I have read the reported story about why the sonar dome of USS Virginia (CGN-38) failed in the Indian Ocean during April 1980, before the attempted rescue of the hostages held in Iran.

Please allow me to put some "Meat on the Bones" regarding "A Whale of a Story"

Every sailor knows a good "Sea Story" always begins with:

"Now this is a No Shitter!"

USS Virginia (CGN-38) was commissioned in 1976, as the lead cruiser of a newly designed class of nuclear powered guided-missile cruisers for the U. S. Navy. Between 1977 and 1980, three (3) additional "Virginia Class" nuclear powered guided-missile cruisers were commissioned: USS Texas (CGN-39) in 1977, USS Mississippi (CGN-40) in 1978, and USS Arkansas (CGN-41) in 1980. A fifth unnamed "Virginia Class" nuclear powered guided-missile cruiser was canceled.

Regardless of what anyone may say, USS Virginia (CGN-38) did not, repeat, did not, "run into a whale", did not "hit or collide with a submerged object" and did not "run aground" causing damage to its sonar dome in 1980. Also, there was no evidence of sabotage or willful damage to the sonar dome.

There are several false rumors and sea stories about why the sonar dome stopped operating properly in the Indian Ocean shortly before the Iranian Hostage rescue attempt in 1980, but all were based upon unconfirmed and erroneous speculations.

The truth is the sonar dome first started experiencing problems when USS Virginia first arrived in the Indian Ocean following a 12,000 mile deployment at high speed (>30 knots Speed over Ground (SOG)) from Norfolk, VA around the Cape of Good Hope to the Gulf of Oman in April 1980.

I served as Fleet Navigator on USS Virginia from July 1979 to August 1980. I not only had a close working relationship with then CAPTAIN (CAPT) Robert H. Ailes, US Navy, the Commanding Officer (CO), but also, firsthand knowledge of the initial reports of irregularities to the sonar dome on USS Virginia. I was also present, a month later during repairs when the Navy Shipyard inspectors and several Navy Vice Admirals examined the sonar dome and the hull in a floating dry dock in the Philippines. Those examinations confirmed what actually caused the problems to the sonar dome which affected the function and proper operation of the sonar on USS Virginia during April 1980.

For those who did CAPT Ailes was the best CO I ever served with during 28 years of my Active Navy/Naval Reserve career. USS Virginia shipmates agreed CAPT Ailes was a CO who took no prisoners when defending his ship or his crew. He was a 1955 graduate of the United States Naval Academy (USNA), an experienced Naval Surface Nuclear Officer and an expert seaman. He was fearless, very competent, extremely fair, and blessed with common sense and good humor. He praised and rewarded the USS Virginia crew for their professionalism, good order, and discipline, but he also punished anyone who jeopardized the safety of our ship or any member of our crew.

During 1980, the USS Eisenhower (CVN-69) Battle Group consisted of the nuclear powered aircraft carrier (USS Eisenhower) with embarked Carrier Air Wing 7, two nuclear powered cruisers (USS South Carolina (CGN-35) and USS Virginia (CGN-38), plus additional fossil fuel destroyers, other combatants, and support ships. Shortly after a 12,000 mile deployment at high speed (>30 knots Speed over Ground (SOG)) from Norfolk, VA around the Cape of Good Hope arriving in the Indian Ocean, USS Virginia was ordered to proceed at “Best Speed”, (in excess of 35 knots), to assist in the recovery of crew members who were onboard a US Navy helicopter that crashed in the northern Indian Ocean. I was the Officer of the Deck (OOD) during the high speed transit to the crash scene after CAPT Ailes who ordered me to proceed at “Flank Speed” to the crash site. During the transit, I was alerted by the Combat Systems Watch Officer that pressure alarms were going off on the sonar dome. I immediately contacted CAPT Ailes and he ordered reduced speed which temporarily stopped the pressure alarms, but the slower speed delayed our arrival at the crash site. USS Virginia and other Navy ships participated in a rescue for crew members, but unfortunately, several helicopter crew members died from the crash.

During the transit from the helicopter crash site to our assignment in the Battle Group, the speed of USS Virginia was severely limited.

