Submarines 101 or "How to Submarine"-Episode 202

To prepare our viewers and listeners for the submarine stories we will be talking about in some of our upcoming episodes, we figured we would let our very own sub skipper, Captain Toti, give you guys a lesson on how to submarine. This week we will take a look at how WWII Fleet Boats operated, how attacks were conducted and the basic operations of the US Navy's most complicated vessel.
#wwii #worldwarii #ww2 #pacific #usa #usnavy #usmc #saipan #wwii #wwiihistory #ww2 #usnavy #usa #usarmy #medalofhonor #enterprise #aircraft #aircraftcarrier #cv6 #halsey #admirals #admiral #general #indianapolis #submarine #torpedo #destroyer

[@GhostCMC]

I spent 20+ years in submarines, and if I had to take one of my boats to war there is no one I would rather have as my CO than Captain Toti. I spent most of his tour as his battle stations helmsmen so I got to see his sub driving skills up close. Never a better skipper in my career. Thanks Capt for this, and every episode.

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

Very kind, Josh! I remember you!

[@rw2764]

0:05 0:05 0:05 0:05 ftt

[@rw2764]

😅Ft😅😅d 0:05 😊😊😊dxrff😅dgff😊

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

I am not military, but I see him as leader and a commanding officer to respect and listen to. Following orders without hesitation or question.

[@jahmanoog461]

Reading this must make him feel he deserves the accolade of great submariner. Thanks for sharing.

[@steveparker576]

Cutting the lock off the door and schooling your officers in that mystique was an excellent and heart-filled move. Well done, sir, well done.

[@alanw.johnson2116]

As a retired Senior Chief and a proud Nose Picker from the engine room back aft, I have taken time to wipe away the tears to reply to this story. I was a member of the last Diesel Boat,581, And having served in P.H and know all that the Plotting party In the conn went through' I salute all who served and have brought us to this point

[@Phoenix-ej2sh]

dbf

[@edwinsalau150]

As a marine from 59-71 , I still have my tattoos from Broadway in San Diego. Do I remember a bar for nuclear boats sailors and another for diesel? Some very lively discussions with the wrong sailor wandered in. I just sat there and marveled.👍🇺🇸😂

[@HooverTacco09]

That must have been the USS Blueback. We operated against that boat in many exercises. Thank you for your service. It is moored up in Portland on the river. I would like to visit someday.

[@chucknovak2308]

I cannot thank you enough for the efforts you both and your guests put forth. Absolutely the best pacific Ww2 information stream I have encountered. My dad enlisted in 39 and first ship was the USS Chester. Then “captained” (as a CPO) a tug out of NC pushing supplies to surrounding islands. Later served on uss Cartaret at Ewo Jima and Okinawa and bringing groups home after the war until Dec 46. I was lucky enough to become his designated driver on those occasions when he and his buddies got together for poker and spirits. Seems the stories only came out when they had sufficient “lubrication”. I need to dedicate more time to preserving those golden nuggets. Your series has helped me visualize these tremendously. Thank you again!

[@ivankenter6241]

Captain, Just the idea of you breaking into the bar to train your officers raises you ten brownie points in the eyes of this Marine. That sounds like something a senior SNCO would do, not an officer.. Bravo Zulu sir

[@william_toti]

Thanks

[@rickhenry9075]

Thank you, guys. I feel like I'm taking an advanced naval history class. This series is awesome.

[@william_toti]

Glad you like it

[@Zephyrmec]

Captain and Seth, you guys rock! I don’t remember if it was my first or second shore tour at NSSF NLON, 77-78 or 81-85 but it was during the SALT treaty when the USS George Washington was converted from a boomer to a “slow attack” boat by disabling the missile tubes in order to be in compliance with the treaty. I was aboard doing some required work, (synchronization of the cesium beam frequency standard) and a TM buddy showed me a MK 14, still in service in order to have a full war load, just in case they needed a fish to say boom should they need it. The fish he showed me was marked SUB BASE PEARL HARBOR- 04-1945, the Tullibee and Trepang also carried a MK-14 or 2, just in case, they were stamped 1944, the last MK 14 had been retired by 1984-85, for such a poor start they were held in stock until there 48:44 leftover MK 14s were virtually free compared to the “new” MK 48 Fish being deployed at that time. We had a SINK-ex operating with USS Shark, we used one of the new Harpoons and Shark got to use an old MK 14. The TMs always bragged about the MK-14 being the only “combat proven” torpedo in the fleet!

