Long ago and far away, a nuc boat in the Med had been doing submarine sneaky stuff for a month and accumulated a considerable volume of trash to discard. We hadn't used the GDU / TDU during that month so as to stay quiet and because the lower ball valve leaked. After finishing our sneaky stuff, it was time to debulk. So in the wee hours of one fine night, we surfaced and I was one of the group sent up to the bridge to throw it over the side. One of the things to be discarded was a box of metal pie plates. How do you spell temptation? So, we, two mess cooks and the JOOD, played frisbee for a while until the control room called up and asked how much longer we needed to dump the trash. With a gentleman's agreement not to blab on each other, we went back down into the hull, play time over but greatly enjoyed.
Just wondering, When you are doing the sneaky stuff, Do yall turn on the blue or red lights like in the movies and vidoe games? Or is that not a thing anymore ?
We would typically "rig-for-red" in the control room about 15 minutes before coming to periscope depth during hours of darkness topside to allow the OOD's eyes to become dark adapted for periscope use.@@eecajledo8430
@@eecajledo8430blackout curtains would be rigged at each end of the control room red lighting would be rigged for dark hours and black lighting would be rigged whilst at periscope depth to make it easier to look out of the periscope in the control room Normal white lighting would be the order of the day throughout the submarine except for bunk spaces Royal navy preferred to use red lighting
They always claim Larry Bird was the number 1 trash talker, but I think Paul could give him a run for his money! Another very informative presentation. Thanks.
All air tight containers, bottles, jars etcetera had to be open or broken.When they shink to great depths, they would implode and make a popping noise If this was not done. Giving away our location. Also, the Cans that were ejected were stored efficiently as flat sheet metal that were preforated With tabs and a round top and bottom. as one piece, it would be folded into a cylinder with the tabs bending and locking it together. Iron disk shaped weights were added to Inside bottom of the can. I was a sonarman on the Daniel Webster SSBN and the Tinosa SSN
I was on CGC Morgenthau in mid 1970's and one time we were passing by Newfoundland (50+ miles) when a new guy took out our trash in plastic bags weighted down but didn't poke holes in the bag and tossed them over the side. A few weeks later we got a nastygram from District because one of the bags floated ashore in Newfoundland. They knew where it came from because there were papers inside with Morgnthau's name on them.
Paul, you will enjoy this Air Force story from my TDY to Dhahran Saudi Arabia in 1982. Gas, was 10 cents a gallon, but we were only allowed so many liters per week. At times that wasn't enough. Our motor Sergeant learned the I believe Pakistani was the duty person at the air base gas station had a weakness for powdered sugar donuts. Every day we had a standing order for two bakers tray of donuts from the Ramada Inn that was our quarters and dining facility all on the King's tab. So when we needed more gas, the motor Sergeant would pass the word not to touch the powdered sugar donuts. He would grab 4 and some foil and wrap the donuts. When he got to the base gas station, he would place the foil wrapped donuts, slightly opened, on the counter and ask for the extra gas. The attendant would glace at the foil and say in slightly broken English, "Sure, sure, take what you need." When the motor Sergeant returned the foil was in the trash and only a slight dusting of powdered sugar remained on the counter. So we used the King's donuts to bribe the King's gas station attendant to get the King's gas. Paul, you just can't make this stuff up! I think that tops your can of coffee bribe!
My heart beat goes way up every time I hear "Anchor's Aweigh." I loved my time in the Navy, especially on sea duty. Things have changed tremendously over the years as we've worked on saving our ecology. I worked in the scullery in Ranger. Assuming the fantail was open, anytime we didn't have flight ops and we were at sea, we'd take those 32 gallon cans to the fantail and dump them straight down a chute that was mounted there on the centerline. This directed the garbage down where our inboard turning screws would suck them under and mix them thoroughly. When sweepers was called, every division throughout the ship would be taking their trash cans (cleaned up for the non-Navy people) to the fantail and dumping them down the chute. On my first cruise, our CAG (a commander in those days) would join us. He brought his Smith-Wesson .357 Magnum with him. He'd have all of us with regular trash throw pieces of crumpled paper beyond our wake so he could target shoot at them. This gentleman was indicative of our officers that cruise. Everyone there was a non-rate. He would let us try our hand at firing that beautiful weapon. I loved that big grip. I've large hands and it fitted just perfectly. Possibly the sweetest weapon I ever handled.
Sculpin SSN590, built by Ingalls in Mississippi had, in my memory, the same small trash cans. We also had larger round cans 9" in diameter by 30" in length. Lined by nylon mesh bags and weighted by flat iron disks. Food waste had a plastic bag liner. Our TDU was in the galley. On the midwatch, the cook/baker and I believe the Auxiliary watch stander shot the TDU 3 bags at a time. I vaguely remember the metal sheets. The garbage was stored in "garbage corner" which was by the reefers/freezer. Oddly this was just fwd of an intake for the ventilation recirc fan. The first bag into the TDU was gingerly placed in the tube, as not to damage the hull ball valve. I never personally operated the TDU, it goes without saying it was a very controlled evolution. Last thing you wanted was a 10" hole in the "people tank."
