Professional Notes, Notebook and Progress

This html article is produced from an uncorrected text file through optical character recognition. Prior to 1940 articles all text has been corrected, but from 1940 to the present most still remain uncorrected.  Artifacts of the scans are misspellings, out-of-context footnotes and sidebars, and other inconsistencies.  Adjacent to each text file is a PDF of the article, which accurately and fully conveys the content as it appeared in the issue.  The uncorrected text files have been included to enhance the searchability of our content, on our site and in search engines, for our membership, the research community and media organizations. We are working now to provide clean text files for the entire collection.

SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS IN THE NAVY

142 Satellite Communications in the Navy

By Captain M. D. Van Orden, U. S. Navy

146 New Torque-Free Line Retrieves H-Bomb

By V. Hollingsworth, Jr.

148 New Ships of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force

By Mr. Motoyoshi Hori

152 Harbor Pollution by Flotsam and Jetsam

By Captain

Alfred W. Kabernagel,

U. S. Coast Guard (Retired)

154 Notebook

Professional Notes

Edited by Captain Daniel M. Karcher,

U. S. Navy

The era of useful communications by satellite relay for combatant ships of the U. S. Navy was introduced in 1965, when a number of research and development tests were conducted with experimental satellite communications terminals installed in the USS Midway (CVA-41) and the USS Canberra (CAG-2). These tests, while limited in scope and conducted with comparatively primitive equipment, have shown that effective long distance communications via satellite are feasible for ships of the Fleet.

In 1954, the Naval Research Laboratory demonstrated a capability for bouncing these short-wave signals off the moon, and for detecting the small but measurable return signals at far distant locations on the earth. Thus was CMR (Communications by Moon Relay) born. CMR is a form of satellite com­munications which is known as “passive” re­lay communications; since the moon is a passive reflector, it has no active electronic repeaters as do man-launched satellites. The Communications Moon Relay System was developed by the Bureau of Ships with the Naval Research Laboratory providing sci­entific direction, and the Development Engi­neering Corporation (DECO Electronics) as the systems contractor. The CMR system commenced experimental operations in 1958, using stations located at Opana, Hawaii, and Annapolis, Maryland, as transmitting sites, and stations at Wahiawa, Hawaii, and Chel­tenham, Maryland, as receiving sites. A two-way link was initiated in 1959 to carry operational traffic between Hawaii and the East Coast stations of the United States. This was the nation’s first operational space tele­communications system.

Scientists began to reason that if reflections from the moon could be used to commu­nicate, so could signals bounced off nearer and smoother, man-launched objects. Thus were developed and launched the Echo in­flated spheres, and the clouds of Westford dipoles, both of which proved effective for passive relay of signals.

At about the same time, space technology advanced to the point where it was possi­ble to put into orbit an active satellite; one that was equipped with electronics to trans­mit a previously recorded message, or even better, to amplify and relay back messages that were transmitted to it. Soon many such satellites were in flight around the earth. Relay, Score, Telstar, Courier, and others performed valuable service and proved that communications by active transmission or relay from satellites was a feasible way to open np new frequency bands for long-range (over the horizon) communications.

Meanwhile, the Defense Communications Agency in 1962 was given control of the re­directed Advent satellite communications program, and commenced the Defense Com­munications Satellite Program. The DCA was the over-all guiding and co-ordinating agency; the Army was responsible for the develop­ment, procurement, and installation of the ground environment; the Air Force was re­sponsible for all space and airborne portions; but the Navy assumed the responsibility for design and development equipment for ships.       ,

A few far-sighted individuals thought seri­ously about the potential for shipboard com­munications by satellite relay. The reasons Were obvious: the satellites of that time, both active and passive, provided such small signals that large, complex antenna systems equipped with extremely sensitive receivers were required to receive them. The antennas bad beam widths of a degree or less, and the Problems of locating and tracking with these narrow beams the tiny pinpoints in space which were the satellites seemed a most diffi­cult one, especially when the tracking must be done from a violently moving platform, such as a ship at sea. The ships of the Fleet already bad a maze of topside antenna systems, and the thought of adding a 30-foot or 40-foot dish Was enough to give nightmares to the Navy.

One such terminal was developed by the

Bureau of Ships for installation in the USNS Kingsport, a converted Liberty hull. The antenna on board the Kingsport is a 30-foot diameter parabolic dish inside a 53-foot di­ameter radoine. It can readily be seen that such an installation was out of the question for combatant ships.

By this time the space age was in full swing. New, more powerful boosters had been devel­oped. It had become apparent from studies performed and from the previous Project Advent effort that it was now possible to put satellites into a synchronous orbit—that is, place them at an altitude of 19,300 nautical miles, where the time of orbit is exactly 24 hours. This type of satellite, given the name Syncoin, was developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Hughes Aircraft Company. The first launch was unsuccessful, but Syncoin II was successfully placed in a synchronous earth orbit in July 1963. Performance of the Syncom repeater was excellent, and Syncom III was placed in a synchronous orbit in August 1964.

With the success of the synchronous satel­lite, came the realization by the Navy that here was one type of satellite that showed real promise for operations with small terminals aboard all types of ships. Because of their fixed position, there would be unlimited visibility times without the interruptions previously encountered as the satellite circled the earth and then returned to view. Finally, and most importantly, the power radiated from the Syncom satellites was significant—four watts —enough for the relatively small shipboard antennas.

After a number of meetings with repre­sentatives of the Chief of Naval Operations, the Bureau of Ships embarked upon a crash development program to provide two experi­mental shipboard terminals for use with the Syncom satellites. These terminals designated AN/SSC-2(XN-l), were to have a six-foot diameter antenna and a transmitter with a power output of five kilowatts at a frequency of about 7,000 me. By all standards of that time, these were to be very small terminals, the smallest ever used in satellite communica­tions, and their performance was expected to be marginal. A contract was negotiated with the Hughes Aircraft Company in July 1964, and the first terminal was delivered in late

December, with the second delivered a few weeks later.

The first terminal was installed in the USS Canberra (CAG-2) and checked out success­fully through Syncom III in January, after which the Canberra deployed to the Western Pacific. The first ship-to-ship communications via Syncom III was accomplished on 10

January 1965 between the Canberra and the Kingsport. Shortly thereafter, the second in­stallation was made in the USS Midway. On 16 February, another historic first was achieved: The Midway terminal was being checked out through the satellite, and as part of the final checkout procedure placed a call to the Canberra. The Canberra, 6,000 nautical miles away, received the call—for the first time in history two combatant ships had established communication by means of satellite relay. On 17 February, the Canberra established very good voice communications, even though operating in sea state five and, 40-knot wind. On 8 March, with both the Canberra and the Midway at sea, a duplex voice circuit was established between the two ships. On 4 April, the two ships ran four chan­nels of teletype with excellent results.

These tests, and those that followed over the next six months, proved conclusively that shipboard satellite communications terminals could perform valuable service aboard com­batant ships.

