USS Montpelier

A

Aiviq

New member
The USS Montpelier USN 765, a Los Angeles class attack sub made a port call in Bizert, Tunisia this week, and I was lucky enough to get a tour. Wow! It's 362 feet long, 33 feet beam and 20 foot draft. For over 130 some crew, this boat is NOT roomy. I don't think I'd like to be a submariner and spend 3 months at a pop on that thing. Very impressive piece of machinery, though. My hat's off to the sailors who work on it. I like the photo with the mosque minaret in the background. The sailors were a bit jumpy, though. I'm sure they all had the Cole on their mind.

montpellier.sized.jpg

Jim
 
The USS Montpelier SSN765 is way more roomy than the diesel boats that picked Dusty up back in the dark ages, and even one of the last of the diesel boats like the USS Sailfish, SS572 that I (thankfully) briefly served on. It's probably comparable to the early nuke Polaris boats that I spent several years on. At least someone over 5'6 could comfortably stand up to whiz, and a shower didn't need the Commanding Officer's permission!

As for a USS Cole type incident, thankfully the crew below decks would be pretty safe inside the inner pressure hull. It would take quite a load of explosives to get through the inner hull, but the folks topside and the outer hull are definitely vulnerable.

Public tours aren't any more, and tours are usually limited to family members or very special guests. Even then I think you probably noticed all the equipment with covers over the dials etc. You were, indeed, very lucky. Did you peek through the attack scope? With that, you could probably see a flea on that minaret in the background!

Don
 
Great to hear from you again. That is a good picture with the mix of two worlds in one place. How did the locals take to the sub visiting? When I had a port call in the P.I. there was a mix or reactions with the locals, some were over joyed to see us, some where over joyed to see our money, and some were not happy at all. I hope you and your family are well and you can find a turkey some where in north africa.
 
timflan":2rs20dta said:
starcrafttom":2rs20dta said:
I hope you and your family are well and you can find a turkey some where in north africa.
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Sorry Tom, Turkey's up in Europe somewhere. :-)
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Andy by the way, don't go to Greece looking for a turkey.

If you ask for one there, they'll think you're a Turk and take YOUR head off!

Joe. :lol:
 
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