BBC 1980s Submarine documentary Part3 Polaris

[@tuor8087]

It really hits home just how much society has changed, when I watch these documentaries from the 80's.

[@ottohonkala6861]

Its too bad. Very capable people handling the job. Now that's not first in mind. Threats are very much there - just not as obvious.

[@jaybee9269]

@@ottohonkala6861 >> Be of good cheer. Wokeness won’t last forever.

[@seltaeb3302]

In what way changed bar fashion food tech. music. There wasn't this god damn soap opera & 24/7 news & dangerous migration the biggest threat to democracy & our freedom of speech in any which way & religious zealot & yes a divisive repressive violent threat in the west. You know who..

[@stevec6232]

Last 20 years has definitely been a step backward.

[@georgemorley1029]

There are many reasons why the RN (which I joined in 2004 and at that point still had a kernel of this Cold-War spirit within it, which was of course fostered by the Second World War generation in its turn) has slowly drifted, along with the rest of western society, away from attitudes that emphasise responsibility and basic fear of the consequences of an imminent nuclear war, towards a very secular, demanding and entitled society where individuals claim rights first and ignore responsibility. I specifically joined the RN in order to bring more responsibility into my life and it’s been the making of me as a man. It’s taught me first hand that the more responsibility you take in the world, the less you need others to give you handouts. Of course, all the rights that SJWs demand, quite correctly, are merely the responsibility of some other bugger to give to them. The question is, how do the other bugger’s rights get upheld if the SJWs won’t live up to their responsibilities? It’s what JFK said - ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country. We’ve lost that. Plus, without a faith system to replace the decline of Christianity, at least one that isn’t a fundamentalist basket-case’s dream, we’re morally adrift. Anyway, ROMFT, two years left of a twenty year commission left, just gimme that lump sum, pension and slap my arse on the way out the door! 🇬🇧⚓️💪🏻

[@admiralcraddock464]

7.07 "only those that need to know them"....Field Marshal Haig and his wife, all Field Marshall Haig friends and their families, all their friends staff, their staffs` tennis partners and some chap I met in the mess the other day called Bernard"

[@Hackett1066]

😂👌 best ever series

[@boulecoq1700]

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@boulecoq1700]

They did a three part series called the silent service on the bbc. It was amazing. They spotted the Kiev aircraft carrier during a Russian exercise in the artic sea and unbelievably crept underneath it and at a depth of 12 feet under the keel photographed the hull for several hours and the Russians didn’t have a clue. It then crept away. Bloody marvellous

[@buddyhell7100]

I remember these days well/ I was a sonar operator when this was filmed in 83, now i live in Australia with a head full of wonderful memories of lads i served with.

[@Freebird67]

Same here served on hunter killers

[@pablofitzy]

Likewise, served on s-boats as a TSM. Great lads, great times.

[@beakytzw]

Thanks for your service Uncle Albert and Ahab. Lots of love from a Pongo. Guys, I get those memories too every morning during the commute to work with dour faced civies.

[@user-pc1qv9ue4i]

I was working in the wardroom! For this filming

[@Spookieham]

No shame on the lad who left. It took a lot of courage to admit it wasn't for him. Its not an environment you want to be in if you can't handle it.

[@turbografx16]

Also, I'm surprised they made it so difficult to leave. Do you really want to rely on guys who aren't satisfied/comfortable/capable?

[@stevec6232]

No way i could do it tbh. You have to be quite strange in a way to do submarines.

[@scottwheeler2494]

The Navy sees it as a financial lost for loosing crew - they go to great expense to train even the lowest rate. Depending of course what that rate might be, it may be years of training at very expensive schools.

[@BeKindToBirds]

It really is a mature decision.

[@deeremeyer1749]

But yet the RN "drafts" at least half of its "submariiners" from surface ships.

[@yokumato]

Amazed at how this documentary covers the human aspect of the submariners life. Definitely something you do not see in more recent similar films. The absence of loud music and unnecessary narration gives space for the viewer to understand even a little the plight of the crew. Why similar quality productions are so hard to see today?

[@seek4truth]

Man! I was exactly thinking the same! Those older documentaries are much more fun to watch! The narrator's way of talking in tone just calms me! I was thinking why new documentaries are bad...

