coltt, et al: The aircraft that was used in the film was a Grumman J2F "Duck" Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: Movies and Films

coltt: That was the Gato-class fleet boat USS TILEFISH (SS-307). Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Movies and Films

Thomas: As far as tube loading the Mark XV torpedo aft is concerned, go to: The "mods" to the Mark XV torpedo included: 1. Removal of the "T"-shaped guide stud and replacing it with a flat submarine tube type. 2. Installing the warhead from a Mark 14 Mod 3A (which is shorter, but using the same Mark VI Exploder Mechanism.) 3. Install a special set of side gears
Forum: Technology and Operations

Thomas: Makes sense to me........ Did you know that longer Mark XV torpedoes were loaded into the after tubes of fleet boats when there was a shortage of Mark XIVs? The Mark XV was also launched from aircraft during a shortage of Mark XIIIs. Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Thomas, et al: "What is still unanswered is why did Whitehead, Bliss-Leavitt, and Schwartzkopff all decide around 1920 to change to the 533mm/21" design in the first place." Perhaps because the warships of most nations were being built larger and faster, and a larger torpedo, carrying a larger warhead with more speed and range was necessary. In the case of the Mark 14 Mo
Forum: Technology and Operations

Rainer, et al: "The 55cm torpedo tubes of the French......." The Free French submarine SURCOUF had 4 fixed tubes (FC Mediterranean 1917 type) of 550mm (21.7in) at the bow, two turnable banks (OSd 1925 type) in the aft super- structure, each with 1X550 and 2X400mm (15.7in) Torpedoes:14X550mm and 8X400mm (all reloads were stored inside, in the fore torpedo room. When she came
Forum: Technology and Operations

Rainer: Very good explanation....... Respectfully, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Thomas: "I refuse to comment on the grounds that I may incriminate myself" Your first post dated 4/1/2008 @ 02:15 PM incriminates you....... It's almost verbatim with the message posted on "Subism Radio Room Forums" at on 05/25/2008 @ 05:57 PM. "Who wants to know?" Just an olde career USN torpedoman...... Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Thomas: Are you Platapus - Seasoned Skipper? Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Thomas: The Mark 27 had wooden strips mounted fore and aft, at 90 degrees on the battery compartment. They were just under 1" in height and this allowed the weapon to "swim out" of the tube; no impulse air was used. About your real question..... Maybe these countries entertained to possibility of using each other's torpedoes at some future date. The German G7e w
Forum: Technology and Operations

Thomas: The Mark 27 had wooden strips mounted fore and aft, at 90 degrees on the battery compartment. They were just under 1" in height and this allowed the weapon to "swim out" of the tube; no impulse air was used. About your real question..... Maybe these countries entertained to possibility of using each other's torpedoes at some future date. The German G7e w
Forum: Technology and Operations

Thomas: The Mark 27 had wooden strips mounted fore and aft, at 90 degrees on the battery compartment. They were just under 1" in height and this allowed the weapon to "swim out" of the tube; no impulse air was used. About your real question..... Maybe these countries entertained to possibility of using each other's torpedoes at some future date. The German G7e w
Forum: Technology and Operations

Thomas: After 1922 the Mark 7 was the only U.S. Navy 17.7" torpedo in service. The Mark 8 was the 21" companion to the Mark 7. It was designed for destroyer launch against surface vessels and was, in particular, the standard weapon for the flush-deck destroyers DD-75 through DD-347. Only four torpedoes Mark 7 (17.7") and Marks 8, 9, and 10 (all 21") remained in service.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Rainer, et al: The following is an excerpt from "Unknown Waters" by Alfred S. McLaren, Captain, USN (Ret) published 2008: "Interestingly enough, the only material in existence concerning submarine opera- tions in Siberian waters was the Office of Naval Intelligence Review's 1951 four- part series, "German U-boats in the Arctic." My officers and I had studie
Forum: General Discussions

John: One of the reasons for the G7a's poor performance was the leaking of seawater into the balance chamber of the depth control mechanism when it was tube-loaded for an extended period. This problem did not exist on a destroyer's torpedoes. Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

SnakeDoc: What do you mean by "used fuel"? Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Funkmeister, et al: An interesting website concerning the "Bombe" can be viewed at: Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Rainer: Nickolay Nedelchev's article titled: "The US Silent Service in Early WWII: A Story of Failure." contains a few errors..... The First error appears near the bottom of the 5th paragraph: "The two main components of the US submarine arsenal were the Mark XIV-steam-driven and the Mark VI torpedoes." The Mark VI torpedo was 17.7" in diameter, and built b
Forum: General Discussions

PF. et all: The U.S. Navy had three distinct problems with the Mark 14 Mod 3A steam torpedo at the outset of WWII. 1. Depth control - The torpedo ran about 11 feet deeper than set. This was corrected by changing the location of the sea-pressure (sensor) inlet to the midship section of the afterbody. 2. Magnetic influence exploder mechanism Mark VI - The exploder was built at NTS Newpor
Forum: General Discussions

Roger53, et al: The first salvo from the 203mm turret could only be fired 4-1/2 minutes after surfacing. The turret lacked power to overcome the joints' efforts and could not be trained if the roll exceeded 8 degrees (thus the recommended limitation of +/-15 degrees on each side if the sea was not still) the fire control set (telepointer + electromechanical computer)was optimized for
Forum: General Discussions

Dan, et al: To see what happens when a Mark 48 torpedo hits a WWII Australian destroyer, go to: Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Don, et al: I stand corrected. I wasn't looking at the right pages. Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Don, et al: The photo (plate) 16's caption reads: "Captain's room looking forward. Bunk is outboard of desk." However, photo (plate) 20's caption reads: ".......Three of the handwheels of the engine M.B.T low pressure blowing system shown at top left......." Is this correct? Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Paul, et al: On 2 October 1959, CDR. George F. Bond and ENC(SS) Cyril J. Tuckfield made their world record buoyant ascent from the USS ARCHERFISH (SS-311) (BALAO-class fleet boat), from a depth of 306 feet off Key West, FL. Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Walter, et al: "As an aside: U.S. boats used lignum vitae wood for the shaft seals........" The lignum vitae was used as stave shaft bearings, not shaft seals. The present stave shaft bearings are made of brass and covered with hard rubber/neoprene material, bonded to the stave bearing. These bearings are located aft of the shaft seals. Seawqter is both the coolant and lub
Forum: Technology and Operations

Hello Commander: "It shut automatically when snorkeling was secured." It also shut when low back-pressure occurred when the head valve electrodes were shorted out by seawater and shut off the 225# air that kept it open. Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations

Hello all: Is visiting a wreck site of a German, Japanese, or American submarine, Coast Guard vessel, downed aircraft, show less reverence than that shown to a national graveyard in the U.S., France or any other country? What about the remains of tank personnel killed in action, passengers from vessels like the Andrea Doria, Titanic, or Britannica? Graveyards have been uprooted and remains
Forum: General Discussions

Freddy, et al: The SURCOUF was tied up at a pier at Ireland Island Dockyard, Bermuda, before she departed on her fatal voyage to Tahiti on 12 February 1942. Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

Andy: You wrote: "The site will be classed as an official war grave." Who classed it as an official war grave? Regards, ROBERT M.
Forum: General Discussions

paul: Stuffing boxes are generally referred to as packing glands or shaft seals. Later, ROBERT M.
Forum: Technology and Operations