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Captain Walter S. DeLany, Jr.,
U. S. Navy Associate Editor
128 The Retardation of Weapons for Low Altitude Bombing
By S. B. Jackson
131 The Breguet 1150 Atlantic Aircraft
By Capitaine de Frcgate Jean L. Corret, French Navy
133 The Blue Ridge (AGC-19)
By Harold B. Price
135 A New Roll-On/Roll-OfF Service
By Lieutenant G. D. Saunders,
U. S. Naval Reserve (Retired)
THE RETARDATION OF WEAPO1^ FOR LOW ALTITUDE BOMBlN^
A frequently employed tactic of air 'var fare is the avoidance of radar detecti°a by flying at ultra-low altitudes. An aircra then releases its bombs while on a straig'1 and level course at these low altitudes. ThuS' a surprise attack can be achieved by crlP pling an enemy’s ability to retaliate even A1 fore its defenses are alerted, and escape ca/’ be made, again at low altitude. Such attac may be made, for example, against airfie* to disable an enemy’s air power, and one suc took place with notable success on the nfs day of the recent Israeli-Arab six-day vvar’ The subsequent course of the war was a tri ute to the Israeli Air Force’s techniques 3" abilities in a first strike and was a power01 demonstration of the potential of air poWer' Besides the obvious advantage of surprlSf' there are equally obvious advantages in aC curacy, as compared with medium and upPc altitude bombing using ballistic techniqllt> But there is one major problem to overcome’ an aircraft dropping high explosives, of conventional or nuclear type, or shrap'lf bombs at low altitude, is highly likely to A1 damaged in the explosion by the effect 0 blast or solid particles at the moment of i01' pact. The distance between the aircraft a a the bomb detonation is clearly the paramoo11 factor, and in order to achieve the neede safety levels throughout the whole aircra, speed range, bomb retardation or delay c action fuzing is obviously needed. Delayed ac' tion fuzing is not considered further, but it 'vl be apparent that fuze design alone can nev^ cope with problems associated with bon1 ricochet. It is perhaps important to note tha the speed range may be quite wide, but, f° all intents and purposes, with modern aircra1 it is likely to be between 300 and 600 kn°ts' The height of the attack will be certainly Ae'
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red performance data, together with a dis- of Sl°n on the advantages and disadvantages 'be two main methods of approach. The
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low altitude attack bombing are fairly
(1)
Knowing the destructive radius for the
ead concerned, the drag area must be
(2)
The striking velocity and angle of strike
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p§m and the ability to kill.
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^Ward ejection is 15 feet per second. The retardation device should have a
1^ 4Q0 feet, and ideally should be at the U "^st altitude a terrain-following aircraft can ^ rvith safety at maximum speed. Estimates j, 'his vary from between 50 and 100 feet |IV'C ground level.
. ‘ We dismiss the use of rockets as a retarda- . 11 device, then we are left with two simple Cq ’■hods for bomb retardation. These are: a Ij Ventional parachute system, or an um- (|^ta-like device attached about the tail of .e bomb body. The former can be either a parachute or a cluster of parachutes, the latter might be either four metal '1 b tail during carriage.
. bis discussion presents some of the basic
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hf . 1Cal requirements for a retarder system
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^b that ballistic calculations give a reason- e margin of escape for aircraft and aircrew.
f^st meet the bomb designer’s specification, fj ® angle of strike should be such that Spe°cbet will not occur unless otherwise Q Really required, (as in the RAF attacks ' 'be Mohne and Eder Dam in World War Kicochet will reduce both the safety
n addition to these primary requirements. bj.6 Allowing secondary requirements need to c°nsidered:
(3) _
^ 1 he retardation device must be deployed
C°". as possible below the aircraft on re- ^e’ consistent with safety. The time avail- e may in these cases be reduced by the epb for downwards ejection to establish t], n bomb release. A common figure for such
(4)
drag-time curve during deployment, inflation, and subsequent trajectory, with as little variation as possible. Any changes in these performance figures reduce the accuracy with which the bomb can be delivered to its target.
(5) Safety devices and fuze systems must give a high degree of security during carriage and release. Ideally, the retarding system should be incapable of deployment while the bomb is on or within a few feet of the aircraft, and the fuze should not “arm” the bomb until the requisite “safety distance” has been achieved between the bomb and the aircraft. If prevention of inadvertent retarder deployment during carriage cannot be guaranteed, say with a parachute system, then parachute jettison must be automatic. This automatic jettison becomes even more essential if retarder deployment is used to initiate the bomb fuze sequence. Such arming methods imply the need for extremely high reliabilities in retarder performance.
It is clear that a nuclear warhead, unless a delay device is used, involves a greater reduction in forward throw, and thus a bigger drag area for the retarding device, than would be required for a conventional weapon. In
what follows, typical examples will be chosen for the conventional parachute system, or a bomb tail retarder.