[@user-hg1qy9yy3d]

Well Commodore Toti, as a retired Marine Colonel, all I can say Bravo Zulu on taking the initiative and re-opening the Clean Sweep Bar. That action is indicative of a true leader. I am not sure if your listeners really have a true appreciation for the impact of your actions, but I do. Again, well done.

[@17837]

Absolutely - truly a command decision :-)

[@jeffreymartin8448]

I'm not addicted to the 'Unauthorized History of the Pacific War' podcast, really I'm not. I can quit anytime I want to. I just don't want to.

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

Haha

[@oceanhome2023]

I have heard of using the periscope to observe and track potential victims spotting the masts and or the smoke ! TDC was an incredible tool the Sub had a huge gyroscope as did each torpedo to keep them running straight ! If the torpedo turns back to hit the Sub as it happened a couple times the gyroscope would shut down the torpedo if any degree change of 180 happened ! The Kursk did an intentional 180 to get the gyroscopes to turn off the torpedoes in a last ditch attempt to turn them off !

[@tomhutchins7495]

I knew hearing Bill talk about submarines would be epic, and it still exceeded all expectations.

[@lesmauldin3857]

In O'Kane's memoir he relates an incident on Wahoo that somehow a table of navigation figures was lost. The enlisted man & O'Kane spent hours with a slide rule rebuilding that table. O'Kane was an incredible intellect & leader.

[@USSBB62]

The details make the History ! 4.0 Captain

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

Many thanks

[@Jakal-pw8yq]

One last thing here. This has been one of my all-time favorite episodes just to hear Captain Bill run "silent run deep!" Good Lord man the amount of knowledge that you have attained over the years is just astounding and greatly appreciated! I wish my uncle Harold who served in the silent service during World War II could have met you! I think you two would have gotten along really really well! You have the same kind of sense of humor and the same joyous personality! 😅🎉❤

[@devjaxvid]

Excellent episode! Brought back many memories of the things my Father told me and all of the WW2 books I read as a kid.

[@Perfusionist01]

Captain Toti, thank you for sharing your personal experiences and training with us! I thought I was reasonably well-read on submarine combat in the Pacific, but you presented a LOT of good material. Some of this clarified points but quite a bit was new and could only come from an actual submarine commander. Your presentation style is good. One has to appreciate that a US submarine in the Pacific was often hundreds of miles (or much more) away from any other Allied forces. No support, no help, just those 80 men and a single ship. It took a particular fortitude to do that! Sometime, perhaps, could you talk about escape and evasion? One hears about finding a target and lining up the shot(s) but what techniques did they use to clear datum and survive to fight again? Thanks for this presentation.

[@william_toti]

Exactly, Gary.

[@ericflagg80]

@@william_toti As a Army port support OIC I once had a submarine LT jg show up in Samesan Thailand. Asked me Sir, can I park my sun here. Cobra Gold 1994

[@ericflagg80]

Sub

[@TADandFRANCI]

I love submarines, but is there anything on PT Boats in the Pacific as well? I mean, more stories and details than the usual fare here on YT?

[@rmwoodjr]

How powerfully my eyes were opened. No longer blind to the Silent Service. I’m incredibly grateful. Thank you.

[@williamerickson1238]

Good call Skipper. As one of the last 'ol skool' submarine Chiefs (1978-1995) I appreciated traditions and legends of the submarine community. I was a junior petty officer on ASPRO 648 when you reported to PH, so we both saw our world through like eyes. We both worshipped at the alter of ADM. Lockwood. Innovation and aggressive tactics were our calling cards. The unconventional became SOP. Yes, there were many things that were absolutely and rigidly adhered to, (ie reactor operation). Yet other things had few 'rules' and had 'guidelines'. Sonar and approach/attack tactics were governed by what worked for a given CO and his attack team. That made us exceptionally dangerous to our enemies because they could not predict what a given submarine might do. That all started during the war. As COs developed and shared what they found effective, the enemy could not defend against submarines. We were then as we still are the most feared seaborne weapon the US Navy has. Hungry sharks in a pond full of tasty fish.

[@davidmowry8951]

Love this. 9 mins in and so happy you fellas are back. Ww2 submariners did so much damage. They deserve this.

