Bathyscaphe Trieste II

Trieste II (DSV-1) (Bathyscaphe: t. 46 (long); 1. 67'; b. 15'; dr. 12'5"; cpl. 2)

was the successor to the original Trieste —the United States Navy's first bathyscape purchased from its Swiss designers. The original Trieste design was heavily modified by the Naval Electronic Laboratory, San Diego, California and built at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Trieste II incorporated the original Terni, Italian-built sphere used in Trieste but suspended it from an entirely new float, more seaworthy and streamlined than the original but operating on identical principles. The new float was very boxy in shape and marked a distinct change in the appearance of the bathyscaph. The record seems to indicate that the Original Trieste and the Krupp Works sphere were permanently retired from service at about that time.

Completed in early 1964, following a series of test dives in the Spring of 1964,Trieste II was placed on board USNS Francis X. MoGraw (T-AK241) and shipped, via the Panama Canal to the Atlantic, to Boston to conduct a second search for the wreckage of THRESHER.

Commanded by Lt Comdr. John B Mooney, Jr, Trieste II conducted dives in the vicinity of the loss site when the submarine Thresher (SSN-593) sank in the Atlantic Ocean on April 10,1963 with all hands off the Massachusetts coast. Thresher operations commenced by the first Trieste the year before. She recovered bits of wreckage, positively fixing the remains as that of the lost Thresher, in September 1964.

Using the increased capabilities of TRIESTE II, five dives, during the months of July and August 1964, were made in the disaster area. On two of these dives scattered debris was again located and on a third dive major sections of the hull were located and closely photographed.

In March 1965, after her return to California, TRIESTE II was transferred to the Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Deep Submergence Systems Project Office (DSSP).

Between September 1965 and May 1966, TRIESTE II again underwent extensive modification and conversion at Mare Island Naval Shipyard but there is no clear record that she was ever operated in that new configuration, ie, the addition of skeds or outriggers on both sides of the sphere.

During that same time period work was under way on a third configuration of the bathyscape. This work resulted in yet a new appearance for the TRIESTE II, and included the installation of a new pressure sphere, designed for operation to 20,000 feet.

As the bathyscaphe continued her operations as test vehicle for the deep submergence program, she qualified four officers as "hydronauts"—the beginning of a burgeoning oceanographic operation. Trieste II's valuable experience in deep submergence operations has helped in the design and construction of other deep-diving submersibles which could be used in rescuing crews and recovering objects from submarines in distress below levels reachable by conventional methods.

Also, during that same period, there existed the seldom mentioned unit "Deep Submergence Group" at Ballast Point, San Diego, California. The Deep Submergence Group existed from approximately May 1965 until after September 1966 and operated the first configuration of the TRIESTE II, prior to and perhaps after addition of the skeds on either side of the sphere. In 1965 TRIESTE II (MOD 1) conducted dives to test the new "Straza" sonar, we now know, to be used on the TRIESTE II (DSV-1). During dive operations, off San Clemente Island north west of San Diego, California, a battery box on the TRIESTE II deck containing 13 batteries exploded and terminated the exercise. TRIESTE II surfaced safely, was towed to San Diego and sent to the Ship yard for repairs. It was during that overhaul that the TRIESTE II reached her final configuration, which I am now informed cannot be seen at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington DC, as I previously reported, because it was cut up and scuttled out in the deep Pacific Ocean. Nothing of it exists as far as has been reported to me. (Information reported by and thanks to Jack Brandt, ETCS(SS)). The Deep Submergence Group patch evolved into the Bathyscaph Trieste patch . The Deep Submergence Group plaque does not seem to have been carried forward.

During 1966 the new TRIESTE II,(version three) docked in WHITE SANDS (ARD-20) and towed by USS APACHE (ATF-67) conducted test and evaluation dives, servicing and recovery operations near San Diego, California to test the entire concept of operation from a support ship.

In August 1967 "Submarine Development Group One" was established. TRIESTE II and her crew became an integral part of this organization. During the remainder of 1967 and during 1968 the reconfigured TRIESTE II, APACHE, and WHITE SANDS operated in the Eastern Pacific.

In February 1969 an "Integral Operating Unit" (IOU) was formed, composed of USS APACHE (ATF-67), WHITE SANDS (ARD-20) and TRIESTE II. The IOU transited from San Diego, California to the Azores Islands, returning to San Diego in October 1969. The mission for this deployment was to investigate the wreckage of the USS SCORPION (SSN 589), to survey and photograph the vessel, and to compile a report for use in determining the cause of the a loss of SCORPION. The submarine USS SCORPION (SSN 589) sank May 22, 1968 in more than 10,000 feet of water about 400 miles southwest of the Azores. During this operation, TRIESTE II completed nine dives to depths in excess of 10,000 feet and spent a great number of hours on the bottom conducting the search and in investigation. A number of pilots, co-pilots and observers saw duty during those operations. The Secretary of the Navy awarded the Navy Unit Commendation to the Integral Operating Unit for this achievement.

