Professional Notes, Notebook and Progress

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122 Coriolis Force in High Latitude Navigation

by Charles VV. Thomas,

Rear Adm., U.S.C.G. (Ret.)

125     Shipboard Seminars For Reserves

by George D. Saunders,

Lt., U.S.N.R. (Ret.)

126                                 Clothing vs. Radiation

by Thomas J. Seery

128 The Replacement Program For Subsidized Freighters

by E. B. Perry, Capt.,

U.S.N. (Ret.)

130 The Swedish MTB

by T. VVulfT, Cmdr.,

Royal Swedish Navy

Edited by H. A. Seymour Captain, U. S. Navy

By Charles W. Thomas,

Rear Admiral,

U. S. Coast Guard (Retired)

CORIOLIS FORCE IN HIGH LATITUDE NAVIGATION

The U. S. Coast Guard Cutter Northland swung at anchor in the lee of Walrus Island, on the northeast coast of Greenland. The wind was blowing fresh from the south­east. A lookout reported a giant floe of paleo- crystic ice bearing south, distant one mile. No one was concerned about this. The wind would fetch it clear of the ship.

A half hour later the floe was still bearing south. But now it was only a few hundred yards away—and moving directly toward the ship. Then and only then a frantic effort was made to get underway. The floe began sweep­ing the Northland toward the rocky side of Walrus Island as though she were a skiff. Had the floe not grounded in three fathoms of water, the ship would have been crushed be­tween it and the shore.

The puzzling behavior of the giant floe in drifting about 40 degrees to the right of dead to leeward was due to Coriolis force—the deflecting force of the earth’s rotation.

Most explanations of Coriolis force have meaning only to mathematicians or physicists. But when Coriolis acts as a force which en­dangers ships, it is time for all mariners to take note of this phenomenon.

Consider a wheel, rotating in a clockwise direction. A micro-organism living on the wheel is as well adapted to his spinning en­vironment as man is to a revolving earth. If a pitcher, standing at the center of the wheel, throws a ball to a catcher, standing off the wheel beyond its edge, the ball appears to deflect to the right to the micro-organism. This, of course, is because the organism has moved to the left without being aware of it.

Suppose the observation were made on a sphere with the pitcher at the pole and the catcher just off the sphere at the plane of the equator. The ball would appear to move to

the right except at the plane of the equator. The magnitude of its deflection would be a function of latitude. That is, in a given time, the ball would pass over the greatest number of meridians when nearest the point of their convergence.

To an observer in space no force acts on the ball to deflect its trajectory. Hence, the force is really fictitious. But an observer on the sphere must assume a force acts to deflect the ball. This force is named Coriolis force for the French physicist who observed the phenom­ena and equated it.^[I]

In terrestrial mechanics, Coriolis force is of little significance because of friction and the relative magnitude of other forces. It does, however, manifest itself in the swirl of water from basin to drain pipe. In a fluid or gaseous medium where other forces are small, Coriolis force must be taken into account.

With regard to motion in water, the compo­nent of gravity is balanced by Coriolis force. Hence, instead of crossing isobars, a gravita­tional current in the sea follows the contours of the sloping isobaric surface. This results, in the northern hemisphere, in the lighter (less dense) water being on the right of an observer looking in the direction toward which the current is flowing. The reverse is true in the southern hemisphere where the lighter water is on the left.

In the absence of a gravitational current, where motion is produced by the wind—an outside force—Coriolis force is not balanced by gravity. This engenders a maxim that is important to polar operations afloat; In the northern hemisphere ice drifts to the right of the course of the wind. In the southern hemi­sphere the drift of ice is to the left.

During operation Deepfreeze 1956-57, the U. S. Coast Guard icebreaker Northwind was breaking out the approaches to Cape Hallett. The USS Arneb (AKA-56) was moored to shorefast ice about four miles offshore. Without warning a violent southwest storm swept down on the two ships. To the uniniti­ated it appeared the cargo vessel was in no danger, that the ice would be blown offshore, away from the Arneb. But Coriolis force sent huge floes of consolidated pack ice, deflected from the wind at an angle of about 40 de­grees, crashing into the Arneb. A large hole was torn in her side and many frames were severely buckled. When the icebreaker ar­rived, she pulverized the ice alongside the Arneb. In the meantime, only swift, efficient damage control saved the AKA and her

The sketch demonstrates the Coriolis effect upon a ball thrown from the North Pole to the equator of a rotating earth. In a given time interval the ball will cross fewer meridians as it approaches the equator.

In breaking a rough “V” in bay ice, the debris will be carried seaward by the wind. In the southern hemisphere ice drifts to the left of the course of the wind.

valuable cargo from sinking in 400 fathoms.

Anticipation of the effect of Coriolis force by ships anchored near or moored to ice is one thing. Another is its effect upon icebreaking operations. Ice seamen always break into the prevailing wind when preparing a staging area. Often they break a long, narrow channel up which to escort ships. Even though the wind blows, fair ice remains in the channel. The reason, of course, is that Coriolis force prevents it from moving out freely. For thermodynamic and crystallographic reasons, bay ice is always weakest at right angles to the head-to-mouth axis of the embayment. This precludes breaking a channel along a Coriolis axis. Hence, a “V” approach must be broken. This was done at the Bay of Whales during op­eration High-jump. The ice moved out freely.

The sea is considered to be made up of layers of water stacked one upon another. When the wind acts upon the surface layer, energy is transferred to it. This energy is then transmitted from layer to layer as with fric­tion disks. And, as with friction disks, the energy is converted to heat by friction until it reaches a depth where it is completely lost. The remarkable difference between sea layers and friction disks is the effect of Coriolis force upon the former.

The deflection of the surface layer by wind has been shown. But deflection does not stop there. Transmission of energy to the adj'acent layer deflects it, in turn, at a similar angle to the surface layer one, and so on, each vector becoming weaker until friction losses con­sume it. There is, then, a depth at which the current is opposite in direction to the surface one. This is called the depth of frictional re­sistance. The current here is very weak. An understanding of this phenomenon is im­portant when dealing with objects which drift at depth.

In Operation Deepfreeze 1955-56, the Arneb tracked icebergs from her berth along­side bay ice in Kainan Bay. CIC personnel identified bergs by feminine names. One of these, “Gertrude,” was particularly large, estimated to draw 400 feet. She went by at 0.4 knots until she disappeared from sight and scope. The wind had been southerly and cur­rents, other than Aeolian, were negligible.

The day following the disappearance of Gertrude, the wind began to blow violently from the northeast and continued for two days. When the heavy snowfall cleared with moderating weather, all hands were amazed to find Gertrude had returned on a south­easterly course. For a week she hovered within five miles of the Arneb. Her drift was tracked at approximately 90° to the left of the course of the wind. If we integrate vectors between a surface deflection of about 40° and an as­sumed depth of frictional resistance at 400 feet, Gertrude’s relative drift is quite rational.

Coriolis force, as a function of depth and latitude, is a factor which enters into ordinary seamanship as well. Its application is signifi­cant when taking a disabled vessel in tow in heavy weather, by running before the wind to cross her bows (and pass towing gear). Ac­cording to the direction of crossing and the hemisphere, the towing vessel can anticipate the effect produced by difference in draft in relative drift. For instance, the vessel with the deeper draft will drift more to the right in the northern hemisphere, here disregarding lo­calized currents.

