"Welcome Aboard" USS HAMPTON (SSN 767). We are proud of our ship, eager to show you around and are glad to have you aboard.
A nuclear powered fast attack submarine of the SSN 688 (LOS ANGELES) Class design, HAMPTON is the most advanced nuclear attack submarine in the world. Some improved features on HAMPTON include vertical launch cruise missiles and the Submarine Advanced Control System (AN/BSY-1). In addition to these tactical advances, retractable bow planes and a hardened sail provide the capability to surface through the ice, allowing HAMPTON to operate freely in any of the world’s oceans.
As your hosts during your visit, the officers and the crew of HAMPTON hope your time on board will be informative, interesting and enjoyable.
USS HAMPTON
The Symbolism Of The Crest
The ship’s emblem signifies the great heritage underlying the modern day USS HAMPTON (SSN 767). In our nation’s history, four military vessels carried the name HAMPTON. The CSS HAMPTON, a Confederate Gunboat, was the first vessel named HAMPTON. Other vessels include the SP-3049, a 48-ton tugboat, PCS- 1386, an anti-submarine warfare training vessel, and APA 115, an amphibious transport ship.
The crest’s four stars represent the four namesake cities: Hampton, Virginia; Hampton, Iowa; Hampton, South Carolina; and Hampton, New Hampshire. They also represent the four previous vessels named HAMPTON. The warship in the foreground is the CSS HAMPTON, which patrolled the James River and approaches to Norfolk, Virginia, during the Civil War. CSS HAMPTON distinguished herself in battle during the Civil War, surviving an engagement with Union Ironclads in the Hampton Roads’ waters. She was eventually burned by the Confederacy to prevent the ship from falling into Union hands. The predominant colors of the crest are traditional Navy blue and gold.
The motto, "QUI DESIDERANT PACEM PREPARATE BELLUM" means "Those who desire peace, prepare for war". The motto is founded in the determination and spirit displayed by the earlier HAMPTONs and underscores the premium the submarine force places on the training and readiness of its ships. With its diverse arsenal, unlimited endurance and ability to participate in every facet of Naval Warfare, the submarine HAMPTON will proudly carry on the heritage of her naval predecessors, ready and able to go to war when her country calls.
Commander Christopher L. Stathos
United States Navy
COMMANDER
CHRISTOPHER L. STATHOS
UNITED STATES NAVY
Commander Stathos graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Ocean Engineering. Following graduation he attended Nuclear Power School in Orlando, Florida, nuclear prototype training in Windsor Locks, Connecticut and Basic Submarine Officer Training in New London, Connecticut.
In March 1979, Commander Stathos reported onboard USS TULLIBEE (SSN 597). He served as Electrical Officer, Reactor Controls Assistant and as Weapons Officer. After completion of the Submarine Officer Advanced Course in New London, he was assigned as Engineer Officer of USS RICHARD B. RUSSELL (SSN 687) in July 1983. During this tour, the ship completed a two year ocean engineering conversion, completed its first Pacific deployment, and was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Battle "E". In July 1987, he reported to Submarine Squadron Twenty Two in LaMaddalena, Italy as Squadron Engineer and Material Officer, where he managed refits for both submarines and surface ships deployed to the Mediterranean Sea.
Following completion of Prospective Executive Officer School in October 1989, Commander Stathos relieved as Executive Officer of USS GEORGIA (SSBN 729) (BLUE) and completed three strategic deterrent patrols. In March 1992, he reported to the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff in Omaha, Nebraska and was assigned to the Provisional Staff in U.S. Strategic Command. With the standup of U.S. Strategic Command in June of 1992, he assumed duties in the Operations and Logistics Directorate (J31J4) as Chief, Current Operations Missile Branch.
Commander Stathos commanded USS CINCINNATI (SSN 693) from October 1994 until the ship’s decommissioning in July 1995. His most recent assignment was Deputy Commander for Training on the staff of Commander, Submarine Squadron Eleven in San Diego, California.
Commander Stathos’ awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (Three Awards), the Navy Commendation Medal (Three Awards), and the Navy Achievement Medal (Two Awards).
He is married to the former Marylee McGee of Laurel, Delaware. They have two daughters, Shannen and Rebecca, and reside in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Hampton
Of the 18 cities in the United States named Hampton, four were chosen as namesake cities, Hampton, Virginia; Hampton, New Hampshire; Hampton, Iowa; and Hampton, South Carolina.
Hampton, Virginia, is the oldest and largest of the Hamptons. In 1607 English settlers founded the first permanent English-speaking settlement in America. Trade boomed, and to manage the heavy ship traffic, the settlers developed a port called Southampton, after Lord Southampton of England. Over the years, the prefix was dropped and the port city was called Hampton.
