The USS Irex SS-482: Reservists trip/title> <meta name="description" content="The USS Irex SS-482" /> <meta name="keywords" content="sea stories, submarine,SS-482,Irex,USS,482,SS" /> <meta name="generator" content="GNU Emacs 21.4.1 (Linux;I)" /> <meta name="security" content="public" /> <meta name="contact" content="Haines Brown: brownh @ hartford-hwp.com" /> <meta name="creation-date" content="21-mar-2009" /> <meta name="last-revised" content="21 March 2009" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../styles/irex.css" title="docstyle" /> <style type="text/css"> #italic {} </style> </head> <body class="history"><div class="inside"> <h1>Providence Reservists Excursion, May 1964</h1> <h3>Transcript of the <cite>Woonsocket Call</cite> article by A. P. Palmer, held by Captain Pornoy, written shortly after 20 May 1964.</h3> </p><em><a href="../album/album-74.html">Accompanying photos</a></em></p> <p> Visualize, if you can, the narrow aisle in the last bus you rode and you'll be able to picture the steel corridor, many times longer, in which over 100 navymen (and one civilian) passed during seven hours of diving maneuvers sealed in the USS Irex, the first snorkel in the submarine service. </p><p> Visualize also the straight-up ladder on the side of the tall water tank on Bernon Heights and you'll be able to picture the “stairways” through hatchways to many deck levels and on out to the bridge above the conning tower. </p><p> No place for a fat cameraman with a couple of cameras boucing off his belly awaiting the thrill of his first “dive” and whether he liked it or not, there would be 11 more to follow with no chance to get off until they were over and properly executed. </p><p> But long before the waters out of New London were deep enough for diving a fellow named Portnoy had us feeling that we were an “old timer” aboard. He was the captain and a mighty likeable chap. </p><p> His sub had been picked as sort of a training area for members of the Sub. Division 1-41 out of Providence to get some real experience. That's why we were a little extra crowded, for the usual complement is 74 crew members and eight officers. </p><p> The manner in which he directed the non-crew members of Providence unit to take “his” sub to sea was a marvel to this landlubber. Yes, and even returning when an electrical fire broke out in the engineroom, his guidance was just the same even though certain automatic operations were knocked out. </p><p> But to read the biography of Lt. Cmdr. Howard R. Portnoy from his graduation at the Naval Academy to his command of the Irex it was easy to realize why he was picked to train others. He was had many commands and is the holder of the Commendation Ribbon with a Combat “V” during the Korea Conflict. </p><p> One has to volunteer for sub service and then be picked out for duty below the surface. Living on a sub is far different than any other part of the service. At times 90 days are involved on one trip. </p><p> It is a cramped life. One is constantly bumping into each other. There are so many stations to be manned on a sub, the slightest turn of your body and you are knocking the fellow alongside. </p><p> There is very little sunning yourself yourself on the deck, for more of the time you are below deck, even when on surface. </p><p> Submarine service differs in many ways from those afloat with the Navy. While each member of the crew has his own duties to perform, he must know those of every one of his buddies, an important life-saving measure. </p><p> Mess, and it's mighty good, is served in sittings as the dining area is also in cramped quarters. As for sleeping, bunks are on top, or under, some other more important part of the submarine warfare. Every nook and cranny stores some item. </p><p> And the sensation of diving? </p><p> Remember the old hand klaxon horn on the side of grandfather's car? Well, when you hear that go off, and you can't miss it, even as deaf as the writer, you are headed for a dive. </p><p> But the action that takes place between the klaxon and the “all green” on the Christmas tree is so exciting that you don't have a chance to think about what's coming. It's when the klaxon blows later to announce a surfacing that you hope you make it. And peeking through the periscope while cutting through the water under the surface is most intriguiging. </p><p> And, oh yes, if you are having chow during a dive remember not to fill your cup or plates too full with any liquid part of the mean. For if you do, the fellow next to you will get it going down or coming up. </p><p> The <a href="../album/album-74.html">accompanying pictures</a> describe better than words our day “underwater”. </p><p> The sub division out of Providence is a counterpart to the naval group over at Cass Park. Many have had previous sub experience. The only local angle was found in Seaman William Hosford of Franklin who transferred recently from the Woonsocket division to the sub division in Providence. Of its regular crew on the Irex, there are only three Rhode Islanders as seen in one of the pictures. </p><p> The Providence unit was build in 1943, but has been modernized repeatedly. It was the test ship for the first snorkel operations and made these test from July 47 to February 48 before going back into war service. </p><p> This writer is indebted to Commander Kenneth Mattson of the local outfit for getting him aboard. And the two now have something in common. It was the first experiene for both...“there was so much, we remember very little, and promise to reduce before the next lesson.” </p><p> It is not a fat man's assignment. </p> <div class="bouton" id="first"> <a href="../index-03.html" title=""> <span class="a"><span class="b"><span class="c"> Documents index </span></span></span> </a> </div>  <div class="bouton"> <a href="../history/history-09.html" title=""> <span class="a"><span class="b"><span class="c"> History page </span></span></span> </a> </div> </div></body>  </html>