans were filled. One of them, the

third “Sir Father Time” - the earliest so

qualified retired MDV - passed away last

spring. MDV Daniel Boone Crawford

entered the Navy in 1933 and was an

instructor at Pier 88, died on May 22, 2003.

With MDV Boone’s passing, the fourth

“Sir Father Time” was designated and is

now in receipt and has custody of the

perpetual “Sir Father Time” timepiece. His

name is CDR Arthur “Art” Webb, USN (Ret.)

and he is now the earliest qualified (NOT

the oldest) MDV amongst us ambient air

breathers still living.

Art’s first Navy dive in

MK V dress was in 1937

and, for kicks, he claims

he helped establish the

Salvage Divers School at

Pier 88 in New York City by helping to sink

SS NORMANDIE there. He contributed

to the firefighting effort in February of 1942.

For those of you that do not know, the

firefighting water collected high in the

vessel causing NORMANDIE to capsize

at the pier. Here is his letter:

Good morning. I received the “Sir Father Time” clock in yesterday’s mail. Thanks to all that were involved with this project. It just goes to show

you there are some advantages to just being “old.” It also shows that if you drink the right stuff, breath enough compressed air, and turn your diving

dress inside out to dry after a “wet dress” dive, you too will live to a ripe old age and can hang the clock in your house.

It seems to me that you should know a little bit about me. For your information, my first dives were made as a GM 3/C to qualify as a Diver 2/

C in 1937. As a GM 2/C, I went to Diving School in D.C. and qualified as Diver 1/C in 1939. In 1942 - from Sub Base Pearl to EDU in D.C. for upgrade

to helium. Dove on the wrecks in Pearl until late ’42, (Kenny Ploof was frequently my dive partner), made CGM in ’43, then to ARS 35. I was

designated Master while I was on her. A long trip to Africa/Italy - diving on scuttled ships in Africa and Italy. My gang did a lot of diving - damn short

dives - between air raids during the invasion at Anzio - we used a LCI, diving off the infantry landing ramps so we could work on the landing craft that

were beached and had fouled their screws. We also placed a temporary patch on a mined British DD, placed a couple of pumps on her, were their

“guests”, and kept her afloat during the slow tow to Leghorn repair facilities. I was transferred in ’44 to be an instructor at DSDS in D.C. where I

reluctantly (4 months after selection) accepted the rank of Ensign. I say “reluctantly” because I was a Chief Petty Officer and a Master Diver - the top

of the heap - and all the 90-day wonder Ensigns were 20 or 21 - and here I was - a grizzled “old” 26 years of age. I was a plank owner on the HOIST

and X/O on the CABLE, SAFEGUARD, CONSERVER, all ARS vessels. Finally, as LCDR, CO of the USS DELIVER, ARS 23. I left her in March of 1957

for shore duty, was selected for CDR, and finally retired due to loss of an eye while on duty at the Naval Weapons Laboratory, Dahlgren, VA. I now have

leukemia - I believe a result of diving on and working in the Bikini Atomic Fleet.

I hope I haven’t bored you with my spiel - just thought you should know a little bit about me. My family knows how to contact you and return

“Father Time” when my faceplate is closed for the last time and I give two tugs on my life-line. Take care, all of you.

Respectfully, Art.

A great letter, yes? Thanks for writing, Art.

Sir Father Time...

In the last issue of FACEPLATE,

I mentioned the idea of erecting a

bronze “Jake” to mark the location of

the NSDS. A recent letter from retired

Diver Edson Whitaker of Fairhope,

Alabama (who spent 6 of his 27 Navy

years at the Yard) points out my

not mentioning EDU along with NSDS

being memorialized by the bonze “Jake.”

Sorry Ed, and thanks, while it was part of

the plan, I failed to mention the “Jake”

was intended to commemorate both

commands.

Meanwhile, Bob Barth at NEDU has

been circulating e-mails among the retired

diving community regarding the monument

and has received uniformly positive

responses. There is much more to follow

on this project, but in the meantime,

see Lee Wolford’s “Hard Hat History”

article about the School and EDU

at “The Yard.”

CAPT Mike Herb reports that NDW

“...enthusiastically embraces...” the idea.

Retired Master Diver MRCM(MDV/

PJ) Dennis Morse, related to me that some

USN Master Divers were qualified before

Old Copperhead... WNY EDU & Dive School Memorial... Historical Diving Society...