It is possible to calculate (step-by-step) the ballistic trajectories for a range of values of drag area (CDA) for a given weight of bomb (w) over the desired speed and height ranges. A constant drag area has been assumed for the low and medium weight ranges of the store.
In these calculations, a constant time delay before release of the retarding device is as-
Irving Air Chute
The parachute system of retarding a bomb in descent begins with the explosion of a charge that releases the parachute.
sumed, and a constant time for the appl*0^ tion of full drag. This latter normally vary somewhat with the size of the parach11^ or retarder unit, particularly so in the case the parachute. Artificial means can, h°" ever, be provided which accelerate the flation process, and for larger parachutes' more rapid deployment can be obtained . Uf
means, of course, that the penalty in wei§. and complexity of associated equipment greater for the larger values of CDA.
There is no reason why the basic traject0' information should not be the same for b° retarder systems. The umbrella type retan1 . will, however, by virtue of its “single evel1^ type opening, cause the drag to be applied cause the latter has to deploy over a grea distance, and does not have the advants? that considerable air loads are available inflate the bomb’s umbrella device. Both 1 deployment and in the variations in traject°'_ due to variation in retarder performance, 11 parachute suffers some slight disadvantag In order to improve the situation for the pa'j chute system, a drogue gun can be uS which deploys the parachute more raplC1 j than would occur by means of a convention ^ parachute. It can be assumed that the bo1'1 would have to drop for some half-second ^ be considered in calculations in variations trajectory.
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be attached to an auxiliary parachute and blown off rearwards at a sufficiently bl? velocity to give faster deployment. In genC1’ single-event devices are consistently successful
not be overlooked. The umbrella occup
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the bomb in less time than could reasons be expected from a parachute. This is
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sequential devices, so the umbrella will sc° in this respect too. In addition, the advan13^, of the umbrella type over the parachute ty’Pj during stick or salvo bombing attacks sho1'
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the minimum circumscribing volume f°rj given drag area and, hence, permits
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baii. .8 must be good enough to ensure some abl *StlC Perf°rmance. Costwise, there is prob- V very little difference in the two methods.
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................................ O.........................................
jystst- The chief disadvantage of any such between rocket motors. This gives an
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°rSest Possible bomb spacing at the target.
teiii Cons'^er*nS merits of the two sys- r ’ most of the comparative points have al- t^at' been made. It is reasonable to think |j 1 t^le parachute should be basically lighter, > as stated above, it might be subject to a ater variation in inflation time. It will be /^ent, however, that the structure weight f;r ,e umbrella contributes to the drag gen. lQn device, while for the other it is recant.
** lhe metal arms without an enormous irie tbe strength required to cater to the rha loads involved. At high speeds these scc'1S Can move through 90 degrees in 40 milli- Qnds, and the total aerodynamic and in- atla load upon them will develop in the arm 0f ^hment straps within the last few degrees , Uis motion. This problem, however, has s- , . solved by the use of a special shock ab- -plng device.
bfpii ma'n problem in the design of the um- ^ the arms and the achievement of a good honal parachute.
Ir>ally) it might be thought useful to con- fa(.r the use of retrorockets to retard a store, er than a parachute or similar system. L Cse have been proposed from time to time f0\ause of the obvious advantages in bulk. A Ket motor is generally the most efficient e*U is in the variability in thrust which oc- tb(frCLictability to performance which, (^a&h not critical in many cases, is not satisfy °ry lur the retardation of bombs. By com- tij r‘Son with the two systems, it must be ^ttght less worthy of consideration.
THE BREQUET 1150 ATLANTIC AIRCRAFT
The development of an ASW aircraft is a lengthy effort. The authorities of NATO knew that, when, in 1957, they launched the project for a new patrol aircraft which was to be put into service in the mid-1960s. At that time, there was some concern in the various NATO headquarters about the obsolescence of the ASW equipment then in service relative to the increasing threat of the new, nuclear, missile-firing submarines. The currently used ASW aircraft in NATO countries (P2V Neptune and Shackleton) have been modified many times and are still undergoing improvement programs in order to adapt them to new equipment. Such modernizations, however, were limited by the size and weight limitations of the airframe. It became obvious that a replacement would be necessary in the near future.
NATO authorities appointed a group of experts to establish the operational requirements for a new ASW aircraft. From the staff recommendations issued by the Standing Group in Washington, the experts worked out an operational requirement which was unanimously approved by all the concerned nations and was submitted to the aircraft industry in March 1958 for design proposals.
By June 1958, aircraft manufacturers in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States had submitted about 20 preliminary proposals. Following an intensive evaluation of these submissions, the French Brequet 1150 design was the unanimous choice of the 15-nation NATO Armament Committee.
The next step was to build two prototypes and two pre-production aircraft. This involved only five nations: Belgium, France,
From the very start, the Atlantic has
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Netherlands, United States, and West Germany. The first prototype flew in October 1961. International co-operation in the project has been evident at every level, and an organization comprised of a NATO steering committee, assisted by technical, logistic, and administrative subcommittees has proved to be very effective.
