USS Trigger 'Mine, for Keeps'

[@richardcasriel6232]

My father served on a boat during the Korean War. His captain, Richard Garvey, was a veteran of Trigger.

[@johnstevenson9956]

Russell Johnson, (the Professor) was a bomber navigator and was shot down hear the Philippines, breaking both ankles in the crash, just a dozen or so years before playing this part.

[@jamesdennisdyke2514]

My great Uncle Jimmy was a shipmate of your grandfather. He didn't have to go to war because he was a ship fitter at Mare Island. He tried and tried and finally the Navy let him go fight, just in time for the Trigger's last patrol. May they R.I.P.

[@motomark9736]

My Dad was on a submarine in WW2

[@brt-jn7kg]

A man's man! My uncle was a flight engineer on bombers. He was in the army Air corps before the war started and he used to say he started killing Germans in North Africa, then in Germany and Europe and even flew out of Russia and killed him a few times. He then transferred to the Pacific theater and he really learned to hate there. He was on both atomic missions in the b-29 the great artiste.

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-FINDER2525]

And I still in high school I was thinking about being a submarine sailor. But being a little taller than your average submarine sailor, I am shows the whole different service. Looking back I don't think I'd want to be and a cylinder underwater and without windows. It takes a special breed do all that. I'm glad we have that special breed.

[@terryfowler6090]

My father was chief electrions mate aboard the Trigger for seven war patrols

[@johnrogan9420]

Electrician's

[@martinwalker9386]

1994 my job while in the Persian Gulf was writing up contact reports. That is an important job even if not glamorous. From sighting to having the message in radio was 15 minutes maximum.

[@jimsmith9819]

every job is important, for awhile i was disappointed because they stationed me in an army hospital stateside, but soon realized somebody had to stay here and take care of the wounded guys coming back from Nam

[@martinwalker9386]

@@jimsmith9819 Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery told his men that he would delete any job that they could show did not help prosecute the Battle of the Atlantic during WWII. He then explained how cleaning the latrine helped prosecute the war. No one afterward tried to say a job was useless.

[@johnlaccohee-joslin4477]

There is somethinb that always gets me, having been around subs for seven out of twelve years, i am more than aware thet smoking was a very restricted past time as firstly it contaminated what as air was available, And secondly because for things like hydrogen from batteries while under charge plus other forms of flamerble vear, not that we did not smoke, we did, but only at allowed times. I was not in subs as a submarine but worked for something rarely mentioned, that being , Fleet S.M.A. Fleaet ship maintenace Authority, and we where i volved with all types of vessels in tne R.N This was not long after its conception, ans at the time there were not very many of us but involved maintenace of everything used by the navy. I think in fact i was very lucky as i was of the very first group to be trained. this ment we were going all over the place, so saw a great deal of the world. When it had been well established, they started making it more defined which is when i decided to leave, as i was told i was the go into subs and had to undergo the nornal submariners training. Have spent a great deal of time in volved with subs and knowing my way round, it think from their point of view it was a reasonable move, but i had never wanted to noint the submariners, after having seen the conditions even on the Nuclear subs, so i left the service rather than become involved full time with subs. I was very lucky in as much as i was working for the top boss engineering officer for the main submarine base then at Gosport Hampshire, he and i had gotten on very well, indeed, a really nice guy and fellow officer, had this not happened, i think i would have signed on for another term, but subs were just not my idea at all, i think in the back of my mind the events that took place many years before, which involved the loss of a couple of boats and their crew, that had put me off for life, and although i did enjoy my job, this was one step i prefered not to take.

[@michaelcuff5780]

For most of my almost 60 yrs of life this is the sub I always heard the most about. Whenever somebody talked about submarines the Trigger always gets talked about or at least mentioned. Even before the internet!

[@stanfordcoffee]

Little known fact! After the war, The dive officer (Mr. Beach), retired from the Navy and took a teaching job at the University of Hawaii. One day he decided to take a sightseeing tour that started from a tropic port Aboard a tiny ship. The mate was a mighty sailing man, The skipper brave and sure Five passengers set sail that day, For a 3 hour tour. The weather started getting rough, The tiny ship was tossed If not for the courage of the fearless crew, The ship would be lost, the Minnow would be lost The ship struck ground on the shore of a Uncharted desert isle.

