Navy, were deployed on aircraft carriers, cruisers and submarines during the 1950s. Sep 14, 2018 detailed, yet with easytounderstand text, this book explains how and why this weapon was developed and is still being utilized in an impressive ongoing combat career. Then, from september through december, hali but joined eight other submarines in testing and evaluating the attack capabilities of the permit class submarines. A turbojet engine powered the missile to its target after two boosters were jettisoned. Designed to attack ground targets, it carried a nuclear warhead, flew at subsonic speeds up to an altitude of 9,144 meters 30,000 feet, and had a range of 800 kilometers 500 miles.
The warhead design later became part of a gravity bomb for carrierbased aircraft. A fascinating history and analysis of the cruise missile weapons system which introduced the era of guided missiles, this book looks at the weapon that was. The test missile, the ftv2, took off from the lakebed under its internal power and was guided in flight by radio signals from a lockheed tv2d director aircraft. It features chapters dedicated to the test programs of each missiles, and chapters concerning each submarine, cruiser, and aircraft carrier that carried or launched the missile. Dec 17, 2014 regulus ii supersonic cruise missile with flight testing well underway, the regulus ii program was suddenly cancelled in 1958. Navy surfacetosurface missile carried on and launched from the decks of submarines.
Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products. In school, having a favorite class was usually dependent on the teacher. The regulus missile submarines were a group of submarines operated by the united states. Regulus i ssmn8 us navy cruise missile pearl harbor, hi. The uss halibut ssgnssn 587 and the new ssgns gangway page. While the sub was docked at norfolk, virginia, postmaster general arthur summerfield helped place two blue and red metal containers, holding 3,000 letters. A technical history of the missile that defined american nuclear warfare. The regulus missile was a direct outgrowth of world war ii. Bill gates is a fan of vaclav smil and his recent book energy and civilization. In october 1943, chance vought signed a study contract for a 300mile range pilotless missile that carried a 4,000pound warhead. Want to start reading about french history, but arent sure where to start. Author david stumpf has set up the tom stebbins memorial fund in honor of the growlers first cob who passed away in 1995.
Fun and fascinating facts about famous figures you wont find in history books. On 15 july 1953 the submarine uss tunny ssg282 left californias point hueneme naval station on a topsecret mission. In the latter year during the first punic war, 264241 he and his colleague lucius manlius vulso. The uss growler is the sole surviving regulus submarine. The forgotten weapon is the complete report on chance voughts regulus i and ii guided missiles, the weapon that paved the way in the fields of inertial navigation, missile guidance, and impact accuracy. In 1952, nas point mugu got a new tenant, air development squadron four vx4, which perfected the techniques for launching airtoair and airtosurface missiles. The forgotten weapon and millions of other books are available for. Jan 25, 20 the next two decades would see point mugu testing and evaluating a number of missile systems. The only missile submarine in the world on public display. The early part of the film shows the missile being launched from the carrier. When the missiles were deployed they were launched from a rail launcher, and equipped. We think more about our diets and the food we eat than ever before. The ssmn8a regulus or the regulus i was a united states navy developed shipandsubmarinelaunched, nuclearcapable turbojet powered second generation cruise missile, deployed from 1955 to 1964.
Nevertheless in 1955, regulus became operational, eventually serving aboard diesel and nuclearpowered submarines, cruisers, and aircraft carriers. The first flight of the xssmn9 missile occurred on 29 may 1956. Navy cruisers and five guided missile submarines ssgs uss tunny, uss halibut, uss grayback, uss barbero and uss growler. The chancevought aircraft company won the contract for regulus with a bold proposal. While the sub was docked at norfolk, virginia, postmaster general arthur summerfield helped place two blue and red metal containers, holding 3,000 letters, inside the sub.
The illustrated encyclopedia of rockets and missiles, salamander books ltd, 1979 3 james n. Just as some books examine a country or a region, others discuss the continent or at least very large parts of it as. Financial fraud from tulip mania to bernie madoff by david e. An excellent secondary source on the regulus missile is the book regulus. Originally, the navy favored cruise missile systems in a strategic role, such as the regulus missile deployed on the earlier uss grayback and a few other submarines, but a major drawback of these early cruise missile launch systems and the jupiter proposals was the need to surface, and remain surfaced for some time, to launch. Narrated by roy scheider as seen on discovery channel europe and history channel canada.
