So there was the von Steuben ... in dry dock during the first non-CONUS, non-refueling, overhaul in Holy Loch Scotland.She also had a racing stripe around the port fairwater, with "SS632" painted on it. This was during the time that the Chevy SS396 was the hot car on the market.
The first photo is thanks to Walt Specht. Second and third photos thanks to Greg Zonner.
Now for "The Rest of the Story", by Chuck Brickell ... CO of the boat during that time. He writes:
I went to web site and had a chuckle over the ship with teeth painted on it. I remember it pretty clearly. I was the C.O. and it was my first patrol. The overhaul was called an ERP or extended refit period. The drydock period really replaced the patrol and EBCo. did a mini overhaul.
Near the end of that period we were all getting kind of tired and a bit bored. Things were lagging in general. I received a letter from Timmy, my 11 yr old son who had seen a new movie called JAWS. That gave me the idea for the sharks teeth.
Had the EB draftsmen draw it up and outline it in chalk on the hull. It was much too small. They did it over and it looked good. By this time everyone knew of it but the collective opinion was that I didn't have the cajones to break Navy regs and really paint it on. I believe there were some bets placed.
One day about 1600, just before all hands were about to come up and travel over to the tender for evening meal, I got the oldest EB worker to paint it on. He thought it was a real honor, but asked me 6 or 7 times if I really wanted him to do it. I did, and he did.
The crew started down the wall of the drydock just as he was starting and they kind of stopped dead and looked at each other. Then they all ran down and grabbed paint brushes. They all wanted a piece of the court marshall, I guess. I had the tender photographer take pictures so I could send it to my young son.
It was fun for the crew and the shipyard workers but it caused much more activity than I had anticipated.
I only got into a little trouble when the Glascow newspaper printed a story which said we had made fun of the British by painting a face on the ship with a monicle in its eye.
The Squadron Commander had me to his cabin. Bottom line was that he was sharp and a crafty old sea dog. He merely invited the Glascow Mayor and other local dignitaries to lunch, then had the launch they came in take a swing around the drydock--without anyone saying a word.
They could see for themselves that it was not what the paper said, but on the other hand, they didn't understand what it was. At lunch it was all chit chat and not a word said about the ship and its teeth. Finally their curiosity got the best of them and they asked the Commodore about the teeth. He replied, "Skipper, you tell them about JAWS." I did and we all had a good laugh and a 'Good Show'. Somehow everything about the teeth worked out to be positive.
The divers who used to do random security inspections on the ship forever after always put a 'dental check' report in the remarks section on the bottom of the divers' report form with comments like, 'good shape, no cavities. Class I condition'. We were the pride of the squadron. Everyone was proud of those teeth. Don't ask me why. Sailors are sailors; God bless them.
I understand the teeth stayed on until the next drydocking a number of years later, but you will have to get that story from someone who was on board then. I was long gone.
By the way, throughout the rest of my career I would come across that picture in someone's office and always ask what ship it was. They always gave a different ship's name and never was it Von Steuben! I never made a comment but it always gave me a chuckle to hear the stories folks had made up about that picture. And that's the rest of the story.
Warm regards, Chuck Brickell
And this just in...
Hi! I'm the guy who took the shark's teeth photo of the Von-S while in drydock. I see someone else has already sent you a print. I do still have the negative and will consider making extra prints if anyone is interested. The story behind the photo is that squadron sent a "professional photographer" over to get a photo at the same time I went to get one. His didn't come out, but mine did. Like I said earlier, I took another in black and white with all of the shipyard workers gathered out in front of the bow. It was interesting at the next drydocking to see that the teeth had survived those years.
I was glad to see the remark by Captain Brickell on the website. He was one of the most remarkable skippers of my entire career and did much to improve the crew's morale.He was sort of a throwback to the days of diesel boat skippers who ran their ship the way they wanted to and weren't afraid of the higher ups.
I was in A-gang and went on board after rejoining the navy from the reserves. When I rejoined, the reserves refused to release all of my service record. So there I was telling everyone about my past submarine days, but there was no record of it in my service jacket. It was like I had no history.
Good website!
Fred Durrette [email protected]
