Thomas Horton, et al: The cores are fabricated from composites of uranium and plutonium while the tampers/reflectors are made of beryllium and natural or depleted uranium. Nuclear materials are fabricated at the Rocky Flats and Y-12 plants. Rocky Flats assembles the "pits" of fission implosion weapons. The "pit" is that part of the warhead inside the chemical high exp
Forum: Technology and Operations

Ranier: Thanks for this info........ During WWII, while stationed at the U.S. Naval Air Station in San Juan, PR, a shipment of B-25s landed at the base. They had the 75mm cannon and were bristling with .50 caliber machine guns. This was a rest stop for the enlisted ferry pilots (APs) on their to Africa. Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Idkinfo, et al: USS SCORPION (SSN-589) had no experimental torpedoes aboard when she made her final dive....... "Within the contorted and disembodied torpedo room are two W-34 nuclear warheads and their plutonium cores. It is believed that the plutonium cores, if they had broken open, would simply lie inside the torpedo room or sink into the seafloor ooze. If undisturbed, they wou
Forum: Technology and Operations

Rainer, et al: The U.S. ASW aircraft used depth bombs successfully to attack U-boats. The Mark 17 depth bomb had an impact nose fuse and an athwartship-mounted Mark 24 hydrostatic fuse which was normally set at 50 feet. It weighed 325# overall with 234# of TNT. The Mark 47 depth bomb also had contact and hydrostatic fuses. It had 252# of Torpex as its main charge. Later, ROBERT
Forum: General Discussions

Rainer, et al: Didn't the North American B-25G carry forward firing a 75mm cannon? Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Idkinfo: The USS SCORPION SSN-589) carried the following weapons: 2 Mark 45 ASTOR torpedoes. They were loaded with a W-34 implosion-type fission warhead, its blast yield was equivalent to 10,000 tons of TNT. 7 Mark 14-5 "steam" torpedoes loaded with a warhead containing 640# HBX-3. 10 Mark 37-0 active-acoustic torpedoes loaded with warhead containing 330# HBX-3. 4 Mar
Forum: Technology and Operations

Idkinfo: Much research was performed upon hydrogen peroxide torpedo fuels during WWII, but no torpedo using this fuel ever entered service. Hope this helps, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

MPC, et al: Fire + Freon = poison. Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Ranier, et al: Latest info on NERPA..... The deaths of 20 people on board the Russian nuclear sub NERPA were caused by a crew member entering the wrong data into a temperature sensor. Dmitry Grobov is his name. According to info obtained from the sub's Rotor data book, similar to an aircraft's black box, "the temperature increased sharply all of a sudden and the fire safet
Forum: General Discussions

Thomas, et al: Breaking the codes gave the Allies the edge...... Case in point: Locating and sinking of the IJN I-52. Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Rainer: Thank you very much for the update....... Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Hello all: An accident aboard a nuclear-powered Russian sub doing a test run in the Pacific Ocean killed more than 20 people Sunday, the Navy said. The nuclear reactor aboard the sub was operating normally and radiation levels were normal, Dygalo said. The submarine was heading back to shore on its own power, and 21 people injured in the accident were evacuated to a ship that was escort
Forum: General Discussions

Gaines: It was the Balao-class Fleet Boat USS TILEFISH (SS-307)...... THE MOVIE WAS MURPHY'S WAR" NOT "MURPHY'S LAW." Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Movies and Films

Hello all: Does anyone have a photo of a Mark 24 passive-acoustic torpedo called 'FIDO' being launched from a Grumman (TBF) "Avenger" torpedo bomber? Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Movies and Films

Bob Culver: 36 ounces of sphero-hexagonal black powder was used with pyralin wads to make up the torpedo impulse charges. The charges were prepared by the senior torpedoman under the supervision of the chief torpedoman. When the ship was in a combat zone, the one charge was loaded into all ten impulse chambers and the powder was kept topside in a special watertight locker aft of No.
Forum: Warship forum

Bob: Were you a torpedoman serving aboard the DD-747?
Forum: Warship forum

Brent, et al: She was a BALAO-class boat...... Go to: ) Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: Movies and Films

Hello Ken, ET AL: I hold a signed copy of the 572-page paperback titled: "SS CERAMIC: The Untold Story" by Clare Hardy, It includes the rescue of sole survivor Eric Munday. and his signature as well. It was first printed in 2006. If anyone is interested in obtaining a copy, send me e-mail and I'll give you The author's "snail-mail" address, e-mail address, and
Forum: General Discussions

Ballast 'n Bilge, et al: Try "The Destruction of the BISMARCK" by David J. Bercuson and Holger H. Herwig. Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

ozguny, et al: Is this the article? Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: WWI forum

Gert, et al: I realize that this comment isn't concerning U-boats from '39 to '45, but is relevant to the use of red lights in the Control Room. Fleet Ballistic Submarines execute sunrise and sunset while submerged. When sunset occurs, the red lights are turned on and all other lights are off until sunrise. FBMs are submerged at all times unless the patrol mission has be
Forum: General Discussions

Ballast 'n Bilge: Admiral Charles Lockwood COMSUBPAC thought it was a damn good idea and used his version successfully against Japanese shipping and combat vessels. Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Ballast 'n Bilge: Try: "We Dive At Dawn" with John Mills as Captain; Louis Bradfield as First Officer and Ronald Millar as Third Officer. Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Movies and Films

Ballast 'n Bilge, et al: Interesting article on this subject at: Enjoy, ROBERT M.
Forum: Movies and Films

Ballast 'n Bilge: The story for "The Hunt for Red October" derived from the account of a 1975 mutiny aboard the Soviet Navy's most advanced warships, the destroyer STOROZBEVOY (SENTRY in English). The mutiny was led by the ship's political commissar, Valeri Sablin, a Communist idealist who became fed up with conditions in the Soviet Union and hoped that the mutiny
Forum: Movies and Films

Funkmeister: Robert, I recently moved my residence from Florida (USA)to southern California. My new e-mail address is: robertmarble@ymail.com. Give me a shout, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

OddballM4: None that I ever heard of....... ROBERT M .
Forum: General Discussions

Ballast 'n Bilge: Go to: . This 9-page document has information concern "OPERATION TORCH" off the coast of Africa during WWII. Enjoy, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Thomas, et al: Why not pump the seawater out of the WRT tank with the trim pump? On U.S. fleet boats, the breech doors can withstand full submergence pressure of 412 feet when the muzzle door is open to sea. Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Movies and Films

Hello all: 99 officers and enlisted men perished when she made her final dive to 10,000 feet of water about 400 miles southwest of the Azores. I'm not pushing any of the following books recently published: "SCORPION DOWN: Sunk by the Soviets, Buried by the Pentagon: The Untold Story of the USS SCORPION" by Ed Offley. "All Hands Down: The True Story of the Soviet A
Forum: General Discussions