4. Operation Sandblast was the name given for the proposed circumnavigation
When Captain Beach returned to New London and Triton after the Washington meeting, his crew noticed some unusual goings-on. There was nothing strange about civilian factory representatives aboard for a shakedown cruise (there was one from Sperry to monitor SINS, as well as one from Electric Boat, which built Triton). But the presence of two additional photographers, as well as other officers with scientific backgrounds and credentials was unusual. So were the inordinately large number of supplies being loaded aboard the submarine, especially foodstuffs. It was quickly clear to the crew that they were about to embark on more than a mere shakedown cruise.
Captain Beach allowed a cover story to circulate that after completing its shakedown cruise Triton was to call at Caribbean ports. For sailors in New London, Connecticut, the idea of a Caribbean port call in February was appealing. Only three men in Triton besides Beach – all of whom were involved in preparing the cruise track for the mission – were aware they were embarking on a mission of which, “for reasons of the national interest it had been decided that the voyage should be made entirely submerged, undetected by our own or other forces and completed as soon as possible”.