Intrepid Growler

The Intrepid Air and Space Museum is docked in New York City on the Hudson River. Over the years, it's really expanded, not only to include the Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. Intrepid of World War II fame, but a host of aircraft from World War II to the present day. It even has the SST, which was the first and only supersonic transport plane.

They've also added something rather intriguing to the museum flotilla. It's the U.S.S. Growler, a nuclear missile submarine, active from the mid-late 50's into the 60's. This early nuclear missile sub patrolled the waters adjoining Soviet Asia during the height of the cold war. To fire its missiles (really early cruise missiles), it would have to surface in hostile waters, which was a rather dangerous feat.

You get to walk from the missile bays in the front, right to the rear torpedo room in the rear. For someone like myself who can't even swim, this psychologically daunting experience was quite exciting. What really surprised me was how little room there was for the crew. Even the Captain's quarters was little more than a closet. And with one commode in relatively open view, the enlisted men must have yucked it up when the officers "did their duty."

Imagine being locked in this cigar closet without being able to bathe or see the light of day for weeks. It's not like the movies, is it?

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