The Brequet 1150 Atlantic is the first project within NATO to run from the initial concept to the production phase. This joint effort created a close friendship between the representatives of the five nations and contributed significantly to the success of the program. On the industry side, the firms of Brequet and Sud Aviation (France), Dornier (Germany), Fokker (Netherlands), and ABAP (Belgium), to mention a few firms, became associated in and exposed to the challenging problems of international co-operation.
In 1963, an order was placed for 60 production aircraft, 40 for the French Navy to replace P2Vs, and 20 for the German Navy. The first two aircraft were delivered in December 1965 to France; 10 were in service in each Navy by the end of 1966. The French and German Navies established a common supply system for reasons of economy and efficiency. It has been reported that the Dutch are interested in purchasing the aircraft, too. The United States has decided to continue with its present ASW aircraft. The assembly lines for the Atlantic are scheduled to close late this year, unless more orders are received.
bee" specifically designed as an antisubm^ weapon. The fuselage is of the “double houses the pilots, tactical stations, and crew rest compartments; the non-pressu
ment, the search stores (sonobuoy) bays, a' a large 30-foot long bomb bay. . jS
Bonded honeycomb sandwich materia ^ extensively used in the airframe. This tyPe ^ structure is rigid, lightweight, fatigue during and fuel tight. According to fad"* principles, all vital components have b duplicated.
Low speed maneuvering characteristics , excellent and the aircraft can make sustain turns at a speed of 170 knots within a ra ^ of 500 yards. The Atlantic’s speed brake'^ modification to the initial design, has Pr°'e£) to be a very useful change that has imp1”0'
char", teristics by a factor of two. Thus, it is capa^^f of flying high and at a good speed to target area, then descending quickly to aSSuU low-level slow flying, all within a 0U . transition. Other aircraft characteristics a
Length 104 ft.
Height 37 ft.
Wingspan 119 ft.
Take-off gross weight and
maximum landing weight 95,900 lbs.
Fuel capacity 5,540 U. S. »
Maximum speed 355 kts.
Cruising speed 300 kts.
Endurance 18 hrs.
Royce Tyne-21 turboprop engines, each developing 5,665 h.p. The aircraft at its ma' mum gross weight can climb on one eng1^^ A very low specific fuel consumption gives ^ Atlantic an excellent low altitude endura1’.^. of slightly over 8 hours at a 600-nautical-1'11^ distance from base, with a 20 per cent ' reserve. An auxiliary power unit is instafic the aircraft, which is used for starting engines, ground air conditioning, and aU ^ iary electrical supply, giving the Atlanta self support capability. ^
The flight station or cockpit arranged1 j reflects the simplicity of system controls 3 ^ engine management. Assisted by a Spe j autopilot, the pilots have all normal
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Regency controls close at hand; a flight en- j eer is not needed. On the flight deck, dur- \ '• the patrol, the flight engineer normally jttupies the observer’s seat in the front bulb. *e tactical compartment is manned by eight Cri and contains navigation and detection
..The heart of the ASW system is the tactical sPlay station. Two multi-colored visual dis- j Vs, specially developed for the Atlantic, _- provided—one for search and one for °Calization. Their wide sizes (31 X31 inches)
The navigation system consists of two gyro- "Pic platforms, Doppler radar equipment, air data computer, and other standard Tiipment such
;copic sextant,
. ems are fully duplicated. A tele-printer is i? provided.
Phe Atlantic is fitted with the latest sensory ,eV;ces. The X-band radar has been spe- chllv
^ ’°me located forward of the bomb bay is ,|'chaulically extended and retracted. The Tronic countermeasures (ECM) equip, has a memory capability. The operator ^ obtain in a matter of seconds complete on the enemy’s radar. The magnetic n°ntaly detector (MAD) is of the atomic (,s°nance type, where resonance is made '| .S(-rvable by the process of optical pumping. r,ls new and very promising concept was deeped by French scientists. The ECM, radar,
. P Mad gear are from French manufac- lrers. A trail detector that “sniffs” the sub- flne’s smoke was installed. Sonic detection tees consist of the latest U. S. devices-
Jezebel, and active buoys. A 14-track „ sor signals and voice communications. All jMpment is electrically linked with the tac- , "T tables, where information is automatically displayed for the tactical co-or- 'Mtor on lighted panels.
,^ variety of ordnance stores—bombs, depth | arges, missiles, and torpedoes—may be in the bomb bay. The doors roll up lv°r'g the outer fuselage to give easy access, no radar obstruction. Two AS-12 Nord .lre-guided (air-to-surface) missiles can be lQ,tnted under each wing. They are known
as being quite accurate. Sonobuoys, smoke and dye markers, and undersea sound charges are carried in special launchers which are remotely controlled from the tactical station. A flare cartridge launcher system for night illumination is considered to be more effective than a searchlight in heavy seas or in conditions of poor visibility. And, in general, being similar to the P-3 Orion flown by the United States, the two aircraft can fly in complement of one another.