The application of Coriolis force should be used with some degree of caution, since the Coriolis effect may be counteracted by grav­ity or tidal currents. But like handling a ship under varied conditions of wind and sea, the

seaman draws upon his experience to resolve vectors in his mind and use power and rudder accordingly. The further he is from the equator, the more an appreciation of the Coriolis vector will help him.

It may not be too fantastic to suggest that the Coriolis vector, if measured electronically and with precision, would afford navigators an instantaneous parallel line of position. And perhaps there are other applications of this force, theoretical though it may be, which future scientists will some day make available to future seamen.

By George D. Saunders,

Lieutenant, USNR-R

SHIPBOARD SEMINARS FOR RESERVES

The most commonly used devices for train­ing the reserve line officer are the corre­spondence course, Naval Reserve Officers Schools, and annual active duty for training. The active duty should be the universal re­serve training method but unfortunately it is not. Annual active duty for training afloat is not available for an ever-increasing number of non-pay reserve officers. Under these con­ditions, correspondence courses and Naval Reserve Officers Schools are in many cases the only means of providing the necessary professional training and continuing educa­tion that a reserve line officer should have.

To the extent for which they are intended and designed, both correspondence courses and NROS do the job satisfactorily. At times there is a tendency to overlook the fact that neither is an officer training program in itself but merely technical background for other programs or practical applications.

For the reserve line officer, periodic expo­sure to the ships of the Fleet is almost manda­tory. The ship is still his “home” and if ever recalled to active duty he will almost cer­tainly go back to sea or serve in a shore billet directly supporting the Fleet.

For reserve officers who don’t get afloat on annual active duty for training, an alternate opportunity may now be possible in the form of two-day shipboard reserve officer seminars. Two of these seminars have already been held in the Third Naval District, and another is in the planning stage. The first was held in June 1962 on board the USS Constellation (CVA-64) at the New York Naval Shipyard. The second seminar was titled “New Ships for the Modern Navy” and was presented to 70 reserve officers by the Commandant Third Naval District in December 1962. This sec­ond seminar was held in the USS Raleigh (LPD-l) and USS Hunley (AS-31) at New York.

The importance of holding the reserve line officer seminar on board ship cannot be over­emphasized. The sights and sounds and gen­eral atmosphere of shipboard living, even for two brief days, create the image of identity with the active Fleet. Whether or not the ship gets under way depends upon the nature of the seminar.

At the second seminar, the program began at 0810 on a Saturday in the Hunley and terminated at 1730 the next afternoon in the Raleigh. Both ships were inspected from stem to stern and a cargo-handling demonstration was conducted in the Raleigh by ship’s per­sonnel. The presentations included “Modern Submarine Operations,” by ComSubLant; “Modern Amphibious Warfare,” by Com- PhibLant; “United Nations Challenges of Naval Interest,” by ComEastSeaFron and Chairman, U. S. Delegation to U. N. Military Staff Committee; “Modern Naval Weapons,” by the Deputy Chief, Bureau of Naval Weap­ons; “The Naval Reserve Challenge,” by the Assistant Chief of Naval Operations (Naval Reserve); “The USS Hunley (AS-31),” by the commanding officer of the Hunley; “The USS Raleigh (LPD-l),” by her commanding officer. Other topics were “Amphibious Briefing,” “Automatic Data Processing,” “Ships of Tomorrow,” and “Intelligence Briefing.”

Now that these two pilot shipboard seminars have been completed, perhaps the Navy should give serious thought to expanding the program to include all line reserve officers. The need exists; for the Raleigh-Hunley seminar only 20 per cent of the applications could be accepted. The cost would be moderate; this is non-pay duty, and the reservists pay their own mess and linen bills. The means and ma­terials are available to accomplish repeatedly, that which was so successfully done in the Third Naval District in 1962.

The following is suggested for any future expansion of the shipboard seminar for re­serve line officers:

(1)    The seminar should always be held on board ship at a naval shipyard or operating base. Do not use BOQ facilities even if opera­tional commitments mean that the seminar must be postponed and rescheduled for a time when a suitable ship will be available.

(2)    The program should include as many flag and commanding officers of the regular Navy as are reasonably available. The Raleigh-Hunley seminar speakers represented an ideal selection.

(3)    So that reserve officers residing in inland areas may participate in these semi­nars, provide air-lift facilities for entire groups. Departure for the seminar ship could be on a Friday afternoon in time to quarter the group on board that evening. The return trip would depart from a local naval air sta­tion late Sunday afternoon upon conclusion of the program.

(4)    Each reserve officer attending a ship­board seminar should be awarded four points for both retirement and promotion purposes.

The above recommendations are considered basic for this type of seminar. The possibility of separate junior and senior officer seminars, their frequency, and the selection of material to be presented can be determined as the program develops.

The attendance of flag officers and cap­tains holding key positions in the various bureaus is of paramount importance. They represent the rank and prestige that is truly the voice of authority and their presence clearly indicates the importance of the reserve seminar.

While the two-dav shipboard seminar ac­complished a great deal that correspondence courses and NROS cannot do, the seminar also has its limitations. It would be next to impossible to give each officer in a group of 60 or 70 a chance to stand a JOOD watch, take the conn for rubber dock drill, or take a turn at tactical maneuvers, as can often be ac­complished in a two-week training duty, especially in a small ship.

Yet the two-day shipboard seminar ap­pears to be the best way to get the most for the least: the greatest interest stimulation and training for the least in time and money. The seminar gives the reserve officer a feeling of confidence that he is still important to the Navy, plus the satisfaction of knowing a little of what is going on in the Fleet today. Keep his interest and strengthen his reasons for being in the naval reserve, and you will keep the man.

CLOTHING VS. RADIATION

Clothing, in its simplest form, always has been man’s weather-proofing. Now in military applications it must contribute to his protection from atomic, biological, and chemical warfare. The complexity of this expanded role for clothing may be demon­strated by considering only one of the attend­ant hazards in atomic warfare—thermal radiation of nuclear weapons. Widespread public preoccupation with the dangers of fallout tends to obscure the fact that thermal radiation may have a greater range and pro­duce more casualties than initial ionizing radiation. In attempting to improve the ther­mal radiation protective characteristics in clothing, one of the major difficulties is to preserve its usefulness for routine wear.

The advantage of light over dark colored fabrics in reflecting thermal radiation was vividly shown in burn injury photographs in “The Effects of Atomic Weapons,” originally published by the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Defense in 1950. How­ever, the advantages of white or light colors may be overtaken by darker colors in fabrics of greater thickness or looser fit, or where two or more layers of clothing are worn. Fabrics also may be coated with metals, such as aluminum or gold, deposited in very fine particles to form a thin, highly reflective surface. The metal acts as a thermal barrier in that it reflects the radiant heat of the body as well as external radiant energy. Thus, theo­retically, metalicized cloth may be used in winter clothing that also provides protection from thermal radiation of a nuclear weapon. The metal surface may be either on the face or reverse of the cloth. If on the face, the metal is subject to abrasive wear and soiling. Even though invisible, surface soil may sharply reduce reflectance, since the reflective prop­erties of interest are not in the visible range of the spectrum. When the metal is on the reverse of the cloth, it will become an emissive rather than a reflective surface if it is in con­tact with a lining or other underclothing.

