Joseph: Only four (4) U-boats surrendered to the U.S. at the end of WWII and they were as follows: U-234 surrendered to the U.S. Coast Guard vessel SUTTON and was directed to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on 19 May, 1945, by the American Crew. There were three other U-boats (U-805, U-873 and U-1228) tied up there who had recently surrendered. All these boats were part of the U-boat Fl
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Joseph What are the hull numbers of the other three uboats? ROBERT M.
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Hi Joseph: I'd be honored....... Robert Marble TMCS(SS) USN (Ret) 26442 Ganiza Mission Viejo, CA - 92692 I lived in Beltsville, MD for several years, when I was stationed aboard the USS GUAVINA (AOSS-362)at Fort McHenry. Happy New Year, ROBERT M.
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Hello Joseph: Did you know Signallman first class Jim Vizigian? He was stationed in the signal tower in Portsmouth when the U-234 entered port. He also sneaked aboard U-234 and saw some the secret cargo. Can you post a short list of your "findings"? Respectfully, ROBERT M.
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Hello Platon: In 1922, the U.S. Navy's inventory consisted of: Mark 7 torpedo for destroyers - 18" diameter Mark 8 torpedo for destroyers - 21" diameter Mark 9 torpedo for submarines - 21" diameter Mark 10 torpedo for submarines - 21" diameter Presently, the Mark 46 Mod 5 Helicopter torpedo is 12.75" diameter The WWII Mark 13 aerial torpedo was 22.42&q
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Hello Platon: Tom find out all there is to now about destroyer above-water torpedo tubed, go to: I'll make torpedoman out of you yet......... Later, ROBERT M.
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Hello Platon: I came across the fact that The Mark 14 Mod 3A submarine torpedo could be loaded and fired from above water torpedo tubes on destroyers.. The guide stud had to be removed and replaced with a "TEE"- shaped one. Also, only two torpedo speeds were available, High and low. I do not think gyro angle could be set 'cause the gyro spindles are on the bottom of the tu
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Platon: It took less than a second. AlL he had to do was match the "bugs" on his indicator; The same applies to submerged torpedo tubes. Interesting info for you at: Later, ROBERT M.
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Platon: To find out how a Fleet Submarine's torpedo tubes work, go to: . You can read about how a MK 15 torpedo is loaded in the aft tubes, among other things. Referring to my earlier post, the forward tubes are 252" long and the aft tubes are 276" long. Later, ROBERT M.
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Hello Platon: When the boats left San Juan or Gitmo, their fwd tubes would be empty. They still had chance to stop by the Sub Base at Coco Solo in Panama. Other than that, the San Diego torpedo shop or Pearl Harbor torpedo shop, was the only chance to get torpedoes. Some boats returning from patrols offloaded their torpedoes and the new boats got them. When I rode a brand new 2200-ton d
Forum: General Discussions

Hi Platon: You have to remember that there was a shortage of submarine torpedoes during the time all those boats were bing built on the East Coast. They all left shakedown without a full load of torpedoes and had to stop by the Guantanamo Bay torpedo shop and the San Juan, Puerto Rico torpedo shop also. Heck, we were loading Mark 15 surface torpedoes in the After Torpedo Rooms, so the boats
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Platon: Thanks for the input, it's really appreciated. Later, ROBERT M.
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Hi UBS: U.S. Submarine Squadron 50 was stationed in Roseneath, Scotland. It consisted of the Submarine Tender USS BEAVER (AS-5)and six new Fleet Boats; USS BARB (SS-220), USS BLACKFISH (SS-221), USS HERRING (SS-233), USS SHAD (SS-235), USS GURNARD (SS-254), USS GUNNEL (SS-253). They conducted 27 war patrols in Europe, especially near Bay of Biscay. Two encounters with U-boats, but there is
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Hello Natter: I worked with the Mark 16 hydrogen-peroxide torpedo for several years at the U.S. Naval Torpedo Station Firing Pier on Gould Island in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Early on we had an explosion at the firing pier torpedo recovery spot. Just before the noon meal, we had recovered a Mk 16 and set it onto a wheeled torpedo cart. We had failed to vent it and it blew up. Co
Forum: Technology and Operations

Hello Dan: Nice hearing from you, too....... I have relocated from Florida to Mission Viejo in Southern California. Riding a wheelchair most of the time. Got me a new 27" iMac and it keeps me pretty busy. Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Hello all: The U.S. Navy used the Mark 16 hydrogen peroxide torpedo aboard subs for quite some time post-war; and used the Mark 17 hydrogen peroxide torpedo aboard destroyers, This torpedo had the finest propulsion engine ever put into a torpedo. I know,'cause I worked with them as a torpedoman for a long time. The Fairchild Aircraft Company built the X-1, a hydrogen peroxide/diesel
Forum: Technology and Operations

Hello Capt. Hallett: I knew a Capt. Oliver Hallett, who was my XO on USS PIPER (SS-409). Later he served in a diplomatic assignment in the former Soviet Union. As the White House Naval Assistant, he was duty officer in the Situation Room when JFK was shot. He was CO of Great Lakes Training Station from '72 until he retired in '75. Is he related to you? Later, ROBERT M.
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McQueen, et al: How do you insulate from magnetism? Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Drumbeat: Where did you get the idea that WWII U-boats were sunk off California? Curious, ROBERT M.
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Hello all: Joyeux Noel et Bonheureuse Annee! ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

ThomasHorton, et al: The alcohol fuel in a tube-loaded torpedo is safer than if the torpedo was in a rack in the torpedo room. The torpedo is hard up against the torpedo tube's "stop bolt and can't move until launched. Even after the outer door is opened and the tube is flooded, the torpedo becomes safer yet. Remember, that alcohol is not corrosive like hydrogen peroxide.
Forum: Technology and Operations

ThomasHorton, et al: The Mark 7, 8 and 10 torpedoes were ruggedly built and fired as "exercise shots" many times before being sent to an overhaul facility. These exercise shots were retrieved by the submarines and destroyers that launched them made ready and then launched them again, after preliminary and final adjustments had been made. There isn't much strain on a submarine
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ThomasHorton: As far as I know this practice has been around ever since the weapon was introduced. Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

author: How does Ballard know there was "hissing air?" He wasn't born yet......... ".......yet nail-bitingly dangerous,...... What danger? The torpedo must travel a certain distance before the exploder is armed, otherwise it's safe. Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Hello Paul and Ken: Post WWII, the U.S. Navy (March 1949) converted the USS GUAVINA (SS-362) to a submarine oiler and to aid refueling P5M patrol seaplanes, added large platform over the aft torpedo room, which was soon dubbed the "flight deck." She actually performed submerged refueling of seaplanes. She was decommissioned in March 27 and served as a Naval Reserve training su
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Hello Gummi: I haven't seen an comment about your recent disaster........ How are you doing and are you all right? Sincerely, ROBERT M.
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Hello all: An article appeared in the "Providence Journal" (from Rhode Island, USA) regarding the fate of this "Cold War" boat. Th is Juliett-class sub was one of the largest non-nuclear missile boats built by the Soviets. The 45 year-old diesel-powered missile sub was decommissioned in 1994 and sold to the food-service industry on the North Sea. It was moved to Key W
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Warren: "Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the USS INDIANAPOLIS" is available at amazon.com for: New $14.98 Used from $5.95 Regards, ROBERT M.
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Pat: For WWII subs you won't hear much popping of the hull at 300 feet. More so around it's test depth. For Nuclear subs with their thick special steel hulls, the sounds will start around 1000 feet; their test depth is around 1300 feet. Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Godeke: U-977...... Later, ROBERT M.
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