Pressurized and air-conditioned, the Atlantic has facilities that include bunks, a well- equipped galley, and a wardroom. In addition to the 12 crewmen, it offers accommodations for 12 more people.
Because of the large bomb bay and special bay doors, it can carry a spare Tyne engine or a complete landing gear with struts and can thus serve a logistic as well as an ASW mission. Other mission capabilities include minelaying, shadowing, maritime survey, and search and rescue.
With such impressive mission capabilities, coupled with design provision to accommodate future equipment developments, the Atlantic promises to be the backbone of the ASW fleet air arm in the German and French navies for years to come.
By Harold B. Price Former Project Coordinator Electrical Branch,
Bureau of Ships
THE BLUE RIDGE (AGC-19)
Experience gained in the early amphibious landings of World War II demonstrated that communications facilities in the existing flagships were inadequate to give the amphibious commander and the landing force commander the radio circuits for the proper control of complex operations afloat and ashore during the early critical period of an assault landing. To satisfy these needs, 17 Maritime Commission hulls were converted and specially equipped as command ships. The first of this new type ship, the USS
a3'
si2e
greater physical separation between the tennas to minimize interaction. The ^ of the ship, however, was determined P marily by the volume needed to accornniod the people and facilities to carry out the sh*P mission. In addition to the flat antenna de^ other less obvious features were dictated the antenna farm design. A single ce*1
island with clean lines was included for h°' .
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in reception, and a certain degree of r©
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of
Appalachian (AGC-l), was commissioned on 5 October 1943. Four of these ships were still being converted when the war ended, with the last, the USS Taconic (AGC-17), being completed and commissioned in January 1946.
In recent years, a number of studies have been made to determine the future needs of the amphibious forces. They have led to the decision to build a faster amphibious force than now in existence. The five old AGCs remaining in the active fleet are rapidly approaching the end of their useful life and, in addition, do not have the speed to match the newer ships of the force. A number of studies have been conducted to determine the feasibility of converting available ships into modern, command ships. The new ships must be capable of higher speeds, have modern rapid communications of higher capacity than in any ship afloat, and have the latest electronic sensors, data processing, and display equipment. This gear permits the command to keep fully informed with regard to all aspects of the operations, to maintain adequate control of forces and to keep superiors informed, and to permit rapid changes in plans of operations according to the dictates of fast- moving events of modern warfare.
Although some of the ship conversions studied appeared to be feasible, the high cost of conversion and the serious compromises required in some cases made this approach highly questionable. It was, therefore, decided in late 1962 to develop the characteristics for a new class of amphibious force flagships which would be designed and constructed for this purpose.
The characteristics as developed called a ship with simultaneous communication5 more circuits than any existing ship, emph3S1 ^ ing particularly the frequency bands assignl for use in amphibious operations. In addi11 high-powered transmitters for long-ra,:" communications and high-powered ran* were required. In order to support this ad3 of equipment, a very difficult task was glVf the antenna systems designer for a l31^ number of high-powered transmitters and 3 even larger number of highly sensitive ceivers. This, therefore, meant that the tromagnetic requirements received pro" consideration in determining the topside c°' figuration. The flattop design, typical of u1 ships, resulted. ,
The antenna systems designer would ll3'.( preferred a much longer ship to perl1 ing of bridges, supporting the heavy radar other special antennas, and incorporating ship’s stack. The ship’s boats are carried neath the antenna deck, which overhang51( hull on each side. All topside structures h3 been considered for their effects on the ^ tenna suite and non-inetallic materials llS^. when practicable. In addition, any struct11^ and fittings not needed topside have removed. The various antennas, particul3f the transmitting and receiving antennas, l’3( been separated as much as possible within , space available. Circuits have been iscd3 j, by specially designed multicouplers, versity of reception assures greater reliab1 ^
dancy. The electromagnetic model of the5 was tested for beam patterns and imped3 characteristics, and adjustments made to design for a satisfactory antenna arraw ment. The model range tests, however, c ^ not give the final answers on some quesO3^, of design. It is therefore planned to use AGC-l9 as a full-scale model after she is c'. pleted and to determine during special u>‘
adjustments, if any, may be needed to
inboard communications circuitry will
be
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and
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tctriotes to the proper transmitting and
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connections made.
eri communications is but a part of the ‘nand and control suite, which is in reality tttain battery” for this class of ships. De- w°rk study techniques were used to de- fiJr the systems designer the specific func- and tasks this system must perform. The
the
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'luifernents for this particular ship. During
, of the amphibious force to ensure that
aCre were no gross errors or oversights in the
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s'sts ^'S ^*eart °fi ficia^ design con-
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auce to their subordinate commanders, assuming direct control of any aspect of the
larafions, and for the efficient handling of
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Tk°Ve der antenna systems.
