Less known is the USS Utah's contribution to Navy Training by acting as a target of U.S. Submarines.
Thanks to shipmate Paul Joyce, Chief Warrant Officer, USN (ret) for the contribution, of all things, a picture postcard peaking our interest in this important phase of Utah's operations. [Ed note: Confession time; Yes, we were there - we just did not know, or do not recall, "everything" that was going on outside of the Communications Division]
Back side of postcard
We canvassed some of Utah's survivors for further information on these operations; here is the text of an e-mail from Shipmate "Cotton" Streeter:
"A little info on the torpedo exercises between the subs and the USS Utah:
As I remember, the Utah towed a sled behind with a flag on it .The subs set the torpedo depth so as it would go underneath the ship, and if the wake came up from the stern and the tow it was a hit, observers aboard ship estimated where the torpedo would have hit the ship. After the torpedo had run its course it surfaced and was retrieved [by Destroyers] .
I remember one time we were in San Diego going through exercises in 1938. Near the end of the games a sub started to surface .It was under the Utah and scraped the port side under the Chief's Quarters. Being one of the Chief's mess cooks I heard all the scraping and it scared the hell out of me as I realized what was happening. The sub surfaced along side. Some pretty pasty faced sailors came up on deck to see what damage was inflicted the sub. From what we could see there wasn't a lot
We were anchored off North Island [San Diego] and they sent me in the motor boat to the headquarters where the inquiry was held. I was scared stiff with all the brass around me being a "full fledged" seaman second class. You know in those days some one had to be blamed, [so what's new?] and I surely wouldn't like to have been the Skipper of that Sub."
Additional details on our submarine target operations received via e-mail from Shipmate Paul Joyce;
"The torpedoes used in practice were real in all respects, except no explosive in the warhead. They were designed so after the run at target, they would partially surface and could be retrieved by a boat.
I remember one time the ship towed a spar about 500-600 feet astern. This spar sent a spray of water in the air so the sub could use the stern of the ship and spar to aim his torpedo at. We also had PBY sea planes drop torpedoes on the target."
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