Sub-MARE-i-ners – The Travels of Mary Anne and Steve

The United States Naval Undersea Museum is but a short drive from our house. We’ve passed by any number of times and said, “Hmmm… That could be interesting”, but we’ve never stopped. Until today, that is.

Just between you and me, the cavalier violence instigated by the Vietnam draft dodger and the blow wave Secretary of Machismo has left me with a dampened enthusiasm for anything war-related. But current atrocities don’t lessen the dedication and deeds of better souls who chose to serve. So off we went to see what the museum is all about.

Kids must love this place! It’s got cool stuff to look at, fun interactive exhibits, and excellent explanatory displays. The docents are nice folks, pretty clearly with some salt on them. Did I mention that the museum is free?

A visitor is told that submariners are God’s chosen. I have a few cousins who would agree. Surprisingly, the museum also wants us to know that the Navy has evolved their policies affecting equality, harassment, and such. I can’t believe the Trump Administration hasn’t had all that material taken out and burned.

When it comes to racism, violent hazing, and sexual harassment, the official position seems to be “We sucked, but we’re getting better.” I hope so.

But, Jeez, the Navy hasn’t got a lock on any of those problems. Just ask the mother of a boy killed by a fraternity initiation. Or anyone in Minneapolis who saw the ICE “patriots” in action.

Moving on…

There’s a lot of material on the history of the Submarine Service, and about notable individuals and events. I’m not going to show you all of it because, well, who wants to see photos of printed material?

The Battle Flag of the USS Sequndo, hand-made by its crew to comemmorate the sinking of the Japanese I-401 during the Second World War.

I’d heard about the use of trained dolphins and sea lions, but didn’t know the why and how of it. As Fox Mulder said, “I want to believe” that these animals weren’t used as bombs, or were trained using inhumane methods. That “La la la la la” sound you hear is me with my fingers in my ears. You can read what Perplexity has to say about it.

As the sign says, dolphins were trained to spot a mine and attach a marker device. The animal would poke it’s shout into the yellow cone to carry the device.

No idea what’s going on here. A sea lion on its day off listening to hip-hop?

Let’s look at some hardware, shall we?

This is a *bathythermograph*. Its a thermometer towed underwater to measure water temperature and pressure. Sound travels at a different speed depending on water temperature. Knowing the temperature is essential to proper sonar calibration.

Not a torpedo, but an autonomous snooping device.

A remotely-controlled device used for a variety of purposes. One is cutting cables holding mines to the seabed.

Note the “Cable Cutter” toggle on the control panel.

Did you ever see the James Bond movie Thunderball where he retrieves a stolen bomb from the sea floor?
Here’s a model of the CURV I that collected a lost hydrogen bomb. Presumably with a lot less causal sex involved.

The museum has a section devoted to human, as opposed to remotely-guided, underwater activities. A lot was said about the complexities of SCUBA diving. I think we’ve all heard of “the bends”. Avoidance is complicated.

I expected to see this thing start waving its arms and shouting “Danger, Will Robinson!”

Divers spent up to 40 hours in one of these before returning to the surface. How did they eat, drink, pee?

The Deep Sea Rescue Vehicle is basically a really tough metal egg designed to rescue folks trapped in sunken subs. They were used extensively in exercises and trials but have never been used for an actual real-world rescue of a sunken submarine, because no U.S. submarine has sunk since the DSRV program began.

OK, let’s get to the good stuff: torpedos! No, not the modern computerized sleek kind. The old bronze-and-clockwork kind from the late 1800s, and the dry cell battery-powered kind from WW II.

This, my friends, is a Spar torpedo: a bomb on a stick. It was a high tech device during the Civil War. The idea was to attach a long pole to the bow, sneak up on an enemy ship, and poke it. The odds were about even whether it would sink their ship or yours. Maybe both.

I love the Howell torpedo not because it explodes, but for the same reason I love mechanical watches. Check out the rods, joints, propellers, and other hand-formed bronze bits.

More metalwork from a Twentieth century torpedo. By this time, they’re using some stainless steel.

Welcome to World War II where the torpedos are powered by big dry cell batteries like I used in science projects as a kid. The wiring and electronics are, shall we say, *vintage.*

Later, batteries got better and there were fancy bits like transistors.

This beauty – in form if not intent – is a German design from WW II.

Germans really know how to build things. You want them on *your side* if you have a choice.

Some exhibits are just too large for indoor viewing. These two big boys are out front.

The Trieste is the first bathyscaphe. In 1960, it became the first crewed vessel to reach the bottom of Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in Earth’s seabed.

DSRV-1 Mystic is a deep-submergence rescue vehicle that is rated to dive up to 5,000 feet. It was built by Lockheed at a construction cost of $41 million and launched in January 1970.

If you find yourself nearby, consider a visit to this interesting — and free — museum. There’s a lot of written information that doesn’t make for great photos but is quite interesting.