[@BeKindToBirds]

The new OUR stories series does exactly the same format.

[@kieranbunting81]

8 weeks then... now patrols are at least double that...

[@uralbob1]

I was a U.S. FBM sailor during the Vietnam era. The British service was almost exactly like ours, less the beer :-(

[@martinwarne7183]

This is awesome. Thanks to the lads and ladies for your sacrifice . Much respect. Forgot the kids who miss their dads.

[@johnallen7807]

If the BBC made documentaries of this quality these days I would not mind so much paying the licence fee.

[@worldofameiso5491]

Not enough ethnic minorities, gays and transsexuals to interest the BBC to make this type of factual documentary.

[@commercio3564]

@@worldofameiso5491 Hey! Ethnic minorities aren't the problem: it's how the media constantly pushes them into every single nook and cranny of media.

[@1977ajax]

Must make all current TV producers blush in the dark.

[@johnallen7807]

@@1977ajax I doubt it, certainly the "woke" BBC wouldn't!

[@justandy333]

Channel 5 did do a series in 2020 following the HMS Vengeance, I've not seen it myself but its out there. Not a BBC production granted but it'll be interesting to see the difference.

[@RTD553]

I was in the Navy in the late 80s. When I came home to my wife, after a long patrol, the whole house had been re-arranged. All the furniture was in a different place. I couldn't find anything. It was a bit like I had died for a couple of months. A strange life.

[@SanDimas234]

That happens to non service men every week mate :D

[@RTD553]

@@SanDimas234 Heh! Good man :)

[@elliottg.1954]

My sympathies as an ex service bod. But as others have said, things get moved about on a whim and there's no working out why they do it.

[@pablofitzy]

Fair play to you mate. I served in the 00s, however I was single the whole time. Couldn’t imagine serving with a wife or family back at home. Would have been too hard I reckon.

[@RTD553]

@@pablofitzy Yes. The Navy is particularly tough regarding separation. I served my 5 years then left.

[@billybobkingston5604]

Amazed by the access given to the BBC by the Royal Navy

[@mfgt4595]

Is the piper pissed on whiskey ? Sounds pissed to me.

[@annetteboyle7518]

Glad my husband left the navy to be home with our family but I now know why he was like he was this was sub was his second to last one to civvy street could not wait to have him home 40years before he passed away in 2019 may he rest in peace

[@jaybee9269]

“Coffin dreams”. One of the joys of submariners I guess. I do know modern American submarines involve a whole lot of teaching and learning. Hopefully it wouldn’t be that dull.

[@stevengreenley1649]

When it goes and when it returns are top secret - but it leaves Faslane every 8 weeks

[@iceman7975]

Utmost respect for the submarine service past and present. Salute from Gibraltar.

[@wntu4]

I would have hoped Her Majesty could afford a better pipes player.

[@ottohonkala6861]

I am sure you could volunteer for the job.

[@kittymervine6115]

they DROVE the Capitan to the Submarine.WOW. Holy Loch was where my husband's sub was located and I enjoyed visiting Scotland with free seats on the flights there and back from the US. Scotland is just so wonderful, and very welcoming when I showed up with my young daughter. There was blue and gold crews for the US and we joked that the fishermen all got compensation for "lost nets"!

[@hantykje3005]

These guys were underway when Stanislav Petrov refused to issue the launch order on the 26th of September, and when Able Archer 83 took place?

[@finnstralian]

that's a good point

[@unitedwestand5100]

I was 200 meters from the iron curtain. Hiding behind a bush with binoculars watching a guard tower on the East German side. Monitoring the Soviet buildup on their side, and making notes and drawings to aide MI in determining what soviet units were in that section of the border. And so went the duty of an American Infantryman during the Cold War.