This dilemma was solved in experimental aluminized winter clothing designed at the Naval Supply Research and Development Facility, Bayonne, New Jersey. The alumi­nized sides of two fabrics were faced in toward one another, but separated by a corrugated interlining, an open mesh, screen-type fabric made of plastic yarns. The two aluminum surfaces then could “see” each other through the open mesh. The corrugated surface of the interlining minimized contact with the metal and maintained an air space for additional insulation. A suit made of this “sandwich” material, olive drab on the outside with its aluminized surfaces concealed, was worn during the late winter of 1961 at Churchill, Manitoba, on Hudson Bay. The suit was made with meticulous care. The sewing machine operators even wore gloves to avoid soiling the metal with perspiration or oils secreted from the skin. Not only was its wearer ade­quately clothed for 30 degrees below-zero weather, but also he was undoubtedly the earthling best protected from thermal radia­tion of a nuclear weapon.

Warm weather protective clothing is an­other matter. What is needed is a relatively thin fabric, permeable to moisture vapor for comfort. It must also be rugged enough for work, be capable of being dyed in medium or dark colors to mask soil, and have the elusive property of absorbing high intensity ther­mal radiation without igniting. Certain thermoplastic fibers, such as nylon, will read­ily melt, but will ignite only at temperatures several hundred degrees above the ignition point of cotton. If the synthetic fiber is mixed or blended with cotton in proper proportion, the resulting fabric exhibits thermal radiation resistance unlike an all-cotton or an all­synthetic fabric. The synthetic fiber in the blended cloth does melt, but, instead of flow­ing to stick to the skin, it encloses the cotton fiber in a protective shield. The melting proc­ess cuts off the oxygen supply to the cotton fiber, thus increasing the ignition temperature of the blended fabric to that of the synthetic component. The melting process is also a means of dissipating the energy of the thermal radiation which otherwise might ignite the cloth or burn the skin by heat transmission.

This development in fabric design has its limitations. Yet it appears to be the most promising approach for warm weather mili­tary clothing in the immediate future. While there are many advocates of chemical flame­proof finishes, some finishes of this type that prevent fabric ignition also transmit more heat to the skin than an untreated fabric. Other flameproofing methods have been known to give off hot gases that could inflict severe burns without igniting the cloth. Flameproofing also invariably adds some 20 per cent to the weight of the cloth and reduces its moisture vapor permeability.

Lapel Button

To Members only: one dollar

Write:

Secretary-T reasurer U. S. Naval Institute (Twice actual size) Annapolis, Maryland

Intumescent coatings (i.e. those that swell upon exposure to heat and thus insulate the underlying materials) are now used to protect cables, panels, and other equipment in mis­sile firings. Intumescent materials have also been used to produce heat-resistant paint. They are now being investigated to add heat resistance to protective clothing. The investi­gation of these intumescent materials may thus lead to fabrics that quickly swell to dis­sipate energy and insulate the wearer against

the thermal radiation of a nuclear weapon. Another approach would be to impregnate cloth with a smoke-emitting chemical, acti­vated by heat. Just as cloud cover or an over­cast sky reduces the intensity of thermal radia­tion or sunlight, a smoke emitting fabric might provide a man with a personal thermal radiation attenuator.

Thermal radiation protection, however important, is only one of a myriad of require­ments for functional military clothing. Now treated as a technology, clothing and textiles will continue to respond to military needs in environmental extremes. As success breeds success, responses will progressively quicken with each new challenge. And within the next decade, esthetic wants and conventional ap­pearance of military clothing are likely to give way to life support systems conceived in necessity and born of logic.

By E. B. Perry,

Captain,

U. S. Navy (Retired)

THE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM FOR SUBSIDIZED FREIGHTERS

The new vessels in our current maritime re­placement program are greater in length, beam, deadweight lifting ability, space avail­able for cargo, installed horsepower, speed, and registered tons. This is in line with the requirements of the U. S. Maritime Adminis­tration.

The table on page 131 indicates the trend in the current replacement program of U. S. sub­sidized freight vessels. The principal char­acteristics of five representative ships are con­trasted with a typical vessel of the C-2 class, vessels which are being replaced.

Ships are not, however, being replaced vessel-for-vessel. Larger and faster ships have a greater annual lifting capacity and, with traffic volume either static or declining, fewer vessels are required. As a result, the numbers of subsidized ships, the backbone of our merchant fleet, will decrease. Several authorities have suggested that we might do well to build up the size and potential of our fleet with ships capable of serving any of our ports where cargo might be available and whose costs of acquisition and operation would insure some success in competition with more economical, foreign-flag vessels. Our present smaller vessels are having their difficulties in satisfying these conditions. There may be some question as to whether or not we need larger and faster vessels; but there can be little question that we should have more vessels capable of more annual sailings in order to remain competitive.

Considering the principal characteristics in detail, we find a number of significant trends emerging.

Both length and beam are increasing. Greater length will probably improve speed, though the vessels will require more dock space. The greater beam, closely related to length, does have some effect upon the effi­ciency of cargo handling: the greater the beam the less the efficiency. Draft is on the increase, thus requiring more water in the channels and alongside the dock. This will handicap service to some of the smaller ports, even though the maximum change is less than 3 feet (Ship D).

Deadweight tonnage is climbing by as much as 3,900 d.w.t., as would be expected of larger vessels. Increased lift is truly a question of the type of anticipated cargo in weight or space. Our present vessels are, however, experienc­ing difficulty in finding heavy cargoes. Gross tonnage is on the increase. A higher registered tonnage, of course, raises certain charges against the ship. Cubic bale space is also on the increase due to the increasing sizes of the vessels, though again, most of our present vessels are sailing with “free space.”

Horsepower is being increased as much as 3-fold. The higher speeds required by the Maritime Commission determine the power requirements, set a low limit of 18 knots on new construction. The horsepower require­ments increase initial and operating costs of a vessel, with one company reporting a high of $650 a day.

The speed increase is primarily to satisfy the above requirement. Perhaps this require­ment should be reviewed. The increase in speed offers little defense protection and, on some trade routes, is economically unwise. Speed should be dictated by the needs of service, and speed, for speed’s sake, is not a good investment and will not pay dividends. Increased horsepower-tonnage results in in­creased crew wages and increased union- required manning, both expensive operation items for the operator.

Passenger accommodations in our freighters are on the decline, although the numbers of overseas travelers continue to mount. The engines-aft ships are not particularly attrac­tive for passenger service. But every sub­sidized freighter should have, and make avail­able, passenger accommodations to the limit allowed by present regulations, i.e. 12 (it might be well if that limit could be increased to 24), because the carriage of passengers could promote more revenue, act as a morale- builder to the crew of the ship, result in better public relations, and repay the public for the service which they are supporting. One com­pany has found that the passenger service in freighters is a better proposition than a similar service in combination passenger/freighters.

Engines-aft ships are being tried by at least two lines. This design, due to the location of the engines and the elimination of a shaft tunnel, does increase cubic space and has cer­tain engineering advantages. Again it is not attractive for passenger service and has some disadvantages for crew accommodations and the proper trimming of the ship under various conditions of loading.

While not listed in the table, we might consider the huge tanker, the SS Manhattan. She is 940 feet in length, has a beam of 132 feet, a draft of 49 feet 4 inches, a deadweight lift of 106,568 tons, a horsepower of 39,000, and a speed of 17.75 knots. The complement of this mammoth is 60 men. She is so over­designed that she cannot enter her home port in a fully loaded condition and has difficulty in finding water deep enough in any port for entry. Plush, grand, and over-manned, she may prove to be another white elephant similar to the nuclear-powered Savannah.