As a direct result of his research, regulus veterans received long overdue recognition. Book details the regulus program, initiated by chance vought aircraft. The oddly shaped uss grayback was a cold war submarine. While you may think you know some of historys most famous historical figures, the typical textbook leaves much to be desired.
The navy ultimately had the regulus system installed on five missile submarines and eleven guidance submarines. For more information on the regulus guided missile program, the book the regulus cruise missile. The next two decades would see point mugu testing and evaluating a number of missile systems. The ssmn8a regulus or the regulus i was a united states navydeveloped. On 4 may 1964, halibut departed pearl harbor for the last regulus missile patrol to be made by a submarine in the pacific polaris was now on line.
The regulus was the first strategic longrange nucleararmed guided missile deployed by the us navy. Americas first nuclear submarine missile stumpf, david k. All the books listed for the financial times and mckinsey business book of the year award. Designed to attack ground targets, it carried a nuclear warhead, flew at subsonic speeds up to an altitude of 30,000 feet and had a range of 500 miles. It follows flight test and development from 1950 through 1958 and covers deployment aboard aircraft carriers, cruisers, and submarines.
These nine books about numerous topics regarding european histories on a continentwide basis rather than nation states will educate you about europe. Mar 29, 2021 the first successful flight of the regulus i navy tactical cruise missile took place. The single interruption in cruise missile innovation, 19591967, resulted from extreme budgetary pressures and conflicting organizational priorities. Regulus practice missile landings bowfin park pearl harbor dedicated to the submariners and their boats that carried regulus. Oct 18, 2019 the operations of the boat after it was converted to a regulusmissile carrying boat and designated an ssg, indicating that it was carrying guided missiles. The submarine was the first built from the ground up to carry the regulus ii missile, a large, turbojetpowered cruise missile. A technical history of the missile that defined american nuclear. Page 91 discusses the regulus deployment aboard uss randolph cv15 in 1956. Spark originally published in the united states naval institutes naval history. A documentary history of the development and deployment of the cold wars ultimate weapon. The regulus was the first strategic longrange nucleararmed guided missile deployed by the u.
The year 2018 celebrates the centennial of us cruise missiles. Americas first nuclear submarine missile 9781596521834. Americas first nuclear submarine missile by david k. The missile was designed to be launched from the deck of a submarine. But little transpired until the soontobeseparated aaf provided the impetus for the navy program. A fascinating history and analysis of the cruise missile weapons system which introduced the era of guided missiles, this book looks at the weapon that was eclipsed in the u. During the cold war years the submarine fleet made 41 strategic deterrent patrols armed with regulus, not ceasing operations until 14 july 1964. The regulus ii missile was a completely new design with improved guidance and. The first nuclear missile submarines documents a nearlyforgotten era of u. The regulus ii warhead was developed in 1955 by llnl. Vought began design of the supersonic winged missile in april 1952, receiving a development contract in june 1953. During the cold war years the submarine fleet made 41 strategic deterrent patrols. David stumpfs excellent book chronicles the development and deployment of the regulus i and the successor weapon, the neverdeployed supersonic regulus ii.
On june 8, 1959, the us navy fired a regulus i missile from the uss barbero ssg317 and directed it to land at the naval auxiliary air station at mayport, florida, near jacksonville. Built by chance vought, the regulus 1 was the first operational u. A technical history of the missile that defined american nuclear warfare david k. Sep 30, 2014 a second generation supersonic vought ssmn9 regulus ii cruise missile with a range of 1,200 nautical miles 2,200 km and a speed of mach 2 was developed and successfully tested, but the program was canceled in favor of the ugm27 polaris nuclear ballistic missile. Sep 25, 2020 overall, this book gives very good insight into the design and deployment of regulus i and ii and the perceived comparison of life at sea with it compared with the early polaris boats, as one would expect from a senior officer who had served in a guided missile submarine. All of the remaining regulus iis gm3001 through gm3038 were utilized as tactical missiles. Missile, surfacetosurface, regulus i, ssmn8a national air and. First regulus missile launched from a submarine 1953. Missile, surfacetosurface, regulus i, ssmn8a national. After using bombequipped remotely controlled target drones to strike heavily defended targets in late 1944, the navys development of proper surfacetosurface missile systems began in 1946. Regulus ii could carry its 2,920pound warhead 570 nm at mach 2, and over 1,150 nm at reduced speeds. Unknown to most of the people working on the project, the navy brass had funded the project as insurance against the possible failure of the polaris icbm, which could be launched from a submarine while it was still. Regulus cruise missile launched from uss princeton 20824b.