[@marine4lyfe85]

With Gilligan, the Skipper too, a millionaire and his wife, a movie star, the professor and Mary Anne, here on Gilligan's Isle.

[@mikkigutierrez3423]

My grandfather was serving on the USS Trigger 237 when it was sunk in 1945.

[@jamesdennisdyke2514]

A great-uncle of mine was a shipmate of your grandfather. I'm guessing it wasn't his first war patrol, it was uncle Jimmy's. He didn't have to enlist because he was a ship fitter at Mare Island. He tried and tried, and finally the Navy allowed him to go fight. He joined Trigger's crew just in time for their last patrol. May they and all who have given all, R.I.P.

[@Danny_Boel]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Trigger_(SS-237)#Twelfth_patrol:_March_1945

[@jamesdennisdyke2514]

@@Danny_Boel Thanks Danny!

[@jstetzer01]

Sorry to hear that. 2 Uncle's in WW2. One US ARMY in the Aleutians another on the Submarines SS Pilotfish 386 among others. I retired an Army 1SG in 2002. Couple trips to the big Sandbox. No joke! Always mission first, my Soldiers 2nd. Hard to juggle the combination. I always put my men and women First. PATRIOT Air Defense Artillery.. Started out with SHORAD (Short range Air Defense Artillery) Vulcan 20mm cannon (Phalanx), AIM 9 surface to air version, Stinger's and FAAR Radars. RADAR'S in passive mode and IR homing and detection. Couldn't tell we there. Just saying. James Stetzer , 1SG U.S.ARMY Retired.

[@scottdenny7996]

@@jamesdennisdyke2514 My father was a motor machinist mate on the Trigger. Edward Beach was the executive officer during part of his time on board. He transferred off after the 11th patrol. Whenever he told stories about his time in the service, he never heard him refer to any of his shipmates by name.

[@joachimguderian4048]

The exec on this patrol was the eventual commander and author Edward L. Beach who later commanded USS Tirante

[@rpbajb]

Beach is a legend. He commanded the first submarine to circumnavigate the world submerged. His book Submarine! is beside me on the table right now.

[@imjusttoodissgusted5620]

USS Argonaut was built just to lay mines. it had special mine laying equip. instead of an after torpedo room. Even a system to adjust for the buoyancy changes as the mines were laid. they ripped it all out to make her a troop sub. she was used at the Makin raid to deliver Marine raiders. with USS nautilus , My uncle was a torpedo man on Argonaut (lost jan, 10 1943) my cousin was rescued on nautilus with 79 other bataan death march survivors.

[@donaldhill3823]

Salute to your Uncle and Cousin.

[@timmi59]

That’s quite a family history. Thanks for sharing.

[@allandavis8201]

True heroes, thanks for sharing your family history with us. In my humble opinion submariners from all nations are the bravest personnel in any Navy, especially the early submariners who went to war in little more than sardine tins. RIP all you brave men, Lest We Forget.

[@ernestdougherty3162]

Thanks for sharing that bit of family history with us God bless your whole family those men were true heroes my grandfather on my dad's side served in Europe invaded Sicily my grandfather on my mother's side served with MacArthur after he went to Australia and in Japan

[@dmcubing6342]

My good friend, the late Robert Whitsell is in this episode! Awesome! Bob invented the Electro-Theremin during this time. It's the electronic musical instrument used by the Beach Boys in "Good Vibrations" and on many soundtracks from the late 1950s to the late 1960s!

[@ryanbell1124]

]999]9

[@martinnewham4812]

Theremin was a Russian

[@dmcubing6342]

Martin Newham that’s true. Not the instrument I’m talking about though. The electro-theremin is an entirely different instrument.

[@bobbyormston9674]

These are great! I missed them when I was a kid.

[@paulredinger420]

That triggered a memory!

[@vawlkee51]

See, most all of you guys miss the fine supporting actors that, in the 50's, 60's and 70's we're never without a paycheck! Look for Robert Foulk as Gebhart and prolific actor Ron Hagherty as Thomas! Both were all over the place!

[@jeffreybyrnes9245]

Was the professor on Gilligan's Island

[@82Echo411]

Dr. Stone from "Donna Reed" - Carl Betz & the Professor from "Gilligan's Island" - Russell Johnson

[@douglascampbell4592]

82Echo411 “%

[@daleburrell6273]

YOU BETCHER LIFESAVERS!!!