Hampton has continued to play an important role in American history. The city was pillaged during the Revolutionary War, attacked during the War of 1812, and burned during the Civil War.
Today Hampton is home to the Army’s Fort Monroe, built in 1819 as the largest stone fort in the United States, Langley Air Force Base, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center. In addition, a wide range of businesses can be found in Hampton. Located on the north shore of Hampton Roads, a famous deep water harbor, the city is known as a seafood center with an abundance of fish, crabs and oysters.
Hampton, New Hampshire was founded in 1638 as a religious community. Today Hampton has several reminders of its early days. The original First Congregational Church Society continues its preaching of the Gospel, making it the oldest continuous church body in the state and one of the oldest in the country. It now meets in its sixth meetinghouse, built in 1843. Other historic sites include Tuck-Leavitt grist mill, considered one of the oldest industries of its kind in the country, and Bound Rock (1657), one of the earliest boundary markers in the United States.
Hampton is best known as a seaside town, drawing tourists to its beaches each summer. While tourism is the chief industry, several small manufacturing and corporate headquarters are located in the town.
Hampton, Iowa was founded by settlers pouring westward to purchase rich prairie land at $1.25 an acre. The town’s founders originally proposed the name Benjamin Franklin County in honor of the famous statesman, inventor, and diplomat. But a judge objected to the name, and ordered the town be called Hampton, after the well known Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Today the rich prairie soil continues to be important to Hampton as many farms prosper in the area, as well as many small manufacturing plants.
Hampton, South Carolina, was named after South Carolina Governor Wade Hampton III, a famous Confederate general. Created by the legislature in 1879. Hampton became the seat of Hampton County, South Carolina. Today the regions economy has strong ties with the forest industry and with agricultural crops. Small industry, ranging from fiberglass and shoe manufacturing to fertilizers and steel fabrication, contribute to the local economy. Hampton holds the distinction of being the "Watermelon capital of the World" attracting thousands to the annual Watermelon Festival.
Though different, a common thread ties these four communities together. Each was founded by individuals in pursuit of the American dream, a better life for themselves and their families.
History of USS Hampton
The submarine HAMPTON is the fifth military vessel to bear that proud name.
Built at Norfolk Navy Yard in 1862, CSS HAMPTON was the first American vessel to bear the name. A wooden gunboat serving the Confederate cause, HAMPTON participated in significant actions along the James River, including the battle of Dutch Gap operations against Fort Harrison, and the engagement at Chaffin’s Bluff. The vessel was burned by the Confederates as they evacuated Richmond on April 3, 1865.
The second HAMPTON (SP-3049) was a 48-ton tugboat built in 1905 and chartered by the Navy in 1918. Commissioned April 21, 1918, this 63-foot harbor tug oversaw free trade and safe traffic in the world’s largest natural harbor, Hampton Roads. It served on general harbor duty under the 5th Naval District until being returned to the original owner in 1919.
The next vessel to bear the name, PCS-1386 (later designated HAMPTON) was commissioned November 4, 1944. PCS-1386 trained officers and enlisted men in the intricate art of submarine detection until the end of World War II. After the war, PCS-1386 continued training operations based at Key West, Florida, as well as performing exercises in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico from 1946 to 1956. PCS-1386 was named HAMPTON February 5, 1956 and decommissioned April 27, 1956. HAMPTON transferred to the 5th Naval District and was assigned to the Naval Reserve Training Center, Baltimore, Maryland. It operated as a training ship until struck from the Navy list on July 1, 1959 and sold.
The fourth HAMPTON (APA-lis), an amphibious ship, was commissioned February 17, 1945. After shakedown training, HAMPTON operated out of Newport, Rhode Island, as a training ship for precommissioning crews until May 1945. HAMPTON then embarked troops destined for Hawaii and the Pacific theater. After delivering 1000 Seabees to Guam, HAMPTON returned to San Francisco. She then joined the fleet carrying troops to port cities in Korea and China, followed by two voyages from Guam to San Francisco, performing the giant task of bringing home the thousands of Pacific veterans. The ship arrived in Norfolk in March of 1946 and was decommissioned April 30, 1946.
The nuclear powered attack submarine USS HAMPTON (SSN 767) was commissioned 06 November 1993. The ship’s sponsor was Mrs. Laura Y Bateman, wife of Virginia Congressman Herbert H. Bateman.
Combining unlimited stealth and endurance with a torpedo, cruise missile, and mine-laying arsenal, HAMPTON will lead the way to meeting the challenge of the 21st century.
