Customer Reviews

Regulus: The First Nuclear Missile Submarines

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As much as the Cold War created tense times between America and Russia, the need to protect our American nation also drove some of the most significant technological advancements of the 20th century. Among them were the advancements in nuclear technology and a redefined role for the Navy as a strategic deterrent.

Regulus: The First Nuclear Missile Submarine documents one such advancement, as the silent service was quickly modified for use as a strategic deterrent against nuclear conflict through the development and implementation of the Regulus missile. A little known project, the Regulus was a quick solution to implementation of long-range nuclear missile launches that was eventually replaced by the Polaris, and later Trident submarines.

Other than the military significance of the weapon, the mechanical ingenuity of the times rings clear through the project as the old hands of World War II service come together to solve many of the problems through design enhancements to conventional WWII technology, filling a void until the modern nuclear submarine was developed and put into service.

My first introduction to the Regulus project was while visiting the Intrepid Museum in NYC, where the only remaining Regulus Missile Submarine "Growler" resides as a testament to the project. This documentary is well prepared, informative, and pays an important tribute to the men who designed and operated the Regulus Project and will be well received by anyone interest in the cold war era, submarines, or naval history.

This DVD is most informative about the Regulus, its design and history about launching from Naval surface craft and submarines. I was on the USS Tunny from 1958 to 1962 and this DVD brought back many memories, as the Tunny was equipped with a hanger for housing two Regulus missiles and had launching capabilities. The DVD is chock full of interesting facts about the days of the Regulus and is Naval submarine missile history at its finest.

My dad, George R. (Andy) Anderson, was with Chance Vought Aircraft on the Regulus I and II programs and I am compiling a collection of Chance Vought related materials. This DVD is an important addition to my collection. Awesome footage, people I knew, amazing launch footage, insightful interviews! If you have any interest in Navy missles, submarines, etc. then you MUST have this DVD. I also purchased the DVD "Tbe Cold War Below" with even more incredible footage! Also, you will want to buy the book "REGULUS:America's First Nuclear Submarine Missile" by David K. Stumpf. It makes a great companion to these DVDs.

This DVD was given to me by a friend who is aware of my penchant for military history. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much; I'm not a big missle fan. I popped it into the player and began work on my finances expecting it to be little more than mildly interesting. BOY WAS I WRONG! Before I knew it I was away from the computer and glued to the television irrevocably engrossed by the subject. Why this hasn't aired on the History Channel is beyond me. An EXCELLENT buy, packed with hours of bonna fide supplemental materials, not the normal thoroughly usless "garbage" so often foisted upon the consumer these days. Watch, learn, and enjoy. Trust me, you could do a heck of a lot worse...A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT!

"Regulus" was outstanding. Two thumbs up, five stars, a great historical film. I'd read a little and heard a little of the Regulus program, but very little...mainly in reading about the post-Regulus exploits of a couple of the SSN's that had been outfitted to carry the missile (and later were converted for covert operations, the old Regulus hangars used to carry cable tapping gear). I toured the Growler, one of the Regulus diesal boats, now a museum in New York City. But I knew precious little about the program itself.

Turns out (and to you "old timers" who served on these boats, this is old news) that the Regulus missile was a nuke, and the Regulus boats were the great-grandaddies of the Trident SSBN's in service today. From the late '50's through the Cuban missile crisis, the Regulus SSG's and SSGN's were the Navy's nuclear deterrent (along with a handful of surface ships and carriers that handled the missile). Regulus itself was a follow-on to the German V-1 rockets that we captured at the close of WWII.

Regulus had a short life...the second Regulus missile never really made it into production. But it broke ground in submarines carrying missiles, and the boats shown in the film pioneered many of the ideas we now take for granted in the "boomer" and Tomahawk programs of the modern submarine force.

Spark's film was outstanding...highly recommended, excellently made, with extra footage and dozens of photos, interviews with Regulus test personnel and the submarine crews, and a lot of footage that has only recently been declassified. A rare look into the early days of missiles on subs.

What I think is truly outstanding about this DVD, is the bonus features. This disc contains a huge slide show of images that includes pictures of each Regulus submarine, the Regulus II cruise missile, and some of the other vessels that launched this early cruise missile (USS Los Angeles, the cruiser, for instance, and the aircraft carrier Hancock). There's also two wonderful bonus video segments about the so-called Regulus Assault Missile, which are an unexpected treat. By far the best stuff in terms of eye-candy however are rare and apparently just recently declassified films showing the Regulus II supersonic cruise missile being test launched -- and exploding on the pad! WOW! That is something else. As you can read in some of the other reviews, the basic program itself, "Regulus" is also quite good. Here is a piece of history which even a veteran submariner like myself was unaware of...quite neat. Overall this DVD is well worth buying if you have any interest in missiles, submarines, or the Cold War.

I was in the Regulus Missile field for over six years while in the US Navy around aircraft carriers and submarines. This DVD is not only the best effort to depict the Regulus One program, it is to my knowledge the only one. It brought back so many memories of my days with the Regulus One Guided Missile and is accurate and factual. Any military history buff interested in either the US Navy, guided missiles, submarines or the cold war will find this video most informative. Its hard to believe some of the things these people had to go through to protect our country. Today we hear of the Tomahawk Cruise Missile. Well, its grandaddy is the Regulus One. This DVD contains photos and action footage not available anywhere else. I had to watch the video quite a few times as it is packed with so much information and historical footage of the Regulus program that I didn't want to miss a thing. In fact, I'm sure I will be looking at it again. It is a valuable item to be added to anyones military video library. I recommend it highly.

Spark employs his eye for historical significance and his technical studio acumen to produce a piece worthy of both the National Archives and the History Channel! The Regulus sailors were uncommon men in uncommon times. The boats and crews were instruments thrown into the breach in the early days of the Cold War. "Regulus" focuses on the weapons delivery system - men and missiles - that stood watch until America could launch its ballistic missile fleet onto the world's stage. This is truely a MUST SEE for submariners and history buffs!

What a great presentation of the US Navy's first entry into a viable nuclear deterrence system to safeguard peace. The development of the system was never easy, and there were problems along the way, but through the dedication and commitment of so many patriotic Americans, a solid foundation was built.
This video is full of great shots that clearly show just how difficult the development process can be. "Hats Off" to the extraordinary efforts of the scientists and navy personnel involved with the development and deployment of the Regulus missiles, and to Nick Spark and his crew for a job well done in the production of his visual history!

This is a wonderful documentary of American weapon history. This weapon system got little publicity and was scrapped completely when the Polaris fleet was coming down the ways. For all you war buff's it is a must see, I enjoyed this one very much and these guys on the Regulus patrols are unsung heroes of the Cold War era.

A must see for submarine movies. Some of this technology has led us to the highly successful Tomahawk missile of today arsenal.