FIREFIGHTING IN SUBMARINES

Year Published: 1980

Description: "Firefighting in Submarines" (1980) is a Royal Navy training film that shows the hazard of a fire aboard a submarine, and how to suppress them. It was directed by John Pitt and produced by John Wiles and Films of Today co. This film depicts a realistic and intense fire drill aboard a submarine, emphasizing the extreme danger fires pose in such confined, high-risk environments. It begins showing normal operations before a sudden fire breaks out in the diesel room. The crew immediately reacts, triggering emergency protocols and attempting to contain the fire as smoke spreads. As systems begin to fail—including power and cooling—there is growing concern about the proximity of enemy warships, which prevents the submarine from surfacing to ventilate. The attack team works to extinguish the fire, eventually succeeding, though risks of re-ignition and impaired operations remain. The film concludes with a strong message: the crew's survival hinged on thorough training, speed, and preparation, highlighting that in real emergencies, hesitation or mistakes can be fatal. 0:00 – Scenic shots of Royal Navy submarines, including Dreadnought class, diving in the open ocean. Captain issues orders as the periscope is secured. 1:11 – Crew begins routine operations, including pumping 600 gallons of fuel; calm and structured activity. 2:06 – Red Navy warship shown on the surface. Light banter among crew members reflects downtime aboard the submarine. 3:00 – Fire breaks out in the diesel room — discussion of the extreme danger of fire aboard submarines. 4:01 – Emergency stations called; crew responds quickly. Thick smoke and heat overwhelm initial response teams. 4:22 – The narrator explains the danger: surfacing is impossible due to nearby enemy ships, so quick containment is vital. 5:36 – Multiple systems shut down; boundary cooling initiated; first aid and control teams close up on scene. 6:08 – Incident board used to assess the situation — fire confirmed in diesel room’s forward starboard corner. 6:44 – Attack team moves in; attempts to extinguish fire begin under worsening conditions. 7:24 – Fire is still burning; smoke intensifies. Reactor systems and critical machinery are at risk. 8:09 – Smoke casualty reported; personnel suffering from exposure. 8:30 – Captain and officers assess mounting risks: electrical loss, reactor control, and ventilation threats. 9:02 – Starboard MG (motor generator) at risk; power loss and control failure could force an emergency surfacing. 10:05 – Loss of starboard essential supplies confirmed. Team reroutes power using backup systems (BC3). 10:49 – Carbon monoxide levels exceed 500 ppm. Everyone ordered into EBS masks. 11:02 – Diesel room evacuated due to hazardous smoke levels. 11:35 – Situation reaches critical level: fire still active, control systems above it threatened, evacuation complete. 12:00 – If fire spreads to reactor instrumentation, the sub may have to surface despite enemy presence. 12:36 – Attack team manages to re-enter and start effective firefighting with water. 13:33 – Cooling systems restored; firefighting continues successfully. 14:16 – Fire is contained; damage assessment begins. 14:46 – Fire officially declared out, but smoke still fills compartment and ventilation is impossible while submerged. 15:12 – Remaining risk: fire could reignite and they may have to surface if they can’t evade the enemy contact. 15:59 – Enemy contact at 185 is lost; captain gives order to ascend to 65 ft for ventilation. 16:42 – Periscope check reveals no surface threats; ventilation initiated to clear smoke. 17:29 – EBS masks removed; fire drill concludes. Crew reflects on the seriousness and success of the operation. 17:50 – Final message: training and practice made the difference. In real fires, action must be fast and instinctive. 18:25 – Closing advice: even a small hesitation can be fatal. Know the equipment, the procedures, and the boat.

