Commissioning
The USS Ethan Allen was the first of America’s second generation of nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines (commonly called “Boomers”) and the lead member of her class. She was the second U.S. Navy vessel named in honor of Ethan Allen, best known for leading the “Green Mountain Boys” of Vermont during the seizure of Fort Ticonderoga during the early days of the American Revolution.
The order to build the Ethan Allen was awarded to the Electric Boat Corp. of Groton, Conn., on July 17, 1958. Her keel was laid down on Sept. 14, 1959; she was launched on Nov. 22, 1960. She was commissioned on Aug. 8, 1961, with Commander Paul L. Lacy Jr. commanding the Blue Crew and Commander W.W. Behrens Jr. commanding the Gold Crew.
Underway
The Ethan Allen holds a place in maritime history as the only submarine to take part in a complete operational test of a strategic missile. On May 6, 1962, under the command of Capt. Lacy and with Admiral Levering Smith aboard, the Ethan Allen fired a nuclear-armed Polaris missile as part of Operation Dominic I. The firing was done with the Ethan Allen submerged. The test went smoothly, with the warhead hitting “right in the pickle barrel,” exploding at 11,000 feet over the South Pacific Ocean. No other surface explosion of a nuclear weapon has been conducted since that time and it is unlikely another ever will occur.
The Ethan Allen would conduct nuclear deterrence patrols in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during her 28 years of service as a ballistic missile submarine. With the exception of the nuclear test in 1962 and a collision with the Norwegian freighter Octavian in the Mediterranean Sea in January 1965 – which resulted in minimal damage to both vessels – she performed her duties without fanfare. She would win two Meritorious Unit Commendations, in 1968 and 1970. She would also win one Battle Efficiency “E” for outstanding combat preparedness, for the 1977 fiscal year.
In order to make way for the new Ohio-class of ballistic missile submarines under the terms of the SALT I treaty, the Ethan Allen had her missile tubes disabled in 1980. She was re-designated an attack submarine, with the classification number SSN-608, on Sept. 1, 1980. She served in her new role for another three years.
Decommissioning
The Ethan Allen was decommissioned on March 31, 1983 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on April 2. She was scrapped through the Navy’s Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Bremerton, Wash.
It was after her decommissioning that the Ethan Allen made one of her greatest claims to fame. In the fictional book “The Hunt For Red October,” the decommissioned sub is destroyed in an explosion meant to simulate the sinking of ballistic missile submarine to cover the escape of the defecting Soviet vessel.
Characteristics of the USS Ethan Allen
Type: Ballistic Missile Submarine
Displacement: approx. 7,900 tons submerged
Length: 410 ft 4 in (125.1 m)
Beam: 33.1 ft (10.1 m)
Draft: 27 ft 5 in (8.4 m)
Propulsion: S5W reactor – two geared steam turbines – one shaft
Speed: 16 knots surfaced, 21 knots (24 mph/39 km/h) submerged
Test depth: 1,300 ft (400 m)
Complement: 12 Officers and 128 Enlisted (two crews Blue and Gold)
Armament: 16 fleet ballistic missiles, 4 x 21 inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Career:
Name: USS Ethan Allen
Namesake: Ethan Allen
Ordered: 17 July 1958
Laid down: 14 September 1959
Launched: 22 November 1960
Commissioned: 8 August 1961
Struck: 2 April 1983
Fate: Ship and Submarine Recycling Program
Timeline:
July 1958: USS Ethan Allen ordered
September 1959: Keel of USS Ethan Allen laid down
November 1960: USS Ethan Allen launched
August 1961: USS Ethan Allen commissioned
May 1962: USS Ethan Allen fires only U.S. ballistic missile to actually be exploded during a test
September 1980: USS Ethan Allen re-designated attack submarine, re-classified SSN-608
March 1983: USS Ethan Allen decommissioned
Crewmembers of the USS Ethan Allen:
An unofficial list of crew members that served on the USS Ethan Allen can be found on the unofficial navy website at: http://navysite.de. This list is compiled by former crewmembers that voluntarily register. Some quoted comments from former crewmembers are listed below; many more are available on the source website at the following Web address:
http://navysite.de/ssbn/ssbn608.htm
George Connor (served January 1964-May 1969): “After leaving the Navy I stayed in and retired from the Naval Reserve. The Ethan Allen had the best crew and some of the most interesting characters that I ran across in my Naval and civilian career.”
Gino Scano (served 1966-71): “THIS WAS MY FIRST NUKE— A FAR CRY FROM THE OLD CAVALLA!”
Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ethan_ Allen_(SSBN-608)
http://navysite.de/ssbn/ssbn608.htm