[@allandavis8201]

It’s hard to believe that I was just starting my military service when this programme first aired on tv 📺. A lot of the young ratings remind me of myself at that time, eager, determined, cocksure and totally the “FNG” (f....ng new guy), and as with any branch off the military, and any trade, you only start to learn your trade when you get to your first Ship,Regiment, or Squadron, and you never stop learning until you become a veteran. I spent 24 years mastering my trade, but even then I considered a day I didn’t learn something new a wasted day. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 P.S when the captains wife was talking about the children being away at boarding school 🏫 and them being so far away In Dorset I couldn’t help but think that was a situation of their own making, there are perfectly good state schools and if they really had to send them to boarding school then there are plenty closer than Dorset, and they would still have had a large chunk of the fees paid for them by the Ministry of Defence (taxpayers), so if that’s all she had to complain about then she was very lucky. I spent many years (not all at the same time) away from home, admittedly I usually had access to Mail and telephone, and in latter years the internet, but still you worry about what the family are up to, how they are and if I would see them again, however submariners must go through hell, and the family grams probably don’t help that much, they certainly have my respect and thanks. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@seltaeb9691]

Well I'm a Vet too. Listen especially on active service whether in the ocean or was West Germany, Cyprus etc sending children to a boarding school helps children stability with father away etc. Don't get Boarding schools mixed up with posh Public schools, they're chalk & cheese. It's their choice & we live in a democracy & it's 1980s. There's a lot of nasty sarcasm in some posts (not you) judging these 20th century documentaries.

[@SiamWoodShop]

I had already done my sea service having joined in '63

[@daddust]

The bagpiper is the worst I’ve ever heard

[@tdtvegas]

The beginning music is the sound of my early childhood in the mid 80's…

[@DAGO58]

Mike Hawk - endless jokes there 😂

[@user-pc1qv9ue4i]

He was known as"uncle michael" by some of us!

[@simonhanlon7518]

My Father was an engineer on the missile guidance systems for Polaris and Trident from 64 to 97.

[@mikechapman1721]

Love the clickity-clack of relays and contactors!

[@sabercruiser.7053]

🙌🙌👏👏👍👍 thank you 😊😊

[@gazzathomas1423]

The cooks do a great job..food looks excellent

[@seltaeb9691]

annnnd the Govt dish out food monies as per man/woman per day & HMP guests got more money per day than the Armed Services did. Is it the same?

[@ranger2316]

I note the general similarities between the U.S. and Navy procedures. Good documentary. I have fond memories of submarines.

[@richardvernon317]

As regards the SLBM weapon system, the procedures were almost identical.

[@GrahamWalters]

1:36 is my old Chief Stoker from Sovereign, George Barrass, but he's made Fleet Chief !

[@colinrunciman5166]

A very brave, woman, rgds, Colin. GLASGOW.

[@NixonHD88]

my dad served on this ship in the 60's-70's. Its not for the weak minded. Im grateful to all the men who make this commitment for the rest of the world.

[@Thecrazyvaclav]

I dunno, hiding the top secret documents in the safe behind a picture, that’s the first place burglars will look

[@user-pc1qv9ue4i]

It was not easy to get on board, and not easy to get into the sub base.

[@grahamsandry9289]

I completely sympathize with the guy around 19.00 mins. I just could not even go into a submarine even if it was ashore. I've had nightmares about being stuck in a one several times. I do not understand how people can serve on them. The thought makes my blood run cold

[@michaell.8513]

Family day on a Missle sub how cool is that! I wonder if the Americans do that???

[@daikucoffee5316]

Aww it’s adorable that he sleeps with a Teddy.

[@seek4truth]

I wish i could experience this like their family members did

[@ericsmallman1904]

Walking pace = 4 mph x that by 8 weeks (56 days) and you get a range of 5376 miles, allow the return and you get 2688 miles. basically they go just over 1/2 way across Atlantic and turn around to come home.

[@CabbageBloke]

If they did that , the Polaris wouldn't be able to target the USSR from the firing positions.

[@daddust]

They would be heading north, to hide under the ice.

[@daddust]

@@CabbageBloke Welllll... they would be able to hit most of the importantUSSR from mid Atlantic but flight time would be bad/

[@petittrainguernsey3297]

Or do they? might just hover north of Norway and wait for the call. Plus this was back in the 80’s in a 60’s built boat. Unknown what the Trident boats range is.

[@keithphilbin3054]

Probably sail around the Isle of Wight for 8 weeks 😀

[@rogergittings1971]

What is the 80’s song they play at the party?

[@Georgethenorthseatiger]

Shocked they were allowed to dive with family on board

[@benthejrporter]

25:35 A £35 fine sounds like quite a lenient punishment until you remember this is the 80's. Of course if he'd been absent much longer and the boat had been forced to sail without him he'd be in far worse trouble.