[@StevenWalters-sj2qp]

Capt. Extremely well done. I thank both you and Seth for outstanding work on all of your podcasts. Please keep it up!

[@Squab83andTRULIFE316]

Thanks again Seth and Bill for yet another (can't stop listening and watching) dynamic discussion! You guys have become my go-to for military history fix!

[@william_toti]

Thanks

[@B1900pilot]

I went through PLDC ( Petty Officer leadership development course ) with a group of submariners. I was the only non- submariner in the class. Very smart guys and enjoyed hanging out with them too.

[@rcwagon]

Refreshing coverage of things I once knew. Sounds like Bill was better than I at the mental gym. For Sean's ability to sleep at night, we did memorize cosine table in first quadrant (easy enough to convert to sine or other quadrants), BUT we didn't memorize it to 4 decimal places. Just to a reasonable accuracy.

[@zeronzemesh7718]

My brother was an officer on a nuclear sub from mid 80s to 2000, and I got to go on the sub when it was in port. I think it was his sub or maybe it was a decommissioned , but I was just a kid, I'm not sure how the security worked then. Either way I was shocked how huge it was on the outside, and how small and cramped everything felt on the inside. They obviously build them for function, and not for crew comfort. It's amazing crews work in that environment for months at a time.

[@dks13827]

Did you push buttons on that Nuke sub and ask: What does this button do ?? :)

[@christophermancini7380]

My favorite episode yet! So interesting to hear Bill tell what happens and what the skipper says during a crash dive and an attack run, and comparing that to the war movie clichés. Also very interesting why many of our skippers were so cautious and risk adverse early in the war. I recall reading how many were reluctant to attack inside the "hundred fathom curve (600ft)" as that would entail limited space for manuver, where later captains like Eugene Fluckey would sometimes take their boats into make night surface attacks even in areas too shallow to crash dive.

[@william_toti]

Oftentimes shallower than 150 feet! I myself have operated in water that was half as deep as my submarine was long!

[@kensvay4561]

My uncle Bill in WW2 helped developer Asdic and skippered two corvettes on anti submarine actions mainly in the Med and the Atlantic. Ironically later his sisters son, my cousin was a Royal Navy sub skipper helped develop Trident. After retirement he went to the US as a bureaucrat like Bill. He edited the RN magazine and was on an icebreaker in The Falklands in 1982 and helped RN marine helicopters capture an Argentine submarine. He was Lt Cdr Francis Ponsonby. He was connected, his grandfather was Queen Victorias private secretary. After the Falklands War the Queen invited him to the palace. She asked about the Falklands and said my husband has been there but all he did was twitter about the birds. Toti and the boltcutters. A man after my own heart. Love him.

[@v.mwilliams1101]

Ok... so who really needs to do housework when I can listen to a master class. Thank you gentlemen. Informative, enlightening and, wonderful... as usual. Please keep it coming. House work will be done, eventually.

[@timothyreilly4499]

Master Class indeed it is! Excellent description.

[@patrickshanley4466]

Great show, can’t wait for more sub stuff. I grew up in the 1950’s watching SILENT SERVICE, makes me want to go watch more re-runs on KZbin 👍

[@nkgoodal]

Great episode. Loved the good CAPT's technical rundown, but really like the anecdote about the bar at Lockwood Hall. That captured some of the best parts of my 22 years in service as an officer in the US Army. Those opportunities to tie yourself to illustrious history are some of the finest rewards for serving. As a young Army lieutenant in a Signal Battalion, I helped construct a battalion bar in a (decommissioned) COMSEC vault on a base in Germany. This is around the millenium, and was certainly a "forgiveness vs permission" decision by the commander. All senior NCOs (E7 and above) were brought in. We had artifacts from all over the battalion (some 30-40 years old) that gave it a sense of gravity. That unit was tight and we cared about each other. Being in the presence of fellow service members and kicking back, telling war stories ("talkin' story") gave us a sense of duty and attachment to each other. We policed our own, didn't let anyone drive home after drinking and had a great experience. In my next assignment, I went to a Cavalry (the "Cav") unit in Korea and watched the Brigade bar (the "corrals") close. The unit was never the same, and our colors were cased, and our Cav lineage (which dated to the Army of Potomac in 1861) was gone when we reflagged. It was a very sad day in uniform to watch the Army decide to kill our Cav heritage.

