Re: [OT]The Mad Mountie

From: "Glenn M Wilson" <triphibious@juno.com>

> >I must tell you the story of the "Mad Mountie", a Canuck Submariner
on
> >secondment
> >with the RAN. BTW I've helped train quite a few Canadian Submariners,

> >but
> >this one
> >was before my time.
> >
> >
> 
> I'm waiting, so tell, so tell!

I got this story from a guy called "Wingnut", so-called because of his
truly outsized ears. Not quite Dumbo the Flying Elephant, but not far
off it. He was also one of the RAN's top sonar operators at the time
(figures...). He and I shared the ability to hear frequencies over 20
KHz, but I digress....

Anyway, Submariners and Submarine Skippers are supposed to be
Aggressive.
With a Capital A.

"There are 2 types of vessel: submarines and targets". When the USS Iowa
steamed through the heads of Port Jackson, all the officers from the
Submarine Warfare Systems Centre at HMAS Watson on South Head were
literally - and I do mean literally - drooling at the sight of such a
big, fat, JUICY target. That it was an allied vessel mattered not at
all,
they were discussing exactly where to put a spread of torps for maximum
effect. Bear with me, I just want to convey the mood. Think of Mike
Tyson armed with tonnes of high explosives and genius-level intellect.

But... they speak in hushed tones about The Mad Mountie. During an
exercise, this guy was in command of one of Her Majesty's Australian
Submarines. The target they were exercising against was the standard
"toughest nut" to crack, a CV (Carrier) group, with all of its escorts,
ASW helos (Anti-Submarine Warfare helicopters), and at least one
SSN in DS ( Nuclear Submarine in Direct Support - ie was either a part
of the formation, or scurrying about ahead of it, "sanitising" areas
to make sure no enemy subs could attack).

He eluded the SSN, penetrated the outer screen, dodged the sonobuoy
fields, and then snuck up very close, VERY close at periscope
depth to the closest escort to the carrier...

He then did the following:

CRASH SURFACE, fired Very pistols at the destroyer just 40 yards
away, steered directly at the carrier, commanded "STAND BY TO RAM" ( not
"collision alarm", he actually said "STAND BY To RAM"), fired more Very 
pistol shots that actually landed on the flight deck of the CV, CRASH 
DIVE, going beneath the Carrier by maybe a metre, but probably less...

He would have put all 6 torps in almost exactly the same place, at
a range of about 200 metres (ie just within arming distance). The whole
formation went to pieces trying to avoid a collision. Had it been
wartime,
there's no doubt he would have rammed, and for all I know, boarded with
cutlass in one hand and flare pistol in the other. Not so silly as it
sounds, a flare pistol could make a shambles of the hanger deck if
there was fuel and ordnance about. 

According to Wingnut, the story goes that he was on the sail, laughing
maniacally as he did this, and firing the signal flares personally.

Sounds too good to be true. But I know some of the Oz sub skippers,
and they're not easily impressed. And as I said, (and can personally
confirm this bit) they speak in hushed tones at the HMAS Watson
officer's
mess when "The Mad Mountie" is mentioned....