USS Nautilus (SSN-571)

History of the Nautilus (SSN-571)

The aircraft carrier USS Nautilus was the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine and the first to complete an underwater voyage under the Arctic. The USS Nautilus was designed and overseen by Admiral Hyman Rickover, the father of the nuclear navy.

The USS Nautilus was built for naval use, but more importantly, it was the testing ground for all future nuclear designs.

On January 17, 1955, at 11:00 am, she set out to sea for the first time with her historic message: "Go forward with nuclear power". ) flooded from New London to Puerto Rico in less than 90 hours. At 23.3 knots, it was the longest dive and top speed ever recorded. The most famous trip of her career was Operation Sunshine, an underwater journey under the polar ice caps. At 11:15 p.m. on August 3, 1958, the aircraft carrier Nautilus became the first craft to reach the North Pole, and the commander of the Nautilus, William R. Anderson, announced to the crew: "For the world, our country and the Navy . . the North Pole." The 1,590-nautical-mile (2,945-kilometer) journey departed from a point in the Barrow Sea northeast of Greenland and took 96 hours.

The Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon is approved for the skill, professional competence and courage of all crew members who sail using a special gold capital letter N-shaped clasp.

The USS Nautilus is powered by a Westinghouse-built pressurized water-cooled S2W marine reactor. The reactor compartment contains the reactor, primary coolant system, steam generator and related systems.

This area is only accessible when the reactor is shut down, and the engine room and reactor area take up almost half of the ship. One advantage of the fleet is that there is plenty of fresh water for bathing and cooking, thanks to the steam generators. Air conditioning is also needed to support enclosed steam plants that generate a lot of heat.

Water, air conditioning, and spacious living and work areas make the Nautilus the most user-friendly boat in history.

The armament consists of six MK 50 bow-mounted 23-foot torpedo tubes capable of using various types of torpedoes. The electronics consist of a passive BQR-4 sonar system; 48 vertical pole hydrophones are encased in a housing of a sonar hood embedded in the boat's forefoot.

At speeds above 7 knots, however, the sonar is pretty much useless due to the noise level of the cabin.

A ship that can stay underwater for long periods of time requires new tactics. Navigation had to change; she no longer had to surface in reference to the sun and stars. The attack plan was changed using speed and wait tactics.

In one exercise, the Nautilus proved to be a bigger threat than all diesel-electric submarines combined. The Nautilus changed the future of all submarines and the course of naval warfare.

USS Nautilus (SSN 571) is currently located at the Historic Ship and Submarine Force Museum in Groton, Connecticut and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It became a National Historic Landmark in 1982.

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