[@packingten]

mouth? I Been lucky remembering them or their names.

[@Betterifitsfree]

...and John Belushi at 7:30

[@steveprestegard5151]

Or Judd for the Defense.

[@bf945]

The Professor from Giligan's Island has been in other episodes. Seems like he was a popular actor, or was just more available.

[@davidmurphy8190]

The actor was portraying Ned Beach who was quite a character in the Silent Service. Wrote great fiction and non-fiction works, too.

[@Renshen1957]

Russel Johnson was in This Island Earth.

[@timengineman2nd714]

From my understanding, they often carried a torpedo in tubes 5 & 6, and dropped mines from 1,2,3,4, and 7,8,9,10.... Of course this may be a tactic later used later in the war, or carried from C.O. to C.O.! Note: they very rarely went fast when they had the periscope up, nor did they run it up as far as they do in this show and many of the movies...

[@Ronclown]

Must have been frustrating for the Trigger crew to have to lay mines. But our submariners did the job they were assigned to to do. I think the sub captains were fairly accurate in their tonnage and number of ships but the Japanese didn't want to admit it.

[@timmi59]

Ronclown Exactly. All sailors follow orders and carry out what has been assigned to them, big or small, whether they like it or not, because that’s what you do. I’m proud to have been a sailor, albeit a peace time sailor. Those men in those days serving in those little, stuffy, crowded tiny little potential coffins were all great and many are still on patrol.

[@marcmanley84]

At the beginning I was wondering how they were going to lay mines in a submarine. I had no idea they could get the job done with their torpedo tube's in the 1940's.

[@raymondj8768]

its the professer from gilligans island hahha.......

[@MegaHowtoMan]

USS Trigger later lost in March 1945 near Japan. 89 lost.

[@raymondj8768]

o man that sucks she kicked a bunch of ass to in her day !

[@timmi59]

Thank you for that update. I looked her up and she had quite a career before she was lost.

[@allandavis8201]

RIP all those brave men. Lest We Forget.

[@rodfirefighter8341]

I've never had that problem, I always made it clear my experience and that stood for itself. I had 14 years active service in both the Air Force and Army, including 2&1/2 from active on reserve. Total Reserve Army & Air Force is 14&1/2 years, including those 2&1/2 from above. So that's 24&1/2 without retirement but I do have VA benefits and recently 80% disabled due to neck injury in '79. But I'll always be bug Sgt.

[@johnrogan9420]

Betz was a convincing sub captain in this episode.

[@mikeburch2998]

This must have been before the professor got stranded on Gilligans Island. It's nice to know some history. :-)

[@raymondsmith5653]

Yes it was and while the professor was under the waves of japan the skipper was serving on a destroyer that got sunk by a plane off guadalcanal .

[@joachimguderian4048]

I'M THE GALLOPING GHOST OF THE JAPANESE COAST By Constantine Guiness, MOMM 1/C, USN I'm the galloping ghost of the Japanese coast. You don't hear of me and my crew But just ask any man off the coast of Japan. If he knows of the Trigger Maru. I look sleek and slender alongside my tender. With others like me at my side, But we'll tell you a story of battle and glory, As enemy waters we ride. I've been stuck on a rock, felt the depth charge's shock, Been north to a place called Attu, and I've sunk me two freighters atop the equator Hot work, but the sea was cold blue. I've cruised close inshore and carried the war to the Empire Island Honshu, While they wire Yokahama I could see Fujiyama, So I stayed, to admire the view. When we rigged to run silently, deeply I dived, And within me the heat was terrific. My men pouring sweat, silent and yet Cursed me and the whole damned Pacific. Then destroyers came sounding and depth charges pounding My submarine crew took the test. Far in that far off land there are no friends on hand, To answer a call of distress. I was blasted and shaken (some damage I be taken), my hull bleeds and pipe lines do, too I've come in from out there for machinery repair, And a rest for me and my crew. I got by on cool nerve and in silence I served, Though I took some hard knocks in return, One propeller shaft sprung and my battery's done, But the enemy ships I saw burn. I'm the galloping ghost of the Japanese coast, You don't hear of me and my crew. But just ask any man off the coast of Japan, If he knows of the Trigger Maru.

