Submarine Research Center has nearly completed its research into American submarine collisions and groundings. It has become aware that American submarines have hit and been hit so many times that it was necessary to select those events which are unique in history or which are representative of types of events.

The research revealed that American submarines not only ran aground and had collisions with both surface ships and other submarines, but have become ensnared in fishing and towing gear on several occasions. Of course, there are the collisions that are groundings or vice versa. These are the numerous doubtful landings that result in minor damage, but extreme embarrassment. Every good skipper tried for a two-bell landing, but some are less than perfect.

When human life is taken because of a grounding or collision it is a tragedy. Most collisions and groundings are of a lesser nature and even a few are worthy of a chuckle.

Human error, equipment failure and poor system design account for the majority of collisions and groundings. A few are due to just bad luck. In any event the captain of the submarine is held accountable and it is rare that the commanding officer is exonerated from wrong doing.

The aftermath of a submarine collision or grounding is nearly as dramatic as the event itself. When only the affected submarine is involved a review board is convened and the cause of the accident is determined. This process is internal Navy and history shows that the strict code of accountability holds even when the officers are old friends. When a collision or grounding involves a civilian American ship or a foreign ship or submarine the adjudication process runs in parallel with the Navy's internal review. This means going to court where all the dirty laundry hangs out for everyone to see. Tracking these court cases makes for fascinating reading.

SRC's coming publication, "Undersea Encounters" covers over one hundred years of American submarining. From the A-4's grounding in 1903 to the San Francisco grounding in 2005, "Undersea Encounters" describes the events leading up to the accident, the accident itself and the aftermath of the hearings.

If you were aboard any of the following boats at the times listed below and have first hand knowledge of the respective event or if you have knowledge of any of the events described and want to add your perspective please call, email or write us with your story.

The L-10 collides with a passenger-carrying ferry in New York Harbor, August 11, 1917

The S-51 is struck on her port side by the merchantman City of Rome while running on the surface off the east coast, September 25, 1925.

Tunny is struck on her stern while Remora twists in a nest at Pearl Harbor Submarine Base, January 1, 1964

The Atule, renamed the Pachoca, a Peruvian submarine is struck by a merchantman in an overtaking situation off Peru, August 26, 1988.

The Philadelphia collides with the merchantman Yaso Aysen of Behrain, September 5, 2005.

The Trumpetfish, while running at periscope depth collides with USS Fremont an AKA in an exercise convoy, February 11, 1949.

The USS Catfish while running at periscope depth is struck by a merchantman in the summer of 1954.

USS Bergall is struck by a destroyer in an ASW exercise in Long Island Sound, October, 1954.

The USS Stickleback collides with the Destroyer Escort Silverstein (DE-534) while running submerged at periscope depth, May 27, 1958.

The USS Angler collides with the merchantman, "The Adventurer" while running at periscope depth, July 20, 1961.

USS Caiman is struck on her sail by a destroyer's rudder and screw, Fall, 1961.

The USS Nautilus collides with the USS Essex while running at periscope depth during an ASW exercise, November 10, 1966.

The USS Baton Rouge collides with a Soviet submarine while operating in the Barents Sea, February 11, 1992.

The S-4 collides with the United States Coast Guard Cutter Pauling while surfacing in the Caribbean Sea, December 17,1927.

The S-5 dives with its main induction partially open and a part of the crew makes a remarkable escape, September 1, 1920.

The USS Thomas Edison is struck when surfacing by the Destroyer Wadleigh, April 9, 1962.

The USS Greenville strikes a Japanese educational fishing trawler while surfacing off Honolulu, February 9, 2001.

The USS Sea Owl becomes entangled in a fishing net in Ipswich Bay, Massachusetts, May 9, 1946.

The USS Robert E. Lee is snarled by a French trawler's fishing net cable off the Irish coast, June 1968.

The USS von Steuben strikes a towing cable off Spain while providing ASW services to the Spanish Navy and subsequently surfaces under a Liberty Ship, 1969.

A Russian deep submergence vehicle becomes entangled in a drift net of the coast of Kamchatka, August 11, 2005.

The A-4 runs aground in Narragansett Bay, winter 1903

The S-36 runs aground on Taka Bakang Reef, the South Pacific, June 17, 1942.

The S-27 runs aground on the rocks of St. Makarius Point, June 18, 1942.

The S-39 runs aground on Rossel Island in the Coral Sea, August 13, 1942.

The USS Darter runs aground in the southwest Pacific after dodging Japanese destroyers fro two days, October 25, 1944.

The USS Grenadier runs onto the rocks in the channel to Hamilton Harbor, Bermuda in the fall of 1954.

The USS Hartford runs aground in the channel at Maddelena, Sardinia, 2004.

The USS Skate narrowly avoids grounding near the entrance to Chesapeake Bay, Spring, 1962.

The USS Sea Wolf strikes the bottom sixty miles off Cape Cod on January 30, 1968.

The USS San Francisco strikes a seamount three hundred miles south of Guam, January 8, 2005.

The forthcoming publication includes information on contributing systems such as navigation, submarine organization, the maritime court system and the hearing process.

"Undersea Encounters" will be available to submariners in the early summer, 2006.