While the Navy was testing its ideas at sea, the Defense Department was moving ahead rapidly with plans for full use of the satellite relay medium. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara established the Defense Com­munications Satellite Program (DCSP) in May 1962. In 1964, the Defense Communica­tions Agency decided upon the establishment of an initial communications satellite capabil­ity to provide for their Defense Communica­tions System and other Department of De­fense users an operational capability via satellite relay.

Plans called for multiple satellite launches in 1966, with all satellites being placed in an equatorial “near-synchronous” orbit—that is, at an altitude below that required for synchronous orbit, so that the satellites sepa­rated in space will drift slowly in a “belt” around the equator. The Army set about developing ground terminals for use by the DCS stations and other service users in the planned satellite system. The Navy, en­couraged by the success of the small shipboard Syncom terminals, started perfecting the design of a better shipboard terminal which could be built to military standards and given a complete technical evaluation and an operational evaluation at sea.

The AN/SSC-3 terminal has some unique features. It is designated for use with the Initial Defense Satellite Communications Project (IDCSP). First, it is designed as a trans­portable terminal—largely self-contained so that it may be rapidly moved from one ship to another. This was considered advisable in the early stages of the Fleet’s use of satellite communications so that maximum use could be made of the initial limited number of terminals by removing them from ships going into shipyard overhauls and similar periods of inactivity and placing them on board ships being deployed. The terminal consists of two major parts: (1) An antenna and mount as­sembly with the transmitter and receiver con­tained in the base of the mount, an (2) a standard seven by seven by twelve foot trans­portable shelter which contains the operator’s console, the control units, teletype equipment, multiplex equipment, and any special modu­lators and demodulators that may be em­ployed.

The antenna is a six-foot parabolic dish, with Cassegrainian feed assembly. It should be noted that, unlike most shipboard antennas of the radar type, the satellite communications ^antenna does not sweep the horizon, and re­quires total hemispherical coverage to be able to lock on and track any satellite above the horizon. The antenna has a stabilizing system and a six-degree search mode to assist ^ln acquiring the satellite initially, then it may be shifted to an auto-track mode.

In the base of the antenna mount is a five- kilowatt transmitter, which operates in the ^range of seven to eight kilo-megacycles. It uses a klystron as its power tube and is water- cooled. Also, in the base is a sensitive receiver ^Wlth a temperature-stabilized, parametric

amplifier.

The total weight of the antenna and mount is expected to be about 2,000 pounds, a notable improvement over the 4,100 pounds °f the Syncom terminal’s antenna assembly.

The equipment contained in the shelter is standard control and multiplex equipment With one exception; a digital mode of opera­tion is provided for, using differentially phase sunt keyed operation. This mode of operation ^ls being tested in order to gain the extra signal-to-noise ratio so badly needed to insure the successful operation of the small terminal.

It also will allow for more efficient use of the band width available and for cryptographic and narrow band (VoCoded) voice.

For the early 1970s, the DCA is planning to provide for operational use its Advanced De­fense Communications System. This program is now in the system definition phase, and promises greatly improved satellites with more power, more capacity, and even greater potential for use by the small shipboard ter­minals. The design and development of the second generation shipboard terminal will be keyed to the advanced system so that it may take full advantage of the improvements to the system that will result. Thus the Advanced Shipboard Terminal, will have modular de­sign, for improved reliability and maintain­ability as well as for adaptability to various types of ships with differing capacity require­ments. It will be capable of different modes of operation: active, using all available satellites; passive, using the moon or other space objects as reflectors; and it may even have a sophisti­cated processing and distribution system to take full advantage of the improvements in the shipboard processing techniques. It will most certainly have multiple antennas and re­ceivers, maintaining simultaneous tracks on a number of satellites, as well as maintaining continuous contact when the ship’s maneuvers cause temporary blockage of the sight line to the satellite by superstructure or other an­tennas. It should also have a capability for using satellites in other frequency bands, in case tactical communication satellites in other bands are developed.

A great deal of interest has developed re­cently in a new type of satellite communica­tions. This, for want of a better term, is called Tactical Satellite Communications. It recog­nizes the need for improved communica­tions for a number of small, mobile, tactical users in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. It stems from the knowledge that those short-time users with an urgent need for a circuit, but only for short time use, will al­ways be at a disadvantage in the Defense Communications Satellite Programs, because the defense systems are designed primarily for the long-haul, point-to-point circuits that carry continuous traffic in large amounts. Not only may it be difficult for the small terminal to gain access in a timely manner

for his short but urgent message, but also he will find that the large user captures a large share of the satellite repeater’s power, reducing the small terminals’ capabilities.

The Tactical Satellite Communications Project is a true joint service program, with the satellite design and the system operation being planned in advance. The same responsi­bilities for development will still be effective: Army for ground terminals, Air Force for airborne terminals, and Navy for shipboard terminals. The DCA is not directly involved, but may participate when the planning touches on areas in which DCA has techno­logical knowlege of value or when plans in­volve interfaces with the Defense Communi­cations System.

Taking a longer look ahead, the time is fore­seen when ships will need a capability for tracking and exchanging information with many types of satellites in addition to com­munications satellites. A logical program for accomplishing this multiple satellite use on board ship is by planning for the extension of the shipboard satellite communications ter­minal for use by other systems.

The Navy is, and will continue to be, a full participant in the Defense Communications Satellite Programs. In addition, the Navy will also be a full participant in the Tactical Satellite Communications Program. Tactical satellite communications, because of the potential it holds for the small mobile users, will be a top priority program, and rapid development of a small, lightweight, inex­pensive satellite transceiver for use in ships and aircraft of the Navy will require maxi­mum effort and close attention.

One word of caution is necessary. There are still many problems to be solved before satel­lite relay communications can be said to be the answer to the needs of the Navy. These problems are operational as well as technical. Operational experience must be gained to supplement the technical developments. There are risks involved in such a rapidly developing program, but the potential gains make the taking of such risks worthwhile. The goal is a simple one. Messages of the future will be digital, encrypted, error free, almost instantaneous in transit from originator to addressee, and transmitted without revealing the location of its originator.

By V. Hollingsworth, Jr.

Maritime Consultant

NEW TORQUE-FREE LINE RETRIEVES H-BOMB

When CURV, the Navy’s Cable-Con­trolled Underwater Research Vehicle, retrieved the H-bomb lost last April off Palomares, Spain, in 475 fathoms, torque-free, double-braided line was an important factor in the recovery operation. Two 4,500-foot lengths of this line raised the H-bomb and, for a while, carried CURV, too. Double braid­ing is the new line construction that has no built-in tendency to twist or unlay while sus­pending heavy loads.

The basic type of line, now used for naval mooring and towing operations, is a special three-strand twist of nylon yarn made under a U. S. patent, held by Mr. David Himmelfarb, Master Rope Maker at the Rope Walk, Bos­ton Naval Shipyard. This construction uses a number of nylon filaments twisted into yarn, then a number of yarns are twisted to­gether to form a cord or strand, and three strands are twisted together to form a line. In order to minimize the torque inherent in any twisted line, each stage of the twisting is in the opposite direction to its predecessor.