There is building up a considerable opinion that our needs may be for more ships, real­istically designed for reasonably cheap con­struction and operational costs, able to serve other than our major ports, and manned in accordance with their needs. Their char­acteristics should be such that they may have some hope of competing with lower-cost foreign-flag ships. It is, indeed, time to take stock, for current construction is not headed in a competitive direction.

Principal Characteristics of Recent Replacement Ships Compared to a C-2 Type

Ship A American Export, SS Ambassador Ship D Farrell, SS African Comet

B American Export, SS Banner                           E Pacific Far East, SS Philippine

C U. S. Lines, SS Challenger                                       Bear

130 U. S. Naval Institute Proceedings, August 1963

By T. Wulff,

Commander_;

Royal Swedish Navy

THE SWEDISH MTB

As a result of advances in weapon technology jtx. following World War II, small, fast sur­face vessels have come into prominence as important naval units. This change in em­phasis is particularly noticeable within such limited areas as the Baltic, where lively air activity can be expected during wartime. The attention of Swedish naval authorities has for many years been focused upon these circum­stances, and the development of a special Swedish type of motor torpedo boat was be­gun early in the 1940s. These motor torpedo boats were intended to complement the larger types of surface vessels and to take over some of the tasks traditionally assigned to cruisers and destroyers. By distributing the naval weapons of one major warship into several small units, a defense system with greater combat effectiveness and increased resistance against enemy attack became a reality. The Swedish 140-foot MTB proved herself capable of fulfilling the demands of striking power, speed, and operational usefulness. The ap­pearance of this type of motor torpedo boat in other navies is proof of the attention which it has attracted and the capabilities which it has displayed.

In the early 1920s, the Swedish Navy evalu­ated motor torpedo boats of the British Thornycroft type, and in 1940 procured a small, mixed fleet of British Vosper and Italian Maas motor torpedo boats. During World War II, construction of small motor torpedo boats was started in Swedish ship­yards. These 20- to 40-ton boats incorporated internal combustion engines and character­istics of the British and Italian types. It was soon determined that while these small, fast, torpedo-armed units were a powerful striking force, their lack of seaworthiness restricted them to coastal operations.

The concept of the present type of large motor torpedo boat was set forth in the 1941 Defense Plan, which represented a consider­able change in the principles of the composi­tion of the Swedish Navy. Foremost among the changes was the substitution of a light striking fleet, built up around squadrons of cruisers and destroyers, for the older fleet of coastal defense ships. The principal torpedo attack capabilities of these squadrons were to be provided by a new type of large motor torpedo boat. These MTBs would have such speed, radius of action, and seaworthiness that they could participate in rather long operations at sea with the cruiser and de­stroyer squadrons.

These operational requirements dictated that the new MTB type must have a displace­ment of approximately 150 tons. This dis­placement required an engine of about 9,000 h.p. to achieve the desired speed. No engine of this type was available in Sweden, and to import foreign-built engines was not feasible under the prevailing wartime condi­tions. In their search for a suitable engine, Swedish industries investigated the prospects of gas turbine propulsion—a solution which has only recently become an actuality—and the Swedish shipyard, Gotaverken, began work on the development of a fast-running

Professional Notes 131

diesel engine. Even under the pressure of war­time conditions, a development of this nature takes time, and World War II ended without the Swedish Navy having had the opportu­nity to test the operational feasibility of the large motor torpedo boat concept.

The hull of the first large MTB, the T-101, was ordered in 1948, and was intended pri­marily as an experimental boat and a test vehicle for the Gotaverken engine. When foreign policy considerations at the outbreak of the Korean War required a rapid increase in naval readiness, the Swedish Navy fitted out the T-101 with Mercedes-Benz diesel engines. The T-101 was tested with good re­sults, and the 1952 Defense Bill authorized the construction of 11 more MTBs of the 140-foot type. Due to the urgency of the situation, these boats also were fitted with Mercedes-Benz engines. The installation of three 3,000-h.p. Mercedes-Benz engines in each MTB was ac­cepted as standard for the type, and the Gotaverken development was dropped.

With the engine problem solved, the con­struction program faced no great difficulties, and the eleven MTBs agreed upon in 1952 were delivered in 1954-1958. The T-102 through T-112 were constructed in accordance with Swedish design specifications in the German shipyard, Ltirssen, at Bremen. The original design displacement was 150 tons, but the installation of additional technical equipment gradually increased the displacement to its present 170 tons. The three Mercedes-Benz engines will provide a speed of about 37 knots and a radius of action of 600 miles at 30 knots, sufficient to allow regrouping between all probable areas of operation in the Baltic.

The main armament of the 140-foot MTB is the 53-cm. torpedo. The T-101 is equipped with four tubes. The T-102-T-112 have two additional torpedo tubes. The torpedo tubes are fixed to the deck and are aimed by turning the boat for firing conventional torpedoes. This maneuver is unnecessary when guided torpedoes are employed. The torpedo tubes can be removed quickly to permit easy con­version of the MTB into a fast minelayer.

Two remote-controlled Bofors 40-mm. guns provide for the self-defense of the MTB against ship and aircraft attacks. Two rocket launchers mounted on either side of the bridge, firing 10.3-cm. rocket flares, provide for illumina­tion of targets to permit strikes under cover of darkness. The boats are also equipped with a rocket flare launcher for 57-mm. rockets. Short-range missiles intended for use against small surface targets at limited distance have been successfully tested on the 140-foot MTBs.

Sweden’s MTBs rate among the world’s largest. They have a length of 140-feet, dis­place 170 tons, have a speed of 40 knots, and carry two 40-mm. guns, six 21-inch tor­pedo tubes, and two rocket launchers.

The boats are equipped with radar for

search, navigation, and fire control. High quality, multi-channel communication equip­ment provides for exchange of combat infor­mation with the leading destroyer or cruiser and with other MTBs during attack. The hull is compartmented into comfortable living spaces for the crew of 40 men and 3 officers.

The Swedish Navy will continue to build large MTBs in the 1960s. Appropriations for the construction of six new boats were con­tained in the 1961 Defense Budget and an­other six are planned. The operational char­acteristics of the T-102 class have been so gratifying as to justify the continuance of this type in new construction with some few modi­fications. The hull shape will be modified to improve seaworthiness, replacement of diesel engines with British Proteus 4,250 s.h.p. gas turbines will increase the speed to about 40 knots. The two 40-mm. guns will be replaced by one 57-mm. automatic gun, and the dis­placement will be increased to about 200 tons. Future missile development may further in­crease the MTBs’ firepower.

A comparison of the Swedish 140-foot MTB and some other related types appears in the table on page 136.

In any appraisal of the year-round opera­tional availability of large MTBs, one must consider the special circumstances prevailing in the Baltic. The waters are rather shallow. Distances across the Baltic are comparatively short and the greater part of the Swedish coast features an extensive archipelago. All these factors favor MTB operations. On the other hand, a rather severe climate and fre­quent gales, particularly during the autumn and winter, are circumstances which make heavy demands on boats and crews and often make it difficult or impossible to perform operations with light surface vessels. This limitation is, however, equally valid for enemy units of corresponding size. Moreover, operational opportunities are severely de­creased by anything more than a thin layer of ice. However, on balance, the favorable factors predominate, because the Baltic is a convenient area for MTB operations.