[@victorvogelsang6350]

Lost of smoking in those days. I could write my name in the over head of the battery well due the Tar and nicotine in the air. All the air on the ship went through the battery well. A tight space to clean. The battery acid would eat up your clothes.

[@lindanadaud9698]

Served USS Pomodon SS486. When you left the battery well you could watch holes appear in your cloths.

[@marine4lyfe85]

You could smoke on a sub?

[@georgecothran4760]

A couple of young stars in this one I recognize, Robert Young, from father knows best, and The professor on Gilligans island. Russel Johnson.

[@MichaelESQ1]

That was not Robert Young, it was Carl Betz who was the father on The Donna Reed Show

[@georgecothran4760]

ok, thank you for correcting my mistake. It's been quite a few years ago since I watched it. lol

[@MegaHowtoMan]

This is my step grandfather. Rear Adm Roy Benson. He was head of comsubpac later. Many of the torpedeos were duds. Mines were magnetic and had counters. I had a model made of the USS Trigger. Who produced this?

[@donaldhill3823]

Says "Twin Dolphins" and California National Productions is also listed. It was originally distributed by NBC in 1957-58.

[@danomalley2473]

There were two problems with the torpedoes the USN used at the start of the war. The first was that they were running about 10ft deeper than they were set to run, due to errors made during testing. In order to save money during design testing, They just filled the explosives casing with water to simulate the weight. The problem was that explosives were actually heavier than water, and to save money, they didn't bother to ever test a torpedo with explosives. This made every production torpedo run deeper than it was set to run. The second problem was that the trigger mechanism didn't always detonate when striking a target on an angle. The problem was found to be a small trigger pin was too heavy to trip the detonator. Various metals and alloys were tried and tested, and ironically, one that worked was made from the propellers of Japanese planes shot down during the Pearl Harbor attack. Both problems were eventually fixed, and of course word got around regarding fixes before newer and improved torpedoes were available for front line use.

[@allandavis8201]

It always pisses me off when a retired officer retains his title, I.e, I am Rear Admiral............USN Retired, whereas a NCO even though they could have served for longer and had more responsibilities they aren’t allowed or expected to use, as they say Rank has its privileges, and that is the problem, imagine two people applying for one job and submitting their respective C.Vs, equally qualified and experienced, nothing to choose between the two, but the title of one refers to a retired officer and the other only mentions the persons military experience in the main body of the C.V, guess who will be more likely to get the job? And all because they retain a title that really doesn’t mean anything once you leave the military. Enough of my soapbox, thanks for sharing this interesting and entertaining film. 👍.

[@cleaner10399]

As a Former member of the reserves, I would never put an Officer ahead of an enlisted person. In my experience far more often the enlisted is better qualified than the goldbraid.

[@dennismckown3873]

that shave tail who wanted to be on a shooting sub, ought to have transferred to a destroyer protecting a task force on landings being attacked by Japanese planes constantly, seeing his shipmates getting killed or wounded, all that blood and guts all over the place. then he'd realize, taking a break to lay mines, might be a little safe, for a moment. shave tails like that came home in closed coffins, in my little war.

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

I find it funny that the only real problem these crews ever face is how they want to sink ships so gosh darned much but sometimes they don't get to sink ships! No personal conflicts, doubts, hardships, fear. Their only wartime problem is that there is not enough war!

[@oldblackstock2499]

I'd like to read the words to the theme song. I can't understand all of it.

[@Straswa]

Great vid! Interesting how a sub lays mines.

[@davidmurphy8190]

Quite a bit of tonnage was put on the bottom in WW1 and WW2 using submarine-laid mines. The Russians and Chinese have pretty good stockpiles of moored and bottom mines with various triggering systems. In this episode, you saw bottom mines with magnetic influence triggers.

[@180mph9]

Very cool.

[@mdesm2005]

what part of "your order is to lay mines" and "we're short of torpedoes" doesn't the kid understand ?

[@topgeardel]

I love this series. Done really well. But those guys at the end are so stiff and scripted for 1 to 2 minutes !

[@randywise5241]

For submariners, they sure smoked a lot. Hollywood. You never smoke on a sub even back then.

