Down Periscope, Up Periscope: Tales of Submarine Tours
HistorieThe unofficial podcast of the tour guides on USS Blueback (SS-581). Join us for an adventure beneath the waves on the U.S. Navy's last diesel-electric attack submarine; a permanent exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). We discuss the tours, technology, and history of Blueback and submarine history, in general. Everything from the lighthearted, the serious, and the salty.
Siste episoder av Down Periscope, Up Periscope: Tales of Submarine Tours podcast
- Follow Up: A Tin Can Sailor off Vietnam (00:06:47)
Studying USS Hamner's deck logs reveals where she was during the Battle of Dong Hoi and some other interesting activities she did during April 1972.
- Sea Stories: Remembering the Gulf War Aboard a Cruiser (feat. Scott Thingelstad) (00:34:17)
An interview with Scott Thingelstad, the longest-serving tour guide on Blueback and our first paid staff member interviewed. Scott talks about his time in the U.S. Navy and serving on a guided missile cruiser during Operations Desert Shield/Storm in 1990 - 1991.
- Follow Up: Becoming a Submarine Corpsman (00:03:37)
A correction from my Blueback tour video regarding what it takes to become an Independent Duty Corpsman (IDC) on a submarine.
- S1e6: Maintenance of the Submarine as a Museum Ship (00:14:49)
Discussing the ongoing maintenance issues on the submarine and the limitations of the crew.
- Sea Stories: A Tin Can Sailor off Vietnam (feat. Dave Pierce) (00:32:04)
An interview with Dave Pierce, a Boiler Technician who was aboard the destroyer USS Hamner during the Vietnam War.Read the blog post on this story at the following link:http://thetidesofhistory.com/2025/03/23/sea-stories-a-tin-can-sailor-off-vietnam-feat-dave-pierce/
- Review: The Hunt for Red October (00:41:40)
Reviewing the book and film adaptation of "The Hunt for Red October." Blog Posts for these reviews can be found at the following links: http://thetidesofhistory.com/2024/10/27/book-review-the-hunt-for-red-october-by-tom-clancy/ For the Take Me to Your Reader Podcast group review (recorded on USS Blueback), see the following link: https://pavementpodcast.com/podcast/lmnop-plots-the-hunt-for-red-october-by-tom-clancy-recorded-at/
- Sea Stories: That Time a Submarine Crashed into a Car (feat. the Captain) (00:08:26)
Vessels at sea collide with lots of things. But I bet you've never heard about the time a submarine collided with a car! Read the related blog post at the following link: That Time a Submarine Crashed into a Car
- Sea Stories: Lunch with an Admiral (from the Captain) (00:15:03)
One time, just as his boat was being commissioned, our good Captain had lunch with an admiral who had some peculiar tastes. Read the blog post of this story at the following link: http://thetidesofhistory.com/2024/08/04/sea-stories-lunch-with-an-admiral-from-the-captain/
- S1e5: Drowning in a Sea of Knowledge (00:31:02)
Discussing the pleasures and frustrations of doing historical research on a submarine (museum ship).
- Sea Stories: Surviving a Submarine Fire (feat. Rick Neault) (00:27:32)
On 24 April 1988, USS Bonefish (SS-582) suffered a major battery fire. This is that story. More information can be found at the following links: (Youtube video) (Blog post on Fair Winds & Following Seas)
- S1e4: Up to Interpretation - Why every tour is different (00:22:47)
Every museum has an interpretation of its exhibits. In this episode, I'll discuss why every tour guide has a different interpretation of Blueback and why every tour we give is different.
- Sea Stories: USS Uncomfortable - Claustrophobia on a submarine (feat. Robert Talbert) (00:18:19)
Navy submarines, being warships, aren't particularly comfortable. In fact, even trained submariners can get claustrophobic. Let's hear a story about that. Read the blog post (w/transcript) for this episode at the following link: https://thetidesofhistory.com/2024/03/17/sea-stories-uss-uncomfortable-claustrophobia-on-a-submarine-feat-robert-talbert/
- Sea Stories: The Admiral's Drawers (feat. the Captain) (00:09:36)
Many things can go wrong at sea aboard a submarine. This is the story of that time the Captain lent Admiral Rickover some underwear. This is also available as a blog post at the following link: https://thetidesofhistory.com/2024/02/25/sea-stories-the-admirals-drawers-feat-the-captain/
- That Time I Taught a U.S. Navy Captain How to Make Coffee (00:09:40)
Sailors run on coffee, but not every sailor, particularly officers, knows how to make coffee. Read the blog post of this episode at the following link: http://thetidesofhistory.com/2023/10/01/that-time-i-taught-a-u-s-navy-captain-how-to-make-coffee/
- S1e3: Atlantis & Blueback - My first submarines (00:30:40)
Discussing my childhood memories of taking two submarine tours. One on an operational submarine, and one of Blueback herself.
- USS Torsk: The Last Torpedo Shots of WWII (00:14:50)
Recounting the story of USS Torsk (SS-423), the last submarine to fire torpedoes in WWII and the last U.S. Navy submarine to fire torpedoes at an enemy. Read the blog post for this episode at the following link: http://thetidesofhistory.com/2024/01/21/uss-torsk-the-last-torpedo-shots-of-wwii/
- S1e2 Ensign Echo - Being a Blueback tour guide (00:25:43)
Discussing the requirements for becoming a tour guide on USS Blueback and what it generally involves.
- S1e1 Exhibit Your Sea Legs - Introduction (00:05:49)
Introduction to the podcast. Down Periscope, Up Periscope: Tales of Submarine Tours is the unofficial podcast of the tour guide staff on USS Blueback, the U.S. Navy's last diesel-electric attack submarine. Currently a permanent exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Blueback is moored in the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon.
- How to Use the Toilet on a Submarine (00:08:30)
Using the head (toilet) at sea is usually a fairly straightforward process. On a submarine, it can be frought with danger. Read the blog post for this episode at the following link: http://thetidesofhistory.com/2023/07/30/how-to-use-a-toilet-on-a-submarine/