Video: 'Officers aboard the USS Nautilus SSN-571 submarine for her commissioning ceremony...HD Stock Footage'
(Thursday, September 30, 1954, 3:11 p.m. EST; during the Cold War) — The world’s first atomic-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, officially joined the United States Navy today, marking a significant milestone in naval technology and a strategic answer to the growing naval power of the Soviet Union.
The Nautilus was commissioned during a ceremony at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corp. in Groton, Connecticut, where it was built.
John Jay Hopkins, president of General Dynamics, hailed the submarine as “man’s first successful attempt to utilize the complex mysteries of nuclear fission for propulsion.” The vessel represents a leap forward in naval capabilities, promising to extend the reach and power of the U.S. Navy.
Adm. Jerauld Wright, Commander-in-Chief of the Atlantic Fleet, spoke at the ceremony, warning of the Soviet Union’s rapid naval expansion.
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He noted that within the last decade, the Soviet Navy has risen from seventh place to second among the world’s naval powers, boasting a fleet of 330 to 400 submarines. Wright emphasized the importance of maintaining air and sea supremacy, which he described as essential for the United States to remain a free nation.
Wright described the Nautilus as a “killer submarine” designed to target and reduce the Soviet submarine threat. While delivering his speech, he chose to omit this characterization but stressed that the Nautilus, although groundbreaking, is already nearing obsolescence. He pointed to the Sea Wolf, another submarine under construction at the Electric Boat shipyards, which he said is even more advanced in its use of atomic power.
The ceremony’s climax came at 3:11 p.m. (EST) when Cmdr. Eugene P. Wilkinson of San Diego, California, gave the command to “hoist the colors,” officially signaling the Nautilus’ entry into the Navy.
The Nautilus was originally scheduled for its first trial run in late October, but officials indicated that the test might be delayed due to a recent steam pipe burst. Nonetheless, the submarine’s commissioning marks a new era in naval warfare, as the U.S. Navy continues to innovate in the face of global challenges.