Besides braided and twisted line, there are two other, more or less common, line con­structions: cable-laid, which consists of three small lines counter twisted into a single one; and plaited, which is made from eight line strands woven in pairs to make a single line with a cross section which is almost square.

The major factors which must be con­sidered in selecting line for a given use are strength, weight, resistance to abrasion, ease of handling, stretch, stability, and cost. The relative importance of these various factors dictates both the material from which the line should be made and the construction.

Particularly in the larger dimensions, double-braided nylon is stronger than the twisted construction. For instance, MIL-R-

24050 (SHIPS) shows that five-inch circumfer­ence, double-braided line has a minimum breaking strength of 70,000 pounds, while MIL-R-17343C shows that a twisted nylon rope of the same diameter has a minimum breaking strength of 57,000 pounds, while the weight per foot is almost the same.

The evaluation of line for Navy use has been a matter of continuing study by the Rope Walk personnel, who started to evaluate the new man-made fibers as possible replacements for manila. Initially, man-made fibers, which were designed for textile use, lacked the uni­formity, resistance to wear, and resistance to sunlight necessary to the Navy. However, the combination of research by industry and ex­tensive work by the Rope Walk developed new methods of manufacturing, twisting, and lubricating so that a uniform, relatively flexi­ble product was produced.

Stretch and the resulting danger to per­sonnel remain the major problems experi­enced with nylon as a line material. For this reason, other fibers are under continuing evaluation on a use/cost basis. Dacron, for instance, has much better stretch resistance and other excellent features, but cost and weight are relatively high. Polypropylene, an­other fiber under examination, has a low specific gravity so that it will float. However, Us stretch characteristics are quite variable, abrasion resistance low and it tends to break down when flexed. Further, its very low melt­ing point makes it unusable where high- friction loads occur.

Braided line is not new, having been used for log lines and signal halyards for many years. Until a few years ago, it had no great value to the Navy or the merchant marine, because of the difficulties in splicing and size restrictions. Double braiding and the avail­ability of heavier, stronger lines changed this. Splicing is now very practical; complete splicing information is given in the Boat­swain’s Mate Two and Three Navy training course (NAVPERS 10121-D). Double-braided bne has an inner core and an outer cover. The cover is tucked inside the core and the core tnside the cover to form a splice. The more strain is applied, the tighter the splice be­comes.

Because the strands of double-braided line are interwoven in opposite directions in form­ing the two concentric tubes, there is no ten­dency to twist. Furthermore, tests show that double-braided nylon has considerably less stretch, lessening the backlash problem in­herent in nylon.

In some applications, stretch, of course, minimizes shock and is, therefore, an asset. Thus, in evaluating lines, the use is the main thing that must be taken into consideration.

When the Navy put double-braided nylon line into its inventory, the military procure­ment specification (MIL-R-24050, 11 May 1964—SHIPS) stated, “Intended use . . . The rope covered by this specification is intended for general purpose uses where high strength and low elongation are required.”

Second, Edition

Complete coverage of the game, tactics, shots, and both British and U.S. Rules. Fully illustrated with photographs and line draw­ings. 94 pages. Paperbound.

List Price $3.50 Member's Price $2.80 A U.S. Naval Institute Book

(Please use book order form in booklist section)

There are other major advantages to double-braided line; not the least is its in­ability to hockle or cockle. These are synony­mous terms for the development of fiber dam­aging kinks in the individual strands of twisted lines. This phenomena develops when the natural twist is taken out of a line, either through extreme strain or through rotation in use. Since double-braided lines have many

closely knit strands and no inherent torque, this type of damage is not experienced. Kinks can be developed in double-braided line just as in twisted nylon, if it is drawn up through the eye of a coil, for instance. Both types should be unreeled as one would wire rope. When flaking down double-braided line, it should be done in a figure-eight fashion, be­cause it does not have the natural twist to form a circular coil. Another advantage of braided line is that it does not have high points as does twisted line. This fact reduces abrasion, and thereby alleviates chafing problems. It runs smoother through blocks and sheaves, grabs more smoothly with less tension on winches and bollards, and has no tendency to twist.

It has been noted by sailors that when wear occurs on a twisted line due to chafing, usu­ally two or even three strands will be affected, and the strength of the line radically and quickly deteriorates. Because of the smooth surface of double-braided line, chafing is less a factor and usually only affects a segment of the cover. Any rupture of the cover can usu­ally be spotted long before the over-all line strength has deteriorated.

Naturally, there are drawbacks to any basic construction. One of the drawbacks to double-braided line is that it is somewhat more costly than twisted.

A few examples of the increasing use of double-braided line include:

1.        Exclusive specification for the recovery of space craft.

2.        “Skyhook” personnel rescue with Navy P-2 Neptune aircraft.

3.        v/STOL aircraft landings and take­offs.

It has also been found that double-braided line does not tend to harden up or become tangled in wet storage, which is the case with ordinary lays.

Sizes range from a one-fourth-inch diameter to a 12-inch circumference, with breaking strengths from 2,100 pounds to 100,000 pounds. For virtually any application, it might be prudent to weigh the advantages of double-braided line against the older types. Frequently, braided line may well provide solutions to problems, while at the same time offering solid advantages in safety, easy han­dling, durability, and, perhaps, economy.

By Motoyoshi Hori Japanese Naval and Maritime Specialist

NEW SHIPS OF JAPAN’S MARITIME SELF-DEFENSE FORCE

Japan is the only nation in the Western Pacific area that is building its own self­defense combatant ships using its own in­dustrial and technical abilities.

Its Maritime Self-Defense Fleet consisting mainly of a number of antisubmarine and antiaircraft escort destroyers and submarines, is gradually becoming a fairly powerful anti­submarine force with weapons and equip­ment partly self-supplied and partly furnished by the United States.

It is a well-known fact that today the pro­duction of merchant vessels and their ma­chinery is at the highest level in Japan’s history. On the other hand, Japanese naval ship construction is held at a very low level both in the number and the size of ships.

Japan’s development of industries in the field of weapons production is prevented by internal political status. Therefore, the Japa­nese Maritime Self-Defense Force has to expect assistance from the U. S. Navy to provide various types of modern weapons for the newly planned ships.

The art of naval construction, as practiced by the Imperial Japanese Navy and now being combined with the U. S. Navy’s mod­ern weapon-engineering, has inevitably grown into a hybrid industry, having a unique de­sign philosophy and producing ships of re­markable features.

A complete set of the Tartar surface-to-air missiles, including the fire control system, was furnished Japan in accordance with the agree­ment concluded in 1959 between Japan and the United States, and the first missile-armed escort ship was placed in the defense ship­building program of Fiscal Year 1960.

The preliminary design of the ship was

made by Japanese naval architects in the Re­search Institute of the Defense Agency in Tokyo. During the design stage of the new guided missile escort, several technical studies were made by the naval architects and marine engineers.

