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The WW2 submarine USS Cobia


MWalsh
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Another head. There is a certain procedure one needed to follow when flushing some of these heads, and if not done correctly whatever you desposited in the head was going to come flying back up at you, and in a pressurized fashion too...

 

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Forgive my ignorance, but do I see a broom up there with the periscope? Looks like one to me, but then I ain't no seadog crying.gif

 

You did! The broom signifies a "clean Sweep" of all targeted ships on the tour.

 

Thanks for the photos! I visited the Cobia myself when I was on leave back in my home town of Milwaukee. I posted these photos before, they they are really fitting here:

 

 

One of the few things I got from my grandfather were these original photos of US Submarines that were built in Manitowoc, Wisconson during WWII. He was an architect who worked on the hatches and doors for the boats. 28 subs were built in Manitowoc by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company. To a boat, they were considered the best quality subs built during the war. This first photo shows a sub in trials in Lake Michigan. Once the tests were completed, the boat was taken up to Chicago, put on a barge and moved down the Mississippi until it reached it the Gulf of Mexico. I have a feeling that my grandfather was on this boat during trials. From what my mom says, he pretty much freaked out and never went on another trip, hehehe.....

 

-Ski

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Another shot. The only Subs launched sideways were ones built in Manitowoc. The reason for this was that they were launched into a river....

 

-Ski

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I did not have time hit the actual Maritime Museum part of the place, there is actually a large museum building there too, devoted somewhat to subs built in Manitowoc during the war, but then also to Wisconsin's maritime history. Inside the building they had some other cool sub related exhibits, I did not have time to see the non-sub stuff though.

 

This picture is of one of the many, many battery cells in a WW2 submarine, these powered a sub when it was submerged and were recharged by the diesel engines when the sub was surfaced.

 

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And finally, a shot of an acceptance crew.... The sub would be sailed down to Chicago and floated via barge down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico!

 

-Ski

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And finally, they also had a periscope on display which one could look through and mess with - it had been remobved from a decommissioned WW2 sub. The pics are of the actual scope, and then I tried to take one of what it looked like looking into it / through it.

 

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That's it!

 

The Cobia really is a super museum to visit. Friendly staff, great tour guide, and a nice gift shop too, tons of books, some cool t-shirts, etc.

 

I hope to maybe hit the USS Silversides submarine museum and the US Coast Guard Cutter McLane museum in Muskegon, Michigan when I hit the OMSA convention in August. I might just hit the Cobia again then too, on the way.

 

MW

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Teamski,

 

Thanks much for adding the photos!! You also added some of the great history of Manitowoc and the boats they built. It was sobering to see there, on display, the plaques honoring all the subs that never returned; there were some Manitowoc ones which did not. The real bonus of my visit was the original WW2 crew who were there, it was just so neat to get to meet and speak to some of them. Speaking of your grandfather.... those crew said they had to pass psych tests before they were accepted into the submarine service. The tests had to do with a couple main things - their ability to not get claustrophobic, and their ability to live very closely with others for weeks and months at a time. I suspect the claustrophobia part of it is maybe what got your grandfather!

 

Doyler,

 

I'm not much of seadog, the only ships of any size I have been on have always been tied up at piers, right where I like them when I am on them :) But... if you are silly enouh to attend OMSA with me this summer, we'll be riding that SS Badger ferry boat you can see in the pictures, it's a four hour trip across Lake Michigan on it - that's my plan on how to get to OMSA w00t.gif It'll be a first for me.

 

MW

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Great pics, and interesting story! The Cobia is clearly well-maintained. I'm a confirmed landlubber, but enjoy cruising through the USS Alabama (BB-60, South Dakota Class) and Drum (WW2 sub, don't know what class) when I'm in Mobile, AL (boy, do I wish they were open to cruise ON!). If you're ever in that part of the country, that's a great way to spend a day. The Drum is now out of the water, apparently permanently, I'd think that brackish/salt water is hard on the hull. I haven't been on her in years.

 

When I was on the Alabama over Christmas, it was in such sad shape that I'm considering some volunteer work this summer.

 

Thanks again,

Thrasher

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General Apathy

Hi MWalsh, thank you very much for showing these photographs. You certainly did a thorough job of photographing the submarine both inside and out, and leaving very little to be imagined. The sub appears to be kept in very good order and must be worth a visit if you were in the area.

 

Some fifteen years ago when I was in Chicago at a military vehicle convention a couple of us went to see the submarine up there, I came away very disappointed it was in such poor order and the outside patched up everywhere, how I would have loved to have seen something like you have shown. Also they had cut an entrance and and exit walkway in the sides of the sub and, I think the visit was over in ten minutes.

 

Once again many thanks very enjoyable tour seen through your photographs.

