The Romance of War Inventions: A Description of Warships, Guns, Tanks, Rifles, Bombs, and Other Instruments and Munitions of Warfare, How They Were Invented & How They Are EmployedCorbin, Thomas W.
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The Romance of War Inventions: A Description of Warships, Guns, Tanks, Rifles, Bombs, and Other Instruments and Munitions of Warfare, How They Were Invented & How They Are Employed
Corbin, Thomas W.
Inventions; Military art and science; Naval art and science
The quarter-master transfers himself to the steering wheel inside, where
he has another compass to guide him, not of the magnetic variety this
time but a cunning application of the gyroscope. The commander, too,
having descended before the last hatch was closed down, takes his stand
at the eyepiece of the periscope, since that is now his only means of
seeing what is going on above.
Another man takes his place at the wheel which controls the diving
rudder, conveniently near to which is a pressure gauge so connected to
the outer water that as the ship dives its depth is recorded upon its
dial: that in effect is to him what the compass is to his comrade at the
other wheel.
With every movement of men there needs to be adjustment made to keep the
ship on an even keel. Otherwise she would go down by the bow or down by
the stern according as the men's weight shifted towards either end. This
is arranged for by two small tanks formed in the structure of the
vessel, one at either end. Connected together by pipes and controlled by
compressed air, water can be transferred from one to the other at will
and so the balance be always kept. Quite simple manipulations of a valve
serve to accomplish this delicate balancing performance. It is perhaps
not of such importance at this stage, but in a moment, when the whole
vessel will be under water, a very little movement indeed will suffice
to upset the equilibrium.
Next water ballast is admitted into certain other spaces in the ship's
structure, these spaces being called, because of the use to which they
are put, ballast tanks. Gradually, as the incoming water increases the
weight of the vessel, she sinks until she is awash. Then the diving
rudders are set at the right angle (a pendulum serves to show the angle
at which the boat points) and down she goes. As the pressure-gauge
indicates the approach to the required depth the rudder is flattened out
a little until just that position is found which keeps the boat under at
the desired depth.
Of course, when all hatches and openings were closed the supply of fresh
air was cut off and after that the crew had to depend upon the air
contained in the submarine. Also, they had to stop the engine, for
without air it cannot work: nor can it work without giving off fumes,
which, if admitted to the ship, would soon suffocate the crew. Just
before closing up, therefore, the engine is stopped and electric motors
take up the task of driving the ship.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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