The USS Batfish was a WWII submarine that was retired in 1969 and moved to Muskogee, OK in the early 70's where it was propped up in a park and open for tours. This wasn't the last time it would float again, however, as the floods of NE Oklahoma in 1986 got so extreme that it lifted the Batfish off its stands and let it float. This again wouldn't be the end of its adventures on the water as NE Oklahoma has once again been beaten up with torrential rains and storms to the point where once again, the USS Batfish is floating. It's been really sad hearing and reading the stories of people who have lost their homes and everything they owned, however, seeing the picture of the USS Batfish float again was really cool. Here are the two photos from 1986 and from 2019:
USS Batfish floats once more
- Thread starter JustN89
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Thanks for posting.
Sub lovers I used to watch these TV episodes with my dad. The Bat Fish
I used to read every novel I could about WWII subs.
Originally Posted by CT8
Sub lovers I used to watch these TV episodes with my dad. The Bat Fish
That was pretty good...
Originally Posted by CT8
Sub lovers I used to watch these TV episodes with my dad. The Bat Fish
That was pretty good...
ls1mike
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They were good and I appreciate the engineering that went into them, but this is one instance where the new ones are better.
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ls1mike
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Originally Posted by JLTD
I used to read every novel I could about WWII subs.
Which ones did your read?
Have you read Blind Man's Bluff?
My favorite two are:
Thunder Below!
and
Clear the Bridge!
I used to read every novel I could about WWII subs.
Which ones did your read?
Have you read Blind Man's Bluff?
My favorite two are:
Thunder Below!
and
Clear the Bridge!
The Arkansas River is at unprecedented flood levels everywhere from about Tulsa downstream. Muskogee is bad, but by no means the worst of the flooding. Batfish was in a little hollow off of the river. Was a nice little exhibit / museum - well worth seeing.
No one has reported Batfish downstream, so I suppose it is still somewhere in the vicinity of Muskogee.
The river will crest here in a day or so probably twenty three to twenty five feet above flood level. Most of the bridges are closed. The width of the river is as far as the eye can see in many, many, places.
Some places are just gone. Some had water up to rooftops a few days ago. Now, it is just water.
It is expected to get worse.
No one has reported Batfish downstream, so I suppose it is still somewhere in the vicinity of Muskogee.
The river will crest here in a day or so probably twenty three to twenty five feet above flood level. Most of the bridges are closed. The width of the river is as far as the eye can see in many, many, places.
Some places are just gone. Some had water up to rooftops a few days ago. Now, it is just water.
It is expected to get worse.
Originally Posted by JustN89
The USS Batfish was a WWII submarine that was retired in 1969 and moved to Muskogee, OK in the early 70's where it was propped up in a park and open for tours. This wasn't the last time it would float again, however, as the floods of NE Oklahoma in 1986 got so extreme that it lifted the Batfish off its stands and let it float. This again wouldn't be the end of its adventures on the water as NE Oklahoma has once again been beaten up with torrential rains and storms to the point where once again, the USS Batfish is floating. It's been really sad hearing and reading the stories of people who have lost their homes and everything they owned, however, seeing the picture of the USS Batfish float again was really cool. Here are the two photos from 1986 and from 2019:
When I was a kid, I remember the Arkansas out of its banks all the way to the Kansas City Southern overpass on the highway to Camp Gruber and Baggs.
The USS Batfish was a WWII submarine that was retired in 1969 and moved to Muskogee, OK in the early 70's where it was propped up in a park and open for tours. This wasn't the last time it would float again, however, as the floods of NE Oklahoma in 1986 got so extreme that it lifted the Batfish off its stands and let it float. This again wouldn't be the end of its adventures on the water as NE Oklahoma has once again been beaten up with torrential rains and storms to the point where once again, the USS Batfish is floating. It's been really sad hearing and reading the stories of people who have lost their homes and everything they owned, however, seeing the picture of the USS Batfish float again was really cool. Here are the two photos from 1986 and from 2019:
When I was a kid, I remember the Arkansas out of its banks all the way to the Kansas City Southern overpass on the highway to Camp Gruber and Baggs.
