Specials

Special SMCC 2004 impressions of a USN student

Originally published at www.marine.nl.

"Range for me on the M frigate!" yells the Duty Captain of the Walrus class submarine DOLFIJN. "Thirty, "Three-zero," says the periscope assistant. "Range, eighteen hundred yards, look interval 30 seconds" says the Duty Captain, converting the minutes of arc called out on the contact into a range to that contact and a 'look interval' on that same contact. "Staying up", he says as he continues to rotate the periscope around 360 degrees, "Wegduiken!" he calls out loudly as he ranges the other contacts in the area and takes the submarine to a safe depth beneath the charging frigate. Within one minute the sound of the frigate’s propellers are heard through the hull of the submarine as it passes only 8 meters above the submarine.

The SMCC members and their teacher on board Dolfijn (4), Apr 2004  (Photo: © Koninklijke Marine / Royal Netherlands Navy)

This is my life this week for fourteen hours a day as my classmates and I participate in the internationally sponsored Netherlands Submarine Command Course, better known as SMCC. This world-renowned course is run by the Netherlands Submarine Force for virtually the entire Diesel submarine world. Every country from Israel and South Africa, to Brazil and Australia send their prospective Commanding Officers to undergo the gruelling four month "Perisher" course to show that they have the tactical ability, stamina, and leadership to be a submarine Captain. Hoping to gain proficiency in diesel boat tactics and operations, the United States has sent one candidate per year to the course, of which I am the third. I am joined by a LCDR from Canada, two LCDR’s from Australia and a Dutch LCDR. Together, we make up the class of candidates for SMCC 2004, which runs from March into July. We are taught, critiqued, observed, and assessed by "Teacher," a Post-Submarine Commander who has distinguished himself as having outstanding leadership ability as well as knowledge of submarine operations and tactics. This year, as last year, the class is led by CDR Marc Elsensohn of the Royal Netherlands Navy.

The course is called the "Perisher" course because you either pass, or "perish." The pass-fail criterion places a lot of stress on the prospective Commanding Officers, who will see their entire career change if they fail this course. This does not include the pressure from the course, which consists of the one week at sea we are doing currently followed by a four week sea phase where we plan opposed in-shore operations, launch special forces, and fight a war against submarines and surface ships. This is where we show that we possess the necessary tactical competence and leadership ability to command a submarine. Of course we wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t fun also. Having ships drive 29 knots directly at you as you go underneath them, and operating a few hundred yards from high-speed warships is a thrill itself. It teaches you to quickly analyze the tactical picture, make a quick decision, and have it be the correct decision for the safety of the ship and the mission. To date, in the course, the time on DOLFIJN has been the best part. The crew has been outstanding and very supportive of each of us, proud and eager to discuss the technical aspects of their jobs and show us how they do things. That is what it’s all about though, taking a ship to sea, doing your job professionally, and having fun doing it. We are all doing that, and more.

 

 

 

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