When the large MTBs were first introduced in the Swedish Navy, it was generally con­sidered that they would have to operate in squadrons together with the large ships, with the MTBs representing the torpedo power of the squadron. This tactical employment has been tried and proven. The most important advantage is that the MTBs can rely on the CIC of the destroyers, with their greater radar range, for evaluation of the enemy tactical disposition and direction into a convenient attack position. Meanwhile, the heavier ships can engage the enemy with gunfire, support­ing the MTBs as they drive in to launch their torpedo attack and covering them as they withdraw out of the enemy’s gunfire range.

This tactical employment of MTBs has the disadvantage of restricting their movement and curtailing their freedom of action in an attack. As the Swedish Navy has gained ex­perience in this new MTB type, new tactics have been developed to enhance their mo­bility. For some duties the MTBs do not need any directing ship, but can operate inde­pendently. Under these circumstances the services of a directing ship have been dis­pensed with, and tactical direction at sea is provided to the motor torpedo boats directly from the shore-based operations center.

The large MTBs can be used effectively against invasion tonnage using gunfire and torpedo attacks for the destruction of the in­vasion threat. Under circumstances when the enemy transport ships are protected by escort vessels, it will be the task of the MTBs to avoid engagement with the escorts and concentrate a flanking attack against the transport ships. In cases where the MTBs cannot avoid the escorts, then they will attack with gunfire and torpedoes.

MTB operations are facilitated by the fact that these small units are not convenient tar­gets for submarine attacks. Their small size and high mobility also render them rather immune from air and missile attacks.

Through a change of armament, motor torpedo boats are highly suitable for fast minelaying operations. Their mine capacity, is, however, limited. The MTBs therefore will lay smaller mine fields in areas where larger vessels cannot be used. Owing to the MTBs’ high speed and small dimensions, it will be difficult to verify where MTB mines have been laid. In the mobile warfare of coastal areas and archipelagoes the MTBs may also partici­pate in commando raids.

An important advantage in the Baltic is the good possibility to move in the numerous seaways through the archipelagoes, which afford the MTBs a good measure of protection. Under cover of darkness and in squally weather the motor torpedo boats can put to sea undetected using any one of a number of channel exits.

During periods of neutrality, which require continuous patrols to supervise territorial wa­ters and prevent violations, the high state-of- readiness of the MTB should prove particularly advantageous.

Different principles are applied in the navies concerning maintenance and overhaul of MTBs during wartime. While, for instance, the German Bundesmarine is using tenders for her MTBs, the Swedish Navy has a great system of operational bases ashore for these craft and hence does not need any depot ships.

The Swedish archipelagoes offer especially good possibilities for laying out MTB bases. The archipelagoes cover very large areas and consist of a great number of islands of various sizes and shapes—the Stockholm archipelago alone contains about 23,000 islands. Most of the islands are high and rocky, and the cliffs often descend steeply into the water. There­fore, it is rather easy to moor even large ships close to the base of these cliffs. The islands themselves are covered partially with pine tree forests, and the waters around them are often deep.

The MTBs can be provided with good pas­sive defense at their bases. They are scattered in order to avoid enemy reconnaissance. They also are camouflaged with nets which are stretched from the cliffs over the mast and outer side of the MTB. These nets are colored to look like the surrounding cliffs and pine trees. To avoid detection the MTBs can also change mooring places in the base area.

It is also possible to moor MTBs in tunnels hewn out of rock, reminiscent of the im­penetrable German U-Boat bunkers of World War II. Through these passive methods MTBs are given a very good base protection, and Sweden has a number of these cave bases.

Special attention must be devoted to main­tenance service, since the MTBs only can carry limited supplies and thus are dependent on frequent replenishments of fuel and am­munition. Replenishment in a base can be performed by two different methods: either the MTB can moor at the quay of the store­house, or the goods can be distributed by supply vessels. In both cases, stores are taken on board under cover of darkness. An impor­tant advantage with the 140-foot MTB, when compared with smaller types, is that the crew can live on board.

The best facilities for repair and overhaul are available in the underground shelters or tunnels. These shelters are blasted out of the

solid granite rocks, and the roof, a very thick layer of granite, gives the best protection against all kinds of attacks. In the tunnels, maintenance and repairs can go on during day and night without any risk of detection. During the stay in a tunnel the crew can rest while the MTBs are being fully serviced. This is possible because there are underground workshops, stores, hospitals, etc., close to the tunnels. Thus the MTBs and other ships are ready for action on short notice.

The Swedish 140-foot MTBs are highly versatile for carrying out both peacetime and wartime tasks in the restricted waters of the Baltic. The Swedish Navy is currently devot­ing considerable attention to the development of hydrofoils and hovercraft. One day these types may replace the MTBs now in operation or under construction. But until that occurs, the large MTB type will continue in its promi­nent naval role in the naval defense of Sweden and of many other countries.

Comparative Chart For Current MTB Types

Some Soviet MTBs converted to guided missile boats.

Notebook

U. S. Navy

Vessel Change of Status Report: (From Chief of Naval Operations List of Ships notice, 6 May 1963). The Chief of Naval Operations has announced the following changes in the lists of Naval Ships, Naval Ves­sels, and Service Craft:

1.Placed in commission—

USS Tatnall (DDG-19) on 13 April 1963

USS J. Strauss (DDG-16) on 20 April 1963

USS Lafayette (SSBN-616) on 23 April 1963 '

2.       Resumed active status in commission, following FRAM I conversion—

USS Sarsjield (DD-837) on 30 April 1963

2. Placed in service—

USS Andrew Jackson (SSBN-619) on 8 April 1963

4.Placed in service, special—

USS Henry Clay (SSBN-625) on 24 April

1963

5.Placed in commission, in reserve status—

USS Higbee (DDR-806) on 1 April 1963

USS Damato (DD-871) on 1 April 1963

USS R. 0. Hale (DER-336) on 15 April 1963

USS Rhodes (DER-384) on 15 April 1963

6.Placed out of commission, special—

USS Spikefish (AGSS-404) on 2 April 1963

Navy Hydrofoil is ASW Ship (The Bal­timore Sun, 27 May 1963): The U. S. Navy’s first operational-type hydrofoil ship recently completed its initial trial.

An antisubmarine warfare vessel, 115 feet in length, the USS High Point (PCH-l) is de­signed to exceed speeds of 50 miles an hour.

Although the vessel can travel as a conven­tional ship—on the hull—it “flew” on foils with the hull clear of the water on Puget Sound in Washington.

Differing from standard hydrofoils, the High Point's foil system is submerged with con­trol surfaces on the foils, similar to aircraft ailerons, which guide its course.

ASWEPS Instrumentation (P. Eleson in Ord­nance, May-June 1963): U. S. Navy’s efforts at ocean data gathering will get a boost this July with the delivery to the Navy Oceano­graphic Office of the first ASWEPS (antisub­marine weapon environmental prediction system) instrumentation array (technically known as a “suit”). This is the nearly automatic data-gathering system to be in­stalled on Navy ships, which will collect in­formation on ocean temperature, salinity, etc., to provide the basis for 6-hour advance prediction of undersea conditions. This knowl­edge is important to submariners wishing to get the most out of their sonar equipment.

The larger, more elaborate instrument “suit” for the Navy’s oceanographic survey ships will be placed on order for development about the time the ASWEPS unit is delivered. The third instrumentation array planned by the Navy Oceanographic Office, that for the ship of opportunity (merchantmen, etc.), will not be placed on order until more expe­rience has been gained with the first two.

