When the Navy Went Nuclear , Jan, 1954

The birth of the nuclear Navy

It was Sept. 30, 1954, when the submarine community took the first step in shifting from diesel-driven engines to those powered by the collision of atoms, an evolution that eventually resulted in the all nuclear-powered submarine force of today.  

“A lot has been said about the teamwork it took to make the Nautilus. That hasn’t changed. That same teamwork is needed when building subs today, and that role continues today with the Ohio replacement program.” said Adm. John Richardson, Director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. 

The possibility of nuclear-powered vessels was just a dream in 1946 until the successful development of a nuclear propulsion plant by scientists and engineers at the Naval Reactors Branch of the Atomic Energy Commission. The program was driven to completion under the leadership of then-Capt. Hyman G. Rickover, widely-known as the “Father of the Nuclear Navy.” 

Many in attendance at the ceremony recalled their service onboard Nautilus as the pinnacle of their Navy careers and shared their fondness for Vice Admiral Eugene “Dennis” Wilkinson, the ship’s first commanding officer. Wilkinson passed in 2013, but still left some words of wisdom for the crowd.

“In Dennis Wilkinson’s words ‘They may make em’ better, but they will never be the first,'” said retired Capt. Ray Engle, a young officer at the time of the commissioning. 

Henry Nardone Sr., 92, was a project officer on Nautilus. He said working on the nuclear-powered submarine was the highlight of his 12 1/2-year naval career. He started as a “fresh-caught” lieutenant junior grade when the keel was laid in August 1955 and was there through her commissioning into the Navy on Sept. 30, 1954. As a civilian, he was in charge of her first major overhaul in 1973 at Electric Boat where he was manager of the overhaul program.

“It was the most significant assignment I had in the Navy, and the one I enjoyed the most,” Nardone said from his home in Westerly, just a few miles from Groton. “I couldn’t ask for a better assignment for myself or my career. Not only was it the highlight of my career, but the highlight of the submarine service in the country. It was one of the most significant events in submarine design construction ever and changed the whole world of submarines.”

Just three years after being authorized by Congress in 1951, USS Nautilus was commissioned, Sept. 30, 1954. It wasn’t until the morning of Jan. 17, 1955, however, when its first skipper, Cmdr. Eugene P. Wilkinson, signaled the message: “Underway on Nuclear Power.”

From then, Nautilus went on to break numerous speed and distance records for submarines. Three years later, Nautilus completed a secret mission called Operation Sunshine when the boat passed under the North Pole on Aug. 3, 1958, the first watercraft to cross the “top” of the world. “For the world, our country, and the Navy – the North Pole,” declared the boat’s commanding officer, Cmdr. William R. Anderson.

Decommissioned and stricken from the Navy rolls in 1980, Nautilus’ future was assured when the Secretary of the Interior designated the submarine as a National Historic Landmark May 20, 1982. 

After a historic ship conversion, Nautilus opened to the public April 11, 1986, eighty-six years to the day after the establishment of the U.S. Submarine Force, to continue her service as an example of the Navy’s pioneering role in harnessing nuclear power, as the first in a fleet of nuclear-powered ships, and as steward of the American submarine force’s reputation for and history of operational excellence.

“I was originally a plankowner in the 1950s and then a chief of the boat in the 1960s,” said retired Master Chief Engineman Robert Ringer. “I had a good time, the whole time I was there.”

He believes he is fortunate to have served on Nautilus.

“I am glad that we get honor our past, most of the other ships her age are in the scrapheap somewhere,” he said.

More Memories By Lt. Cmdr. Jennifer Cragg, Commander, Submarine Group, 2012

 Former crew members of the Historic Ship USS Nautilus (SSN 571) offered their reflections of serving aboard the U.S. Navy’s first nuclear-powered submarine in advance of the 58th anniversary of its launching Jan. 21. 

Former submariner Al Charette served aboard Nautilus in 1957 as a first class sonarman. 

“Not only the first nuclear powered submarine in the Navy, it was the world’s first nuclear-powered vessel. It was also the world’s first ship to reach the North Pole,” said Charette. “A lot of earlier exploration ships attempted it, but didn’t achieve the North Pole. A lot of people visited the North Pole, some by plane, by dog sled, but our submarine will be remembered as the first ship in history to reach the North Pole.”

Charette said he still possesses the 1978 National Geographic Magazine detailing the submarine’s arrival at the North Pole. Nautilus is mentioned as one of the first to pioneer a route across the top of the world as it passed under the North Pole in 1958.  

Charette also praised the Submarine Force Museum for their maintenance and upkeep of their former submarine since its arrival at the museum. 

“When I go down to that ship, any day, it is in such good condition, you wonder why it couldn’t get underway this afternoon,” said Charette. “I think the condition of the submarine is amazing after all of these years.”

Nautilus was decommissioned from the U.S. Navy in 1980 and towed to Groton, Conn. in 1985 to become part of the Submarine Force Museum. The museum opened the submarine for tours to the public in April 1986.

“For most people who visit the Submarine Force Museum, this will be the only time they ever go onboard a Navy vessel,” said Lt. Cmdr. Robert Sawyer, officer-in-charge, Historic Ship Nautilus. “The Nautilus crew works very hard to preserve the submarine and ensure it is available for generations to come. The crew also provides a chance for the public to talk to Sailors about their experiences in the Navy.”

Nautilus is the only nuclear-powered submarine currently on public display. 

William Engdall, a former Nautilus commissioning crew member served on board from 1953 to 1956. 

“I served on board Nautilus with an exceptional crew of officers and enlisted men who were as concerned with their shipmates’ careers as they were their own, and the camaraderie they displayed, directly influenced my decision to make the Navy a career,” said Engdall. “The Nautilus was nothing like the two diesel boats that I had previously served aboard. The boat was unique, and a true fighting machine.”

Engdall added that the Nautilus had all the creature comforts the crew needed.

“We had a washing machine, a crews’ mess that was transformed into a movie theater, a coin-operated Coke machine, a juke box, private fiberglass bunks with individual ventilation and bunk lights,” said Engdall.

Engdall also drew cartoons and documented life aboard Nautilus. So, when the Walt Disney Studios sent the submarine their concept of what the ship’s patch should look like, it was also the version of the craft depicted in the movie, “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.”

“The crew thought that a different version would be more appropriate and asked me to provide a drawing representing the actual USS Nautilus. The drawing was sent to Walt Disney Studios and they embellished my drawing, and it is now recognized as the official ship’s patch,” said Engdall. 

Engdall is extremely proud to have served on board USS Nautilus and enjoys taking friends through the boat. 

The Submarine Force Museum maintains the world’s finest collection of submarine artifacts. As the only submarine museum operated by the United States Navy, it is the primary repository for artifacts, documents and photographs relating to U.S. Submarine Force history. The museum traces the development of the “Silent Service” from David Bushnell’s Turtle, used in the Revolutionary War, to the Ohio and Virginia-class submarines.