^ inboard rnmmitnirafini vin ^ significant improvement will be prosw;. i a centrally controlled system for ing the various terminal equipments abl *Vln® equipments. The operator will be
ihfc6 t0 rnonitor and make measurements of
. signal characteristics of the various cir- emts i . . .
j make equipment substitutions as neces-
.. y> and have a continuous printed record of
. jamary attention has thus far been given Cornrnunicati°ns aspects of the ship,
cOttl
the 1 s‘gn fine lions
as°r^ study results also provided information
et? the logical grouping of personnel and
rei Patents for most efficient operations, the
sv. l0nships between the various parts of the
a[ . "fi and the means for selecting the men
equipment which would best meet the ‘ co- • 1
v arious stages of the work study, the find- be^.J Vvere discussed with experienced month, °f a battery of Navy Tactical Data Sys- ii)l,lated equipments that tie the various parts p||(0ne fully automated system. The com- nlaer system receives incoming data from ai and machine and responds to queries or ^dnatically provides updated information fQere ueeded. Thus, both the amphibious in- C ecnunander and the landing force com- fornder and their staffs will have the facilities ^ real-time monitoring of the operations er their control, for providing timely
•or
epe
6 Vcdumes of data involved in an amphib- iis lauding. In addition, the system will be nin aS a quick-reaction, operational-planS tool for the development of operational
plans or for the rapid revision of a developing situation or a change in objective.
AGC-19, the first ship of the new class, has been named the Blue Ridge, after the AGC-2. Being built at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, she will be launched this fall and is scheduled for delivery in early 1970. A second ship was awarded to the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. The Blue Ridge will be armed with four 3-inch guns. A helicopter landing pad is to be located on the stern, but she will not carry helos. Her boats include three 36-foot LCPL MK 11 landing craft, two LCVPs, and one 36-foot personnel boat. The Blue Ridge will be 620 feet in length, with a maximum beam at the antenna deck of 108 feet, and a full load displacement of 19,000 tons. She will be air conditioned, except for the main machinery spaces. Her two steam boilers and single shaft will move the ship at 20 knots. Considerable interest has developed in the Amphibious Force and Marine Corps in planning for introducing these new ships into the fleet. These ships will mean a tremendous advance in the capabilities provided to the amphibious commanders. They will also mean, however, extensive training of the ship and staff personnel to take full advantage of the ship’s facilities.
By Lieutenant George D. Saunders*
U. S. Naval Reserve (Retired)
A NEW ROLL-ON/ROLL-OFF SERVICE
Anew concept in cargo transportation was unveiled with the arrival of the Atlantic Container Line’s MV Atlantic Span, which offers unique roll-on/roll-off cargo loading and unloading capabilities. The Atlantic Span is also the first ship built from the keel up for transatlantic container service.
Atlantic Container Lines, a Bermuda or* See G. D. Saunders, “Containers and Container- ships,” pp. 58-66, April 1963 Proceedings; and R. P. Holubowicz, pp. 64-73, February 1968 Proceedings.
draulically operated, side doors. The 1113,1 ramp for roll-on/roll-off freight, at the st of each ship, is
Twenty-six small deckhouses fitted
mechanically °Perat^j, the
through a large ramp lowered from the stef1 Unrestricted space offers maximum fleX1 ity in both stowage arrangements and tyP of cargo handled. ^ )(j
> teaj’
On the Atlantic Span, cargo is driven in 3,1 out of the stern to or from any of six decks a unique internal “highway” syS
ganization, is a consortium of six major steamship lines: Cunard Steam-Ship Company, Ltd., The French Line, Holland America Line, Swedish American Line, Swedish Transatlantic Line, and Wallenius Line. Included in ACL’s first generation of container- ships are the Atlantic Span, built by Swedish Transatlantic Line at the Rheinstahl Nordsee- werke yards, Emden, Germany; Atlantic Saga, built by Swedish American Line at the Oresundsvarvet yards, Landskrona, Sweden; Atlantic Song, built by Wallenius Line at the France-Gironde yards, Dunkirk, France; and the Atlantic Star, built by Holland America Line at the France-Gironde yards, Dunkirk, France. All these new ships are similar but not identical in basic design. All are approximately 646 feet long, have a length between perpendiculars of 600 feet, breadth moulded of 86 to 90 feet, depth moulded to the upper deck of 62 feet, and a maximum draft of 29J feet. The first four ships have a deadweight capacity of 14,200 tons. Propulsion is by diesel engines of Burmeister and Wain design, which develop 20,700 s.h.p. at 118 revolutions per minute. Top speed is 21.8 knots; normal cruising speed is 20 knots. Each ship is fitted with automatic mooring winches and flume anti-roll tanks. A 1,000-h.p. bow thruster in each vessel facilitates maneuvering in ports. Crew accommodations are aft and are air-conditioned. There are two container hatches forward, and six large, hy
heavy duty fans have been placed on j starboard and port sides of the upper deck^ each ship for ventilation. Air is replaced times an hour throughout the ship.