It is for this last item that probably the biggest potential market exists. For example, on any given summer day, over 3,000 mer­chantmen are on the high seas in the North and South Atlantic. Any or all of these are potential carriers of an oceanographic instru­mentation package.

Because of the nature of its anticipated use —namely by inexperienced personnel who don’t want to be bothered very much—this unit will have to be small and completely portable. It will have to work almost fully automatically. It will have to be rugged, vir­tually idiotproof, and should be inexpensive. This device will be to oceanography what the Weather Bureau’s small portable shipboard weather kit is to meteorology.

Submarines in Search of Strong Steel (Allen M. Smythe in New York Herald Tribune, 19 May 1963): The Navy, in a determined effort to make less probable any future submarine disasters, and at the same time to reduce costs, has joined—by open bid—with the world’s largest steel firm. U. S. Steel Cor­poration, to produce a new high tensile alloy steel that would make a stronger and lighter submarine structure.

This $1,781,000 development contract speeds and extends the $600,000 reported already spent by U. S. Steel on basic research for low cost high tensile steels that could meet the rigid Navy specifications.

U. S. Steel has agreed to spend $700,000 for a new laboratory at Monroeville, Pennsyl­vania, and another $250,000 to step up the program by July 1, when Navy funds become available. About 100 scientists and metallur­gists are expected to be associated with the project for at least two years.

The goal of the Navy is to have a tough alloy steel of 130,000 pounds per square inch that can be shaped and welded easily. This would permit submarines to dive to depths three times that capable by present opera­tional submarines.

Lukens and U. S. Steel are the main pro­ducers of HY80 steel used for today’s undersea craft. It has a strength of 80,000 pounds per square inch but is difficult to fabricate and weld using current techniques.

Navy officials expect that new processes and special equipment to fabricate the HY130 will be developed under this contract. U. S. Steel has already joined with the Linde and Air Reduction firms to develop new welding techniques.

Academy Due to GET New Fleet of Yawls

{Navy Times, 29 May 1963): The Navy has begun a program to replace the dozen 44- foot Luders sailing yawls now used by mid­shipmen at the Naval Academy. Three glass- fiber yawls of similar size and design are now on order, the first of which has already been delivered.

Six of the 44-foot yawls now used at the Academy were received in 1940 and the sec­ond group of six in 1943.

The 12 Luders have provided facilities for midshipmen training and intramural com­petition, but because of their long and ardu­ous service they are fast nearing the end of their useful lives.

The present Luders design—termed “ex­cellent” by Bureau of Ships small craft ex­perts—is being modified to increase cockpit space and give room for navigating work. No longer will charts have to be spread on top of the icebox—the bigger icebox, by the way.

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Undersea Test Range Okayed for Bahamas

(Navy Times, 29 May 1963): United States and Britain have completed, after three years of negotiations, an agreement for a $95-mil­lion underwater weapons test range in the Bahamas.

Called AUTEC for Atlantic Underwater Test and Evaluation Center, it will be located in “Tongue of the Ocean,” a 100-mile-long sheltered water area east of Andros Island, largest of the chain. Water is up to 6,000 feet deep. The site is about 125 miles east of Miami.

The range is expected to be in operation by 1965, testing torpedoes, missiles, sonar, com-

The second and third of the $48,000 yawls will be delivered in September. The Navy hopes eventually to replace all 12 of the Lu­ders boats.

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munications and other underwater devices. It will be completed by 1968, a State Depart­ment announcement said.

Facilities will include a network of scientific instruments on the bottom and suspended at various depths. A land base on Andros sup­porting the range will include oceanographic and weapons laboratories as well as housing for about 300 people.

The U. S. will pay costs of building and maintaining the range while the British will pay $420,000 for 20 years for some use and research.

The range has been the works at least since 1960 when news of a Navy survey in the Bahamas first was heard. Apparently it took this long to work out an agreement between the British, U.S. and Bahamas governments.

New ’Copter Has Plane’s Stability (Richard Witkin in New York Times, 4 May 1963): A leading maker of conventional planes hopes to pull off a major invasion of the helicopter field with a design—already flying—that sharply breaks with helicopter tradition.

The Lockheed Aircraft Corporation has built for the Army and Navy an experimental craft that, it says, is the first helicopter that flies with the ease and stability of an airplane.

The trick is said to be accomplished by do­ing two things: rigidly attaching the rotor blades to the shaft jutting up from the fuselage and devising a novel system for making the rotor maneuver through the air.

Conventional helicopters have flapping rotors that have freedom of movement in rela­tion to the fuselage. Lockheed engineers are not sure why designers up to now have gen­erally shunned rigid mounting.

But rigidity alone is not what gives the Lockheed design airplane-like stability. It is achieved only by coupling the rigid mount­ing with the novel control technique.

At least two companies long in the helicop­ter field are coming behind Lockheed with somewhat similar approaches.

The Lockheed helicopter is designated the the XH-51A. Two have been built and have logged more than 70 flights between them.

The main features of the craft were de­scribed in a paper delivered yesterday at a meeting in Washington, D. C., of the Ameri­can Helicopter Society. The authors were

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Numerous advantages are claimed for the new design.

It is so easy to fly that any pilot of conven­tional planes could make the transition to heli­copter flight in a few hours. Unlike other helicopters, it is inherently stable, tending to hold its attitude even if the pilot releases the controls. Low vibration make possible higher speeds than would be possible on conven­tional helicopters of comparable size and power.

It is the method for controlling the Lock­heed craft that represents perhaps the most significant innovation.

As in most helicopters, the overhead rotors are tilted to provide flight direction by changes in the angles at which the blades cut through the air.

But in the Lockheed design, this is done in a roundabout way. The forces are transmitted from the pilot’s control stick by way of a three-armed gyroscope that is the key to the whole design.

It is a principle of gyroscope that, when force is applied to them in one direction, the resultant movement is in a direction 90 de­grees away from the direction of applied force.

The rotor blades and gyroscope arms are linked. When bumps tilt the blades, the link­age automatically changes the blade angles to restore the rotor to its original position, thus maintaining the helicopter’s stability.

Hydrofoil Craft Tested (George Horne in New York Times, 20 May 1963): A hydrofoil craft that promises to be “the fastest in the world—at 90 miles an hour,” has been tested in public for the first time.

It is the special Fresh I, a jet-propelled racer built for the Navy by the Boeing Com­pany on Puget Sound, Washington. The company announced here that she had been making successful test runs at 60 miles an hour, over a Puget Sound test course, and that it is expected to make 90 miles an hour on her present foil system.

After another type of foil system has been installed the Fresh I will make 115 miles an hour, Boeing predicted.

The Fresh I was formerly known as the

HTC—for hydrofoil test craft. The Navy recently changed its designation.

The term, in the system of Federal nomen­clature, stands for “foil research super-cavi- tating hydrofoil.” It is a 53-foot craft equipped with submerged foils, similar to those of the Navy’s Sea Legs, a smaller test hydrofoil speedster that has been seen in New York harbor for several years.

Foils are wing-like planes fixed to the hull of a vessel by a strut system. At certain speeds the foils lift the vessel free of the waves.

The Fresh I is the latest member of a rapidly growing family of foil vessels now in use or being built in this country and in other countries.

In New York, the Maritime Administra­tion’s H. S. Denison, an 80-ton, 117-foot craft, has been undergoing tests by the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, which built her for the Federal shipping agency. She is designed for commercial use, and may be the forerunner of large vessels capable of transporting 300 passengers.

