RE: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Nautilus vs. Skate

I found this in a quick online search.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0857811.jpg

The story told to me was that the USS Skate (launched on 16^th may 1957) went to the pole before the official record setting voyage of the USS Nautilus, which reached the pole on August 3, 1958. According to this old submariner, the first voyage of the Skate to the pole was and still is classified. He claimed that the Navy wanted the first nuclear sub commissioned (Nautilus) to be given the credited.

The “official” date that the Skate surfaced at the pole was in 1959. (which is confusing given the 1958 date on the letter in the attachment) The joint trip with Seadragon officially occurred later in 1962.

Maybe the old guy was onto something, I don’t know.

Greg Cottrell

Project Manager

greg@precisionplastics.com

http://www.precisionplastics.com

P please consider the environment before printing this email

From: owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org [mailto:owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org] On Behalf Of JimToddPsub@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2010 11:11 AM
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Nautilus vs Skate

The Nautilus was the first to traverse the polar ice cap. It's been given credit for being the first to reach the geographic North Pole August 3, 1958. The Skate was the first sub to surface at the North Pole (geographic? magnetic?) on August 2, 1958. The Seadragon surfaced on the same date and exchanged greetings with the Skate. I don't know why the Nautilus is given credit instead of the Skate.

Sometimes confusion enters the picture when establishing dates in the Artic and Antartic because of the International Date Line. I don't know if that was factor in this situation. The Nautilus log was 2315 EDST.

Jim T

In a message dated 9/23/2010 9:25:52 A.M. Central Daylight Time, greg@precisionplastics.com writes:

A few year ago I had some dealings with a former submariner that lived in Deale Md. He told me a crazy story (that is probably not true but I’ll relay it anyway). He “matter of factly” told me that the Nautilus was not the first sub to reach the pole but was given credit as being the first for some sort of political reasons. He went on to say that a sub called “skate” was actually first. Again, I have no reason to believe this but he sure told the story like HE believed it.

Greg Cottrell

Project Manager

greg@precisionplastics.com

http://www.precisionplastics.com

P please consider the environment before printing this email

From: owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org [mailto:owner-personal_submersibles@psubs.org] On Behalf Of Cliff Redus
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2010 9:47 AM
To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Does anybody have a copy of this book?

I don't have the book you reference but in the book titled "The Last Emperor Hubert Wilkins - Australia's Unknown Hero",   http://www.amazon.com/Last-Explorer-Hubert-Wilkins-Australias/dp/0733618316/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1285248073&sr=1-1-spell

there is a chapter titled "The voyage of the Nautilus" that covers this episode in which an old WWI submarine was used in an ill fated expedition to explore below the North Pole in 1931.



This book is very good read and a true story.   Even though Wilkins is largely unknown to the world, the US Navy held him in such high esteem that they conducted a covert operation at the height of the cold war in which the USS Skate commanded by Captain James Calvert March 17, 1959 surfaced at the North Pole to deliver the ashes of this man who was neither an American nor ever served in the US Navy.

Cliff