Complete Record: "Firefighting in Submarines" (1980) is a Royal Navy training film that shows the hazard of a fire aboard a submarine, and how to suppress them. It was directed by John Pitt and produced by John Wiles and Films of Today co. This film depicts a realistic and intense fire drill aboard a submarine, emphasizing the extreme danger fires pose in such confined, high-risk environments. It begins showing normal operations before a sudden fire breaks out in the diesel room. The crew immediately reacts, triggering emergency protocols and attempting to contain the fire as smoke spreads. As systems begin to fail—including power and cooling—there is growing concern about the proximity of enemy warships, which prevents the submarine from surfacing to ventilate. The attack team works to extinguish the fire, eventually succeeding, though risks of re-ignition and impaired operations remain. The film concludes with a strong message: the crew's survival hinged on thorough training, speed, and preparation, highlighting that in real emergencies, hesitation or mistakes can be fatal. 0:00 – Scenic shots of Royal Navy submarines, including Dreadnought class, diving in the open ocean. Captain issues orders as the periscope is secured. 1:11 – Crew begins routine operations, including pumping 600 gallons of fuel; calm and structured activity. 2:06 – Red Navy warship shown on the surface. Light banter among crew members reflects downtime aboard the submarine. 3:00 – Fire breaks out in the diesel room — discussion of the extreme danger of fire aboard submarines. 4:01 – Emergency stations called; crew responds quickly. Thick smoke and heat overwhelm initial response teams. 4:22 – The narrator explains the danger: surfacing is impossible due to nearby enemy ships, so quick containment is vital. 5:36 – Multiple systems shut down; boundary cooling initiated; first aid and control teams close up on scene. 6:08 – Incident board used to assess the situation — fire confirmed in diesel room’s forward starboard corner. 6:44 – Attack team moves in; attempts to extinguish fire begin under worsening conditions. 7:24 – Fire is still burning; smoke intensifies. Reactor systems and critical machinery are at risk. 8:09 – Smoke casualty reported; personnel suffering from exposure. 8:30 – Captain and officers assess mounting risks: electrical loss, reactor control, and ventilation threats. 9:02 – Starboard MG (motor generator) at risk; power loss and control failure could force an emergency surfacing. 10:05 – Loss of starboard essential supplies confirmed. Team reroutes power using backup systems (BC3). 10:49 – Carbon monoxide levels exceed 500 ppm. Everyone ordered into EBS masks. 11:02 – Diesel room evacuated due to hazardous smoke levels. 11:35 – Situation reaches critical level: fire still active, control systems above it threatened, evacuation complete. 12:00 – If fire spreads to reactor instrumentation, the sub may have to surface despite enemy presence. 12:36 – Attack team manages to re-enter and start effective firefighting with water. 13:33 – Cooling systems restored; firefighting continues successfully. 14:16 – Fire is contained; damage assessment begins. 14:46 – Fire officially declared out, but smoke still fills compartment and ventilation is impossible while submerged. 15:12 – Remaining risk: fire could reignite and they may have to surface if they can’t evade the enemy contact. 15:59 – Enemy contact at 185 is lost; captain gives order to ascend to 65 ft for ventilation. 16:42 – Periscope check reveals no surface threats; ventilation initiated to clear smoke. 17:29 – EBS masks removed; fire drill concludes. Crew reflects on the seriousness and success of the operation. 17:50 – Final message: training and practice made the difference. In real fires, action must be fast and instinctive. 18:25 – Closing advice: even a small hesitation can be fatal. Know the equipment, the procedures, and the boat.

