Latest San Francisco SSN-711 repair images

[Guest]

Apra Harbor, Guam (May 8, 2005) – The Los Angeles class submarine USS San Francisco (SSN 711) shown in dry dock is having repairs made on its damaged bow. A new large steel dome about 20 feet high and 20 feet in diameter was put in the place of the damaged bow. San Francisco ran aground 350 miles south of Guam Jan. 8, killing one crew member and injuring 23. U.S. Navy photo (RELEASED)

Steve Reichmuth



Edited By Dolphin on 1115787859

[Guest]

Steve,

Why would the new bow

Steve,

Why would the new bow would have a scum line at the waterline? Do you think the Navy may have pulled a bow from another LA class sub? Any thoughts or comments?

Lyle

[gerwalk]

Steve,

Why would the new bow

Steve,

Why would the new bow would have a scum line at the waterline? Do you think the Navy may have pulled a bow from another LA class sub? Any thoughts or comments?

Lyle

Yes, that's strange...

And why they say "steel dome"? IIRC the dome is mostly made of composite material since it is the sonar window itself.

[gerwalk]

From this article]http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1342338/posts)
Quote
In a related

[color=#000000]From this article]http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1342338/posts[/url])
Quote
In a related development, Lt. Cmdr. Jeff A. Davis, a spokesman for the Pacific submarine force commander, said late Friday night that assessment of the damage to the San Francisco is proceeding and that shipyard workers in Guam are planning to make temporary repairs to the bow of the ship so it can be moved under its own power to a shipyard where it can be repaired.

Although the location where it will be repaired has not been determined, Navy sources said it would likely be Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, or Bangor, Wash.

“These temporary repairs will be engineered to ensure a successful transit,” Davis said. “As part of having on-hand materials for potential use in these temporary repairs, a large steel dome about 20 feet high and 20 feet in diameter will be arriving at Guam in the next few days. As of now, no decisions have been made about when USS San Francisco will depart Guam, where it will go, or what her final disposition will be.”

Other Navy sources said that if the assessment determines it makes sense to repair rather than scrap the San Francisco, the Navy will likely use the entire bow section from the recently decommissioned USS Atlanta to replace the badly damaged bow of the San Francisco.
End of quote

So]

[anonymous]

What is even stranger is

What is even stranger is that the below the midline red paint on the hull appears to be gone in these photos. Earlier photos posted in this forum clearly showed it to be there]http://www.subcommittee.com/cgi-bin....7;t=116[/url]

Also, there is a noticeable hull deformation on the port side, just behind the damaged sonar dome. Can't really make out int he new photos if that is still there.
Tom

[anonymous]

My guess is the repairs

My guess is the repairs we see at Guam are temporary. Like the huge salvage job of the battleships (and other vessels) at Pearl Harbor after December 41, made seaworthy to either be towed.... or sail under their own power back to the west coast of the United States for complete reconstruction. SSN-711 would likely sail back to the west coast on the surface only with a safety escort.

There are plenty of decommissioned flight one Los Angeles class SSN's hanging around at Bremerton in storage or being scrapped. My guess is SSN-711 will head back (or towed) to Washington (Bremerton NSY), placed in dry dock, and a new bow (likely everything forward of the sail) from another decommissioned Flt. 1 688 will be used. Here is another way series production pays off.

So why not just discard SSN-711 instead? Because it maybe more expensive to refuel SSN-711's replacement, than to just remove and graft on a bow section from another de fueled 688 class boat instead. Gosh, what a wiring job this is going to be. Any guesses as to which decommissioned LA will contribute her bow as the new SSN-711 bow section? Atlanta? Submarines in the USN operationally are as busy as ever (and none to spare) in the world wide war on terrorism. My theory any way. If true....think what a diorama this dry dock scene might make. Hey you static modelers.

Atlanta's bow is likely in Washington state. The steel bow seen here is perhaps an old spare from one baking in the sun and rain in a back navy yard lot at Guam.

Steve Reichmuth



Edited By Dolphin on 1115878689

[gerwalk]

Tom]

[color=#000000]Tom]