The USS Tang (SS-306), one of the most prolific hunters of World War II, had the unfortunate fate of succumbing to her own torpedo. She sank in approximately 180 feet of water in the Taiwan Strait. Thirteen crewmembers attempted an escape from the Tang. Only eight survived the ascent. Five survived on the surface until rescued, along with four others who had jumped from the submarine before she sank. Of the 87 crewmembers, only nine survived.1 Given the current political and strategic importance of the Taiwan Strait, submariners could find themselves fighting again in these waters. Navy submarine sailors should train with submarine escape systems more frequently to master their last best chance for survival in combat.
Early Escape Systems
Before 1930, eight U.S. Navy submarines had sunk because of accidents, collisions, or mishaps resulting in significant loss of life.2 Viable rescue options for sailors trapped on board submerged submarines were practically nonexistent. The Momsen Lung, a device for submariners to use to escape in shallow water, was not developed until 1928. Reliable rescue efforts only became viable after the development of the McCann rescue chamber in 1931.3 This device could be lowered from a crane to mate to the disabled submarine’s hatch and allow the recovery of up to six sailors at a time. The most famous and successful submarine rescue using the McCann rescue chamber was during the USS Squalus (SS-192) incident of 1939.4 The Squalus partially flooded and sank to a depth of 240 feet. In just under 39 hours, all 33 survivors were rescued using the McCann rescue chamber.
The evolution of submarine escape technology led to the development of Submarine Escape and Immersion Equipment (SEIE), plainly spoken as the “sigh” suit. At the start of their careers, all submariners undergo rigorous training at submarine school, where they are taught how to escape in a column of water while wearing the sigh suit. The sigh suit is designed to protect submariners from the effects of cold water and pressure changes when escaping from a submerged submarine. According to researchers, “the U.S. Navy reinstituted pressurized submarine escape training (PSET) for submarine sailors in 2009 after a nearly 30-year absence.”5 This training is crucial; however, the initial training at submarine school is the only time a submariner practices escaping in a column of water while wearing the sigh suit.
There is a threshold below specific depths where escape or rescue is just not possible. However, shallow water operations around a continental shelf present a real possibility for escape from a disabled submarine, as evidenced by the Tang in 1944.
A New Era
U.S. naval dominance since the Cold War has diminished the importance of regular training to escape from a disabled submarine. However, the recent rise of Chinese naval power and resurgence of the Russian submarine force demand a renewed focus on submarine escape training. Given ongoing tensions in the South China Sea, the location of the last successful submarine escape during a time of war (the Taiwan Strait) could be where the next escape from a downed submarine is attempted.
The Navy should increase the amount and quality of training in submarine escape and survival systems now to raise submariners’ confidence in their use. Establishing a midcareer threshold for sailors to revisit a submarine pressurized escape trainer would allow them to build on the ascension training they received at the Basic Enlisted Submarine School and refresh their skills and confidence. Further, the Navy should rebuild or revitalize the submarine escape tower located at Naval Base, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. An additional facility for training would be beneficial for submarine crews so they could practice their escape skills prior to deploying. Last, the Navy should demonstrate the reliability of escape systems by having every submarine perform an escape exercise during deployment workups.
The last U.S. Navy submarine escape exercise was performed by the USS Los Angeles (SSN-688) in 2006. While the Navy’s submarine design and safety measures have proven very successful in preventing the total loss of submarines during major mishaps or collisions, especially after the institution of the SUBSAFE programs following the USS Thresher (SSN-593) and Scorpion (SSN-589) losses, these programs do not address potential conditions during major combat operations in which the United States is likely to sustain loss of ships and submarines. As Captain John P. Friedman and Lieutenant Commander Brian C. Juskiewicz suggested in a 2020 Proceedings article, the limited budgets and fading memories of submarine disasters are most likely the cause of the U.S. Navy’s diminished leadership role amongst the international submarine rescue community.6
Other navies are surpassing the United States in experience. The French nuclear attack submarine Suffren carried out an escape exercise on 6 July 2021.7 The likelihood of successful escape and survivability with the current special suits and equipment is high, but it must be practiced routinely.
1. Nora Zamichow, “Tale of the USS Tang: How Crewmen Escaped a Sunken Sub,” Chicago Tribune, updated 20 August 2021.
2. “Saving Submariners: Submarine Rescue and Escape,” U.S. Naval Undersea Museum.
3. LCDR Dale M. Molé, USN, MC, Submarine Escape and Rescue: An Overview (January 1990), num.2018.024.007, U.S. Naval Undersea Museum collection.
4. U.S. Coast Guard, “The Long Blue Line: Coast Guard Helps Rescue U.S. Submarine Squalus over 80 Years Ago!” MyCG, 17 July 2023.
5. Seth O’ Donnell and Wayne Horn, “Initial Review of the U.S. Navy’s Pressurized Submarine Escape Training Outcomes,” Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine: Journal of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, Inc. 41, no.1 (March 2014): 33–40.
6. CAPT John P. Friedman and LCDR Brian C. Juskiewicz, USN, “Submarine Rescue,” U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings 146, no. 10 (October 2020).
7. Martin Manaranche, “French Navy Conducts Evacuation Exercise from Submerged Submarine Suffren,” Naval News, 20 July 2021.