Each vessel incorporates two cellular c°^ tainer holds forward. The remainder of 1 vessel is completely open, with no bulkhea ^ between the collision bulkhead and the st ^ ramp. The more than 1.9 million cubic feet , cargo area below the weather deck is div10^ among six decks. Two automobile decks, e3^. approximately five feet high, are topped two trailer decks, each over 14 feet h*& j which, in turn, are topped by two additi0' ^ automobile decks. Each ship is loaded ^ unloaded both vertically (lift-on/lift-off) cranes and horizontally (roll-on/roll'0 equipped with about 20 traffic lights sophisticated closed circuit TV through01, the ship lends additional traffic control surveillance. All traffic functions are hand from an electronic traffic control center
. . c fight systems in conjunction with ad- •onal communications equipment, the
raPid
vessel
use of space, each vessel is equiv-
~ Portsmouth IT?.1161- and
ablished at port terminals and at inland £|lnts such as Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, pi''V'dand, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, -p 1 adelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and
Dronto.
; n addition to its roll-on/roll-off capabil- ’ fhe new container service will be the
From this center, using the TV and ditir
and orderly flow of cargo within the - and to and from the ship is controlled. fe6 Un'ciue design and automated loading j atures of the Atlantic Span make it possible to feg an<^ unl°a<i the nearly two-million cubic °f cargo area in one-fourth the time reted for older, break-bulk vessels of similar opacity
n l. S^*P can catty as tnany as 1,100 auto- ^ ofles, as well as trucks, trailers, bulldozers, tra.SSeS’ steamsP°vcls, fork lift trucks, farm etors, or other rolling stock. Securing on U^>n’enl °f the Seasafe design is stationed ^ec^s- fn addition to rolling stock, the '>2jntlc Span carries 405 20-foot containers or . 40-foot containers or a mixture of both ' s- Because of their unique design and
>imum
35 rL *n carS° capacity to an older style ’ -*0-ton, dead-weight, break-bulk vessel, j ships operate on a 28-day route be- y.eeP New York, Baltimore, and Portsmouth, g'tginia, and four European ports: Antwerp, ^ S'urn; Rotterdam, Netherlands; Gothen- jar§> Sweden; and Bremerhaven, Germany. Qff> York, ACL ships dock at the facilities 68 °nta’ner Terminal New York, Inc., berths q. to 70, Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine foer'»inal. This terminal, specially equipped is c°nt;ainer and roll-on/roll-off operations, jyr J°intly operated by ACL and Moore- itit ^‘0rrnack Lines, Inc. Railroad tracks run <ai° term‘na^to facilitate piggy-back (con- 0Iler'on-flatcar) and auto-carrier transfer rations. Similar facilities and inland transit ation connections are available at the 9|l,ndalk Marine Terminal in Baltimore and lhe Portsmouth Marine Terminal. ACL equipment pools have been first to use a completely computerized and nation-wide administration and container control system that provides instantaneous information on the location of containers and availability of space on ACL ships. All general agents, port agents, inland area offices, and marine terminals in the new ACL transport system will be “on-line” with the new Univac 418 real-time computer network. This equipment will be used for the processing of freight due bills, manifests, arrival notices, freight receivable, forwarder compensation payments, and daily booking summary. The availability of cargo space will be communicated to general agents’ offices by teletypewriters. The inland area offices and marine terminal offices will also be linked with the computer system for the. purposes of documentation and container control.
The ACL container system uses 20-foot and 40-foot dry cargo containers, 40-foot refrigerated, and 40-foot open top containers, and single and double axle wheel combinations known as bogies. All container equipment is built to United States of America Standards Institute and International Standards Organization loading and testing requirements.
On top of the weather deck, the ships carry both loaded and empty containers. Loaded containers are stacked a maximum of two- high and topped by two empty containers. Through a variety of arrangements, each vessel is able to carry both 40-foot and 20- foot containers on deck and below deck in holds one and two. Odd-size containers are carried in the trailer decks.
All break-bulk cargo received is either containerized or loaded on to flats. This cargo is then taken on board the ships through three hydraulically operated sideports situated at the upper trailer deck level. Electrical outlets are spotted on the weather and trailer decks for reefer containers and reefer trailers that use electricity for their refrigeration units.
Six additional second generation container- ships have been ordered for delivery in 1969. These vessels will be larger and faster than the first four ships.
★
Progress
Bravo Bravo Back—Under her own power, the USS New Jersey (BB-62) gets underway for sea trials following overhaul at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The battleship, the only one in commission in the U. S. Navy, will be off the coast of Vietnam by September as part of Task Force 77.
Pass-Through—This multicable transit is a new method of passing cables through bulkheads and decks. The unit is mounted in the bulkhead; when cables must be run, the bolts at the top are released, and cable is placed between the cushioned blocks. Then the bolts are adjusted tight for any size cable. Fireproof, watertight, and airtight, the unit eliminates the use of stuffing tubes.
Tecrona Corp.