Transcription

[Music] Come on. [Music] Come on. [Music] [Music] Hey. Hey. Hey. [Music] 600 gallons of C2 star. >> I think there all mass sit down. Keep 250 ft. Speed 12. >> Six down. Keep 250 ft. Speed 12. All master again down. >> Very good. >> 100 ft. Sir, >> Roger. >> Revolution set, sir. >> Roger. Revolutions at 12 knots. Set, sir. Pump 600 g. O star to sea. >> Pump 600 gallons. O star to sea. pumping now. We're good. >> Quite a tea party up there today. >> They'll be pouring it from Samars, I suspect, sir. >> What? >> A Russian teaser. >> Do you know what the difference between the wardrobe is and a porcupine? >> God, tell us. >> Porcupine's got the pricks on the outside. Not again. You neck. >> Come on in. >> Don't I get a throw? >> No. Three, four, five. Fire on board a vessel is a serious matter, particularly in wartime. In a submarine, it's very serious indeed at any time. If you're lucky enough to have survived a fire on board a submarine, you'll know that there's only one way to react. Very, very fast. If you've never experienced fire, well, here's an opportunity to see why speed and training increase the chances of survival. Because somewhere on this boat, with a large number of hostile surface vessels in the vicinity, a fire is just about to be discovered. [Music] hell, Turk got a fire down here. [Music] Fire, fire, fire. Fire in the news room. Fire in the news room. >> Come on. >> Emergency stations. Emergency stations. Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire in the diesel room. Attack and support parties. Close up. It's >> bloody hot. >> Hardly breathe. Everything's active. Curry, >> turn up. Keep 190 ft. >> Turn up. Keep 190 ft. >> It's absolutely essential to put out this fire quickly. If it escalates, it can the boat by damaging vital equipment. Moreover, due to the surface vessels above, it will be impossible to come to periscope depth in order to ventilate the dense smoke. After you see, therefore, why speed is literally a matter of life and death. If you don't move fast, you die. It's as simple as that. And not only fast, but in the right direction. >> Come on. I'm doing this [Music] looking [Music] both HP compressors >> shut down. 74 bulkhead shut down. First aid party closed up in junior 8 miss I cover recharging station closed up >> control maneuvering >> control room >> all ATU shut down rigging boundary cooling >> roger ATUs rigging boundary cooling >> control maneuvering fire in starboard for corner of diesel room suspect oil fire >> this by the way is the incident board, which provides an immediate visual reference to the conditions of the boat, both for the officer of the watch and myself. So far, all we know is that there's a fire in the starboard forward corner of the diesel room, but it's an oil fire, and by the sound of it, it's pretty bad. However, the watchkeepers have acted promptly and efficiently by raising the alarm and applying first aid until the attack party arrives to take over. >> Looks like an oil fire, sir. Get yourself a mask. Roger. [Music] Got it out. Let me out. Come on. >> I'm here. I'm up from there. Take it back. >> Get it here. [Music] >> Maneuvering tunnel. >> Maneuvering. Two men getting dressed in fear. >> Maneuvering diesel. >> Maneuvering. >> The fire is still burning. Smoke is getting worse. The attack party is in EBS fighting the fire. MGS appear to be okay still. Hydrogen bottle is being removed. Roger. maneuvering diesel. >> Have a smoke casualty. I'm sending him off. >> Have a milkshake in the tunnel. >> Control maneuvering. We have a smoke casualty in the diesel room. We have a smoke casualty in the diesel room. The >> fire is escalating. There's a lot of smoke. We may have to evacuate. [Music] >> Pilot, what was the weather like the last time we went deep? >> Playing a bastard, sir. From the northwest, sir, about 47. >> If the captain's concerned, it's not surprising. He's got a lot to think about. >> First, he has a diesel room oil fire, which clearly is escalating. Very likely we will lose some electrical supplies in the vicinity of the fire and we may lose the starboard MG. The reactor instrumentation racks and rod control are immediately above the fire in the switchboard room here. The loss of the starboard MG would mean that there is no backup to the electrical system on that side and we could very well lose the starboard essential bus bar and so be very much reduced in power. There's a difficult situation with the Belgian ballast systems down there, too. We may well find that we can't pump water out of the compensating tanks or out of the BGES for that matter. On top of all this, the presence of nearby