The Denison has run into minor difficulties. The Maritime Administration announced recently that her commercial application had been postponed indefinitely to eliminate the engineering troubles. The Grace Line has been designated to operate her eventually.

This craft has “flown” in Long Island Sound waters at 63 knots.

The Navy’s vessel on the West Coast is aimed at military operations. One of its principal assignments is to experiment with super-cavitating foils.

Cavitation is a term describing what hap­pens around foils, or around ship propellers, at high speed. As the foil speeds through the water, pressure on the top surface decreases, producing lift. But at speeds that are too fast, the pressure decreases to the point that a vapor cavity forms, reducing the efficiency of the foil and the craft.

The Fresh I has twin hulls connected by tubular trusses. The cabin and the fan-jet engine are mounted on the hulls. With the foils fixed in the space between the hulls the catamaran arrangement produces great sta­bility.        .

Boeing is working on another craft for the Navy, called the High Point. She will be 115- feet long, not quite as long as the Denison, but bigger, with 110-ton displacement. She will be a 40-knot craft, designed to operate in extremely heavy seas.

Still another hydrofoil is in the planning stage at Grumman, also for the Navy. This will be a 200-foot, 300-ton research vessel. New­port News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Com­pany of Virginia and the General Electric Corporation will be principal subcontractors on this craft.

Navy Awards $48.4 Million Contract for Fast Combat Support Ship (AOE) (Depart­ment of Defense Office of Public Affairs News Release, 25 April 1963): The Navy’s Bureau of Ships is awarding a fixed price contract for 148,484,000 to the New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey, for the construction of one Fast Combat Support Ship (AOE) authorized in the Fiscal Year 1963 Shipbuilding and Conversion Program.

Five firms were invited to submit proposals for this award, four of which responded. New York Shipbuilding was the low bidder.

This ship will be similar in design to the USS Sacramento (AOE-l) which is now under construction at the Puget Sound Naval Ship­yard, Bremerton, Washington. She will oper­ate as a part of a fast task force, providing continuous replenishment of black oil, avia­tion fuel, diesel oil, conventional ammunition, fleet missiles, selected underwater ordnance, special weapons, provisions, and freight to the fleet.

This Fast Combat Support Ship will be able to service ships along both sides simul­taneously, carry 177,000 barrels of liquid cargo and operate two cargo helicopters.

The vessel’s replenishment capability will be about the equivalent of one and one-fifth the capacity of the latest fleet oilers and one- fourth the capacity of the latest ammunition ship. The ship’s armament will consist of four 3-inch/50-caliber rapid fire twin mounts.

The ship will have an over-all length of 792 feet, a maximum beam of 107 feet, and a full load displacement of 53,000 tons.

Camden is a labor surplus area.

Other U. S. Services

Wings "Breathe” in Laminar Plane (John C. Waugh in The Christian Science Monitor, 21 May 1963): The eyes of the aircraft industry are watching a hulking, big-winged jet as it lumbers into the sky over Edwards Air Force Base, California.

The plane looks a little as if Rube Goldberg had tinkered with it. Its engines jut quixoti­cally from the fuselage near its tail, where engines rarely are. In the wings, where the engines ought to be, hang two blocky pods.

But this test aircraft, the Air Force X-21A, is a harbinger of potential revolution in the plane-making business.

Its wings “breathe” air. And if coming tests fulfill expectations, the X-21A will point the way to future aircraft that can fly nonstop for days instead of hours without refueling.

The X-21 A’s wide wings embody the first- known laminar flow-control system. It is said to eliminate up to 80 per cent of friction drag, the natural phenomenon that tugs constantly at the wings and fuselage of normal aircraft, cutting deeply into endurance, range, and load-carrying capabilities.

In current and coming tests at Edwards, experts of Northrop Corporation’s Norair

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Division, which developed the concept, hope to demonstrate that laminar flow wings can increase range, payload capacities, and flight endurance of large subsonic aircraft by 50 per cent or more.

Ramifications of this system are immense, not only for military aircraft, but for commer­cial airliners. With laminar flow-control non­stop flights from such far-separated points as New York to Tokyo would become possible.

The aerodynamic phenomenon that causes drag is friction between air and wing called “boundary layer” turbulence.

Every wing in flight has its boundary layer, a thin layer of air hugging its surface. When the flow of this air is uniform, its particles moving parallel to each other and not inter­mingling, the air flow is said to be “laminar.” But this is rare.

As the air flow moves back over the wings, it degenerates into disarray. The air particles bounce wildly back and forth, increasing the thickness of the boundary layer from about one-quarter of an inch to as much as six or eight inches. The result is enormous drag on the forward momentum of the aircraft.

Since the beginning of aviation, aerody- namicists have been seeking ways to keep the flow of air from becoming turbulent. That is what Northrop engineers now say they have done.

They have slit row on row of tiny slots into the wings—some 3.2 miles of slots—running spanwise from fuselage to wing tip, perpen­dicular to the flow of air.

These slots are extremely thin, from .0025 to .008 inches thick (a standard double-edge razor blade is .004 inches).

As the thin film of air passes over the wings, it is sucked in through these slots, diverted through pin-size holes into ducts that conduct it to compressors mounted in underwing pods, and ejected out the rear.

In this way, a smooth flow of air is main­tained over the wing surfaces and never allowed to turn turbulent. Northrop engineers estimate that this system, built into future air­craft, will eliminate 80 per cent of all friction drag. For test purposes, engineers modified two Air Force WB-66D weather reconnais­sance aircraft, increasing their wing span by 21 feet and the wing area by 470 square feet. They transferred the two engines from the wings to the rear of the fuselage, inserted pods containing the compressors, and ma­chined the long thin slots.

The first of these modified aircraft began airworthiness test flights a month ago. The second craft will be ready to fly in July. So far, the first aircraft has not yet flown with its inhalation system turned on, but will do so soon. Northrop has hailed the tests, which will run for seven months, as “the first full- scale attempt to eliminate turbulent friction drag in the history of aviation.” They aim to demonstrate the system’s practicality and to acquire data for direct application to future aircraft. Northrop engineers envision tomor­row’s planes designed from the beginning to embody laminar flow-control systems.

Northrop, the only American company that has conducted a major program in lam­inar flow-control, has had the subject under study since 1949. Its X-21A development pro­gram, underway since 1960, is financed by a $34,000,000 Air Force contract.

Industry experts believe that partly on the

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Two Houseboats to Join Coast Guard Fleet

(Public Information Division, Treasury Department, News, 1 May 1963): The Surf- side 6 Floating Homes, Inc., of Fort Lauder­dale, Florida, will launch two new 60 by 28 foot houseboats on May 11 to be used as ex­perimental Coast Guard stations, it was an­nounced here today.

The houseboats will be based at Annapolis, Maryland, and Fort Myers, Florida. They will be manned by a crew of 10 men each who will operate a fast 30-foot rescue boat and a 16-foot trailered outboard from the house­boat.

The Coast Guard pointed out that the major advantage of the new houseboats will be their mobility. This will make it easier to move them to areas where they can best serve the boating public. Maintenance cost of the new stations is expected to be very low as com­pared with conventional stations on land with permanent buildings. The Coast Guard has operated two smaller houseboat stations seasonally on the Great Lakes since 1961.

Maritime General

Engine-Room Automatic Alarm (Reed’s Marine Equipment News, April 1963): A com­prehensive alarm scanning and data logging system is being installed in the engine room of the new 28,000-ton ore carrier Welsh Herald, launched recently from the Sunderland yards of Austin and Pickersgill.