[@walboyfredo6025]

Don't you mean 25:35 - it was then that the £35 was mentioned.

[@benthejrporter]

@@walboyfredo6025 Yes. corrected.

[@npickle54]

What would it be equivalent to now?

[@benthejrporter]

@@npickle54 £107.81p

[@jaybee9269]

The Royal Navy gets beer!

[@bohemoth1]

And they even get some Rum.

[@richardvernon317]

@@bohemoth1 Rums been gone for over 50 years!!!! Phased out in the early 1970's.

[@mattwilcock8967]

Happy days.

[@johnboothr1]

and to think that one of the deterrent patrols last year was 200+ days.

[@FullPlaythroughs]

Commander Mike Hawk, seriously?

[@Sabhail_ar_Alba]

I was on another boat and will never forget the 'hot bedding' and the constant odour coming from the fat medic on the bunk above. Very uncomfortable and not much fun for a young single man but needed to be done.

[@yogihaughton]

Am nae expert but that bagpipe player soonds reet oot of tune

[@bodegabreath4258]

My thoughts exactly. Love your comment.

[@baronedipiemonte3990]

I'm a yank and not aware of family being allowed on board one of our submarines. I'm sure that the fam's here were vetted better than those who have free reign of Buckingham Palace ! I wouldn't be surprised to know that MI5 keeps a keen eye on the families etc... Enjoyed your video !

[@scottwheeler2494]

In the late 70’s, I was alllowed to take a tour of a Los Angeles class sub as a JROTC cadet. It was a pretty amazing event for me even today. Large portions of the displays have covers over them and there were of course areas off limits. Only thing close was a tour of the aircraft carrier Lexington. It was a day trip out the port of Galveston TX. Don’t know if they still do such things now for a JROTC cadet.

[@richardvernon317]

I went on a C Class SSN in 1980 (HMS Churchill) while it was docked at Devonport as part of a Naval Day there as a Civilian (I was 14 years old). Everywhere behind the Control Room was out of bounds, but I got to see most of the front end of the boat.

[@user-pc1qv9ue4i]

No the families were always allowed to visit the boat. We had to add them to the visitors list and they were only permitted in the general areas. For this doc by the BBC the powers that be gave permissions for it.

[@colinrunciman5166]

Er, what was the end boy's.

[@geoffchalcraft9432]

I think that MO (the Doct) is in the wrong job.

[@mdb831]

AWOL sailor fined 35 pounds. Captain seems like a fair and good CO. I understand that was a lot of cash in 1983. A guess would be 1 to 2 days pay for that lad? Skipper could have been harsher with the judgement though. 25:00

[@richardvernon317]

1983/84 my pay as an Airman under training was a take home pay of £55 per week. As a Trained Technician in 1985 it was around £100 a week.

[@bobeden5027]

How do they keep the air fresh?

[@jaybee9269]

Not an expert by any means but it’s made from the seawater. Nuclear submarines make considerable energy!

[@SolarWebsite]

Nuclear subs produce oxygen by first desalinating and then electrolysing seawater, and occasionally also by oxygen candles. CO2 is taken out of the air by CO2 scrubbers, and other nasty stuff by activated carbon filters.

[@patton303]

Great doc. But the music hasn’t aged very well. Lol.

[@commercio3564]

I thought the music was great. Got that retro futuristic 80s vibe!

[@MarkCsevensixtwo]

Sales of time machines have gone through the roof since this was uploaded. Rather like exploding prayer mats.

[@protonneutron9046]

God I wish the USN allowed beer!

[@tallwalls76]

Proto I was a US carrier sailor during VN. We came off line and went to Hong Kong, ‘twas ‘68 I recall. Tied one on with some limey swabs ashore and one invited me aboard his ship docked in the harbor for a “tot”. It was grog, a watered down rum ration they received. Here we are, me in full dress blues, the OOD saluted us aboard, both drunk on our asses. I laugh looking back at it.I don’t think it would be allowed today, lol. Fun times. The WRAC I was dating there at the Comm Station married some Brit and left for Singapore, sad face.

[@protonneutron9046]

@@tallwalls76 Cool! If you are a "protected class" you can now get away with murder in the USN according to my son. Sad times.

