For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
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By Tall_Guy_In_a_PA28
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1872114
Bill McCarthy wrote:In the Ch5 boat series, I detect an unhappy crew. For a captain to shout out “will someone take charge”, all is lost - it usually has the complete opposite effect. All he had to say was “ I have the submarine” when he was in a position to do so, while the issue was sorted out. Shouting gets you no where and certainly does not gain respect.

The irony of the man in charge shouting "will someone take charge" was not lost on me.
By Bill McCarthy
#1872117
On completion of an extended maintenance period, trainer/examiners put crew through various exercises to prove they are up to speed - some crew would have moved on or left the service. Normal sea time for crew members is in the order of two to three years. Shoreside simulators for all departments (including control room teams) are there to get “newbies” and others refreshed and “thinking on their feet”. I did eight years on Dreadnought, it was a one off design and I was retained because I knew it like the back of my hand. It was the best boat we ever had.
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1872122
@Bill McCarthy

Bill: why are submarines called 'boats'?

Is it a kind of inverted snobbery like English Surgeons dropping the title 'Dr' as soon as they become fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and taking up the title of 'Mr' giving the nod to their origins dating from the lowly Barber-Surgeons of the mediaeval travelling fairs where they 'cut for stone'- removing bladder stones from patients: prob because barbers had the sharpest knives/razors.

They were therefore deemed tradesmen who had to enter the Manor House by the back door. as they didn't warrant the title 'Dr', unlike Physicians who were 'proper doctors and entered by the front door.

Or is there another reason? :roll:
By Bill McCarthy
#1872140
I believe that very early submarines were hoisted up on to their depot ships as would other surface auxiliary boats.
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By StratoTramp
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1873471
May have already been shared

But this is quite interesting

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjHf ... zBclS1yimW

Especially the way sonar bends, obvious in retrospect but there are dark zones where subs can hide due to the changing salinity and temp of the water bending the sonar waves around.

This is the sonar episode in particular



18:44 to be precise. The pressure curve reminded me of the changing temperatures between the troposphere and stratosphere.
By Bill McCarthy
#1873632
Cold layers, measured by the boats bathythermograph, are a major method of evasion from an attacking surface ship. Get below them to “hide” as SONAR pings are scattered or deflected off that layer. It then becomes a cat-and-mouse game together with quiet running. A very powerful array located around the bow of the boat can detect contacts hundreds of miles away, in passive mode. It can also transmit an even more powerful “ripple” in active mode for a final determination of the target. However, by doing this, it alerts the “enemy” and you have to be damn sure that you are in all respects, ready to fire before he does.
There are other listening devices. Included are - upward facing depth sounder for under ice operations. In the propulsion control room there is a hydrophone for the main engine operator to listen out for cavitation (which makes a right din) from the propulsor . There is a horror story - for another day, from that simple equipment which makes submariners so bliddy superstitious.
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By Propwash
#1873662
Some of the late Tom Clancy's novels gave pretty good descriptions of a sonar operator's work on board submarines. I have always wondered how accurate they were given his apparent close links with those in the US military. I was a great fan of his books. Sadly missed.

You should write that book, Bill. We can't be expected to wait forever. :lol:

PW
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By Jim Jones
#1873697
I learnt all about submarines from Tom Clancy, he did some non-fiction stuff on a range of US forces
By Bill McCarthy
#1873731
Nicholas Montserrat was a visitor to our boat (Dreadnought) and nominated the forward door of the tunnel airlock - access to the classified aft section as - “Checkpoint Charlie”. The engraved formica notice is still there, I’m told.
There is some carp YouTube “Pathe News” film on Dreadnought. One is “Dreadnought (1968)” but it shows the wardroom getting their scran. The table shown is the one my mate, on throwing open the door curtain, threw in a dummy grenade (made a fizzing noise) which landed with a thump in the middle of it followed by a yell - “share that b’stard between you”. He got 28 days in detention quarters for it because one officer dislocated his shoulder when they all dived for cover!
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By TopCat
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1873793
Thank goodness I avoided this thread till I'd seen the series on iPlayer. The spoilers would have made it completely unwatchable.
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1873816
TopCat wrote:Thank goodness I avoided this thread till I'd seen the series on iPlayer. The spoilers would have made it completely unwatchable.


I’m in the same boat,; having dutifully recorded the series because we were out for the first episode , I am now contemplating deleting the lot unwatched .
Wouldn’t be the first time . :shock:
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