 

Regards ( Lewis )

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Thanks for the comments.

 

I agree on the condition of her, and I have to hand it to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum staff and all their volunteers. That thing is just spotless, inside and out. If I did not live 300 miles away I would love to volunteer there regularly. I actually have also given thought to volunteering a weekend or two a year and just stay there.

 

Coolest thing is that they have overnight programs on the Cobia one or two weekends of the year. Scouts, kid groups, etc can stay onboard overnight. I think individuals can too actually. Wouldn''t that be something to say one did? I suspect if you volunteered, they might allow you to do that also.

 

I think the Navy Reserve's help cannot be underestimated too. I think they are out of a unit in Green Bay. Keeping the engine and related systems serviceable must be a huge task! Man, I would have loved to have heard those engines running... maybe this year I can try and be there for that.

 

I think the big thing the Cobia had going for it was the fact that it did not languish for years somewhere, in a yard, having parts stripped off it and used for other things, corroding, being damaged extensively by the elements. I think it was snapped up and put to museum use pretty close on the heels of the Navy ending it's service life.

 

I have been to the U-505 in Chicago too. It was interesting too, to say the least, and I enjoyed the tour. The problem with the U-505 though is that the museum staff seemed like they ran people through that thing like cattle, push push push to get in and out for the next group. The Cobia was much more relaxed. The tour guide I had was excellent too, very knowledgeable too. I was asking all sorts of oddball questions, due to my having read so much about WW2 US Navy subs, I was trying not to bore the rest of the people on the tour. The guide also was really good too, about letting me linger and be the last one always, so I could take so many pics. I have a bunch more I didn't post, and would have taken even more had my batteries not been old and poorly charged!

 

MW

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I have been to the U-505 in Chicago too. It was interesting too, to say the least, and I enjoyed the tour. The problem with the U-505 though is that the museum staff seemed like they ran people through that thing like cattle, push push push to get in and out for the next group. The Cobia was much more relaxed. The tour guide I had was excellent too, very knowledgeable too. I was asking all sorts of oddball questions, due to my having read so much about WW2 US Navy subs, I was trying not to bore the rest of the people on the tour. The guide also was really good too, about letting me linger and be the last one always, so I could take so many pics. I have a bunch more I didn't post, and would have taken even more had my batteries not been old and poorly charged!

 

MW

 

LOL! I was doing the same thing when I visited the Cobia. I kept adding in details during the tour, and I knew I was probably irritating the tour guide. I appoligized afterward, but the tour guide was happy to see somebody truly interested in the boat.

 

MW, did you visit 505 in it's new home?

 

-Ski

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I toured the USS New Jersey once a couple years ago, and man was that ever cool too!

 

I imagine that the maintaining needed on a sub is huge as it is, and the costs associated with it are too, but man, a battleship must just cost a massive amount of money to keep up as well, just due to the sheer size and amount of systems and all. WHEW!

 

There are some great museums here in the USA, I love to visit them, take a lot of pics, and buy a bunch of souvenirs to support them, as they are expensive no doubt!

 

Minnesota, Duluth, Minnesota to be exact, was trying to get the decommisioned cruiser the USS Des Moines brought there as a tourist attraction. They already have a great iron-ore boat museum ship, and a small Coast Guard ice breaker too. They ended up not getting the Des Moines though. Part of it was of course the cost, although it sounded to me as if the massive tourist trade there could have probably supported it, but the repsonse from the anti-military peaceniks was just horrible. All their blather about how this old Navy ship would glorify war, and their associated BS, was so disapppointing to hear and read. And the sad part was people actually paid attention to that and that weighed into the decision to not bring the Des Moines there. Sad sad sad. Last I knew, the Des Moines is either still languishing / rusting away in some shipyard, or was simply scrapped, I am not sure.

 

MW

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No Ski, I saw it in the Science & Industry Museum, last time I think I was there was 1997...

 

Where is it now?

 

As to the Cobia, next time I go, I am going to ask the staff if I can pay a double admission rate or something, to get a longer, more detailed, more personalized tour. If I go on some weekday I suspect I will be allowed to do so too... I agree, the guides love to hear from people that have a strong interest, and while the guides didn't mind, I bet the others did a bit! I was careful not to ask too much though. :blink:

 

MW

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No Ski, I saw it in the Science & Industry Museum, last time I think I was there was 1997...

 

Where is it now?

 

As to the Cobia, next time I go, I am going to ask the staff if I can pay a double admission rate or something, to get a longer, more detailed, more personalized tour. If I go on some weekday I suspect I will be allowed to do so too... I agree, the guides love to hear from people that have a strong interest, and while the guides didn't mind, I bet the others did a bit! I was careful not to ask too much though. :blink:

 

MW

 

Was it still outdoors? They moved the boat to an indoor location. It looks like it is getting the attention it's due.