This unique craft was listed only as "equipment" in the Navy inventory until the autumn of 1969. On 1 September 1969, Trieste II was placed in service, with the hull number X-1. Reclassified as a deep submergence vehicle (DSV) on 1 June 1971, Trieste II (DSV-1) continued her active service in the Pacific Fleet into 1980.

In 1970, TRIESTE II was placed in overhaul in San Diego.
On completion, in the fall of that year, she was redesigned TRIESTE II (DSV-1).

In September 1971 the I0U again deployed to the Central Pacific for tests, evaluation and recovery work and returning to San Diego in May 1972. During this period TRIESTE II (DSV-1) made three dives to 16,500 feet. That was the first time a submersible had successfully recovered objects from such a depth. For accomplishing this feat, TRIESTE II (DSV-1) received the Meritorious Unit Commendation.

In the Spring of 1973 the IOU deployed to the Eastern Pacific. Here it participated in another recovery operation during which TRIESTE II (DSV-1) recovered an unmanned deep submergence sled carrying oceanographic equipment, which had been lost at a depth of 10,699 feet. The cost to the Navy of replacing the sled would have exceeded a quarter of a million dollars, but for its recovery by TRIESTE II (DSV-1).

In December 1973, TRIESTE II (DSV-1) entered Mare Island Naval Shipyard for overhaul. TRIESTE II (DSV-l) departed the shipyard in May 1975 and commenced at-sea testing of its major new electronics systems installed during the overhaul. Sea trial dives were conducted during late 1975 and early 1976.

In May 1977, TRIESTE II (DSV-1) departed San Diego, California on a deployment in support of the "Sea floor Geophysical Research Program" sponsored by the Office of Naval Research. In support of this mission, TRIESTE II (DSV-1) carried scientists to the ocean's floor in the "Cayman Trough", the "Puerto Rico Trench" and the "Blake-Bahama Outer Ridge". During this deployment TRIESTE II (DSV-1) was certified for operations to 20,000 feet and completed the deepest manned recovery of any object from the sea floor. After completion of 15 dives at four different dive sites, TRIESTE II (DSV-1) returned to San Diego on November 17, 1977. TRIESTE II (DSV-1) was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation after this deployment.

In 1978, TRIESTE II (DSV-1) deployed to Midway Island to recover military hardware from a depth of 16,000 feet.

TRIESTE II (DSV-1) deployed again to the Atlantic ocean in 1979 in Support of Chief of Naval Operations tasking.

In the spring of 1980, TRIESTE II (DSV-1) deployed to the "Mid-America Trench". This deployment was to assist "Scripps Institution of Oceanography" in investigating plate tectonic dynamics within the trench. During that summer, TRIESTE II (DSV-1) deployed to Hawaii in support of CNO tasking and to search for the 'Remote Underwater Work System", an unmanned vehicle lost at a depth of 16,500 feet.

After August of 1980, TRIESTE II (DSV-1) was placed in a reduced operating status awaiting the conversion of the "Deep Submergence Vehicle SEA CLIFF (DSV-4)" to a 20,000 foot capability. Upon completion of this conversion TRIESTE II (DSV1) was to be taken out of active service.

Although in a reduced operating status, in May 1982, TRIESTE II (DSV1) conducted a series of five dives from a barge anchored in Wilson Cove, San Clemente Island, California. This was a first for TRIESTE II (DSV1), not only in the number of dives completed in one waterborne period but also in the concept of barge support. TRIESTE II (DSV-1) was towed to and from the dive site by an LCM-8 and, with the exception of messing and berthing, TRIESTE II (DSV-1) was totally independent.

This dive series proved to be a remarkable success and was repeated in September of 1983, when a search for a malfunctioning San Clemente Island Range hydro phone was conducted. TRIESTE II (DSV-1) was successful in locating and recovering the faulty hydro phone from a depth of 4100 feet.

The Trieste class DSV were replaced by the Alvin class DSV, as exemplified by the famous Alvin (DSV-2). The Alvins were more capable, more maneuverable, less fragile, but also could not dive as deep, reaching only a maximum of 20,000 feet (for the Sea Cliff (DSV-4)).

TRIESTE II (DSV-1) was DEACTIVATED in 1984 and is now on display and preserved as a museum ship at the Naval Undersea Museum located at 1 Garnett Way in Keyport, Washington 98345

Raymond Garcia EM 1/SS USN was the last crew member