Ship's Complement
15 Officers
16 Chief Petty Officers
105 Enlisted
Maximum Depth
In Excess Of 800 Feet
Maximum Speed
In Excess Of 25 Knots
Surface Displacement
6,200 Tons
Submerged Displacement
6,900 Tons
Armament
Four 21 Inch Torpedo Tubes
Twelve Tomahawk Vertical Launch Tubes
Built By
Newport News Shipbuilding
And Dry Dock Company
Newport News, Virginia
Keel Laid
02 March 1990
Launched
03 April 1992
Commissioned
06 November 1993
Sponsored By
Mrs. Laura Y. Bateman
The Power Plant
The propulsion plant of a nuclear powered ship is based upon use of a nuclear reactor to provide heat via fission. Since the fissioning process also produces radiation, shields are placed around the reactor so that the crew is protected.
The nuclear propulsion plant in this ship uses a pressurized water reactor design which has two basic systems: the primary system and the secondary system. The primary system circulates ordinary water and consists of the reactor, piping loops, pumps and steam generators. The heat produced in the reactor is transferred to the water under high pressure so it does not boil. This water is pumped through the steam generators and back into the reactor for reheating.
In the steam generators, the heat from the water in the primary system is transferred to the secondary system to create steam. The secondary system is isolated from the primary system so that the water in the two systems does not mix.
In the secondary system, the steam flows from the steam generators to drive the turbine generators, which supply the ship with electricity, and to the main propulsion turbines, which drive the propeller. After passing through the turbines, the steam is condensed into water which is fed back to the steam generators by the feed pumps. Thus, both the primary and secondary systems are closed systems where water is recirculated and reused.
There is no step in the generation of this power which requires the presence of air or oxygen. This allows the ship to operate completely independent from the earth’s atmosphere for extended periods of time.
Auxiliaries
The nuclear power plant provides HAMPTON the ability to remain deployed and submerged for extended periods of time. To take advantage of this, the ship is I outfitted with various auxiliary equipment to provide for the needs of the crew.
HAMPTON’s atmosphere control equipment consists of oxygen generating equipment, which replenishes that used by the crew, and scrubbers and burners, which remove carbon dioxide and other atmosphere contaminants. The ship’s air is continuously monitored when submerged by an installed atmosphere analyzer, and by various portable analysis equipment.
The ship is equipped with two distilling plants, which convert salt water to fresh water for drinking, washing and supplying water to the propulsion plant. HAMPTON has its own laundry and its own ice cream machine.
Communications
HAMPTON is completely outfitted with a wide variety of antennas, transmitters and receivers necessary to support accomplishment of all assigned tasks. Interior communication is possible on a wide range of circuits and sound powered phones which do not require electrical power and are reliable in battle situations. Various alarm and indicating circuits enable the Officer of the Deck and the Engineering Officer of the Watch to continuously monitor critical parameters and equipment located throughout the ship.
Navigation
Keeping track of the ship’s position while submerged is difficult and important, and requires a complex navigational system. HAMPTON has the capability to use electronic, celestial or visual means to fix the ship’s position.
Weapons
HAMPTON can carry and employ all of the tactical weapons available to the I submarine force. These include the MK 48 torpedo and cruise missiles.
Supply
None of the complex equipment and machinery of the ship could function without the support of the supply department. The repair parts carried on board number in the hundreds of thousands, yet any one can be provided in a matter of minutes. The supply department also carries enough food to feed a crew of over one hundred for as long as 90 days.
How A Submarine Is Organized
Few modern institutions can rival the nuclear submarine for complexity and absolute self-sufficiency. The often inhospitable environment of the vast sea only intensifies the need for coordination of each crewman’s activities. The keystone of the submarine organization is the Commanding Officer, the Captain of the ship. The responsibility for each operation of the submarine, in fact, the responsibility of each individual aboard, converge at the command level and create the Commanding Officer’s ultimate charge: to successfully carry out the mission assigned. The Commanding Officer is empowered to use any means available to accomplish assigned missions. It is this necessary conferral of discretion in an isolated circumstance that lends to the submarine command a sense of creativity and individuality.
Second in command is the Executive Officer, always next senior in rank to the Captain and not far from attaining his own command. The Exec, or XO, as he is informally called, offers his wide ranging experience to the submarine organization through direct coordination of the administrative and training activities of the ship. His knowledge and position extend his responsibilities and interests to every aspect of the submarine.
Assisting both the Executive Officer and the Commanding Officer is the Chief of the Boat or COB. The Chief of the Boat is the principal enlisted advisor to the Commanding Officer, a source of information for the Executive Officer, and a role model for the enlisted men. As the Captain’s right hand, the COB reports directly to the CO on existing or potential problems, procedures, and practices which affect the morale, welfare and job satisfaction of the crew.