A technical mission was sent to the United States to obtain information for the installa­tion of the missile system on board the ship. As a result, the ship’s displacement was in­creased by about 500 tons and Weapon Alfa was replaced with two sets of hedgehog antisubmarine launchers.

The building contract was awarded to the Nagasaki Shipyard of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Limited. The keel of the ship was laid 29 November 1962. When the ship was launched 5 October 1963, she was named Amatsukaze, which means “Heavenly Wind.” She is the third ship to bear the name; her predecessors were both destroyers in the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Although most Japanese escort ships in the 2,000-ton class have long forecastles with sloped quarterdecks, the new Amatsukaze is a flush-decker with a high freeboard This con­figuration was chosen in order to accommo­date the Tartar electronic control and guid­ance system, and to afford spacious living quarters for her crew.

High tensile steel was used extensively in the main deck and bottom platings. The bridge structure was attached to the main deck by means of huck-bolts to permit slight slippage between the main deck and the su­perstructure when the ship is subjected to severe strain in a heavy sea. Her hull is 430 feet long, 44 feet wide, with a standard dis­placement of 3,050 tons at a draft of 13 feet and nine inches.

Her propulsion machinery was manufac­tured by the Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries, Limited, in Tokyo. It consists of two sets of General Electric impulse turbines, and two shafts producing 30,000 shaft horse­power respectively, driven by high pressure steam of 40 psi generated by two boilers °f the Foster Wheeler type also made by IHI. Her speed is rated at 30 knots.

Each of the engines and boilers is controlled remotely from air-conditioned control rooms placed in each compartment of two boiler rooms and two engine rooms. The boilers were provided with automatic combustion and feed water systems.

The total output of generator plant is 2,750 kva. (kilovolt-ampere). Four sets of cooling plants have a capacity of 92,000 tons respectively.

Her primary armament is, of course, the Tartar missile system. Its launcher is installed in the center of the quarterdeck. Its maga­zines and compartments for related equip­ment are arranged in the second deck level beneath the launcher and the guidance radar towers. The first missile firing was held in American waters in 1965, and it was reported that the Amatsukaze won a remarkable score in the trial shooting against the target drones. Of course, the missile crew is all Japanese naval personnel who were trained in the United States.

The secondary armament consists of two sets of twin-mounted, three-inch, 50-caliber, rapid fire, antiaircraft guns. These weapons were manufactured in Japan from an Ameri­can design.

Although her antiaircraft warfare capa­bility is superior in the Japanese Self-Defense Fleet, her antisubmarine capability is less powerful. Only two sets of hedgehog anti­submarine launchers and two torpedo launch­ers are on board.

It is reported by some newspapers that an eight-tube ASROC (antisubmarine rocket) launcher, and a powerful sonar and related underwater attack control system will be in­stalled in the Amatsukaze in the near future. This conversion will make her one of the most powerful ASW ships in Japan. Also, news­papers say that in case of necessity a helicopter could be provided for the ship: It would not be difficult to land a helicopter, if the fantail were used for that purpose, where now a boat stowage well and a crane are placed.

The ship has two combat information cen­ters (CIC) near the pilot house in the bridge; electronic apparatus are in abundance, but she has no Naval Tactical Data System.

After consideration of habitability, the square-footage of space per man is re­markably increased compared with her pred­ecessors. All the living compartments are completely air-conditioned as well as all the fighting stations.

Weather decks and topside structures can

be sprayed with a saltwater shower to wash down radioactive fall-out.

The Amatsukaze was commissioned 15 Feb­ruary 1965. After the missile firing trials, she returned to Japan and joined the Self-Defense Fleet and was assigned as flagship of the First Escort Flotilla. Several operational voyages proved that the ship is highly maneuverable and easy to handle.

Japan’s newest escort ship, the Makigumo, can certainly be called a modern warship of unique design; her main armament was furnished by the U. S. Navy.

She was authorized in the Fiscal Year 1963 program. Designated an antisubmarine de­stroyer (DDK), an escort ship primarily de­signed for antisubmarine duty, she was ini­tially planned by the Technical Research Institute of the Defense Agency, and was built by the Uraga Shipyard, Yokosuka, of the Uraga Heavy Industries, Limited.

The Makigumo displaces 2,050 tons stan­dard, with a draft of 12 feet, 6 inches. Her length is 351 feet at the waterline, and her maximum breadth is 38 feet, 8 inches.

High tensile steel of various grades was used in her hull structure for the following purposes: (1) In the sheer strakes and main deck platings to permit taking greater stress in the hull in the longitudinal plane, so that the total weight of the hull will be rather lighter than all-milled steel construction, (2) In some of the superstructures and some parts of the side-plating, in order to pro­tect important stations and ammunition stowage from splinters of near-miss bombs and shells, (3) In the main engine beds and reduc­tion gearbeds, to strengthen these vital struc­tures against underwater explosions, (4) On the outside plating of the bow sonar dome.

Aluminum was used for some furniture and equipment, but was not applied extensively in the hull nor in the superstructures.

Provided with two complete decks from the bow through the stern, she can accommodate the fighting stations and living quarters for officers and men more spaciously than her predecessors.

The Makigumo's main armament consists of the following: (1) Two sets of twin-mounted three-inch 50-cal. antiaircraft rapid-fire guns manufactured by Nippon Seikosho, Ltd., in accordance with the plans and instructions furnished by the U. S. Navy; one mount was placed forward and one aft on the main deck. (2) One eight-tube ASROC (antisub­marine missile) launcher was installed be­tween the stacks. (3) One Bofors-type quad­ruple depth-charge launcher manufactured by Mitsubishi, was installed forward of the pilot house. (4) Two triple mounts of antisub­marine torpedo-tubes were placed port and starboard on the main deck near the after stack. These last weapons were also made in Japan. Although a series of new antisub­marine torpedoes is being developed in

The Amatsukaze is the first of a new class of 3,000-ton, flush-deck, high-freeboard escort ships being built for service in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. Located aft is a Tartar missile launcher.

Japan, some types of U. S. standard torpedos are now being produced in Japan by licensed permission from the U. S. Navy and U. S. manufacturing firms.

Needless to say, in modern warfare at sea, sensing equipment is as important as the offensive weapons mentioned above. The Makigumo is provided with the newest air- search radar made in Japan, which has a search range much greater than previous ones. Surface-search radar was also installed for tactical and navigational use.

For underwater target detection, a modern, powerful sonar with its transducer carried in the huge dome mounted below the bow was supplied by the United States. In order to give ample clearance in the bow between the sonar dome and the anchor chain, the bow was shaped like a knife projected forward.

From the point of view of a naval architect, the most interesting feature of the Makigumo is her propulsion system. As is inherent in an antisubmarine ship, her power plant con­sists of very quiet machinery. The Makigumo has a propulsion system of six diesel engines; each can produce 4,650 b.h.p. at 600 r.p.m. These engines are placed in three separate machinery compartments, each containing two units respectively; three engines each are connected with port and starboard shafts respectively by means of Vulkan type hy­draulic couplings and reduction gears. The engines are Mitsubishi 12 UEV 30/40 type supercharged diesels. They produce a total of 26,500 s.h.p. at 27 knots. The Makigumo suc­cessfully made several trial runs at the de­signed speed of 27 knots on her builder’s trial in Uraga Channel near Yokosuka.

