USS Petrel Football Helmet
USS Petrel (ASR 14) football helmet in the collection of the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum. U.S. Navy divers repurposed this 1950s-era football helmet for use aboard USS Petrel (ASR 14), a Navy submarine rescue ship, to protect their heads during jostling rides inside USS Petrel’s submarine rescue chamber. In 1966, the helmet became a memento marking Petrel’s involvement in an international accident after the mid-air collision of two American Air Force planes near Palomares, Spain, dropped a hydrogen bomb into the Mediterranean Sea. USS Petrel provided deep-sea support during the 80-day mission to find and recover the missing weapon. Navy divers from USS Petrel who helped search for the bomb signed the helmet to commemorate their participation in the operation, which came to be known as the Palomares Incident. The hydrogen bomb was safely recovered from 2,900 feet on April 7, 1966. Note: Although a diver spelled it differently on the helmet, “Palomares” is the correct spelling of the Spanish city’s name.
Object Information
Affiliated Institution/Community/Organization(s)
Original Creation Date (by artist/architect)
Artist/Architect(s)
Source Image Photographer(s)
Source Image Capture Date
Source Image Capture Method
Capture Device (manufacturer and model)
Calibration Object Used
Photogrammetry Processor(s)
Model Creation Date
Model Format
Model Size (MB)
Model Triangles
Model Vertices
UV space
Vertex color
Arc/k ID
Arc/k Piece Number
External links
Terms of Use
Location
Location - United States Naval Undersea Museum
Address - 1 Garnett Way
City - Keyport
State/Province - Washington
Country - United States