Living in the Deep: What They Don’t Tell You About Submarine Service

#28: Unique Downtime Activities

Beneath the waves, simple vices take on new value. Cigarettes and chewing tobacco become prized commodities, traded like currency among the crew. On one submarine, a resourceful sailor even collected cigarette butts, rolling them into makeshift smokes and selling them for profit.

With limited access to the outside world, these small comforts gained immense worth. Gambling also thrived in the confined quarters, with card games and bets filling spare moments. The stakes got too high for some, and debts began piling up—sometimes as deep as the ocean around them.

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