The remainder of the ship’s force is composed of six departments: Navigation, Operations, Weapons, Engineering, Supply and Medical. The first four are ordinarily led by the more senior officers of the ship who rank just below the Executive Officer. The more junior officers are assigned within these departments to act as division officers. Divisions are the smallest organizational units aboard, and consist of groups of enlisted specialists organized according to skills.
Every piece of material on the ship from the propeller to the paint job is assigned to a division and finally to an individual technician for its care. Each of these men soon becomes an expert not only in the technical functions to which his special training has been directed, but also in the demands of administration, leadership and instruction of his shipmates.
There is a second organization aboard the ship: the watch organization. Whereas the first organization is designed to maintain equipment, train, and administer to the various groups of men, the watch organization is designed to conduct and coordinate the actual operations of the ship around the clock. This organization is ordinarily divided into three similar groups called sections. At any given time on the submarine one of these sections "has the watch." Each watch section is headed by the Officer of the Deck who carries out the Commanding Officer’s orders during the hours of his watch. It is the Officer of the Deck who orders the ship’s course, speed, and depth, and conducts all shipboard evolutions. He is assisted by a second officer, the Engineering Officer of the Watch, who controls the reactor plant and all engineering evolutions in the propulsion plant.
Each watch section consists, for example, of helmsmen, who steer the ship; throttlemen, to control the steam turbine engines; sonar operators, who silently probe the environment; reactor operators, who control the ship’s remarkable energy source; torpedomen, to service and launch HAMPTON’s weapons; radio operators, who continually maintain an invisible link with command centers ashore; and electricians, who supply power to virtually every component on the ship. These watchstanders, among others, stand alertly by their equipment and stations throughout the duration of each watch.
The tempo of the watch is the heartbeat of the ship and, since one third of a submariner’s time is spent standing his watch, it is also the principal determinant of his day to day routine.
General Information
Please observe the following procedures while you aboard.
Please observe the following procedures while you aboard. WARNING SIGNS: Observe all warning signs. Consult members of the crew for assistance in any matter.
EMERGENCIES: Should any emergency situation arise, alarms will be sounded and the appropriate word passed. You are requested to STAND FAST BUT CLEAR of all passageways and operating areas. Do not obstruct ladders, hatches, or the watertight door. Allow ship’s personnel to perform required action without interference. A member of the crew in charge at the scene will explain the situation as soon as he is able. Please follow the instructions of the man in charge without hesitation.
OPERATION OF SHIP’S EQUIPMENT: Do not operate any equipment or switches, position any valves or enter any posted areas without prior approval from a crew member. Observe posted precautions and procedures in all operations.
SECURITY: Certain aspects of the ship’s operational characteristics and certain areas of the ship are classified. The Radio Room, Sonar Room, Combat Systems Equipment Space and Engine Room are classified areas.
MEDICAL FACILITIES: The ship has a Hospital Corpsman available at all times and he should be consulted for any illness or injury that may occur during the cruise. It is recommended that persons susceptible to motion sickness obtain medication prior to getting underway. The Hospital Corpsman may be contacted through the Chief of the Watch in Control.
LAUNDRY: The ship’s laundry is just forward of the Machinery Room, 3rd level, starboard side. The Chief of the Boat (COB) assigns divisional wash days and those are the days divisions do their laundry. The COB will give you further information on this during the welcome aboard interview,
HEAD: Heads is a nautical term for restroom. There are several heads located throughout the ship. Avoid excessive consumption of potable water. When you shower, soap down with the water off and then rinse; do not let the water run. There is a small push button on the shower head base union that acts as an on-off valve without disrupting the temperature control or spray pattern. Ensure that no articles such as pencils, cigarette butts, tooth picks, or rags fall into commodes, as such articles can foul the pumps, valves and/or piping associated with the sanitary system. WIPE SINKS AND SHOWERS CLEAN AFTER EACH USE.
"The Submariner"
"Only a submariner realizes to what great extent an entire ship depends on him as an individual. To a landsman this is not understandable, and sometimes it is even difficult for us to comprehend, but it is so!
A submarine at sea is a different world in herself, and in consideration of the protracted and distant operations of submarines, the Navy must place responsibility and trust in the hands of those who take such ships to sea.
In each submarine there are men who, in the hour of emergency or peril at sea, can turn to each other. These men are ultimately responsible to themselves and each other for all aspects of operation of their submarine. They are the crew. They are the ship.
This is perhaps the most difficult and demanding assignment in the Navy. There is not an instant during his tour as a submariner that he can escape the grasp of responsibility. His privileges in view of his obligations are almost ludicrously small; nevertheless; it is the spur which has given the Navy its greatest mariners -- the men of the Submarine Service.
It is a duty which most richly deserves the highest, time-honored title of "Submariner."