SUBMARINES AT SEA

[Music] submarines that hell diving fathom eating battle boats of Uncle Sam's undersea Navy of all varieties of vessels operating with our national Naval forces the submarine is the most unique a little more than 25 years ago the only ship that deliberately went below the surface of the water was one that was scuttled today the submarine flaunts its fins in the face of Baby Jones and the fanciful Romancing of Jules f is an accepted reality but contrary to the popular conception each submarine is not operated by its Commander as a private Navy the boats are organized into squadrons and attached as units to the fleet each Squadron has its own tender or Mother Ship which serves as a mobile base it is completely equipped with a machine shop and facilities for repairs and refit [Music] the torpedo is the traditional weapon of the submarine but because its cargo space is limited it cannot carry a large Supply aboard the mother ship is a floating magazine storing in its special vaults enough Surplus Torpedoes to supply the tubes of the whole Squadron special d crews are attached to the tender charged with underwater repair work men and machines need fuel in order to operate with efficiency so food oil and other necessary supplies are put aboard Preparatory to a practice diving Cruise the Navy regards its submarine service with special Pride for its craft are masterpieces of mechanical Perfection and its crews are more than seamen they are trained technicians as well they must be for the sub is little more than a monster engine in a watertight shell there is no room for the extra refinements of the capital ships here everything and everybody has its place and its purpose be it a man or Monkey Wrench the efficiency of our undersea squadrons guarantees the boast that they're the best boats that ever wash their conning hatch with black water standing out to see the Squadron gets underway for a few days of deep water Maneuvers constant practice with these intricate vessels is vital to keep the service in fighting trim inacti rusts both men and Machinery the submarine is similar in many respects to a destroyer lightly armed it can perform scouting and reconnaissance work Convoy the slower ships and lay mines its primary value however lies in its ability to submerge and launch surprise attacks on large heavily armed vessels for one well-placed torpedo will sink or disable anything that ever slid down the [Music] waves way back in 1800 Robert Fon the inventor of the steamboat designed the first practical submarine in 1898 America was the first to include undersea craft in its Naval forces and since that time has maintained a subservice fleet equal to any in the [Music] world besides the intricacies of surface navigation the subcommander must be versed in the course of undersea currents and the Topography of the ocean floor before he Dives a [Music] ship these vessels don't spend as much time underwater as is commonly supposed they normally only submerge when attacking or escaping an enemy ship when scouting in hostile zones or when avoiding a storm in general her decks are dry for her cruising operations always on the surface under the power of her oil-fed diesel engines but this is no Yacht Club Cru it will be their objective to locate and sink by torpedo fire a Target ship somewhere in this vicinity as the general order prepared to submerge is given the crew stand to their posts for the Quarry has been cited swiftly methodically with no Panic or confusion they carry out the precautions that make a watertight and then onto their battle assignments in the electric innards of the diving boat last to leave the bridge the captain secures the watertight hatch and descends the conning Tower [Music] ladder when all is ship shape below decks the order to submerge is given the oil-fed diesel engines are Switched Off and and the power replaced by that of huge storage batteries the Diesels require an Air Supply to operate and so electric motors are always used when submerged they are slower but are silent and require no oxygen valves are open permitting sea water to enter huge ballast tanks weighing the ship down the speed with which the water is allowed to enter controls the rate of vertical descent the boat is kept level by balancing the water in Port and starbard ballast tanks and with the aid of stabilizing ing fins attached to the outside of the hull at Periscope depth which is about 15 ft the submarine cautiously approaches its objective every man is ready and alerted his post for here is one job that calls for split-second timing and an almost automatic response to commands the Periscope is the eye of the submarine without its complicated series of prisms and reflectors the boat is blind and must rely on sound to locate adjacent ships but their Quarry is only a few thousand yards away and the crew of 70 each one a perfect example of physical fitness and emotional control go about their navigational routine as though they were running a donkey engine in a Brickyard only the snap and dispatch of their performance betrays The Supercharged tenseness in the air the crosshairs on the Periscope lens and the calibrated dial set the exact position of the Target in the Torpedo Room the tubes are loaded and ready a final checkup the sub is aimed directly at the service craft the order is to fire two direct hits upon the audit to surface intricate Machinery is set in motion deflecting the outside fin so that the ship noses upwards at the same time powerful Jets of compressed air will blow the water ballast from the forward tanks to lighten the bow as the sea water is forced out of the remaining tanks the submarine continues its upward [Music] progress almost as soon as the conning Tower breaks water and while our decks are still a wash the crew is on Deck to man the rapid fire gun or besides conducting a torpedo attack they must be able to defend themselves if they are forced to or if they should be surprised while on the [Music] surface soon the day's exercises will draw to an end and they'll head for Port sailing on the sea and beneath its surface is a strenuous and exacting life but it's thrilling too for the same romantic urge that inspired man to put a motor on wings and fly inspired him to Fashion a hull that could submerge at will and cruise the Forgotten Trails of sunken continents the men that ride and guide these ships are a Hardy lot handpicked and rigorously trained but their post is more than a job it's a career of Adventure and high ideals dedicated to the service of their country mess is still the favorite Indoor Sport for those not on watch with cage a close second while 40 Winks is always popular and so Homeward Bound with America's undersee Men of War the daring submariners who draw her first line of defense through the waves as well as on it the submarine service of the United States Navy la [Music]