Abstract
THE building of five submarine boats for the British Navy not only forms quite a new departure but also, perhaps, the advent of the nucleus for an instrument of war of novel design. The boats (says Engineering, March 29), which are being built by Messrs. Vickers, Sons and Maxim, Ltd., are of the Holland improved type and are 63 ft. 4 in. in length over all, 11 ft. 9 in. beam, and 120 tons displacement submerged, and they will be capable of expelling torpedoes either with the boat at rest, during the run on the surface, or steaming at any speed submerged. When running on the surface the boats will be propelled by a gasoline engine (of marine type, inverted, and with four single acting cylinders). The amount of fuel carried will suffice for a run of about 400 miles with a maximum speed of about 9 knots, and when submerged an electric motor of the waterproof type, worked with storage batteries, will give the vessel a speed of seven knots, which can be maintained for four hours. The general operation of the boat is given as follows:—“Before it is desired to make a dive, the boat is brought to ‘awash’ condition, with only the conning tower ports above the water. The dive is then made at a small angle until the proper depth is reached, when by automatic means the boat is brought to a horizontal position. After the discharge of the torpedo from the fixed bow tube, the compensation for the weight of the torpedo is made automatically, causing only a slight change of trim foi a few seconds. Provision is made for quick rising and diving the time of appearance of the conning tower above the water being dependent on the skill of the navigator.” In the United States Navy the Holland has undergone most exacting trials and has proved herself “stable in service working,” and it is here we get the most convincing testimony, where Admiral Hitchborn chief constructor in the United States Navy, states in his official report, “The Holland has shown herself capable of such com plete control in the vertical plane that she may be kept within a few inches of any desired depth while moving, or brought to the surface and taken under again in a very short time: her direction and control in the horizontal plane on the surface is effected with the same facility as any other craft, and submerged is limited only by the difficulties of vision: her crew are provided for on board with reasonable comfort and perfect safety for such periods as she may be in service and working either upon the surface or submerged; and her armament, consisting entirely of torpedoes, gives her great offensive power.”
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Submarine Boats . Nature 63, 601 (1901). https://doi.org/10.1038/063601a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/063601a0