OH yes, that's just how you got stuff you wanted, and could NEVER get through PROPER channels. It is actually against regulations too, but as long as it never left the Navy, and it wasn't to big, like a refrigerator, it was condoned. I personally "traded" stuff for my shop numerous times. ;)
On the SSBNs of the early 70s they were called TDU (trash disposal unit). Worked the same as your GDU. I saw the units in the galleys as there was a big push to replace the Terrazzo decks with ceramic tile. Didn't help as the ceramic tile also buckled during patrol. My tender also had a valve shop the seemed to only work on TDU valves.
We called it a TDU as well. SSBN 657 (Benjamin Franklin Class). There were two types of items that went into the TDU, soft bags (sometimes referred as "wet bags", and the make as needed "Cans". The wet bags were made of a nylon mesh. Food scrapes generally went into into the wet bags. Paper, cans, and other hard items went into the cans. There was a hydraulic compactor to smash as much trash as possible into the cans. During TDU ops, several "wetbags" were placed in the TDU first to protect the muzzle ball valve from damage. The trash was not ejected but simply fell out the bottom. I believe there was a minimum weight each can had to be to insure it sank. On a SSBN, you never wanted the TDU to be out of service. In that event, we would have to commandeer a unused auxiliary tank to store the garbage until after patrol. After patrol, there would have to be a bucket brigade from the tank access to topside (generally the bridge) for disposal. Not a pleasent event.
Love to hear any mention of Clamagore. My grandfather's sub, and no offense to cod, my favorite sub. I wish she would have had as good of a crew as you guys! Perhaps it could have helped to save her.
Good presentation! When I was mess cooking we requested permission to dump trash and garbage from the chief of the watch in the Control Room. He would contact the OOD on the bridge with our request. Only after the OOD granted permission did we carry the T & G to the control room and proceed topside with it.
As @bloodworthmagic pointed out some items needed special handling prior to disposal. What impressed me was that burned out florescent lightbulbs had to be stored onboard until return to port. Couldn't put them down the TDU as they would implode under pressure, giving away position. Couldn't break them onboard and then dispose of them as they contained mercury. Got to love LED if those are able to go down the TDU.
In 1976 I was on the tin can tender AD26 Shennadoah at Norfolk D&S piers. The sub tender AS36 L Y Spears was brethed there as well. Everytime we had to go over there for some part or something, we alway took 5 lb tins of coffee for trade.
Nice nod to the secrecy of the Silent Service there. “We welcome info, if you can talk about it”. I imagine designers inventing some really really cheap steel, that rusts like crazy, but the contract ends up really expensive. There is an ecosystem on the bottom of oceans that fully consumes whale carcasses (“whale falls”). All in good time, the bones take the longest but that too. I wonder if bubbleheads add whale-flavouring to their garbage.
Former ETR2(ss), served on the 740(g) in the early 2000's. In my Radio Room, we had 2 or 3 of those. Sometimes, they're used to hold a binder or publication. The rest would usually have a small garbage bag. I have many hours emptying those after watch and during field days while underway! They sure can make a clang if accidentally dropped! There would usually be several in different areas depending on the location. Control would have some located in strategic locations so as not to impede operation, state rooms would usually have one, and offices would have one or two depending on the size.
Our 'TDU' on the 740, I've helped load cans and weights into the TDU room many times while in port, or sometimes at sea as a nub crank. The operator would roll the can, bend the tabs, and fasten the bottom. They'd weight to 54lbs, when full. And shoot about 4x at a time while at sea. Messy messy business. Never envied the TDU operator! On my boat... it was usually an A Ganger on their first patrol.
5:10 "...he came back to the boat quite crestfallen...." This is Gold! Stainless steel used on subs is called CRES!!! That's some high level humor, intentional or otherwise
@@wbix2298 HELL YES IT IS PRONOUNCED CRESS!! Brah, I've worked it, I've been around other welders and their bosses, enginerds -you name it, it's cress.
We traveled in different circles. Mine did not WORK with the material, only lived with it day in and day out. I don't give a damn what it was called, just thought my world has the correct name. Enjoy April fools day. Bix
GDU or TDU. I am going to give it a WAG and say the early units were GDU. Emptied by the weight of the garbage falling out the bottom. In my days of the '60s and "70s it was a TDU. Same system but with a connection to the trim system piping to assist in a clean flush to help prevent fouling of the muzzle valve. And the muzzle valve was a larger diameter than the tube bore. I hope enemy countries don't know about this.
Not shredded back in the day... and you really don't want to burn this is inside a submarine. Top Secret Classified papers were printed on water soluble paper that rapidly disintegrated in water.
Nice video but... can the camera-person please hold the camera still for cod sakes (getting sea-sick over here). Use a tripod for static footage like this. And the audio is terrible in this particular video.
A Lock on the Garbage Compartment? Oh - gotta keep them Officers from grabbing a midnight snack, eh? I'd ask you why but you threw out my last question... This video was garbage. I mean your commentary stunk, and your presentation was just rotten... Kudos, Sir ;)
@@paulfarace9595 I believe that He was being what we submariners call "a smart ass" and he was referring to the stinky topic that you presented. Not your acting skills! But, I could be wrong. It happened once 🙂