All six diesel engines can be controlled and engaged and disengaged from the shafts from the machinery control station located amid­ships on the second deck just above the ma­chinery space. A console there contains all the necessary instruments for operating ^and monitoring of the propulsion system. Only two men control all machinery by means of switches, knobs, and pushbuttons within the console. Each man can handle three main engines and couplings, a complete Propulsion system for port or starboard pro­peller. These remote controls are actuated by electro-hydraulic systems. With diesel en- gmes, the designers afforded ample endur­ance to the ship. With a fuel oil capacity 10 per cent less than a turbine-driven ship of nearly equal size, the Makigumo has a cruising range 10 per cent longer at a cruising speed 10 per cent higher.

When the ship is cruising, one engine for each shaft is enough to propel the ship at her designed cruising speed. In such a case, in spite of the low revolution of propellers, the engine will run at a higher mean-effective efficiency. This fact makes her cruising speed higher than turbine ships, even under an economy fuel consumption status.

While the ship is moving in a harbor, one engine is turning ahead, another astern and a third is on stand-by. Any one engine can be readily engaged or disengaged so that ship­handling is much easier and more reliable than with any other type of machinery.

A common tendency in modern warships is that they require more electric power than older ones. The Makigumo’s power plant con­sists of five diesel-driven alternating current generators.

The only steam generating plant on board is a Clayton auxiliary boiler used for cooking, space-heating, and such. Most of the deck machinery is electrically driven.

The Makigumo’s complement is 19 officers and 196 enlisted men. The living quarters are rather spacious compared with those of her predecessors, and are neatly equipped, clean rooms. All the living spaces and battle stations are air-conditioned.

As a countermeasure against nuclear, bio­logical, and chemical (NBC) attack, the ship has been equipped as follows: All the battle stations, including the pilothouse, are en­closed and airtight. The main machinery compartments can be closed from the atmo­sphere, and their ventilation comes from the circulation of air trapped inside the hull, even while all the engines are running. In this con­dition, contaminated outside air must be forced to the engines, of course, for them to burn and exhaust. This closed cycle would not contaminate the ships, however.

During the builder’s trials of the Makigumo, an attempt was made to observe hydrody­namic cavitations that emerged around the starboard propeller and shaft-bracket. This experiment was primarily intended to find out how cavitation occurs and how it be-

haves, then to obtain fundamental knowl­edge so that measures can be taken to elimi­nate or minimize it. It was believed that the generation and collapse of these cavities might make enough noise to interfere with the efficient functioning of the sonar and, also, it might cause hull vibration. Three scuttles or peep-holes were installed in the shell plating just above the propeller and shaft-bracket. Observation was made through the windows and many photographs were taken. As the result, cavitation around the propeller was found to be no more than normal. Its elimination was not considered serious enough to warrant further study in the near future. But a phenomenon found around the struts of the shaft bracket was far beyond expecta­tion. Large cavities were generated on the outsides of the front edges of the struts when the ship was running at a speed of over 20 knots, and cavities broken from the standing main cavity were seen running sternward like clouds in a stormy wind. Noise occurred when the cavities collapsed. This observation sug­gests the necessity for improving the configu­ration of the struts in the design of antisub­marine ships of the future.

The building program of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force calls for a total of five antisubmarine escort ships. The Amatsukaze and the Makigumo were completed in 1966. Two more ships are under construc­tion, a third was awarded a contract. Others will be requested in succeeding years, but a consolidated plan has not been disclosed yet. It is expected that some new ships will have DASH antisubmarine helicopters for their main antisubmarine weapon system in lieu of ASROC on the existing ships.

By Captain Alfred W. Kabernagel,

U. S. Coast Guard (Retired),

Marine Consultant

HARBOR POLLUTION BY FLOTSAM AND JETSAM

The terms flotsam and jetsam, while not technically correct, are sufficient to de­scribe solid pollution found in all major sea­ports such as logs, driftwood, planks, trees, railroad ties, timbers, plus floating metal tanks and material of nearly every description.

Thousands of tons of floating debris enter the Patapsco River and its tributaries yearly. Three counties of Maryland contain tribu­taries that empty into the Patapsco River complex and pose a very difficult problem of debris removal. The length of the Patapsco River proper to the Chesapeake Bay is but ten miles. However, the shoreline totals one hundred miles. It has been further estimated that 60 to 80 per cent of this debris lodges on the shoreline. The Corps of Engineers, U. S. Army, are responsible for the removal of harbor debris.

At a public hearing before the District Corps of Engineers at New York in 1962, it was established that hazards to shipping due to flotsam and jetsam caused an estimated $8.5 million damage annually.

Removal of debris at Baltimore on the Patapsco, has used manual methods, which were continued by the Maryland Port Au­thority until a new mechanical method was introduced in 1966. The manual system con­sisted of motor lifeboats with two men using pikes and hand nets. When loaded, the boats went to a central depot, where the debris was loaded into a truck and disposed of at a city incinerator. This manual method was not only slow, it required a return of the boats to the discharge depot after each loading. Most of a work day was consumed in navigating back and forth to the depot.

The new plan at Baltimore was developed after several years of inquiry into methods em­ployed in the great seaports of the world. The available equipment in the United States offering mechanical means of debris removal was carefully considered. The best system was in use at Liverpool, England, the sec­ond largest port in the United Kingdom.

The Bottle Barge Company of Liverpool developed a scooper type of mechanical self- propelled barge, similar to a truck-loading bulldozer. The craft is 26 feet long, diesel pro­pelled with a cruising speed of eight knots and a working speed of approximately four knots. She features a steel wire mesh scoop forward. The scoop dips under the debris, lifts it, then catapults the load into waiting scows. The basket scoop is hydraulically con­trolled, and is of tubular steel construction reinforced with wire-mesh steel screen which makes possible the lifting of large as well as small floating material. The scoop has a ver­tical lift capacity of seven-and-a-half feet, with a work load capacity of 800 pounds per lift. The craft is steered hydraulically and may be operated by one man. The Liverpool craft carries the trade name of Water Witch.

The first purchase of the craft in the United States was by the Maryland Port Authority for use at Baltimore. The new plan em­ploys open steel scows of 14X7X4 feet. They were designed by the Maryland Port Author­ity and are considered unsinkable. Load capacity is three-and-a-half tons. Working in conjunction with the retriever and the scows is a truck equipped with a derrick of five-ton capacity. Additionally, a work boat is neces­sary for towing the scows. The work boat fea­tures a power winch for removal of debris from shore areas and a 110-lb. pressure hose for the dislodging of debris under piers or between berthed ships.