[@gazzathomas1423]

Weapons officer looks like exPM of Australia...gough whitlam

[@neil5568]

The piper is pish.

[@ShakemeisterS64]

Just a thought - perhaps they sent their kids to a boarding school in Dorset because they may have had a better chance of surviving a nuclear war as opposed to living in Helensburgh next to the nuclear subs base.

[@user-pc1qv9ue4i]

No, they had family in the south

[@unitedwestand5100]

35 lbs? What? In the US Army in the 80s it would have been half a months pay for 2 months and 30 days extra duty., and a reduction in rank At a minimun.

[@allandavis8201]

It’s 35 £ in Sterling, and that probably was half a months pay, the British military were and to some extent still are under paid, under appreciated and under stated in importance, if the captain had given extra duty then how, and more importantly when, would he carry out the punishment, submariners at sea are never off duty, they are merely on rest and domestic needs time, you don’t want a tired seaman on duty in a nuclear powered and nuclear ☢️ armed submarine, that’s just asking for trouble, one mistake and it could have the most dire consequences. Try not to forget it was his first offence since enlisting and totally out of character, he just missed the liberty boat and was only 1hour 50 minutes late, in my opinion it was very heavy handed by whoever preferred the charge, if it was one of my men they would have got a one way talking to and probably a a thick ear 👂 (you could do that in the 80s and get away with it) only when a service persons duties are affected and persistent breaches of military law occurs should disciplinary action be taken, it’s really up to the supervisor to manage those under their command and deal with their subordinates in a caring but firm manner, and if they can’t do that then they have no place being an officer or senior noncommissioned officer. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@unitedwestand5100]

@@allandavis8201 ,. Extra duty is given during your rest. You give up rest for extra duty. I was an Infantryman. There is no harder duty. If in the field you were lucky to get 3 hrs of sleep a day. In garrison, you wake at 4:30 for an hour of calisthenics followed by a 5 mile run, shower, clean the barracks, and straight to the mess hall before it quit serving. Formation after that, and then either straight to the motor pool, clean weapons, or class of some kind. Maybe an inspection, road march, etc. You never spent idle time. You never got permission to quit for the day until they said, and then you probably used most of that time preparing for another inspection, or test. Extra duty is extra duty. It replaces any rest time. Its discipline, and not meant as a convience. A months pay when I served was about 435 dollars. Half a months pay for 2 months was 435 dollars. If it was a field grade article 15, the punishment was even worse.

[@unitedwestand5100]

@@allandavis8201,. On Fridays we ran 10 miles. At no time were more than 15% given leave. Beyond that was considered combat ineffective. When in Europe for 3 years we spent no fewer than 200 days a year in the field. About half the other 165 days was spent on guard duty. Alerts came without warning, and we had 20 mins to get every weapon in the arms room, our TA-50 (kit to you), all vehicles, and our bodies off post. (Usually that was done from a dead sleep. There was no excuse or leniency given because you got drunk during your REST..)

[@unitedwestand5100]

@@allandavis8201 While in the field you slept where and when you could, interrupted by perimeter patrols, and LP/OP duties. You got 2 c-rations a day, which you ate cold, and you moved so much your guaranteed one hot meal a day never caught up. If it did it was usually cold and/or moldy. (Green eggs were common) So went the life of a grunt in West Germany during the Cold War.

[@unitedwestand5100]

@@allandavis8201 ,. You say the Royal Navy had it hard. I laugh. LMAO Try 97 days in the field with a smelly grunt. Smelly because you got no shower. (Unless it rained) Think about it. 97 days. Divorce rate was 70 %. Complain and the Army would say, we didnt issue you a wife and kids. The Navy.....LMAO Boo hoo...

[@rockstarJDP]

No wonder the Argentinians knew we were coming - the BBC hardly understood the concept of sensitive information did they 😅

[@1977ajax]

Plus, we told them. What's it like being you? - quite tough I'd imagine.

[@richardvernon317]

Most of the information that the BBC released in 1982 had actually been released by the MoD or the Government (Number 10 Press office) first.