Navys regulus missile programthe worlds first submarine weapon for attacking an enemy homeland with a nuclear warheadand the soviet navys similar cruise missile efforts. The regulus was a nucleararmed guided missile with a range of 500 miles. After regulus i this special nuclear powered submarine was refitted twice for a second and third career to perform special underwater operations of great value to the united states of america at which she excelled. For more information on growler, grayback and the regulus guided missile program, the book regulus. In an attempt to cram as much knowledge as possible into the average education, few courses take the time to real. From 1952 until contract termination in 1958, the regulus missile program progressed from an experimental status to a fully operational weapon system. While on regulus missile deterrent patrol halibut added another aspect, which the boomers could not match, by performing other special operations in her patrol area. Navy tests conducted with the german v1 missile at naval air station point mugu in california. Oriole, lark, gorgon, regulus i, regulus ii, harpoon, and other missiles. An examination of the history of naval cruise missile innovation demonstrates that, over the past 50 years, the navy persistently pursued the development of cruise missile technology. These deterrent patrols represented the first ever in the history of the. The success of germanys v1 buzz bombs and the awesome power of the abomb suggested that developing a submarinelaunched, nucleararmed guided missile was an imperative. Halibuts time as an active ssgn on regulus missile deterrent patrols has been chronicled in a new book the cold warriors.
As the famous winston churchill quote goes, history is written by the victors. American intermediate range subsonic cruise missile. Regulus phased out of production in january 1959 with delivery of the 514th missile. Air force, was sent overseas to france to prepare for the operational deployment of vast clouds of unmanned kettering bugs to be used against the german army. Thirtysix months later, the first regulus ii flew when a 115,000pound thrust booster launched the canardconfigured missile. Navys regulus missile programthe worlds first submarine weapon for attacking an enemy homeland with a nuclear warheadand the similar soviet navys cruise missile efforts. The unmanned turbojet powered regulus system was capable of delivering a thermonuclear warhead, either the 3000 pound 4050 kiloton yield w5 or the 2800 pound 12 megaton yield w27 within a range of 500 nautical miles. Proposal characteristics able, baker, charlie and ftv1 ftv2 operation splash. These regulus missiles were fitted with nuclear warheads. Jul 15, 2011 the regulus cruise missile development began in 1947 and it was built by the chance vought aircraft company.
Unfortunately, that means its overwhelmingly written by white men who tend to tell their side of the story, while leaving that of marginalized groups women. These subs would undertake the first missile deterrent patrols in the history of the navy and the cold war. Marcus atilius regulus, roman general and statesman whose career, greatly embellished by legend, was seen by the romans as a model of heroic endurance. Vintage modeling revells regulus ii vought ssmn9rgm15. Perhaps surprisingly, the early modern period of history starts c. Nov 18, 2012 only one special nuclear powered submarine carried the regulus i on deterrent missile patrols. Docked at the intrepid seaairspace museum in new york city, it hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. The regulus missile submarines were a group of submarines operated by the united states navy us navy capable of carrying the regulus cruise missile. Regulus missile submarines the first nuclear missile. Whether you have concerns about nutrition, animal welfare, the environment or simply staying physically healthy, what we put into our bodies has become a huge and important. It would later be replaced by the polaris missile and then by the trident, and other systems that followed.
The regulus i and ii guided missiles, the first operational cruise missile in the u. Between 1959 and 1964, a total of five boats were used to undertake the first submarinebased nuclear deterrent patrols by the united states. It had a nuclear warhead, a solidfuel engine, one booster for assist in takeoff, a range of 400 miles, and a guidance system using radio commands from the submarine. On 4 may 1964 halibut departed pearl harbor for the last regulus missile patrol to be made by a submarine in the pacific.
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