The new plan is expected to increase re­moval of floating debris by four to six times over the manual method. The most effective improvement will be in the disposal speed. After scows are loaded and brought ashore, the loaded scows will be lifted out of the wa­ter by the truck and derrick. This will replace navigating the scows in most areas and reduce towing by an estimated 90 per cent.

It is not claimed that the single mechanical retriever, along with the scows, derrick, truck, and work boat will suffice for the one hundred- mile waterfront of the Patapsco River com­plex. However, it represents a decided im­provement over any previous method. Along with the new mechanized plan, there is need for a total recodification of the existing city and state laws. This should afford better con­trol and more corrective penalties for viola­tion of existing pollution laws. It is estimated that at least 50 per cent of the 15 to 20 thousand tons of debris found in the Patapsco River and tributaries are the result of human negligence and not from natural causes.

Each seaport or water area presents vari­ables that should be carefully evaluated by experienced personnel before the purchase of equipment that may be of mediocre efficiency or require a large labor force. These variables are prevalent wind directions, rise and fall of tide, force of currents, and pier and dock fa­cilities to allow use of the truck and boom system. In the absence of an established in­cinerator, one must be furnished or other dis­posal means provided.

The cost, difficulty, and importance of con­trolling pollution of the flotsam and jetsam type in all large ports has been seriously un­derrated. Inadequate laws exist to require private and, at times, municipal authorities to remove unused and dilapidated waterfront piers and docks that ultimately collapse into the harbor waters.

Additionally, a review of the Federal and State Court opinions and decisions with re­spect to removal of derelicts and the obstruc­tions on inland waters is contradictory, con­fusing, and of small value. The opinion is advanced that a total revamping of the Fed­eral laws is very necessary—this toward clari­fying the issues of removal of derelicts and obstructions on inland waters. The problem of ocean derelicts is quite clear under interna­tional Admiralty procedure, but cases involv­ing inland water areas in the United States are conflicting, ambiguous, and of little prac­tical value toward clearing ports of obstruc­tions. Debris resulting therefrom creates dangers to marine operations of all types and reduces or destroys the value of waterfront property.

★

Notebook

U. S. Navy

B High Altitude Turbulence Studied

{Navy Times, 25 January 1967): Someone is doing something about the weather. It is not just being talked about. A joint military- civilian program is studying high altitude turbulence.

High speed swept-wing, jet aircraft can be battered so severely by unpredictable, ver­tical air currents that control may be lost completely.

Although the use of an instrumented high altitude flying laboratory was considered for the study, it was judged too dangerous and impractical. High altitude turbulence, al­though sometimes dangerous, is hard to find.

Federal Aviation Agency officials knew that the Naval Air Development Center had had considerable success in producing realis­tic, dynamic forces in space flight simulators. They came to the Navy.

Using its human centrifuge—the largest in the world—the center’s Aerospace Medical Research Department accepted the challenge.

A mock-up of the Boeing 720 cockpit, in­cluding the seat and active instruments and controls, was fabricated and installed inside the centrifuge gondola. This particular air­craft was selected because flight data was readily available.

During each simulated penetration, a comprehensive battery of recordings was made, including aircraft reaction and pilot response. And with some of the simulations came the inevitable crashes. But the Center crashes were safe, for both the pilot and the plane, and lessons were learned from them.

It is from this crash data and dynamic flight simulation that Center engineers and research personnel hope to find the answer that will help to prevent “upset” and provide the recovery techniques necessary for safe flight in real aircraft and real air.

The FAA, Navy, commercial airline car­riers and Aerospace Medical Research De­partment personnel have worked closely to­gether in the hope that the results of this unique approach will aid pilots to overcome the problems associated with high altitude air turbulence and point the way for better tech­niques of solving the as yet unknown prob­lems of the supersonic transport aircraft of the future.

@ Shock Tube’s First Test Shocks Navy

(The Washington Post, 15 February 1967): A section of the Navy’s half-mile-long “shock tube” at the U. S. Naval Weapons Laboratory in Dahlgren, Va., collapsed like a paper bag during its first test, officials disclosed yester­day.

The accident might delay by at least two months completion of the $2.4 million proj­ect, described as the world’s biggest nuclear blast simulator.

The accident took place Thursday when air was pumped from a midpoint 66-foot-long section of the cone-shaped steel tube to create a vacuum. The 8-foot-diameter section, which was designed to produce high-altitude condi­tions, failed to withstand the reduction in pressure and collapsed, a spokesman said.

The tube, which is being built by the Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. of Chester, Pa. for the Defense Atomic Support Agency, is supposed to be able to withstand concen­trated blast waves from conventional TNT as powerful as those of a 20-kiloton atomic bomb.

B Navy Tests Underseas Habitat

{Navy Times, 1 February 1967): The Navy is now studying a plan for establishing the first undersea habitat devoted exclusively to the scientific study of the ocean floor.

A detailed report outlining two possible de­signs has been submitted to the Office of Naval Research by the University of New Hampshire Engineering Design and Anal­ysis Laboratory.

The report concludes that two rather dis­similar systems are possible. The first, called OsciLab, is a non-propelled vessel which would permit six men to live and work con­tinuously at a maximum depth of 300 feet for periods of up to two weeks. The vessel is cylindrical, nine feet in diameter and 40 feet in length.

This vehicle would lower and raise itself with the divers aboard by winching itself along an anchor line. Access to the sea is through a 48-inch diameter wet room trunk.

SeaDoPod, the second system, employs a different concept. It consists of a habitat per­manently located on the surface support barge which is maintained at the same pressure as the depth of the ocean floor research site. The diver scientists live and work in this surface habitat. They descend to the ocean floor re­search site by means of a Submersible De­liver Capsule (SDC) which is lowered from the barge.

The SDC, also maintained at the same pressure as the undersea site, is capable of up to six hours of underwater operations. The surface barge is towed from site to site as necessity demands.

0 Navy Selects Senior Enlisted Advisor

(.Navy Times, 25 January 1967): The num­ber-one enlisted man in the Navy—Master Chief Gunner’s Mate Delbert D. Black— expects to be in business as the first Senior Enlisted Advisor of the Navy at his new office in the Arlington Navy Annex here about March 1.

Black was “unveiled” as the first incum­bent of the Navy’s newly-created top enlisted post at the San Diego Naval Training Center on January 13 by the man to whom he will be serving as advisor on matters pertaining to enlisteds, Vice Adm. B. J. Semmes, Jr., Chief of Naval Personnel.

As the new SEA, Black will serve as a direct link between the individual sailor and top nianagement. Establishment of the post was recommended by the Secretary of the Navy’s retention task force which reported out about a year ago.

The new leading chief, whose selection to the top post has been a carefully-guarded secret for the past month and a half, is a 44- year-old Oklahoman who enlisted in the Navy nearly 26 years ago at Wichita Falls, Tex., and has had a much-varied career since.

He took his boot at San Diego and had never returned to that city until his accep­tance of the Navy’s top job there a few days ago. He’s a two-ocean sailor, holds decora­tions from both the U. S. and the Philippines, and has compiled an exemplary record from World War II through Vietnam.

