Remembering Das Boot
For those who might be still grasping at the thought of making the bow heavy by flooding Q, think of the scene in Das Boot about a German U-Boat in the 2nd World War. It is one of the most authentic portrayals of action in a conventional submarine that I have seen. Submarines were not always fitted with a fast diving capability like Q tank.
The scene in the movie that I am referring to is the one where the U Boat is on the surface and being attacked by an enemy aircraft. The CO gives the order to dive, "Alarm! Alarm" and ballast tank main vents are opened to flood the ballast tanks, the planes are put to full dive, and the main motors to full speed ahead. Back then, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to get the bow down in a hurry so that the boat can be driven faster to get it deep, all personnel not actively employed at essential stations ran to the forward torpedo room to add weight at the bow. A bit of a scramble but there was no positive pressure in the boat from venting Q tank inboard which can create its own bit trouble upon surfacing.
The scene in the movie that I am referring to is the one where the U Boat is on the surface and being attacked by an enemy aircraft. The CO gives the order to dive, "Alarm! Alarm" and ballast tank main vents are opened to flood the ballast tanks, the planes are put to full dive, and the main motors to full speed ahead. Back then, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to get the bow down in a hurry so that the boat can be driven faster to get it deep, all personnel not actively employed at essential stations ran to the forward torpedo room to add weight at the bow. A bit of a scramble but there was no positive pressure in the boat from venting Q tank inboard which can create its own bit trouble upon surfacing.
Jettisoned out of the Conning Tower
There were a number of system operations, in O Boats, that vented air back into the pressure hull of the submarine creating a positive pressure. If, for some reason, the boat has to surface with that positive pressure, precautions had to be taken when opening the upper lid. Much like the dit about Pierre Doutre being catapulted through 34 Bulkhead, the surfacing Officer of the Watch (OOW) and lookout could be jettisoned out of the conning tower like human cannon balls when the upper lid blew open.
Legend has It
HMS Auriga - an A-boat.
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Legend has it that, in the older 'A's and 'T's fitted with deck guns, a pressure in the boat was used as a tactical advantage to get the gun layers and ammunition handlers into the fin for rapid response for gun fire action with an enemy. The upper lid would be opened before the submarine fully broached the surface. The positive air pressure escaping up the tower would help keep the seawater out and blow the gun action crew into the fin. I am not certain of the accuracy of that lore, but it makes a good dit. Perhaps someone of a more mature vintage can elaborate on that practice.
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Standard Operating Procedure
SOP for surfacing an Oberon with a pressure in the boat included the warning that there was a "Pressure in the Boat", as the OOW and lookout stood by in the tower. At the order: "Stand by to surface the submarine", the control room ladder was rigged and the lower lid opened. The OOW was always up first up, at the top of the tower ladder, and would remove one clip and have the other in hand ready to remove it when the order was given by the CO. The upper lid has a safety catch capability, to stop the hatch being blown wide open, similar to 34 bulkhead door. However, it allows the lid to open much further and the volume of air from the entire submarine to escape much faster. The lookout would be on the ladder below him with both pairs of binoculars and other sundry items depending on circumstances.
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Arms Around the Ankles
If the warning order, "Pressure in the Boat", was given, the lookout would secure the binoculars under his outer clothing and wrap his arms around the OOW's ankles and the ladder and bare down on the toes of his boots. This was to ensure that he was not lifted up or jettisoned out by the rushing air.
Now I'm not a vindictive sort, but one time when I was the lookout behind a new Sput OOW as we were surfacing with a significant pressure in the boat, we had an incident. On hearing the warning order I began to follow SOP. I got the binoc's away and was in the process of getting a grasp of the OOW's ankles when he reacted, jerking one foot off the ladder rung and kicking me in the forehead in the process. He gave me another little tap on top of my head with the sole of his boot for good measure and shouted, "What are you doing? Don't do that!" |
Not One to Disobey Orders
Well, I'm also not one to disobey orders from a superior officer either, so I stepped down a couple of rungs and hung on. I heard the rush of water emptying out of the fin, and felt the boat shudder as it leveled out on the surface.
"Open up" came the order from the CO.
SNAP went the remaining clip and WHOOOOSH went the positive pressure, hurtling the upper lid hard open against the stop catch on the clip.
I heard the startled yelp over the rushing air as the OOW got lifted off the ladder and rammed up to the top of the tower against the upper lid, then released, as the pressure subsided, to tumble back toward the storage lockers as his feet missed the rungs and tangled his legs in the ladder.
"Open up" came the order from the CO.
SNAP went the remaining clip and WHOOOOSH went the positive pressure, hurtling the upper lid hard open against the stop catch on the clip.
I heard the startled yelp over the rushing air as the OOW got lifted off the ladder and rammed up to the top of the tower against the upper lid, then released, as the pressure subsided, to tumble back toward the storage lockers as his feet missed the rungs and tangled his legs in the ladder.
Don't Worry, I was Okay!
He was in a helluva precarious position as I reach up and pushed his dumb butt up to a more dignified position. We made our way to the bridge where I opened the upper voice pipe cock and we carried out the standard procedures for preparing for a run on the roof.
It took almost an hour for me to control the smirk on my face, and for him to finally turn around, look at me, and say sheepishly, "Was I supposed to let you hold me down?" Geezuz C! I didn't know that no one had told him. Honest. But, he wouldn't forget that SOP again and maybe not be so quick to physically reprimand a lowly Able Seaman for trying to do his job. Deep down, some of them have to learn the hard way. |