Originally Posted by ls1mike
Originally Posted by JLTD
I used to read every novel I could about WWII subs.
Which ones did your read?
Have you read Blind Man's Bluff?
My favorite two are:
Thunder Below!
and
Clear the Bridge!
Only titles I can recall are "Submarine!" and "Run Silent, Run Deep". I do recall the bosun's mate Malone in one book, where the sub was transporting some special ops guys.
Your titles are new to me, I'll have to look them up.
Originally Posted by JLTD
I used to read every novel I could about WWII subs.
Which ones did your read?
Have you read Blind Man's Bluff?
My favorite two are:
Thunder Below!
and
Clear the Bridge!
Only titles I can recall are "Submarine!" and "Run Silent, Run Deep". I do recall the bosun's mate Malone in one book, where the sub was transporting some special ops guys.
Your titles are new to me, I'll have to look them up.
ls1mike
$50 Site Donor 2024
Originally Posted by JLTD
Originally Posted by ls1mike
Originally Posted by JLTD
I used to read every novel I could about WWII subs.
Which ones did your read?
Have you read Blind Man's Bluff?
My favorite two are:
Thunder Below!
and
Clear the Bridge!
Only titles I can recall are "Submarine!" and "Run Silent, Run Deep". I do recall the bosun's mate Malone in one book, where the sub was transporting some special ops guys.
Your titles are new to me, I'll have to look them up.
I did 12 patrols on two different Trident Submarines and these two books are superb and give you a good sense of what it was like to do war patrols and WWII boats.
Blind Man's Bluff covers from the end WWII through the cold war. VERY GOOD book.
Originally Posted by ls1mike
Originally Posted by JLTD
I used to read every novel I could about WWII subs.
Which ones did your read?
Have you read Blind Man's Bluff?
My favorite two are:
Thunder Below!
and
Clear the Bridge!
Only titles I can recall are "Submarine!" and "Run Silent, Run Deep". I do recall the bosun's mate Malone in one book, where the sub was transporting some special ops guys.
Your titles are new to me, I'll have to look them up.
I did 12 patrols on two different Trident Submarines and these two books are superb and give you a good sense of what it was like to do war patrols and WWII boats.
Blind Man's Bluff covers from the end WWII through the cold war. VERY GOOD book.
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Up Periscope - that's the one I couldn't remember with Malone in it.
ls1mike - thanks for the synopsis and experience.
ls1mike - thanks for the synopsis and experience.
![[Linked Image]](https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/attachments/usergals/2019/06/full-973-33115-5cf03cce150f3.image.jpg "[Linked Image]")
It looks like their mooring lines held, but it is obviously askew, and may or may not be damaged. You can see the museum in the background. The museum may have been high enough to have avoided getting much water in it. It has benefited from being farther upstream. Were it that close to the river here, water would have been well over the roof of the musuem. It is a nice museum and memorial, and well worth seeing if you are in the area.
I'm not sure when the river crested at Muskogee; but I doubt the river has receded much, if any. It just crested here ( they think) yesterday. They expect it will be mid summer before the flood waters recede. There is really no place for the water to go.
The technology used in the WWII subs. The war machine the U.S. developed...Atomic bombs, carriers, subs, bombers was mind boggling in quality and quantity. The only country in history that could have easily conquered the world and wasn't even interested.
4WD
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Car companies joined in … will we have them in round 3 ?
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Originally Posted by CKN
Originally Posted by supton
I guess they built stuff to last back then.
My mind just can't comprehend how much water that must be.
True-but they took important artifacts out of the sub-because they are not sure about leaks.
Yeah just sand the rust down, clean, prep, primer and paint it will remain watertight. I have plenty of experience in the field.
Originally Posted by supton
I guess they built stuff to last back then.
My mind just can't comprehend how much water that must be.
True-but they took important artifacts out of the sub-because they are not sure about leaks.
Yeah just sand the rust down, clean, prep, primer and paint it will remain watertight. I have plenty of experience in the field.
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