[@timothyreilly4499]

Thank you, your story gives me a much better understanding of the meaning of Heritage.

[@jimirvine763]

Excellent episode! I'm a former ASW aviator and Capt Toti is spot on - subs can be visible well below the surface from the air.

[@tedc.4956]

I've watched some parts four times now (except the cosine part because that makes me sweat too.) This is amazing. Love everything you are doing. It is awesome to hear Captain Toti's experience and detailed knowledge. Would love more "how to submarine." Thank you both for all the work you do to make this excellent series.

[@scottsherman6889]

Cosine is adjacent over hypotenuse

[@daffodildude1143]

Awesome story Captain!

[@edwinsalau150]

As an active duty marine from 1959 till 1971….. thank you! As a kid I sat in the Toms River,NJ library for many hours. Ed Beach was one of my favorite authors.

[@chrismack5908]

Hello, I'm catching up and also listening to your recent podcasts. What I appreciate is you are filling in the gaps of the who, why, when and where. I had no idea who Adm. King was or his tyrannical yet brilliant leadership. That podcast was fascinating and interlaced with the history of the USS Indianapolis. Who knew! So, my continued appreciation. Thank you both and your guests!

[@chrismack5908]

@@leoamery I always wondered who had the inspiration to island skip. That was brilliant. Having Nimitz and Halsey as commanders was brilliant. He may have been a nasty man, but he obviously has the leadership and admin skills necessary to be in charge of the Navy's fleet in both the Atlantic and Pacific. I have no doubt he made mistakes and I'm not really a fan of his. But that doesn't mean I can't admire his brilliance.

[@chrismack5908]

@@leoamery Good Morning Leo. In my 1st comment, I said I'd never heard of King. From the context and perspective of what was discussed in the podcast, what I perceived was a highly intelligent tyrant. I won't argue I don't know, because I don't. I am seriously enjoying these histories as they are brilliant! Enjoy your day.

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

It's coming

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

See the episode on King

[@williamrobinson827]

@@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar

[@vincentfiorenza4191]

I absolutely love these podcasts. I listen to them repeatedly. I would like if Bill could enlighten us with some of his stories and his port of calls. Also, if he could give us a rundown of how life on a sub and the locations of the work stations and how they are situated on the sub. do you have to walk through berthing areas to get to the galley? Where the heads are located, and how do you flush the toilets? How the weapons are stored? A rundown on how torpedoes and missle's are fired. Are there two keys like in Red October and Crimson Tide, etc?

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

Wow, that's a lot of detail unrelated to the Pacific War. But let's see if it comes up in conversation

[@Gregolec]

Just Another Excellent Episode. Practical facts with valuable comments. I did not know that in WW2 still moving crew forward had so much impact during submerging. Story about initial reopening Clean Sweep bar is like stuff from a good movie!

[@stephenmelton2532]

Man! I've been waiting for sub talks.

[@tomweyand6317]

Found this by accident--but what a find! This is a really good summary of actions in the Pacific. Unfortunately too many times it points out so many admirals that are proving the Peter Principle! Thanks for these presentations.

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mariellouise1]

Gold Plated bolt cutters awarded to Captain Bill Toti !!!!

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

No lie. Bill is a man amongst men. -SP

[@edwardloomis887]

This is very interesting. One comment from an ex-Army guy: I locked on the discussion of fire vs. shoot...The word repeat is the same for the Army. We never said repeat if we want someone to say something again, because that word was reserved for fire missions to get artillery to shoot the same thing they just fired, which could be a bad thing. If one wanted another person to say something again, we were conditioned ask "Say again" and not "repeat." Strange as it may be, I still say "Say again..." if I don't understand something said to me so strongly was the message driven home.

[@dougm5341]

I appreciate the work you guys do. I am grateful for your work. It’s a welcome distraction for me as life throws me a lousy hand. I look forward now more then ever for the fruits of your labor.

[@robertmoffitt1336]

So when I was in trigonometry in HS, I was also in history class, learning how WWII submarines stalked and attacked enemy targets. 😎 Like the detail? I LOVE the detail!

[@oriontaylor]

I love how Captain Toti becomes even more excited than usual when he gets to talk submarines.

