Submarines

They were; the technology to make them a lethal threat just didn't exist until the late 1800's.

Underwater, submarines use a method known as Sound Navigation and Ranging, or Sonar, the same method used by bottlenose Dolphins and Whales to navigate. The type of submarine (Attack or Missile) determines the type of Sonar equipment installed. Attack submarines typically get the most advanced Sonar available, while Missile boats usually get older, less sophisticated systems. This is because their 2 missions are completely different. Missile boats listen for targets and run the other way in order to be undetected. However, an Attack boat's mission is Anti-submarine Warfare (ASW) and anti-ship warfare. In time of crisis, their job is to actively seek and destroy enemy surface and submarine targets.

All submarines have more than one type of Sonar system installed, each performing a specific acoustic function.

On the surface, submarines use classified electronics methods and Radar to find targets, but Radar isn't often used as any active signal is an automatic location giveaway to a potential enemy. This is also why submarines rarely, if ever, use active Sonar (pings) to find targets anymore. Everything is done by passive means. Active Sonar is typically only used as a final range verifier prior to a torpedo launch, but not always as modern torpedos have their own active sonar systems for finding, tracking and locking onto a target. Once a modern torpedo has a sonar lock on the target, it's next to impossible to lose it.

I was a Submarine Sonarman for 11 years - there is no cooler job aboard a fast-attack submarine, especially during battlestations during active tracking operations. If you look at my Supervisor's bio, you can see some pics from my old submarine days. I was always topside when we were on the surface for any reason, and always had a camera with me.

If you're interested in more information, read the book Blind Man's Bluff. A few of my old friends are mentioned in there, albeit by their onboard nicknames.

It Runs On Nuclear So it could go for about 20 years or so

When a boat reaches its crush depth limit, the inner pressure hull succumbs to the extreme outer sea pressure, causing the hull to implode.

Yes, in designated smoking areas, usually in machine rooms off watch.

1, 200,000 Soldiers

30 Warships

11 Submarines.

Not anymore. In both world wars submarines were equipped with anti-aircraft weapons for defending themselves while surfaced, but they made the subs slower while submerged, and enemy aircraft usually stayed out of their range while calling in a destroyer by radio. After World War 2 submarines became streamlined to improve their speed, and their AA guns were removed. The prevailing school of thought is that a submarine has a better chance of survival underwater than trying to fight on the surface. The British Navy experimented with a missile launched from submarines to shoot down aircraft, but even still the aircraft holds most of the advantages, and the submarine is probably more apt to survive by hiding under the waves.

The CSS Hunley, named for its inventor and builder, Horace Hunley. Currently being restored in Charleston, SC, after being found and raised some years back.

No - the weight and stability of the keel prevents complete rolls, though it can get pretty hairy during State 5 seas, even underwater.

The periscope is used by the submarine to look around the surface of the water, while the rest of the submarine is under water. It makes the submarine harder to find and destroy by enemy antisubmarine warfare. The periscope might be just a simple set of mirrors or it might have a "heads up display", similar to HUD found in some combat aircraft, that give the range to the target, as well as a magnifying glass that also makes the target easier to see, similar to a pair of binoculars.

326

No - the Turtle was invented during the Revolutionary War, and as such, the United States as a country (and patents) did not exist at that time.

The first submarine to use patented designs was the SS-1, the U.S. Navy's first Diesel-Electric submarine, designed and built by John P. Holland.

Unrestricted fares are airline (or other transportation) fares that do not have restrictions, such as a Saturday night stay, a 14 day advance purchase, or a specific number of nights stay requirement. Many unrestricted fares are refundable.

Yes, there are always very small leaks . These are contained and not allowed to become dangerous.

Modern submarines can move with surprising speed, but nothing close to 100 knots.

Lloyd George during World War I

If you purchase a sub from a reputable company, like US Submarine (an example, not an endorsment) the price will probably include training. If you choose to build your own then read, read, read and practice, practice, practice. Start in shallow water. Watch a lot of movies; both fiction and documentary and lay yourself out an intensive program to handle any contingencies you can think of. Learning to scuba dive would be a major bonus in case worst-case scenario.

The Test and Crush depth of any modern U.S. Navy Submarine is Classified Secret/NOFORN and cannot be disclosed publicly. Published public sources are merely estimates only; I can say that it varies with the type of submarine class, and that the official U.S. Navy statement on any submarine depth capability is that they can exceed 400 feet. But you probably already know that.

Such information is classified at a high level because with such knowledge, an enemy could calibrate torpedoes or any deep depth weapon to the known limits of an enemy submarine. A real-life example occurred in WW2, when the Allies captured a German U-Boat and recommissioned her a Royal Navy vessel. It was used as a training and research platform to determine the limits of her depth capabilities.

Having said that, you can always check the unverifiable information in Jane's Fighting Ships. Anyone like myself who is a current or Veteran Submariner is prohibited by Federal Law from releasing such information. Whether Jane's is accurate, I cannot confirm either way. You might be able to discern the information in Blind Man's Bluff, a 1990's book about Submarine Warfare during the Cold War, in which some of my old buddies are mentioned. However, as with Jane's, no one can confirm or deny the information. All crew members sign a 30 year non-disclosure agreement when they muster out of the Navy or leave their vessel. I've still got 8 years or so, but even with the details that have come out, I don't believe in making such information public for any reason anyway. A submarine's greatest asset is its secrecy.

There is a common misconception in the public that Submarines need to have extreme depth capability. For example, some Russian attack submarines have a listed capability of 3,000 feet (e.g., the titanium hulled Alfa class). However, we don't need a submarine that can go that deep - all we need is a TORPEDO that can go that deep. At that depth, any significant hull damage caused by even a near miss explosion will cause massive flooding, pushing the vessel toward crush depth quickly. At that depth, pressure on the submarine's hull per square inch in incredibly high, and it doesn't take much damage to make small hole big. Think of the little boy with the finger in the dike suddenly getting hit by a huge storm surge - there's no way to contain the damage once done.

Yes. this has happened both accidentally ( collission, friendly torpedo-fire and deliberatley in hunter-killer ( sometimes called HUK) patrols sub-anti-sub a risky business at war!

1. Some Japanese mini-subs reached US territory in 1941 (Pearl Harbor). 2. One Japanese submarine shelled Santa Barbara California with it's deck gun. 3. One Japanese submarine launched an airplane which bombed Brookings, Oregon.

Modern submarines are painted black as it's the easiest color to maintain, provide camouflage from aerial observation while at periscope depth (e.g., no reflecting surfaces), and still give enough profile color while surfaced in daylight to provide visibility to other ships in navigation lanes.

However, under certain wartime conditions, submarines are repainted and camouflaged like other naval vessels with broken paint camouflage schemes to make them nearly impossible to see near the surface or when surfaced.

Google it for the diagram and u will understand why.

Warship use the same navigation lights as civilian ships. Additional lights may be shown if engaged in special duties.

The hull is the outer shell or the metal skin of the submarine that protects the inner area from the outside water.