surface vessels will make it impossible to come to periscope depth for ventilating, even if the fire is contained. So, you see why both the officer of the watch and the captain have to be several jumps ahead. So too, of course, does the engineer officer of the watch. >> Keep checking for us. >> Keep checking for us. Roger. >> Watch your power. >> Oh, bugger. Loss of starboard essential supplies. >> Roger. Maneuvering. >> Standby to come across BC3. Revolutions 16. How the hydraulic pumps, chief? >> All pumps running, sir. Very good. >> Make BC3. >> BC3 closed. >> Make the starboard essential load centers. >> Starboard essential load centers remade. >> Starboard essential supplies restored. >> I feel okay. >> Contact 24 classified warship bearing steady, sir. >> Roger. Come right 235. >> Starboard 15, steer 235. Stop at 15. Steer 235. >> 15 is stubborn wheel on, sir. Very good. The >> carbon monoxide level is over 500 ppm, sir. We should be in EBS masks. Right, everyone put on their EBS masks. >> Maneuvering diesel. We're evacuating the diesel room. We're evacuating the diesel room. >> Roger. Diesel room. >> Control maneuvering. We're evacuating the diesel room. All right. [Music] The situation now is very serious. There's an enemy warship above us. And although the fire is in an isolated compartment, it is still at the moment out of control. We've already lost the starboard motor generator and suffered a momentary loss of the starboard essential bus bar. The diesel is out of action and the reactor compartment freshwater cooling systems and the Belgian ballast systems are threatened. The biggest worry though is the reactor instrumentation control immediately above the fire in the switchboard room. If we lose any of that instrumentation, we could be forced to surface in hostile waters with a very high collision risk and with the captain in command of a virtually crippled boat. Everything therefore depends on the speed and efficiency with which the attack and support parties can gain re-entry and extinguish the fire. Ready. Okay. Ready. Okay. Water on. Here it comes. That's better. Right. It's the water. Drop the hat. Fight over the hat. They're pulling down. [Music] Now the motor [Music] heat. [Music] Off your company has got up another freshwater pump. Yes. Start another pump. [Music] >> 185. Contact. Louder. Bearing steady, sir. Roger. 185. Oh, still clear there, sir. Roger. >> Control maneuvering. The fire is being contained. >> Contact 24. Bearing steady, sir. [Music] Off water. Off water. Water. Off. What's the smoke lag in me, mate? That's too bad. It's clearing now. >> Control maneuvering. The fire is out. The fire is out. Assessing damage. Well, the fire is out, but the crisis is by no means over. As we fear, the enemy warship above us prevents us from returning to periscope depth in order to clear the smoke by ventilating. So, the chances of operational error due to bad visibility and eventual exhaustion are very great. The fire may be out, but should it reignite, it might regain hold before effective action can be taken. So unless he can manage to elude the contact of the 185 above us, the captain in order to save the boat will have to surface regardless of consequences. And there isn't much time. [Music] Nothing 185. >> Nothing on 185, sir. >> Right. I'm happy to come up. 10 up. Keep 65 ft. >> I sir. Y gas ready behind you hanging up over there. >> You ready? Yeah. Take a good deep breath. Don't attack. Nothing in sight. Sector standard. Off the watch to search periscope. Roger, sir. Assume ventilation state red for after end's purge. Assume ventilation state red for after ends purge on a shot. Remove EBS masks. >> Well, that was a pretty serious fire. It could have been fatal if the personnel involved hadn't known the drill. They knew it because they practiced it. Not just as another chore, but as though it was the real thing. so that on the day all the small unexpected details that could have delayed or thrown them didn't because they were prepared. Remember big fires are usually small fires that have escalated. So familiarize yourselves with the firefighting equipment, with the environment of the boat, with machinery and plant. Each time you have a fire drill, try to increase both your knowledge and your performance. In a real fire, >> there won't be time for trial and error, to ask questions, or even time to think. >> Action must be immediate and automatic. A small mistake, a moment's hesitation, can mean the difference between staying alive or being burnt and choked to death.

1 user has this film:
Periscope Film

Related films:

Original permalink · Record added: 2026-04-27 14:20:01