[@grizzlygrizzle]

His demeanor conveys the intensity of a torpedo attack, and the skill and focus required to pull it off. And can't many of us relate to that? Especially people who have had real-world jobs, having dealt with certain points in a procedure when you have to rise to a relatively dangerous occasion, when a failure to give 100% means a big loss, injury, or death? This happens in construction, fishing, firefighting, and so on. How much more when the safety of a boat's crew is on your shoulders, plus the chance of a tactical failure with consequences of strategic failures?

[@puckzilla-bs9zy]

OMG OMG Captn' Toti thank you. As a "nub" E3 I was praised by the CO for using my "seaman skills" to "relocate" some shipyard equipment. Also Thank you for explaining TMA and contact management and Trig in your head. This FTG1(ss)'s heart is warmed by your sea stories. Nobody or any movie ever mentions the FT .

[@jesscarver9882]

Seth, Bill, as a Misguided Child, I have one word for your work OUTSTANDING!

[@jesscarver9882]

BTW, can't wait for the next video. And the next.

[@17837]

I'm really enjoying all these shows, but this one is my favorite so far. Many thanks to you Seth, to all your other guests, and especially to Captain Toti !

[@1jviezy]

The videos and images shown in this one, make the episode an excellent one! What incredible footage. Looking forward to hearing and SEEING more!

[@stephenlawyer3031]

Thank you Capetian Toti For your service and your insights of these podcasts..

[@rgfrancisjr4817]

Gentleman Bravo My father served on the Uss Monitor a landing ship and was in 17 major battles during his tour of duty and I wish he was still alive to hear the story’s and information you all provide

[@jeffreymartin8448]

I'm an ex-sonarman and was the best sornarman on my ship (according to the Captian). I aced the passive analyst school. I also completed ASROC fire control 'C' school. And I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this episode. Keep bringing it Gentlemen !

[@Chris_at_Home]

My oldest brother taught sonar school in Key West for a few years around 1970. He was a Chief then, and I was was just out of boot camp going to Avionics A School and never went on a ship, except a few in port.

[@christopherrabaldo3377]

This episode deserves a part 2.

[@brianhoover2294]

I would be curious to hear more of Bill’s thoughts on what he thinks when he watches “Das Boot,” particularly with his background as a submarine skipper. I have always thought that film is one of the best war films ever made because it shows (what I imagine to be) both the boredom and the indescribable terror of war at sea. Thanks for the podcast!

[@william_toti]

It's a great one. particularly the pathos of knowing you are likely going to die

[@markhughes6673]

All your episodes are great. This one was greater! Love all the detail provided by Capt. Toti.

[@fredferd965]

In the book "The Thousand Mile War," an excellent history of WWII in the Aleutians, the author describes the absolute horror of an old US Navy S Boat trying to navigate in those waters. It was incredible!

[@c7042]

This is my 2nd time around watching this episode. It was just as interesting to me as the first time. I've started rewatching previous episodes while waiting for Tuesday to come upon me (only 3 days to go). Thanks for your work. I was in the 18th SOS in Vietnam, and the only AC119K gunship in that war shot down was "stinger 41" on May 2, 1972 out of Bien Hoa. 7 out of the 10 man crew got out and were rescued within 4 1/2 hours. The idea that every man is lost when a sub goes down..... all submariners were heroes just by volunteering.

[@rickturk2164]

Great Episode Bill !! I am a few years older, NROTC Class of 1971. In 1969 as 1/c middie made patrol on SSBN 656 under Paul Tomb. Had an opportunity for port call in Lisbon with ward room dinner with Eugene Fluckey. What a memorable experience. Also had experience on Balo class Guppy III Cobbler before reporting to nuc school. Eventually returned to nuc school (Bainbridge} as an instructor. Maybe your class?

[@Chris_at_Home]

My brother was on the HardHead in the 1960s as a sonar tech. He also taught school in Key West as a Chief around 1970-71. I went down and saw him there a few times. I met up with him in Rota and had breakfast at 2am in the Chiefs Mess. He was on the Pargo then. I was in VP-23. My brother in law did a career on boomers in the 60s-70s. He was also an STC.

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

I was an Orlando nuke school guy, 1979

[@downthethroatmodeling]

@@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar I was the First LT and move officer for the move to Orlando. Code 08 (i.e., the admiral) resisted the move. The first class in Orlando had 5 comprehensive exam failures an unheard of number, unofficially blamed on the "playground" location of the school

[@rickteklits6872]

Thank you again for this great podcast. I really appreciate the insight you provide. This will sound dumb, but watching your programs, I am now starting to appreciate the amount of training that it takes to get a crew to act as a unit. Capt. Toti your description of just how they would dive the sub, who went down the hatch first, who went down last, who closed the hatch, how they took bearings with the scope, how to keep the scope lens stable and clear....just fascinating. God bless those men who crew our subs, both now and in the past. Truly a special breed.

