Hello Terry Andrews: Referring to Report on U-570 -- HMS Graph, edited by you, the following statement appears on page 30, Para. 69: "When charging a ventilating door is fitted to the torpedo in place of one of the access doors and the catalyser is used to deal with the hydrogen given off." What type of catalyser was used? U.S. battery-powered Mark 18 torpedo used a bu
Forum: Technology and Operations

Hello all: Just ran across this little tidbit........ "In 1944 General George S. Patton's Third Army was racing across southern France. In his haste to be the first U.S. commander to cross into Germany, however, Patton overextended his supply lines. His armored columns ground to a dead stop. Faced with the choice of waiting until he could be resupplied or draining the fuel of
Forum: Technology and Operations

Thomas: I served for 24 years as a torpedoman in the U.S. Navy and never heard of a radio- controlled torpedo. The Mark 24 aerial "mine" (torpedo) was the first passive-acoustic torpedo developed. Later the submarine-launched Mark 27 passive-acoustic torpedo was issued to the fleet. About the same time (before cessation of hostilities in the Pacific) the Mark 28 passive-acoustic
Forum: Technology and Operations

Fred: It was from a long list of "odd entries" that I did not save, however, Bruce Dennis says it all........ Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Hello all: This is news to me..... "March 7. 1942 The practicability of using a radio sonobuoy in aerial anti-submarine warfare was demonstrated in an exercise off New London, CT by the K-5 blimp and the S-2 submarine. The buoy could detect the sound of the submerged submarine's propellors at a distance up to 3 miles, and the radio reception aboard the blimp was satisfactory u
Forum: Technology and Operations

Bruce: I don't know, I only worked and rode on Essex-class carriers. Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

PF: Go to: www.ubootwaffe.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=3597&sid Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Bruce: Wooden-covered flight decks were used on all escort carriers, and the converted merchant ships (CVLs). Have a nice day, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Bruce, et al: Recently, I've read all sorts of comments on the type of flight decks the U.S. aircraft carriers of WWII had. For starters, the wood "planks" were about 16' long, 6" wide and 3-13/16th inches thick. The top of this plank was Teak, 13/16th thick and bonded to a 3" thick virgin fir plank. The sides of the planks were slightly beveled to permit the
Forum: General Discussions

W. Mitchell, et al: You wrote: "However, by 1944 - 1945, British carriers played a superb role in defeating Japan, cooperating with other Allied forces in the Pacific, and her well- armored carriers enjoyed much better survivability against the kamikaze threat than the US fast carrier force." Stuart Slade and Richard Worth think differently at: http//www.navweaps.com/index_t
Forum: General Discussions

Gary M, et al: For more info on the infra-red signaling gear, go to: http//home.earthlink.net/~robandpj/id14.html Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Gary M: U.S. Squadron 50 submarines used the US/C-3 RCA MI-2558 clandestine submarine commando operations signaling device during "Operation TORCH" and during landings in the Pacific theater. This transmitter was attached to the top of the 12" signaling searchlight. I rode a 2200-ton destroyer, the USS WILLARD KEITH (DD-775) in the Pacific theater, and she used these infra-r
Forum: General Discussions

Don Prince, Ken Dunn, et all: The following proclamation appeared in a handout on the Grand Opening of the new $35 million dollar exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, IL June 4, 2005: ********************************************************************************* STATE OF ILLINOIS PROCLAMATION
Forum: General Discussions

Don Prince, Peter Ladd, et al: While you were there did you purchase a copy of: "HUNT AND KILL: U-505 AND THE U-BOAT WAR IN THE ATLANTIC" Edited by Theodore P. Savas - cc2004 (ISBN 1-932714-01-4 It's available at amazon.com Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Don: Did your wife take photos of the "cut-away" torpedo? The Piston and rod assembly? Or any of the other exhibits throughout the whole underground display? When Ken Dunn and I went through the exhibit on the opening day, we were allowed to take photos of the inside of the boat from stem to stern. He took hundreds of photos.......... Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Gary M Have you read anything about the U.S. Navy's Submarine Squadron 50 stationed in England during the start of WWII? Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Seeker, et al: You wrote: "The rearwards firing slanted torpedoes were an interesting idea. Too bad the KM hadn't the sense to adapt his findings." The Free French submarine SURCOUF went one better...... It's torpedo armament provided four 15.75 inch (400 mm) tubes in a traversing mount amidships, external to the pressure hull (but reloadable.) The small diameter
Forum: Technology and Operations

Hello Kevin, et al: The U.S. Navy produced the Mark 16 and 17 hydrogen peroxide powered torpedoes. The Mark 16 was for submarines and the Mark 17 was for destroyers. It was a single-speed,21" diameter, 21 1/2' long torpedo. It was a gas-steam torpedo in which hydrogen peroxide (Navol), instead of compressed air, supplies the oxygen required for combustion of the fuel. This use o
Forum: Technology and Operations

Hello all: Baltic Sea divers find wreck of Soviet WWII submarine, the U-2 near the Aland Islands between Finland and Sweden in February 2009, but only announced it on Tuesday because they wanted to confirm the identity of the vessel. Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Thomas Horton: You wrote: "It is extremely difficult to obtain a direct hit with depth charges...." The "Hedgehog" launched a 7" diameter bomb, with an explosive charge of 35# of Torpex (initially 35# of TNT), and was "contact-fused." A "hit" was generally fatal. Just when hostilities were over, the U.S. Navy introduced the Mark 14 acoustic
Forum: Technology and Operations

lasker31: I enjoyed it but not as much as "Das Boot"....... If you want to read a "page-turner", get "DARK WATERS: An Insider's Account of the NR-1, the Cold War's Undercover Nuclear Sub" by Lee Vborny and Don Davis (cc2003) Regards, ROBERT M
Forum: General Discussions

lasker 21: The type XX! U-boats U-2513 and U-3008 operated with U.S. boats in Key West, FL and N'London, CT in 1946 and 1947 as part of a research and development project. This resulted in the TANG-class diesel-propelled attack boats , and eventually the development of the NAUTILUS AND SEAWOLF hulls. Regards, ROBERT M. TMCS(SS) USN (Ret)
Forum: General Discussions

Hello All: "The Rescuer: The Extraordinary Life of the Navy's "Swede" Momsen and his role in an epic submarine disaster" by Peter Maas (CC 1967) is the most interesting account ever published about that disaster. In 1999, Peter Maas published a "scaled-down" version titled "The Terrible Hours: The man behind the greatest submarine rescue in history&
Forum: General Discussions

Hello all: Robert Derencin e-mailed the following website, please check it out. And have a nice day, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Fred, et all: For the complete story go to "google" and type in "Portland Press Herald story on treasure hunter" Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Jerry: I couldn't find out much about U-196, however, the following is from Wikipedia: "Due to the priority accorded the Australian Operation, U-196 was ordered to replace U-168. However, U-196 disappeared in the Sunda Straight sometime after departing from Penang on November 30. The cause of U-196's loss is not known, though it was probably due to an accident or mechanica
Forum: General Discussions

David, et al: Go to: for the latest info. Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: Warship forum

MPC, et al: Someone should tell the Swedes that they got it wrong........ Go to: and scroll down to the 4th photo. "Boat's placard" shows HMS GOTLAND - the rest of the info is in Swedish also. It's their boat and they ought to know! Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Woody: For use by Germany's ally,Japan, in making ammnunition. Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Matt: The whole movie was a work of fiction...... Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: Movies and Films