On Sept. 2, a grand celebration was held at the base of a submarine division of the South China Sea Fleet. Wu Shengli, a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and navy commander, read a general order issued by the CMC and the PLA Navy, awarding division head Wang Hongli and Submarine No. 372 a first-class merit and granting the medal and certificate.
In the awards system of Chinese forces, the first-class merit is a very high level award, and a collective first-class merit is even rarer. How did they achieve such an honor?
At the beginning of this year, Submarine No. 372 was ordered to sea under the command of Wang.
At sea, the submarine encountered a sharp seawater density gradient. As the seawater density dropped drastically, the submarine fell like a stone to waters of 3,000 meters deep. As the pressure rose rapidly, a pipe in the engine room ruptured, one of the most dangerous situations for a submarine. Unless the crew could stop the descent, they would die.
The seawater flooded in, and the spray reduced the visibility in the cabin to almost zero. At this critical moment, Wang ordered all personnel to complete dozens of operational moves. The electrician and Sergeant Major Chen Zujun and squad head Mao Xuegang felt their way in turning off dozens of electrical facilities and increasing the air supply to counter the seawater pressure, which kept the electrical system functioning and ensured the engine could be restarted. On hearing the huge crack in the pipeline and seeing seawater burst in, young crewman Zhu Zhaowei rushed into the spray without hesitation. "All I was thinking at that time was to turn off all valves and switches," he recalled.
Within three minutes, the crew managed to turn off almost 100 valves and switches and operate dozens of instruments, successfully clearing the danger.
Meanwhile, because of the water inflow, more than 10 important electrical devices malfunctioned, including the main power generator, air compressor, alternating current machine and lubricating oil pump. The submarine had lost its engine. The air storage that was used to float the submarine was less than 50 percent. If the vessel kept descending, the air might escape, leaving lives in the vessel in danger.
"In the circumstances, we could apply to return, according to regulations," someone said.
But Wang said passionately, "Failing to complete the mission is the same as losing a battle. But we won't be reckless and endanger lives." He checked all equipment in different cabins and found a motor in the stern tank was still functioning. He and other technical personnel inspected major equipment and data, and concluded that it was still possible to accomplish their mission.
"Even if there is only 1 percent of possibility, we will try 100 percent to complete the mission," Wang said, adding the most urgent task was to get all equipment functioning and restart the engines.
Wang led crew in fixing the problems and discussing their plans.
To repair a panel, Sergeant Major Chen had to wipe off the seawater with a cloth and clean the wires, contact terminal and arc extinguishing control with alcohol.
Because the air conditioning system malfunctioned, the temperature in the cabin reached 53 degrees centigrade and the humidity reached 90 percent. Chen worked for three and half hours on the control panel to restart the engines.
"With our commander taking the lead, we eventually produced a miracle," Engine Officer Xie Baoshu told Xinhua. "Despite their exhaustion, all the crew worked for hours to get the submarine working again. More than 10 hours later, the air inflation and electricity generating capacity resumed."
Wang ordered the submarine to continue its operational tasks, relying only on one motor, and to return only after completing its mission days later.
"The outstanding trouble-shooting ability came from rigorous daily training," said Captain Yi Hui.
The vessel is known for the strict training. If a single operation is unsuitable, crew members will fail their evaluation.
When they are not on deployment, the crew of Submarine No. 372 organize trouble-shooting, defense and combat casualty drills. The deputy captain will choose a theme randomly and check the training status.
They organize a pipeline damage simulation drill every year, including burst pipes, fire extinguishing and leak repairs. All the crew participate till every crew member forms a mechanical memory of emergency response.
Crew members are always ready for battle. Ammunition, medicine, other facilities and the crew are always on standby. The submarine can set sail at a minute's notice.
In the storage warehouse at the port, food is renewed regularly to ensure immediate loading at any time. Crew members compete on the number of expedition missions they have carried out, how many times they have fired weapons and how long they spend at sea.
They maintain a fearless and courageous tradition.
"Our unit is born for battle and exists for victory. It's never changed over the past five decades,” said Wang.