[@iktomi5]

fabulous 😂🧨☠️

[@makewarnomore]

Dr. Stone: Carl Betz!, and The Professor

[@the_bro_show5768]

It was a 3 hour tour

[@NotaVampyre111]

When this show comes on, it shows a sub shooting up out of the water. This looks cool but it doesn't look like something they'd normally do. It looks like a very rough ride would be rough on the ship's super structure. Anyone ever experience this maneuver?

[@rickmarlar4708]

Yes I served on USS Scamp SSN 588 that is called an emergency blow. The sub on the video was the USS Pickerel SS 524

[@docbailey3265]

When I was a kid that scene scared the stuffing out of me. I’m not sure why.

[@pugsymalone6539]

I believe this was the first test of the emergency blow idea. I believe Pickeral was retired after that surfacing because damage was so extensive. 48 degree angle, is what I read. (Tunny 682 and Helena 725 here.)

[@milwaukeeroadjim9253]

When I was stationed on a sub tender I saw a photo of a boomer shooting out of the ocean. Isn't that what sunk the Japanese tourist boat a few years back?

[@pugsymalone6539]

@milwaukeeroadjim9253 it was a fast attack that was doing a scheduled test of the emergency blow system. I wrote an editorial about it that was published in Proceedings. A collasal failure of leadership from SubPac down to ship's company, in my opinion: the location selected was one mile south of the Honolulu sea buoy, if I remember correctly. Literally the busiest part of the ocean for 3000 miles in any direction.

[@stevenhj3124]

Well done.

[@Steve_1999]

These guys seem really "Triggered" haha, get it?

[@Steve_1999]

@Séamus O’ Shoegrew Yeah, every comedian is allowed one free "bad joke or pun" this was mine. Anyway, I've contributed to some successful comedy bits and used to do open mic standup just for fun. I've met a lot of comedians and Harland Williams liked one of my jokes on Twitter recently. I honestly believe I could've gone professional if I put the time & effort into it but the Hollywood lifestyle isn't for me. Writing comedy behind the scenes and letting others take the credit is fine with me.

[@matrox]

Its Donna Reed's husband.

[@milwaukeeroadjim9253]

Is that chief Jesse White, the maytag repairman?

[@82Echo411]

The guests are reading prompters & without much practice - see Nautilus & the Nuns.

[@merlemorrison482]

that's because they were sailors - not actors!!!

[@abundantYOUniverse]

Oh, MINES not MIMES, well that changes everything!

[@michaelcuff5780]

The men that worked on submarines were definitely a tough bunch and had nerves of steel! Im too chicken to sit 2 or 3 hundred feet below tons of saltwater and be depthcharged! Couldnt do it!

[@allandavis8201]

Nobody knows what they are capable of until they are in a position that they don’t think they are able to achieve, courage and determination come from within you, it can’t be taught, and everyone has it, but relatively few are required to use it, but in times of war many people do things they thought was impossible.

[@jonathanwallace6667]

@@allandavis8201 no truer words ever spoken.

[@garyrunnalls7714]

1st qualification for WW2 sailors is, ya gotta smoke.lol

[@jamesdennisdyke2514]

V

[@raybin6873]

Did these submarines really use that "aaaooogha" horn to alert crew for diving? Sounds like an old model T Ford....LoL!

[@richa7118]

When I served in the 1970s, we used the same horn. Three for dive and two for surface. It can’t be.mistaken for anything else.

[@raybin6873]

@@richa7118 - thanks for replying - interesting it was used in 1970's

[@larryjohnny]

Thought it was an acme horn from roger rabbit..

[@raybin6873]

@@richa7118 - cool...! So one must keep count then..."was that 2....or 3?" (Just being silly!) Does it feel different when submerged? Curious what it's like in a submarine - shud've joined the Navy - best of all branches IMO.. GO NAVY! 🇺🇸

[@rickmarlar4708]

@@richa7118 You got that backwards 2 for dive 3 for surface

[@johnhudak5939]

UFour-door stainless steel refrigerators, nipple

[@johnmayo27]

Nice going ❤❤❤❤❤

[@billb2479]

Most of the guests look like they are reading teleprompters.

[@nastybastardatlive]

Imagine surviving that patrol, then getting shipwrecked on the SS Minnow.