Ocean Catamaran—This is an artist’s concept of a new class of submarine rescue ship (ASR) that will have a catamaran hull, which gives the ship stability when working in the open sea. The ASR will have mobile research and rescue facilities, a limited mobile salvage capability for submarines, and an ability to work with submergence rescue vehicles. '
Combat Art—On 7 December 1967, 26 years after the founding of the Navy Combat Art Collection, new quarters in the Navy Yard, Washington, D. C., were dedicated for the paintings. Having lived in back corridors until now, the 3,000 works of art worth more than $2.5 million are displayed in this well-designed gallery and around the country in five road shows.
In Retrospect—At the invitation of Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, Chief of Naval Operations, some former CNOs had a luncheon at the Pentagon. The retired admirals are from left to right: George W. Anderson (1961-63), Louis E. Den- feld (1947-49), Harold R. Stark (1939-42), Robert B. Carney (1953-55), Admiral Moorer, Arthur W. Radford (Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff 1953-57), and Arleigh A. Burke (1955-61).
Vertically—Sixty single-seat Harrier close support fighters are now in production for the Royal Air Force. The Hawker Siddeley Harrier G.R. Mk. 1 V/STOL immediate close support and reconnaissance aircraft is powered by a Rolls-Royce Bristol Pegasus vectored thrust turbofan. The plane features an initial warload capability of 5,000 lbs., a speed in excess of Mach 1, and a ferry range of about 2,000 nautical miles.
Hawker Siddeley
Notebook
in the Pacific. The exact schedule has n been worked out, but the launchings P1"0 ably would take place in 1970, after the Polaris submarine has undergone mod1*1^ tions expanding its 16 launch tubes to han the bigger, 65,000-pound Poseidon.
s AKA-113 Pioneers Propulsion
(.Marine Engineering/Log, February 1968) * __ Charleston AKA-113, a Navy attack cargo v ^ sel, has been launched at Newport Ae (Va.) Shipbuilding and Dry Dock ComPaI^_ Incorporating many modern marine inn0 tions, the new craft is the first Navy ship t0
cit)'
feb-
that a U. S. edge in submarine-based launch tubes will keep this country ahead the Russians in over-all launch capah1 ^ until the late 1970s. Further, the PentaS.^ claims that the real test of superiority is n° launch facilities but in the number of '
0 Fighter Version of A-7 Under Study
(.Aviation Week, 25 March 1968) Navy is showing interest in a fighter version of the subsonic Ling-Teraco-Vought A-7 Corsair 2 attack aircraft. Studies indicate the A-7, stripped of external weapons pylons and fitted with Sidewinder missiles in addition to its standard 20-mm. gun, would be capable of outmaneuvering any operational Soviet aircraft. The A-7’s high-lift wing, designed for heavy loads and good pop-up capability at the target, provides stability through high-G maneuvers that supersonic aircraft could not match, the study shows.
s Poseidon to Be Tested Against ABM
(Bob Horton in The Washington Post, 17 March 1968) The Navy plans to launch multiple-warhead Poseidon missiles against Army anti-ballistic missile components on Kwajalein Island in the Pacific in a combat- type test. Pentagon officials said they expect the result to be a good gauge of the reliability of both advanced weapons systems.
The Poseidon is the new Navy missile ticketed eventually to go aboard 31 of the 41 nuclear Polaris submarines. It’s intended to increase U. S. assurance of being able to overwhelm Soviet antimissile defenses.
Kwajalein is the site of anti-ballistic missile interceptors being developed for use in the $5-billion U. S. ABM defense shield.
Sources said no nuclear devices will be used either by the flock of re-entry vehicles released by Poseidon, which carries 10 warheads, or by the Sentinel system’s interceptors. Nuclear bursts in the atmosphere are prohibited by the 1963 Test Ban Treaty.
But through radar tracking and computerization, Kwajalein technicians will be able to tell just how effective one is against the other. In early antimissile development, the Army in 1962 and 1963 staged 10 successful intercepts of Atlas and Titan boosters launched by the Air Force from Vandenburg AFB, California, about 6,000 miles from Kwajalein.
The Poseidon, with a range of about 3,000 miles, will be launched either from a submarine or a surface test ship from somewhere
built with a fully automated steam P1 Also it will be equipped with 70-ton-capa' cargo booms designed by the yard. f
Although Newport News built a nun1 j of attack cargo vessels at its World War . yard in Wilmington, N.C., the Chariest0'1 ^ the first of the type to go down Nev,P° News ways. The new vessel, and her 1 sisters also building at the yard, will transp ^ and land combat vehicles, cargo, and la110 craft in direct support of amphibious ope tions. Helicopters operating from the s will provide added flexibility and speeC*^ supplying combat cargo to troops in “°s the-beach” operations.
