USS Cusk Ringtone

        This is an actual recording of a Cusk dive made in January, 1969 while the USS Cusk was on patrol on Yankee Station, that area of the Tonkin Gulf off the coast of North Vietnam.  The Cusk had just completed a major reconnaissance operation in conjunction with a planned POW rescue attempt that was later aborted for unknown reasons.  In this dive you can hear the Cusk's Executive Officer, Tommy Sawyer, relieve the Officer of the Deck and give the command to submerge in preparation for a war games operations with an Australian Destroyer (call sign  "Gunpowder"). 

        Quartermaster Lee Krabill counts down the men as they come off the bridge, and then the Officer of the Deck, Lt. John Troutman, reports, "Last man down, Sir." as he closes the hatch.  (Note the roar of the air leaving the ballast tanks following the claxon sound that is abruptly muted when the Conning Tower hatch is closed.  Lee Krabill then reports that the last man is down and the hatch is secure.  Shortly afterward, the Diving Officer reports, "Green Board, Sir!" from the Control Room.  The command is then given for making our depth 60 feet (periscope depth) and changing our speed from "All Ahead Full" (automatic default speed on a dive) to, "All Ahead Two Thirds."  Seaman Steve Emmons repeats the speed change command and then confirms that Maneuvering has acknowledged the speed change.  Shortly afterward you can hear the whistling sound of the Negative Tank being blown "...to the mark" and the slight grinding sound of the Retractable Antenna being lowered by the Radiomen.

        Yes, I probably could have sold this ringtone on iTunes, but chose rather to make it free to anyone who might want to use it.  As with all parts of this great ship's history, it is a pleasure to share it with you and please don't hesitate to share it with others, and to tell them about the Cusk's website, her great history, and the over 800 proud men who sailed her during her 24 years of service.  And special thanks to Homer Scroggins, USS Cusk from 1955 to 1957, for giving me the idea.

        Enjoy, and God Bless all of our troops, especially those who "...take her down beneath the waves."
 

Green Board and following seas to all,

Tom, USS Cusk Webmaster

USS Cusk Ringtone is in .m4r (iTunes) format.  I can send you a copy on request and you should be able to open it and have iTunes automatically place it in its library.  Afterward, just sync your phone to your iTunes library and it should download to your phone.  Additional formats may be available later, depending on request.  If you use the link below, be sure you save it in .m4r or .mp4 format, NOT .html.

sounds\CuskDivetone1.m4r

If you have any information, pictures, history, or crewmember names/information from the Cusk in 1950 (or any year), please contact the Cusk Webmaster. Thanks!