200
The Last Resource
the British Government announced an order for ‘ve submarine
vessels of the type invented by Mr Holland’. Germany’s rst
submarine, Unterseebot I, was taken into service in 1908. To
preserve the life of the batteries, petrol and then diesel engines were
used for surface power.
The rst British diesel—electric submarine went into operation in
1908. Even at present the majority of submarines use this type of
power plant, which has been superseded only by nuclear propulsion.
In a sense the diesel—electric submarine is a surface vessel which
submerges for relatively short periods. On active patrol, the early
submarines often restricted their speed to a few knots to eke out
their battery power. Once they were exhausted, the submarine had
to turn to its air-breathing diesel engines for propulsion and re—
charging, which meant returning to the surface. At rst surfaeing,
at night or under the cover of fog, held few terrors but the develop—
ment 0f radar in the I94OS put an end to this. The solution was to
use a snorkel or snort, an air intake which could be pushed above the
surface of the sea. Even this system is not entirely safe; the snorkel,
like the periscope, leaves a wake which can be seen from an aircraft
or
surface ship; the noise of the diesels underwater makes the
submarine ‘deaf’ to other sounds, including those of enemy craft;
and, most important of all, up—to—date submarine detection instru—
ments can pin—point submarines lying near to the surface.
The modern nuclear submarine suffers from none of these
_
disabilities. The nuclear power pack enables it to submerge for
months and ensures complete independence from the surface by
supplying power for desalination and oxygen generation. Apart from
satisfying the physical needs of its occupants, the nuclear submarine
also caters for relaxation with lm shows, libraries and rest rooms.
In fact considerable attention has been given to the best way of
keeping the nuclear submariner happy and alert during his 60— to
90—day cruise underwater. As a further safeguard, every crew
member undergoes special screening and training to ensure that
he can comfortably meet the challenge of prolonged underwater
missions.
,
Becoming a complete underwater denizen removes the submarine’s navigator from traditional ‘signposts’ such as stars and
sun as well as more modern radio—direction systems. Somehow the
navigator has to check the submarine’s position without recourse to
ground stations, satellites or celestial bodies. The solution is a
The Last Resource
the British Government announced an order for ‘ve submarine
vessels of the type invented by Mr Holland’. Germany’s rst
submarine, Unterseebot I, was taken into service in 1908. To
preserve the life of the batteries, petrol and then diesel engines were
used for surface power.
The rst British diesel—electric submarine went into operation in
1908. Even at present the majority of submarines use this type of
power plant, which has been superseded only by nuclear propulsion.
In a sense the diesel—electric submarine is a surface vessel which
submerges for relatively short periods. On active patrol, the early
submarines often restricted their speed to a few knots to eke out
their battery power. Once they were exhausted, the submarine had
to turn to its air-breathing diesel engines for propulsion and re—
charging, which meant returning to the surface. At rst surfaeing,
at night or under the cover of fog, held few terrors but the develop—
ment 0f radar in the I94OS put an end to this. The solution was to
use a snorkel or snort, an air intake which could be pushed above the
surface of the sea. Even this system is not entirely safe; the snorkel,
like the periscope, leaves a wake which can be seen from an aircraft
or
surface ship; the noise of the diesels underwater makes the
submarine ‘deaf’ to other sounds, including those of enemy craft;
and, most important of all, up—to—date submarine detection instru—
ments can pin—point submarines lying near to the surface.
The modern nuclear submarine suffers from none of these
_
disabilities. The nuclear power pack enables it to submerge for
months and ensures complete independence from the surface by
supplying power for desalination and oxygen generation. Apart from
satisfying the physical needs of its occupants, the nuclear submarine
also caters for relaxation with lm shows, libraries and rest rooms.
In fact considerable attention has been given to the best way of
keeping the nuclear submariner happy and alert during his 60— to
90—day cruise underwater. As a further safeguard, every crew
member undergoes special screening and training to ensure that
he can comfortably meet the challenge of prolonged underwater
missions.
,
Becoming a complete underwater denizen removes the submarine’s navigator from traditional ‘signposts’ such as stars and
sun as well as more modern radio—direction systems. Somehow the
navigator has to check the submarine’s position without recourse to
ground stations, satellites or celestial bodies. The solution is a