The system will monitor such things as the temperatures and pressures of the lubricating oil, main engine fuel oil, fresh water inlet and outlet, cooling water, piston cooling outlets and cylinder exhaust. The main engine rev./ min. and the load on the ship’s electrical system will also be monitored.

Any deviations from normal will be dis­played on “Panalarm” annunciators, mounted on the engine room console, and will also be printed out by a strip printer. The engineer on watch will be able to monitor any parameter whenever he chooses and an auto­matic teleprinter will produce a permanent complete log of all inputs at regular intervals.

The equipment is being supplied by Elliott- Automation, Ltd., 34 Portland Place, London W. 1, and it is expected that considerable savings in engine maintenance costs and im­portant increases in operating efficiencies will result from this installation.

Radical Tanker (New York Times, 7 May 1963): A big advance in the evolution of tanker construction was projected with a pro­posal for an automated 50,000-ton vessel that could be operated with a crew of 14.

Photos above show — 1. Plant to ship conveyor system 2. Echo testing 3. Armoring 4. Applying jute bedding 5. Walking cable into storage tanks 6. Laying a splice at sea.

The concept of a radically sophisticated ship was submitted at the American Petro­leum Institute’s 1963 tanker conference here as a possible answer to the challenge of pipe-

lines in transport of petroleum.

Two high officials of the Sinclair Refining Company said that efficiency and competition dictated that crews must be reduced to a minimum “if we are to survive.” The officials were Wendell N. Damonte, vice president and director of marine transportation, and Thurland T. Wilkinson, director of engineer­ing in the marine department.

In a paper that is certain to arouse contro­versy in maritime labor circles, the two offi­cials said that a crew of 14 was sufficient to operate the vessel they proposed, “safely and efficiently under all conditions.” A conven­tional tanker would carry a crew of about 45.

The vessel would be propelled by a 20,000- horsepower gas turbine electric engine that could be controlled from the bridge.

Only three men would be required to look after all propulsion, auxiliary and hotel machinery, the paper said. Gas turbines so far have found relatively little acceptance in commercial ships.

The gas turbine, the officials said, was an

unproved piece of equipment in the marine field. However, the record of its application in aviation and industry ashore was such as to remove “any qualms” about reliability, they added.

The authors of the paper said gas turbine machinery, despite high fuel costs, might do as much for a modern merchant marine as the steam turbine did in the early 1930s.

Duties among the small crew would be a departure from traditional concepts. Deck officers, for instance, would steer the ship under instruction of a master-general man­ager while maneuvering. At sea, three bridge technicians, who would double as radio op­erators and stand watch, and the lone able­bodied seaman would serve as lookout and general assistant. Two men would be assigned as stewards.

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All cargo and ballast handling systems would be handled from a control center. Automatic tension-power winches would be used in docking and undocking. The anchor ... would be lowered or raised by pushing a but-

ton on the tanker’s bridge.

The officials pointed to an “alarming” rise in the accident and illness rate among aging ship officers and asked: “How can we possibly expect to operate an efficient merchant ma­rine with these conditions.”

They suggested that a possible answer might lie in moving toward fewer but more highly qualified men.

Sinclair Refining Company has been a leader in the development of more efficient tank vessels.

Early last month the company launched the Sinclair Texas, a 47,000-ton American- flag tanker of radical, bridge-aft, design. Another vessel, the foreign-built 52,000-ton Sinclair Venezuela, made her maiden voyage last month. Described as the first “semi-auto­mated ocean-going oil carrier,” she carries a crew of 25, or half the number on a similar- size conventional ship.

Foreign

Transport News: A Maiden Voyage (New York Times, 20 May 1963): The new Cana­dian Great Lakes bulk carrier Silver Isle has just completed her first commercial delivery of 23,000 tons of iron ore from Seven Islands, Quebec, to Cleveland.

The 730-foot motor vessel was built by Verolme Cork Dockyard, Cobh, Ireland, for the Mohawk Navigation Company, Ltd., of Montreal from designs by H. C. Downer & Associates, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.

According to the New York office of Verolme United Shipyards of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the 24,700-deadweight-ton Sil­ver Isle is the largest motor vessel to be oper­ated on the Great Lakes.

Other distinguishing features are the place­ment aft of the superstructure, a controllable pitch propeller and propulsion-machinery control from a central station.

Scientific Expeditions Continue Operations

(Commander B. M. Kassell, USN (Ret.)): Drifting ice stations and expeditionary ships continue to provide Soviet scientists with valuable information on wind and water.

North Pole—10, one of the two Arctic drift stations actively engaged in studying the cen­tral Arctic basin, continued, a northwesterly drift during February and March. Its curved path placed it in position 80°51' North lati­tude late in March. Conditions during the Arctic night were uneventful, despite some breaking up of the ice, yet the arrival of an LI-2 aircraft, one of the elements assigned to the newest of the high-latitude air expedi­tions, “Sever-15,” at the site on March 21 was a welcome sight. A new group of scientists reported to Chief of Station V. Arkhipov and after the aircraft had discharged its cargo of passengers and supplies and departed for home the normal routine was resumed.

Well to the south the expeditionary ship Mikhail Lomonosov, two months out of Sevasto­pol, on the Black Sea, continued its explora­tion of the broad expanse of ocean between Africa and South America north of the equator.

One of the tasks assigned Mikhail Lomonosov is the study of the Lomonosov Equatorial Countercurrent, discovered by this same ship during an expedition two years ago. The present voyage will attempt to find the boundaries of the current, as well as to deter­mine its speed and direction. When the new data are processed the mechanics of this cur­rent will be clarified.

By late March the first buoy had been placed on a deep-water anchor 120 miles to the north of the equator. The recorded depth at this point was over 5,000 meters. Self­recording instruments are secured to the anchor line at various depths to provide exact readings of the current velocities at these selected depths.

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Progress

Edited by H. A. Seymour Captain, U. S. Navy

U. S. Navy Acquires Norwegian PTs—Caught short by a long-dormant PT developmental program, the United States has purchased two 64-ton Norwegian Nasty-class torpedo boats to help close the gap in pre­paring for guerrilla warfare. The two boats, desig­nated PTF-3 and PTF-4, rated at 45 knots, are powered by two Napier diesels. They carry two 40­mm. and two 20-mm. guns. The torpedo tubes have been removed. PTF-1 (ex-PT-810) and PTF-2 (ex-F*T-811) are two of the four U. S. PTs built dur­ing the 1950s.

Lunar Exploration Vehicle—This is one of seven prototype models of Surveyor, the unmanned soft- landing lunar vehicle, destined to ride in the nose cone of a coming lunar rocket shot. The model is coated with a white inorganic paint to help protect it from the temperature extremes which it would en­counter in space.

Hughes Aircraft

CH-46 Assault Transport—A Marine Corps Sea Knight helicopter, ordered in 1961, runs through its paces from on board the USS Okinawa (LPH-3). The all-weather Sea Knight is powered by two 1,250-s.h.p. GE T58-GE-8 shaft-turbine engines.

Vertol Division, Boeing

Meteor Cameras—This bat­tery of three Super-Schmidt cameras investigates the phe­nomena produced by a body as it comes into the atmos­phere at re-entry speeds. The two cameras on the right act as slitless spectrographs for spectrum analysis of radiation of a re-entering body, and the camera on the left performs position measurements.