On the morning of April 23, 1980, all the Commanding Officers of the Navy surface vessels in the Indian Ocean attended a briefing onboard USS Nimitz (CVN-71) by Vice Admiral Metcalf, USN, the senior Battle Group Commander. a "Special Assignment" was given to USS Virginia which few crew members knew about. USS Virginia was ordered to operate at reduced speed in a square box in the Gulf of Oman on April 24, 1980, during the attempt to rescue the embassy staff and Americans held hostage at the American Embassy compound in Tehran, Iran. The nautical box was in the Gulf of Oman more than 100 miles away from the three (3) US Navy Battle Groups comprised of 30+ US Navy combatants (cruisers, destroyers and frigates), three (3) US Navy Carriers with several aircraft squadrons, US submarines, and other supply ships in the Indian Ocean.

I remember USS Virginia was independently operating in the Indian Ocean in 1980, when all of a sudden “General Quarters” was sounded. The crewmen thought it was just another drill, but unbeknownst to many onboard USS Virginia, a submerged Soviet “Foxtrot” submarine had been following USS Virginia for several hours and CAPT Ailes decided it posed a threat to our ship and our mission. CAPT Ailes, ordered a Navy Russian interpreter to tell the Russian Commanding Officer of the submarine to "surface and render honors to USS Virginia" or "I’m going to blow your ass out of the water". To the astonishment of the entire USS Virginia crew, a Soviet submarine surfaced about a mile off the starboard quarter. I had recently assumed the additional duty of Intelligence Officer since several officers USS Virginia maneuvered around the submarine while it was surrendering honors to our ship. CAPT Ailes reciprocated then the submarine submerged and disappeared from sight.

CAPT Ailes had an excellent reputation as a no nonsense warrior. I always wondered how he knew the Soviet submarine was following the ship and how did he communicate his intentions to the Russian CO. You’ll now know those answers, if you read further, but first let’s clear up issues concerning the sonar dome.

USS Virginia and its crew went through Refresher Training (REFTRA) following significant upgrades in the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1979. The scuttlebutt that USS Virginia may have run aground before deploying to the Indian Ocean is false, but probably started after USS Virginia set several high speed maneuvering records and bombardment records during REFTRA exercises at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba and Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. CAPT Ailes was very happy about the crew’s REFTRA performance so he decided to reward the crew. Usually, after REFTRA, most US Navy ships went to Haiti, Puerto Rico, or ports close to Cuba, but CAPT Ailes asked the crew where they wanted to go to enjoy some well deserved Rest and Relaxation (R&R). The Command Master Chief advised him the crew wanted to go to Curaçao, a Dutch Antilles island, north of Venezuela for liberty. The only problem was, no US Navy ship (especially a nuclear powered combatant) was authorized to travel that far in such a short time.

CAPT Ailes didn't want to disappoint the crew so he devised a plan to show USS Virginia was operating within an authorized training area near Cuba, using a Navigational option called "MOD LOC" for 7 days. In actuality, USS Virginia sailed more than 900 miles at max speed to allow 7 days liberty in Willemstad, Curacao. Since USS Virginia was nuclear powered, mooring against a pier was usually restricted when visiting many countries. The rumor about running into something or running aground probably started following our port visit to Willemstad, Curacao when USS Virginia surprisingly was allowed to moor pier-side. It had been over 20 years since a US Navy ship had visited Curaçao and the Curaçao government rolled out the "Red Carpet" and allowed USS Virginia to moor pier-side next to the cruise ships. The challenge was to navigate USS Virginia through a harbor and under a suspension bridge which allowed only 20 feet of clearance for the masthead while at the same time requiring only 20 feet of clearance for the hull during "Mean Low Water". I assured CAPT Ailes that the Navigation team led by QMC McMillan and QM2 Deluca would provide safe clearance and he agreed to moor pier-side.

With a pilot onboard and a very professional Sea and Anchor Detail on watch, USS Virginia moored pier-side with no problems or issues. Curaçao government officials hosted parties and a carnival for the entire crew. Needless to say, the crew of USS Virginia had the best liberty thanks to CAPT Ailes. We raced back to the "MOD LOC" position just before CAPT Ailes had to explain why USS Virginia was not in communication range for several days. I think he covered for the crew and nobody ever questioned where we had been until after the bills for the harbor pilot and mooring services were paid for.

The accusation that USS Virginia ran aground or struck the pier in Willemstad, Curaçao is false.