[@puressenceuk35]

Quality bowl cut at 46:24

[@Thecrazyvaclav]

Everything's top secret, we can't say anything when we're on leave, but let's get the families on board and answer any questions they ask about all the secret stuff

[@tomandsamuel]

Nothing secret passed from what I see mate. Wouldn’t happen

[@grahamstubbs4962]

You have to admire the attitude. Do you want to be 400ft below sea level in a metal tube surrounded by nuclear material and high explosives? Err, yeah. What's for dinner?

[@Evan_Bell]

Why does the narrator keep saying each warhead is 48 times the yield of the Hiroshima bomb? That's not true. Maybe he means per missile, in which case, he'd be close.

[@richardvernon317]

2 or 3 Warheads in the Polaris (dependant on the type). Each Warhead was 200Kt Yield, so per missile. However the British Government had a habit of Bigging Up Weapon Yields in public!!!!

[@georgemorley1029]

Dead swan at 3:06

[@daddust]

There’s no excuse for the captain’s wife to send her daughters to boarding school with a husband at sea. Bored out of her head, depressed and probably chugging gin and tonics. This is some old school English bullshit.

[@kilm2232]

It was the done thing. The schooling would have been of the highest quality and it would also have been paid for by the Navy. Don't forget that for some families who would move a lot when their husband got deployed to another base, a boarding school was a big help for the kids stability. Not saying it's right but there are reasons why.

[@Anglo_Saxon1]

@@kilm2232 Good that you raised that point about stability.Its nothing to do with cruelness.

[@justandy333]

Ouch! Missing the boat. I bet he was shitting bullets. No doubt very embarrassed. That's £145 pounds in todays money. So it could have been alot worse. Interesting though they didn't let him express the reason for his tardiness.

[@horrhiunioj507]

A gin and tonic on a nuclear submarine? What could go wrong!? Probably go to jail for drinking on the ship these days

[@tomw86]

No, U.K. ships still all have alcohol. Rationed amounts, but still

[@horrhiunioj507]

@@tomw86 glad to hear it 🍻

[@1977ajax]

Funny that the USN trusts a carrier commander with such a mass of lethal weaponry, but not with a bottle of scotch.

[@jimclercx4208]

1 whole boomer on patrol at a time?? I totally feel safer now!!

[@user-pc1qv9ue4i]

It's bomber, not boomer. Unless you're a yank!

[@shaunmartin6767]

The responsibility of the captain must be on another level or domain. Not only a machine worth 100s of millions, linked with carrying Armageddon and to top it off, the lives of the officers and sailors on board. Nothing but respect for the senior service.

[@user-pc1qv9ue4i]

Cdr Hawke was a total gent, very caring to his crew but also very straightforward and to the point. He was a pleasure to serve and had a routine that was generally predictable. Under pressure he was always very cool calm and collected.

[@BR-bj3ot]

I have British family of which I am very proud. My Dad’s entire family lives in Britain. I live in the US. It almost seems like our Governments and military are our enemies these days. We cannot trust our on Governments nor military. There are certainly exceptions but not many

[@notmenotme614]

35:46 Theres no independent greengrocer shops anymore. They’ve all shut down because of the big supermarket corporations.

[@kilm2232]

Entirely incorrect statement. I have two near me.

[@JamesPowell-jc4mo]

None of them can salute proporly. Bless em.

[@karmpuscookie]

You can't spell properly.

[@monoman4083]

looked like a simulator, some of it. lighting too good...

[@user-pc1qv9ue4i]

It was all totally real. The BBC spent days with us. It wasn't a working patrol that was carried out after the BBC left. This was done during our work up period, which was operated as a patrol would normally be, but with war games thrown in.

[@protonneutron9046]

Same two crew procedure as US Boomers.

[@richardvernon317]

Same basic weapon system!!!

[@rjds1800]

Captain, Sorry I can’t tell you if I would abort the mission if a crewman dies……….. cut to Doctor, if someone dies we move food and stick the body in the freezer until we get back to Faslane. 🤡

[@user-pc1qv9ue4i]

True. But didn't answer if he would return if the man was seriously ill or needed major surgery, which is what was been asked which you do not see in the video. The BBC asked similar questions to all of us!!

[@xusmico187]

endless hot showers....

[@JamesPowell-jc4mo]

Save. Scrap the bloody silver. Grow up jeesuz. Get real.

[@desydukuk291]

The beginning of "woke".