# Thompson Lykes and Sub. Surcouf



## audierne (Sep 20, 2008)

Hello everyone,
I am re-reading James Rusbridger's "Who sank Surcouf?" and I am intrigued by a detail. ( I am the world's most professional armchair sailor)
The book states that the submarine was first seen as a "White light" to starboard of the Thompson Lykes (p153). The light was then seen straight ahead, the submarine therefore passing from starboard to port, and then sinking on the port side (p 155).
The Thompson Lykes may (enough time?) have begun to turn to starboard. (p142)
There is a photograph of the Thompson Lykes in the photo section. The forefoot is quite plainly twisted to starboard, whereas I would have expected the damaged stem to have been moved the other way with the momentum of the submarine. 
Have I got something wrong?
Thanks for your help
All the best
Gerard Le Saffre


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## Klaatu83 (Jan 22, 2009)

I've never hit a submarine, but I have had a few encounters with them at sea. If only a single white light was seen then it may well have been the stern light. On the surface submarines are very large, deep draft vessels that show only very small lights, often quite low down near the waterline. That makes them appear to be much smaller vessels then they actually are. Even though the Surcouf was the largest submarine in the world, she would still have been difficult to spot. The fact that, in those days, most merchant ships didn't have radar, would only have compounded the problem. 

Although nowadays submarines on the surface are supposed to show a flare-up light to identify themselves, they don't always do so. I recall one occasion, while approaching Charleston, S.C., when I found my ship overtaking what I took to be a small fishing boat or a private power boat. It showed only a very small white light, and appeared on the radar as a very small target. I was half a mile astern of it when I realized that what I was actually overtaking was a huge, nuclear-powered "boomer"!

In a traffic situation, a submarine on the surface is a menace to navigation because it is always difficult to spot. It often seems to me that submarine crews don't fully appreciate just how inconspicuous their vessels actually are. They're attitude seems to be that, if they can see you, then they assume you must be equally able to see them. 

By far the most difficult to see are the Israeli Navy's subs. Unlike most navies, which paint their submarines black, the Israelis paint their submarines a bilious shade of green. It looks a bit peculiar while they're tied up alongside the dock, but once underway they completely disappear against the background of the Mediterranean Sea.


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## audierne (Sep 20, 2008)

Klaatu 83,
Thank you for your answer.
But still, how can a ship passing from right to left twist the rammer's bow to the right?
Regards ,
Gerard


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## Jan Tiemen (Jun 15, 2011)

Yes, like it says on page 142, the Thompson Lykes had full starboard rudder. So she might have turned enough to hit Surcouf at an angle. That would explain the bend to the right, not the movement of the relatively slippery sub's hull.

Just my 2 cents,

Jan Tiemen


PS: Does anybody have an idea where (exactly ;-) Surcouf was subsequently bombed?


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