When selected to the top post, Black was assigned as Chief master-at-arms at the Fleet Anti-Air Warfare Training Center, Dam Neck, Va.

He’s a family man, married to the former Ima Nesmith of Horton, Ala., since December 1949. The Blacks have an adopted nine-year- old son, Donny.

His office, which he insists “will be open to all regardless of rank or rate,” will be right around the corner from that of the chief of BuPers whom he will advise on enlisted prob­lems and policies.

Black’s selection was a long time in the making. The SecNav retention task got so many good suggestions from enlisteds who were given a chance to communicate directly without going through channels that the re­tention group decided it would be a good idea to keep this communication pipeline open.

(

'/

/

)

)

)

)

/

'/

/

/

)

)

)

)

t

)

)

/

)

t.

New NAVIS. HANSA. DELPHIN. MERCATOR, and VIK­ING-COPY models now in stock, highly detailed, hand painted, many American prototypes.

NEW complete catalog now available for 35(f HANSA Fleet Data 25tf, plus the following naval books:

DROP

FORGED

Other U. S. Services

S3 Automatic Rescue System Expanded

(The New York Times, 19 February 1967): The addition of 26 radio stations in the Pacific highlighted the search and rescue activities of the Coast Guard’s Automated Merchant Vessel Report (AMVER) System in 1966, the service noted here last week.

This addition, according to the current issue of the AMVER Bulletin, published monthly by the service’s Eastern Area, was probably directly responsible for most of the increase in the number of ships plotted and the number of surface pictures provided to help resolve search and rescue or medical cases at sea during the year.

The voluntary system depends on reports from ships at sea, which provide the AMVER center here with daily data on their course, speed and destination.

This information is stored in a computer and kept continuously up-to-date. In an

xgjvi-—-------------------

£> NEW SHIP MODELS $

3^                                Waterline 1:1250 Scale                                               h

U.S. Warships of World War II, 442 pp.                                      $6.95

Japanese Warships of World War II, 400 pp.                               $7.95

Warships of World War I, comb. vol.                                           6.75

Warships of World War II, comb. vol.                                         8.75

Weyer’s Flottentaschenbuch 1966-67                                           15.95

Groener’s Die Deutschen Kriegssehiffe 1815-1945                    25.00

NATHAN R. PRESTON & CO.

P.O. Box 187—Des Plaines, Illinois 60017 Immediate Delivery

ARMSTRONG

C” CLAMPS

ARMSTRONG ”C" Clamps arc correctly designed, drop forged from carefully se­lected steels and heat treated for maximum stiffness and strength. Pat­ented Ball-Joint Swivel Pad is per­manently affixed—can't come off. Clamps are finished in black Parco-Lubrite—a penetrating scar and rust-proof finish. Heavy Duty, Extra Deep Throat, Square Throat and Medium Service types in a wide range of sizes.

Write for Catalog.

5226 W. Armstrong Ave., Chicago 60646 U.S.A.

emergency the computer quickly furnishes a report on the availability of rescue ships in both the Atlantic and Pacific, their distance from the scene and facilities, such as medical equipment and personnel and the time re­quired for each available vessel to reach the scene of the distress case.

Last year more than 110,000 merchant ship passages were plotted compared with 80,000 in 1965. About 2,550 unscheduled surface pictures were provided during the year to assist in resolving trouble at sea, compared with less than 1,500 in the preceding year.

A total of more than 12,000 regular or pre­cautionary surface pictures—situation reports on a given ocean area—were furnished last year, against less than 2,000 in 1965.

The main reason for the large increase in precautionary surface pictures, it was ex­plained, was the increase in AMVER cover­age in the Pacific.

The majority of these precautionary surface pictures was provided to air control agencies throughout the Pacific region for use in case of alerts on long over-water flights.

The upward trend in AMVER activity also continued in the Atlantic last year where the number of vessel passages plotted each month averaged 6,174 against a monthly average of 5,724 in 1965.

The service noted that marine radio sta­tions in Japan, Canada, New Zealand, French Polynesia, American Samoa and the Philip­pines joined the original 12 United States radio stations in the Pacific last year in trans­mitting sailing and position messages from merchant ships to AMVER.

0 Senator Sees Nuclear Aircraft Revival

(Aviation Week & Space Technology, 30 Jan­uary 1967): Nuclear-powered aircraft pro­gram could be revived if the U. S. is successful in developing reliable, lightweight nuclear reactors, according to Sen. Howard W. Can­non (D.-Nev.).

He told the Air Force Metalworking Tech­nology Symposium that recent encouraging tests of the Nerva prototype engine at the Nevada Nuclear Rocket Development Sta­tion here indicate that lightweight nuclear re­actors will be developed. He envisioned plans for a nuclear-powered airplane in a decade.

Advances in nuclear technology, Cannon

Notebook 157

said, have increased the safety and feasibility of nuclear-powered flight. He feels discussions about nuclear-powered aircraft will begin again soon.

Sen. Cannon said he was not certain whether the first nuclear-powered airplane would be a military or commercial vehicle. The basic advantage would be the small fuel load it would have to carry. This charac­teristic might make nuclear power desirable for an Advanced Manned Strategic Aircraft (AMSA), he said, although nuclear technol­ogy still might be too early in the develop­ment stage for AMSA itself.

Col. Lee R. Standifer, director of the Air Force Materials Laboratory, agreed that lightweight, nuclear-powered aircraft en­gines were within the state of the art and probably could be developed.

0 Savannah Defenders Protest Lay-Up

(George Horne in The New York Times, 5 February 1967): The nuclear ship Savannah is in trouble, and defenders are rising up.

Two weeks ago, the announcement of the Federal budget proposals included a minus­cule item on page 250 of the budget appendix that said the world’s only operating nuclear- powered merchant ship would be laid up in

1968.

On the same day the Maritime Administra­tion of the Department of Commerce issued an announcement saying the 15,500-ton former liner, now operating as freighter, would be laid up at the end of the current contract year, on Aug. 20.

John M. Will, a retired Navy admiral who is chairman of First Atomic Ship Transport, Inc., a subsidiary of American Export Is- brandtsen Lines, operator of the ship under charter from the Government, flew to Wash­ington the next day to protest to members of Congress.

The National Maritime Union, whose men make up the unlicensed crew of the ship on her current runs to Europe, announced plans to stage demonstrations in every major port city of the country against the Government’s decision.

“But where will I get the electronics men to maintain it?”

Because of the severe shortage of technically- qualified military personnel, new and complex electronic equipment is frequently received with mixed emotions.

Chances are you're engaged in a continuing effort to improve the technical competency of your en­listed personnel. CREI can help you in this task as it has helped officers since 1927.

CREI Home Study Programs give your men an opportunity to acquire technical knowledge beyond the scope of military courses. They cover every phase of modern electronics—from communica­tions to spacecraft tracking and control—as well as the increasingly important field of nuclear engi­neering technology.

The man who enrolls in a CREI Program studies on his own time and pays his own tuition. The cost to the Armed Forces is nothing.

