History of USS Tecumseh

[rogerthat]

The history page of this site says that Tecumseh was "deployed from" Scotland for a number of years, and then "...conducted an extensive overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, New Hampshire from 1977 to 1979. Upon completion of the overhaul, TECUMSEH was assigned to Commander Submarine Squadron EIGHTEEN in Charleston, South Carolina."

I was a midshipman in the summer of '77 and spent three days on the Tecumseh. We boarded in Charleston and returned to Charleston. Just curious - this doesn't really line up with the history page - was Tecumseh just visiting Charleston in '77 or was that her home port at the time?

[john j]

Roger---on decklog.com / ships log says Tcup made it's last patrol out of Scotland in 76. Were you on sea trials before a last patrol out of Charleston? Or maybe just weekly ops before going to the yards. Maybe someone who was there will answer. Try your question on Tcup facebook. jj

[Sid Mouser]

Hey Roger,
I just happen to have been on board Tecumseh at that time. So I remember the history of that period very well. I was in the Fwd IC Div. I was on board when we brought the Tecumseh from Holyloch to Charleston in appx June of 1977.

This was my 4th Patrol, it started around April 1977, and it was shortened just a bit. We traveled down off the coast of Africa and performed a Daso, (Missile Shot) then we had an ORSE (Reactor Exam) on the way to Charleston. During the DASO one of the two Missiles WOULD NOT fly. It had a problem with some electrolyte from a battery getting on some electronics as I recall.

At any rate, only ONE out of the two birds would fly.
And when it launched, it sounded just like a GIANT toilet bowl flushing, and the whole boat shook like hell.

I was the Missile Compensation Operator at the BCP operating the Hovering and Depth Control System during the Missile Shot. It was very exciting. Our depth did not vary by more than a foot or so, the system worked just great.

My responsibility during the launch involved sitting next to the Chief of the Watch at the BCP and press a little button right at launch. That commanded the 3 way Hovering valve to rotate and blow out water for a predetermined time.
The first missile left just fine, but when the little red indicator for the 2nd missile dissappeared, I pressed the little button again, but heard in my SP Phones, "Mis-fire, Mis-fire". so I quickly hit the reset button, wich cancelled the Hovering Valve command. They had a certain time window to fire it, and tried several more times, to no avail.

Anyway, It was May or June 1977, and the ORSE was STILL going on when we brought the Boat into Charleston and tied up to the pier at the weapons station. This was the first time the Boat had been in the US for about 5 or 6 years. We did not even take on shore power for what seems like a couple days, untill the ORSE was completed, and also the feds got on board to inspect and figure out how come that one missile would not fly.

We then were just kind of dinking around for about 4 months till we went into the yard at Portsmouth. We conducted several weeks worth of Midshipman Ops out of Charleston. We would take a bunch of Midshipman out for appx 3 days, then just come into the mouth of the harbor, and meet a tug, and drop those off, and pick up another batch off the Tug, and head back out for 3 more days. Then we would go to the weapons station for a few days, and then do it all over again.

I remember we also went down to Cape Canaveral for about a week for something, and we also went on a quick trip up to New London, for a week or so. Then the boat came back to the Weapons station at Charleston, and started getting seriously ready for the Overhaul at Portsmouth, NH.

I was on the Advance Party to Portsmouth, so my wife and I got to drive up. We left Summerville in our car the day before her Birthday, Aug 23, 1977.

The Boat arrived Portsmouth in Late Sept 1977. My wife and I spent a year and a half living in Kittery Point Point Maine. Just across the river from the Sub Base. It was COLD as hell up there. We got snowed in for several days in a terrible Nor-easter snowstorm in Feb/Mar '78.
Our daughter was then known as a "blizzard of 78 Baby". Being born in Nov of 1978, at Pease Air Base in Portsmouth. Ha ha.

I took the Boat through almost the entire Overhaul period.

I got out Mar 26, 1979, just about the time the boat was ready to go back to sea. It was great timing.

I hope that answers your question.
Sorry for writing a frickin Novel here.
Regards,
Sid (Mouse)
ex IC2 (ss) '74 - '79

[Sid Mouser]

Roger,
By the way. I hope you have a GOOD memory of your short stay on the Tcup. That was such a great crew at that time.

During those Middie Ops was the only time I remember we had to "hot rack" it.
Simply because there were so many people on board, bunks were a little short. Nothing like crawling into a warm bunk that some guy just crawled out of.....

And, I do remember we were normal bubbleheads, and spun up the ones who were easy to spin up. But it was always in a nice way.....
I hope we didn't give you too hard a time.

Regards,
Sid.....

[bear1523]

I am looking for eric love he a I am were on the blue crew any of that crew put there.?

[wayne weihermuller]

Hey Mouse,
How are you...I think you and I went thru our blue nose initiation together.
Still talk to Johnny Lott.
I was one of the cooks from 74' to 76' on Blue crew.
Regards,
Wayne

[Ken Strong]

Hey Wayne,
I've never seen this site before and I see you were here 15 hours ago! I'm in AZ, how the hell are you? Tell Johnny I said hello!
All my best,
Ken

[wayne weihermuller]

Hey Ken,
Get in touch with Johnny to get in touch with me.
Wayne

[Don Freas]

Crew member in the 70=73 took her To HOly Lock Confused In the Missile Compartment At the BCP as I remember her the BCP was in the control Room Next to my Sonar Shack. Everyone remember TD501???