0 USSR Missile Parity in 18 Months
(.Aviation Week & Space Technology, 26 ruary 1968) De-emphasis of the import311 . of the number of land-based missile launch is the opening gun in an Administration P gram to deter expected election-year chab> ^ of a missile gap. Pentagon officials have 111 to admit that, despite earlier predictions 1 the Soviets would not catch up with , United States in the number of land-ha launchers for several years, the Russians ^ fact will achieve parity within 18 month* the result of a feverish construction progf3,^ Now the Defense Department is sa''|)
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ala' January 1968) The venerable AC-47
ract for the first prototype of a modified l9G- An additional number of C-119s will
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a 1 *S Sa’d to be equal to that of 72 rifle men t4|iSlx M-60 machine guns firing simul-
iillt aiSh-i
9f ?,°Usly- The aircraft will also be capable bi kUrr,inating night battlefields by dropping
rcspond. But MSTS is hoping for rnulti-
Co;
tiv'^Uction of identical vessels and mil
it
:aht,
t,Cads- and that the U. S. intends to keep a three r , ,
^ ~ or tour-to-one advantage over the
s*,ssians. However, a figure of 4,200 current
tegic U. S. warheads, used to support the
cl j ln a Pentagon statement last week, in-
andCS ndssdes anci bombs held in reserve,
n°t deliverable to target on short notice.
ragon Ships” now in Vietnam are due to e Placed by the Air Force by a new and q e Potent gun ship. The Air Force Logistics aiirnand has awarded Fairchild Hiller a c°ntr
be . .
aodified later. Cost of the prototype de- °Prnent will be about $200,000 and modi- ion of enough C-119s to replace the A7s will total $10 million.
Ca k new aircraft will carry four miniguns, ijj capable of firing 6,000 rounds per min- ^ c°1T1Pared with the AC-47S three minify S’ Its fire power in support of troops in the
U■’■•'intensity flares. Known as the flying c car, the C-119 is particularly noted for its 13at cargo service during the Korean war.
^ISTS Seeks Bids on 9 Tankers
d(, ar‘ne Engineering Log, February 1968) Evi- ^ v satisfied with its build-and-charter angements to date, the Military Sea Transit, rtat*on Service will shortly invite proposals 1 Private enterprise on nine automated, tQ’ )fl-dwt. tankers with a speed of 16 knots, sj;, SuPply military depots. MSTS prefers this (Jft P-tnker for their versatility. Larger vessels dr cannot serve certain ports because of ^ limitations.
Private investors, including shipyards,
long-
charter proposals offering minimum costs. Bidders will be extended wide ‘9;, Ude 1° fbe design of the ships and in meet- °perational requirements, and singlesource procurement is hoped for. A single contract would mean per-ship savings.
The most recent MSTS build-and-charter deal was the roll-on-roll-off ship the Adm. Wm. M. Callaghan, constructed as a joint venture by American Export Industries and Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. The gas-turbine-powered vessel is under longterm bareboat charter to MSTS. Other ships under construction under the same system include one tanker for Keystone Shipping and four for Falcon Tankers.
s 10 Men at 6,000 Feet for 30 Days
{Ocean Science News, 2 February 1968) Project Atlantis—if successful—will culminate in a manned habitat capability to depths of 6,000 feet. This is a program being initiated by the Department of Ocean Engineering, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Miami,
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which has been underway for over two f ^ also aims at manned bases at a depth of 6, feet. MUS would be positively buoy anchored while floating on the surface, then winched down to depth. ^
Tentative MUS specifications are for a P u sure hull in the shape of a vertical cyfin<^er p feet in diameter and 40 feet high, with a access sphere and a bottom observa ^ sphere. A 30-to-100-kw. nuclear plant be housed in adjacent cylinder 12 feet/I\ 0[ ameter, and the two encircled in a kin j donut-shaped ballast chamber. Towing 1 |j have been conducted with a l/25th-s^.f_ r model of the proposed habitat in Conv ^ r San Diego’s tank. Population of habita^( presently specified as five people. The full-depth test is scheduled for the ‘ ea. . 1970s.” Tentative plans are to award ^ ,
1968 °i
Super Sponge Soaks Up Oil SpiHs \
(The Washington Post, 21 March 1968) ^ “super sponge” which effectively mops . oil slicks in harbors and sheltered waters ( been developed. Two engineers, k-0. Yahnke and Robert Will at the Ainerlje, Oil Company’s Research Laboratories veloped the new oil skimmer, which can c up to 50 barrels of spilled oil in an hour. , It consists of a super sponge of plastic 1 ^ set on a four-foot long, 12-inch diar°eo|1 rotating drum mounted on a 24-foot pont0gf | catamaran. As it moves along the surfaCe]l(j the water, the sponge soaks up the oil fj repels the water. What little water is absoJ- is squeezed out with low pressure rollers ^ fore the oil is removed with other rollers e*
ing greater pressure. The recovered stored in a large plastic “sausage” towe1 the catamaran and later processed ashor^j
lessen the effects of water turbulence, ing the device to operate even in agita
waters. A
■Hi
oil
dW
Pontoons and specially designed
Philip C. White, vice president in chf of Research and Development at Amerl ^ Oil, a subsidiary of the Standard Oil ^°04 j pany, described the skimmer as “the 11 J effective device built to date for the clea11' of oil spills.”