Many officers not only encourage CREI students but also suggest CREI study to particularly am­bitious men. And they welcome the CREI Field Service Representative who visits their command. If you are not familiar with CREI Programs, we'll be glad to send you complete information as well as typical lesson material for your evaluation.

E. Joseph Farr, head of the Brotherhood of Marine Officers, whose members run the Savannah as deck and engine room licensed officers, organizedJan^inter-union committee

NAVY MUTUAL AID

ASSOCIATION MemLersliip Provides

$11,500 Permanent

Insurance Protection

($7,500 Primary Benefit Plus $4,000 Ad­ditional Death Benefit at no extra cost) ★

Competent, Sympathetic Assistance in Securing Government Benefits ★

Membership Loans Without Delay ■k

All Active Duty Officers of the Navy, Marine Corps & Coast Guard Are Eligible.              ★

For Further Information and Brochure Regarding Our Services and Benefits, write

NAVY MUTUAL AID

ASSOCIATION

Navy Dept., Washington, D. C. 20370 Since 1879

RENDEZVOUS AT MIDWAY

uss yorktown and the Japanese Carrier Fleet

by PAT FRANK and JOSEPH D. HARRINGTON

Based on eyewitness accounts and in- 11 formation withheld for more than 20

I years under security regulations, this authoritative book reveals for the first time the extent of Yorktown’s contri­bution to victory at Midway. Forewords by Admiral Jack Fletcher, U. S.N. (Ret.) and Yahachi Tanabe, Former Commander, Japanese Imperial Navy. Illustrated. $5.95 at all bookstores or from

THE JOHN DAY COMPANY

Sales Office: 200 Madison Ave. New York, N. Y. 10016

whose purpose was to publicize a “save-the- Savannatr’ campaign.

Senator Warren G. Magnuson, Democrat of Washington, said in a statement that he be­lieved it was “wrong” for the country to “let her just sit” and that the nuclear vessel should be kept running as a symbol of what she was designed to do.

In England, transport authorities were quoted as saying that England’s attitude of aloofness toward nuclear application in mer­chant shipping had now been proved correct and wise, with the United States decision that the project had been a failure.

Questions were asked in the maritime in­dustry in Germany, which is building a new nuclear ship, the Otto Hahn.

In the initial Maritime Administration statement it was said that the Savannah, with extra crews and crew training, and with the necessary “shore support,” was costing more than $3-million a year.

Experts in the operation of the vessel have questioned this figure, and some authorities believe it will cost as much to lay up the ship as to keep her running. This is because of the extremely involved process of removing the atomic core—defueling her, the operating company calls it.

The Government would have to train spe­cial crews for the process. Setting up the re­tirement procedures would take six or eight months, involving a special license from the Atomic Energy Commission.

Meanwhile, for possibly a year, some of the crew, including the reactor experts among the 68 men now in the crew, would have to re­main aboard. The operators believe the first year, after the lay-up order came, would cost $1.8-million and the second year $1.3-million.

h French-Built Liner Goes to China

(Shipbuilding and Shipping Record, 22 & 29 December 1966): China’s first passenger liner, the 10,500-ton gross Taohua, has been launched at the St. Nazaire yard of Chantiers de l’Atlantique. From keel-laying to launching has taken only eight months and she is due for completion in June next year. Propulsion will be by twin 9-cylinder Atlantique-Sulzers type RD56, each developing 7,500 b.h.p. to give a speed of 21.5 knots.

Foreign

0 U. K. to Order 10th Nuclear Sub

(Armed Forces Management, January 1967): The Ministry of Defence plans to order a sixth $56 million nuclear-powered hunter-killer fleet submarine early in 1967. The vessel will bring to 10 the number of nuclear- powered subs in service, planned or building, since in addition to the six fleet hunter-killers there are four Polaris missile-carrying sub­marines.

Two yards are in the running for the con­tract, Vickers of Barrow-in-Furness and Cammell-Laird of Birkenhead. To date, Vickers is engaged on two of the Polaris sub­marines (Resolution launched in September, and Repulse), and has built or is engaged on four fleet hunter-killers—Dreadnought and Valiant (both in commission) and Warspite and Churchill. Cammell-Laird is building two Polaris submarines (Renown, for launch in February 1967 and Revenge), and it was re­cently awarded the order for the fifth fleet hunter-killer, as yet unnamed.

Announcing the order for the sixth hunter- killer recently, Lord Winterbottom, Parlia­mentary Under Secretary of State for De­fence for the Royal Navy, said that the work­ing party now studying the future of the Navy was reaching the end of its work “and I hope for a statement in the not too distant future.” The new fleet submarine will be similar to Valiant, and will be armed with homing tor­pedoes. Its primary role will be antisubmarine warfare, although it is claimed it will be equally effective against surface ships.

Denis Healey, Minister for Defence, told the House of Commons last week that although the U. S. Navy had not yet settled on its building program, either for this year or for the future, he had been assured that British shipyards would be invited to tender under the terms of the Anglo-U. S. offset agreement.

Recently it was announced that the U. S. Navy was to withdraw the tariff-free terms negotiated in the offset agreement, and this had given rise to widespread speculation that the U. S. was going back on its side of the agreement.

Healey’s statement was intended to restore confidence in the U. K. defense production industries in the value of the offset pact.

What does total systems capability mean at Collins?

It means Collins’ ability to consider a customer’s system requirement, devise a plan to meet that requirement, design the system, build site facilities and roads, manufacture or procure equip­ment, install it, test it, train operating personnel, set up field and factory ser­vice schedules —and turn over operation to the customer.

Examples of this capability:

Long Needle —A long range radio com­munication system providing Strike Command instantaneous contact with field forces.

TDS —Tactical data systems that com­municate and process critical combat information, giving task force com­manders a complete over-all tactical picture.

Unified S-Band —A tracking/telemetry/ communication system for continuous horizon-to-horizon coverage of space­craft maneuvers during the Apollo lunar landing program.

A Collins system offers not only the universally recognized quality of Collins products —it also offers the benefits of Collins’ total systems capability.

Visit Collins' Display at the AFCEA Convention

in Washington, D. C., June 6, 7, 8.

COMMUNICATION/COMPUTATION/CONTROL

COLLINS RADIO COMPANY

DALLAS, TEXAS • NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF. CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA • TORONTO, ONT.

Progress

COD on a Carrier—TheC-2A carrier-on-deck (COD) air­craft has undergone suit­ability trials and testing on board the USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63). The aircraft uses the same turboprop engines as the E-2A Hawkeye, but has an extensively modified fuselage. One test landing was done using only one engine. The trials also in­cluded the C-2A’s first COD mission, ferrying eight pas­sengers and 5,769 pounds of cargo from land to a carrier.

A Large Barge—This huge barge, built by Yarrows, Limited, of B.C., Canada, can carry and dump 9,400 tons of cargo. Built inside the Straits Logger are special heeling tanks that cause her to tip so that lumber, as shown here,can be unloaded.