[@cragnamorra]

CAPT Toti, absolutely magnificent discussion. I've immensely enjoyed all episodes in the series, but this installment stands out. BZ, sir. I don't know how many thousands of watch hours I must've stood in surface ships (LST, CV, FFG, DDG, MHC) over the years; I can attest that simply determining a ship's target angle at a glance - even a large merchant or tanker - can often be surprisingly ambiguous, especially if it's hull-down enough not to be able see the waterline. It's deceptively easy to be 90 degrees off because one thinks the vessel is heading away or toward you, when in fact it's doing the opposite.

[@chuckmortensen6327]

How great it is to get an authoritative discussion about military history. Thank you all. The main thing I have learned is there are no winners. There are those who lose the least.

[@garryschyman99]

Wonderful podcast. My father Herb Schyman flew C47's in the pacific theatre during the war and his best friend Eddie Goldfarb (still alive and well at 101) was on the Batfish during the war. Great men both!

[@kylecarmichael5890]

Capt. Toti, you were a true leader from the old school and I think your contacts with those Giants of WW2 had a incredibly positive effect to your career that made you a Capt that would really bend the rule to improve your crew management skills. And sir think you for being you and becoming the Capt. you became and your service!

[@terrillrausch3006]

I just found these videos and they're great .....my gal friends father was MH "CY" Austin he was Skipper of the REDFIN 272 in 44 ....XO on the COD in 43 ..one of those class of 35 guys ......wonderful stuff here ....thank you ....

[@jeffreybaker4399]

Very informative. Love The Captain's enthusiasm for the work in particular.

[@mikeat2637]

I am thoroughly enjoying this new season with both of you, especially because it's about the naval war in the PTO. I hooked on the subject when I read one of the first books written about the Battle of Savo Island when I was in high school, and it's become a lifetime labor of love for me for a little over 60 years. With respects to this particular subject, about 40 odd years ago, when my son was a toddler, I happened to pass by a sign that said there was a WW II museum submarine moored on the Hackensack River in New Jersey, the USS Ling, Balao class fleet sub. It was my first taste of what it might have been like for the brave men of the Silent Service, and it really opened my eyes. My wife tried to come also, but the minute she went below decks she got very claustrophobic and had to get out. It really was VERY different from the Hollywood version of submarines, so cramped and cluttered with pipes, valves, conduits, cables and a hundred other things. My son got excited and wanted to touch everything, and when we looked at the freezer and refrigerated lockers he wanted to go down the ladder, lol. Afterwards I looked up the displacement and it was really something, 1500 tons on the surface and 2300 tons submerged. The thought of being on the Ling while it was under depth charging make me really respect the submariners who fought for our country. And as I read more, I found that the German Type VIIc U-boat has half the displacement of the Ling and other American fleet subs. And watching Das Boot really made an impression on me. Such valor and bravery from all of the submariners of WW II.

[@frankbodenschatz173]

Captain Bill, thanks again for your input and "CHAT." Love the backdrop! A+! Your passion truly shows.

[@Soldermelter]

Every week is six days waiting for your next video. The longer the better and pour out the details. The devil is in the fascinating details. Please keep it coming. Your series of videos is needed.

[@lelandkelley2199]

Thanks! Very informative and easy listening. My grandfather and father worked at the NNSY .

[@cfredtmbg]

Having read a lot of those memoirs, cutting that lock is something a WWII submarine captain would have done. The best ones really were pirates (in the best way).

[@williamlaforge4517]

Fantastic episode 202. I’ll Daly for episode 203! Capt and Bill, I have learned so much just from you talking about your own sub experiences. Thanks for sharing 👊🏻👊🏻

[@timothybrady2749]

Captain Toti’s explanations of sub operations was just fascinating!! This episode was an outstanding presentation. I was an Infantryman for 30 years and had no idea of the complexity of the submarine operations, Seat-of-your pants decision making, and Commander calls based on gut instinct and best guess. Thank you so much for this outstanding presentation.

