American submarines underwent a number of modifications during the Second World War. These included changes to the gun armament, detection gear, electronics suites, and even the exterior appearance of the boats themselves. Pre-war Gatos and other classes, like the U.S.S. Salmon (pictured), started out with large, well-sheltered (for a submarine) conning tower fairwaters, … [Read more...]

A surface vessel, including a surfaced submarine, moves from point to point in two dimensions. It can travel forward or backward, or move laterally, but it must always remain on the single plane of the ocean's surface. A submerged submarine, however, like an airplane, travels in three dimensions. In addition to the forward/reverse/lateral movement of a surface vessel, a … [Read more...]

During World War I, the standard American submarine torpedo was the 18-inch Mark 7. This had a maximum range of 5,000 yards, and a top speed of 35 knots, with a 326-pound warhead. As this torpedo was used in the "O" class submarines, it remained in service in training boats through World War II. By the time the United States entered World War I the inadequacy of the Mark 7 … [Read more...]

In an ideal situation, a submarine's captain could position his unmoving boat with its bow pointed directly at the side of an unmoving target and fire his torpedoes straight ahead, where they would inevitably hit the target. In real life, both the submarine and the target are normally moving in different directions, and the captain has to calculate the correct path that his … [Read more...]

A number of devices were used both to detect submerged submarines, and to allow those same submarines to locate their targets without having to surface or raise the periscope. The earliest of these devices were hydrophones. Hydrophones: Hydrophones are extremely simple in concept. In the most basic form, a microphone is extended through the bottom of the vessel. By rotating … [Read more...]