 

As far as sleepovers, I wish they would allow adults to go without having to have children. The USS New Jersey would be an awesome ship to stay overnight on, but again, you have to be with a youth group to go.....

 

-Ski

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I know I am English. But, I have always had a soft spot for U.S. WW11 subs Gato, Balao & Tench class. Your photo`s are great, thanks for posting them. You said the engines run, what about the other systems? Is she sea worthy?

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I know I am English. But, I have always had a soft spot for U.S. WW11 subs Gato, Balao & Tench class. Your photo`s are great, thanks for posting them. You said the engines run, what about the other systems? Is she sea worthy?

 

Glad to post them, and glad you like them. I have about 40 or 50 more, but I figured I better not ov erload the Forum servers too much, I posted a lot as it is! w00t.gif

 

Not sure what else is seaworthy. She actually sits in the water, no holes cut in the hull, etc. If I get a chance to get there agaion this August I will ask those questions. When you start the tour I think the hatch you go through, which goes into the forward torpedo room, is actually the forward torpedo loading hatch, and I think the rear hatch you exit the Cobia from is the aft torpedo hatch, I say that because I think they didn't have to do any cutting to make it accessible, thus it staying seaworthy. Not 100% sure on that.

 

I also just looked at the Cobia website, it says this:

 

USS COBIA Restoration Project

 

USS COBIA is a major exhibit at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, requiring thousands of man-hours of maintenance and restoration. Beginning in 1970, the Museum began performing routine maintenance on COBIA consistent with available personnel and financial resources.

 

In 1990, COBIA underwent an inspection by Russell Booth, a recognized authority on the restoration of historic submarines. Booth's report contained recommendations for the long-term preservation and rehabilitation of COBIA. The first part of this plan was successfully completed in 1996 with dry-docking of COBIA at Sturgeon Bay. Hull restoration that took place during the dry-docking project later allowed the Wisconsin Maritime Museum to focus its efforts on the rehabilitation of the submarine's interior spaces using the techniques required on board historic museum vessels.

 

Since 1997, a process has been underway to return the submarine to its appearance and condition at the height of World War II submarine development in 1945. In 1998, the Museum was awarded a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's Statewide Transportation Enhancement Program (STEP). This grant helped underwrite interior restoration that included installation of World War II era flooring, bunks, metal trim, and crew lockers.

 

Often, the best way to preserve machinery is to restore and operate it. For example, engines and electrical equipment may deteriorate from long periods of inactivity. After many years of meticulous research, cleaning and repair, many of the submarine's systems have come on-line. Two specific volunteer-led projects that have been completed are the installation of a DC power drive on board the submarine and the rebuilding of main engines #1 and #2. Other recent successes include the restoration of COBIA's SJ-1 radar, thought to be the oldest operational radar in the world, and the return of the World War II radio shack to operational status.

 

COBIA volunteers of all kinds make a significant contribution to both the preservation and the rehabilitation of the submarine. COBIA is fortunate to have a truly outstanding and talented volunteer support group. These dedicated individuals have brought to bare valuable skills in the long-term preservation of the vessel. Over the years, special projects have been initiated and led by Sub Vets, Inc., U.S. Submarine Veterans of World War II, and many of individuals interested in preserving this living memorial to the submarine service.

 

COBIA has also benefited from the expertise of Naval Reserve units that regularly drill on board the submarine. The Museum has allowed COBIA to serve as a training platform for Naval Reservists, who perform training activities on COBIA and practice specialties ranging from internal communications to diesel engine systems. The work performed by these skilled reservists, in the conduct of their drill training, has helped to complete a variety of complex technical projects.

 

To accommodate the continued restoration plans and long-term preservation of COBIA, a dedicated restoration area has been completed within the newly-expanded Museum. In the COBIA Restoration Shop, staff and volunteers have access to metalworking and machine tools for repair work and parts manufacture. Staff and volunteers can easily transport equipment and materials from the COBIA Shop to the submarine. Visit us any time during the year to see the results of this on-going restoration work and many other submarine related events occurring at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.

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Here is the website for the Cobia and the Wisconsin Maritime Museum:

 

http://wimaritime.dreamhosters.com/uss-cobia.html

 

They have a "wants / needs" list of things they need to continue restoration. I need to contact them and ask them for some more specifics on some of the things they need, so that I can watch for things in my travels, ask friends who also collect military things, etc. They do such a great job there, I'd love to help them by finding some things they need, some of which are fairly simple I think...

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Here are a few more pictures from the museum. This one is of a Mark 27 "Cutie" acoustic homing torpedo. It would be fired and the idea was that it would home in on the sound of the target ship's propellers.

 

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