[@gordlusty9316]

Great show. Great topic. I have a ton of admiration for the bravery of those who choose/chose to serve in the deeps. Takes tough smart dudes, all of them.

[@stevewaldschmidt4344]

Before I get any further want to thank you Capt Bill for your service!! How cool is it to hear from a real sub driver how to make a torpedo attack!! Thought that only the Germans ran guys forward to help them dive faster - so much for Hollywood! Great episode guys - keep it up!

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

Thanks

[@timothyreilly4499]

You guys are awesome. This may be a bit off topic, but Bill, can you at some time share any Rickover stories you may have? Preferably, your favorite! Seems no discussion of submarine-ing should be without!!

[@william_toti]

Haha. I wrote an article about my interview with Rickover. Titled "The Wrath of Rickover." I think you can Google it.

[@toms6213]

I work as a contractor for the Navy in Washington in 1986-1987 and I heard about Admiral Rickover's gift to GE Defense System's CEO. It was a HEAVY box with a piece of rough cut stainless steel pipe and a note inside. The note read: "Congratulations! You have now been exposed to the same radiation my ratings had when they removed this poorly welded pipe! Rickover"

[@timothyreilly4499]

@@william_toti Excellent, found it at USNI, just read it. Thank you Sir, for writing that up. I totally get where yourself and Rickover were coming from at the time. Most importantly where you were coming from and what you were communicating about in the article so many years after (2010). I heard some Rickover stories during the exact same time period. I was in NROTC at Ohio State, at the same time. Did not follow through with it. I will definitly apply your lessons learned (in your writeup) in my life.

[@ianwalker404]

Always a feeling of pleasurable anticipation when the KZbin notification of the next podcast comes up, this one did not disappoint. Great intro about bolt cutters episode and continued on from there. Tbh I wasn't that impressed when Seth said that "even the Brits had better torpedos". This brought to mind what Drachinifel said about Admiral Willis Lee's mission to England about 1940. Admiral King thought that the Royal Navy was basically crap. Lee reported back that in fact the RN was superior to the USN in all operational procedures with the exception of carrier avaition, which obv was v deficient given the rotten aircraft the Fleet Air Arm had. One British Admiral wrote that the FAA suffered from "arrested development". But in terms of anti-, submarine warfare for instance the RN was definitely superior. Lee later told the USN that if they couldn't source decent radar sets they should buy British, likewise he said the same about torpedos As an English guy I had to get that in there 😊

[@william_toti]

And you are correct, sir! Yours aye, Bill

[@SirLurkALot]

Great stuff, guys. The more detail the better as far as I'm concerned. This is gold.

[@JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

Utmost respect for Bill Toti his analogies from his time as submariner.

[@philb7789]

Bill's time to shine! The detail is amazing for the average Joe!

[@stevemolina8801]

Great long winded Intro! Another great show. Thanks to both of you!

[@critcalreader4160]

Yes, again, thank you Capt. Toti. The steps that must be taken to submerge--to say nothing of what is involved in tracking and firing on a target--amazes me. (And, yet, how else could it be accomplished? For operations to be carried out on such vast and liquid, i.e., ever-changing, circumstances, all parts of those operations would have to be exceedingly complex.) A brother-in-law served on a submarine in the 1960s, I think; and no one in the family (unless it was my father) asked him about any of it. I'm so ashamed.

[@jamesallen8418]

Captain Toti. I enjoy watching you shine while sharing submarine info.

[@Jakal-pw8yq]

My Uncle Harold F Willard served in the silent service during World War II, South Pacific. I don't recall the name of the sub he was aboard, sure wish I did though. Anyway on December 7th he and a buddy were up on Diamond Head on Oahu just enjoying the sights, and before he knew it the attack was on and they had a ringside seat as it were. As they descended Diamond Head, they watched this attack go on with their hearts in their throats. The MP's and the local police had closed off all roads and were forcing people into their homes for their safety so my uncle Harold never got to his sub during the attack and I know that he had some residual guilt from not getting down to his sub and to his buddies. He also suffered ear problems for the remainder of his life from Crash Dives and from firing that deck gun. Rest in peace Uncle Harold! You did your job and you did it well and we're enjoying the fruits of your labor in the freedom that we enjoy today. 🙏💖⚓️🇺🇲😊💯

[@alangreer1142]

I really appreciate the time effort you guys put into these. I look forward to it every week. Seems, I learn something new every pod cast.