The reason USS Virginia was selected for the "Special Assignment" was not because of its limited speed, but because USS Virginia was outfitted with new technology that no other ship in the world possessed at that time: a passive surveillance system which could identify electronic emissions from all threats on the surface of the ocean, below the surface, and in the air. USS Virginia's mission was to detect and eliminate any hostile threats to the US Navy Battle Groups, especially from Iran.

Unfortunately, the hostage rescue attempt was aborted after a US helicopter and a US C-130 aircraft collided resulting in the deaths of military personnel at a landing site in Iran. Thankfully, there was no aggressive response or retaliation by the Iranian military against the US Battle Groups, but the hostages were subsequently spread out throughout Iran which made any future attempt to rescue all of them impossible.

USS Virginia succeeded in its mission to test and evaluate a new passive surveillance system despite the failure to rescue the hostages, but its restricted speed and limited use of its sonar reduced its operational capabilities.

On April 26, 1980, USS Virginia was ordered to be repaired as soon a possible and return to join the Battle Group. The question was: Where could a nuclear powered US Navy cruiser with limited speed safely go for an assessment and repair of the sonar dome? There were concerns about safety issues associated with traveling through the Suez Canal so European repair facilities were eliminated. After several African and Western Asian repair facilities were considered, the Navy Repair Facility at Subic Bay, Philippines was selected as the best repair facility.

I had forgotten that I requested to leave active duty and join the Naval Reserves before I deployed on USS Virginia in April 1980, and surprisingly, my relief arrived onboard USS Virginia just before our transit to the Philippines. I didn’t know the transit from the Indian Ocean to the Philippines would be my last shipboard assignment as a Navigator.

USS Virginia didn't have navigation charts for waters east of Malaysia so we quickly procured charts from other US ships and the Quartermasters spent each day updating and correcting the navigation plan for approval by CAPT Ailes. The transit to the Philippines seemed to take forever about 2 weeks. It was challenging and dangerous not only due to the hundreds of ships in the Malacca Strait, Singapore Strait, and South China Sea, but also because there were large trees and island debris in the water from typhoons. I spent many hours on the Bridge each day of the transit in addition to training my relief as best as I could, to be a Navigator on a cruiser. USS Virginia finally arrived at Subic Bay, the Philippines after sailing more than 4,000 Miles at a maximum 10-12 Knots and dodging Typhoon Dom in the South China Sea.

I am deeply indebted to all of the Quartermasters onboard USS Virginia. They were the best sailors I ever had the honor to serve with and they worked their asses off during the transit to the Philippines.

When we arrived at the repair facility, USS Virginia set another historic record as the first nuclear powered ship to enter into and be repaired in a floating dry dock. I knew CAPT Ailes's career was on the line when three (3) US Navy Vice Admirals arrived in the Philippines to examine USS Virginia's hull and sonar dome. When the floating dry dock raised USS Virginia's hull from the water, the rubber surface covering the sonar dome did not have any evidence of collision or damage. It was pristine. The metal fastening band on the top of the sonar dome was in place, but a portion of the rubber was not secured under the band. The experts concluded the shipyard didn't properly measure the correct amount of rubber to overlap the band. This resulted in the rubber slipping under the band causing pressure destabilization in the sonar dome. The faulty shipyard work made the failure of the sonar dome inevitable. Sailing at higher speeds only speeded up the time of catastrophic failure. CAPT Ailes was later promoted to Rear Admiral and retired after a long and successful Navy career.

Our Shipmates should be proud that USS Virginia, arguably, the #1 nuclear powered cruiser in the US Navy, was also the most lethal and fastest cruiser in the world. USS Virginia paved the way for groundbreaking technological superiority for surface combatants.

Regrettably, the USS Virginia (CGN-38) was decommissioned November 10, 1994, but the records and accomplishments of USS Virginia during her 18 years of service are historic and noteworthy.

My sea story is dedicated to Rear Admiral Robert H. Ailes, USN (Retired), known by his shipmates as "Bad Eye Bob". RADM Ailes passed away December 11, 2009, at the age of 74. He received an honorable military burial and is interred at Arlington National Cemetery. I pray all USS Virginia (CGN-38) shipmates understand how crucial our ship has been to the successful defense of the United States of America. GOD Bless all who served onboard USS Virginia (CGN-38).

Ron Casey (dufferman75@aol.com)