[@Chris_at_Home]

My oldest brother served on SS 365, a Balao class submarine in the 1960s that had served in the Pacific during WW2.

[@richardcasriel6232]

My dad served aboard USS Remora SS-487 during the Korean War. His CO was a veteran of USS Trigger. He was a shipmate of Ned Beach. The Captain’s name was Richard Garvey.

[@richardmardis2492]

Dang, much more involved than the arcade game I played as a kid🤣

[@williamerickson1238]

Would have like to hear more about TMA (target motion analysis). Perhaps a sample of a basic geoplot and how 'legs' were conducted would really demonstrate the complexities of a submarine approach. I was the guy in sonar that fed bearings to the CO so he could evaluate the plot. I was a sonarman during Commodore Toti's era. Served on 637's mostly including ASPRO in PH. Even then we did manual TMA to back up our sophisticated computer fire control systems. It was always cool when what we got was a close match to the fire control system.

[@william_toti]

Welcome aboard!

[@henkvandergaast3948]

You are moving faster than you promised.. Much appreciated

[@HooverTacco09]

This was a great episode, but I have been listening to many of your episodes from Midway to Guadalcanal to Macarthur. I was a Naval Flight Officer in the S-3 Viking, VS-21, out of NAS North Island and the USS Enterprise, CVN-65 1985-87. I also worked as a Range Safety Officer on an instrumented underwater range off of SOCAL seeing all kinds of ASW exercises. I wish I knew more about submarine tactics from the SSN community back then. Finally, I just finished reading a book on Adm Rickover. Capt. Bill Toti makes an appearance in the book with one of those infamous interviews with the Father of the Nuclear Navy. While that may not be about the Pacific War, that is worthy of an episode itself, gents.

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

Bill responding: I had forgotten about that Rickover book. But will never forget about my interview!

[@m.r.donovan8743]

Fantastic explanation Captain! You were no doubt a very good teacher, which as you know is a key part to being a great leader. Josh M's comments below don't surprise me at all.

[@69Applekrate]

love learning about US sub opps in WW2. Have a large collection of books on the subject I have read. many of them more than once. Have also visited several of the remaining US WW2 subs in the US. way cool

[@danielgregg2530]

If you want to know "how to submarine" in a WWII fleet boat, just read O'Kane's book, CLEAR THE BRIDGE. While there are a number of decent books written by WWII submarine officers, he covers pretty much every trick, detailing every attack he made that resulted in the 30 sinkings he has credited to his record. (Incidentally, Capt. Toti, O'Kane would not use his SD air search radar, for the obvious reason. He relied on lookouts even as he pioneered staying on the surface in daylight in the patrol area.)

[@briangibbs3774]

Another excellent episode, gentlemen. You were right about the details - they definitely enhance the narrative.

[@MadLudwig]

Fantastic episode gents! I have studied both US and German WWI and WWII submarine operations extensively. I have most of the best books ever written on this topic in hard copy, albeit and enviably not the autographed copies like Bill has acquired! Thought I knew everything about submarine operations, but these little shared extra details were positively fascinating. Bravo Zulu 👏 Colonel, US Army (Ret)

[@brucke23]

Love the new intro!

[@jean-francoislemieux5509]

I would like to hear more details from Captain Toti. For instance, how was a day to day operation on a patrol ? How was it divided between watches, when do they eat, what do they eat, that sort of things.

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

We will try to fold some of this into a future episode. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@Phoenix-ej2sh]

This episode was amazing. Thank you.

[@darrinhorowitz113]

I love the details! “Dos Boot” was and is an awesome move.

[@robertibert9269]

Thank you Seth and Bill

[@paulfarace9595]

Greaat job as always gentlemen! Bill gave an excellent description of diving a postwar fleet sub! In WWII the Christmas tree had red and green lights not the postwar circkes and bars. You called "green board... pressure in the boat" .... after the war with the circles and dashes you'd call "level board" ... just goes to show how after 80 years the sharp edges of history are softening and blurring.

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

Actually, it's "straight board."

[@davidk7324]

An excellent story. Thank you Bill for sharing this with us. It is important.

[@UnauthorizedHistoryPacificWar]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@jaredp5056]

Fantastic! Best one yet. More people really need to get on board and watch these episodes!

[@COACHWARBLE]

WE LOVE THE DETAILS!!!!!!!