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THE NEWSLETTER OF THE NAVAL UNDERSEA MUSEUM FOUNDATION
SPRING QUARTER 2014
In This Issue...........Page E-Day 2014.....................1, 6-7
E-DAY AT THE MUSEUM 2014 Discover E-Day was once again an amazing success! Over 525 participants— families with their children—attended; over 30 volunteers provided the supervision and instruction at the various science learning stations. The stations use handson experiences to teach scientific principles such as Electromagnets, Modular Robotics, and Gravity.
2013 Contributors. ...........2-3 President’s Message............ 3 Reprint: Operation Starvation ............................................4-5 Personnel Directory............. 5
Artifact Highlight: Sealab End Bell....................................8-13 Museum Store............... 14, 16 Schedule of Events............ 15 DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES ARE ON PAGES 6-7.
navalunderseamuseum.org
2 SPRING QUARTER 2014 UNDERSEA Quarterly
SPRING 2014 Volume 18, Number 1 Undersea Quarterly is the newsletter of the Naval Undersea Museum Foundation. It is published quarterly by the Naval Undersea Museum Foundation in Keyport, Washington. The Naval Undersea Museum Foundation is a private, nonprofit, charitable corporation dedicated to supporting the Naval Undersea Museum. The foundation is not a part of nor sponsored by the Department of Defense or the U.S. Navy, which operates the museum. Navy Region Northwest Naval Undersea Museum 1103 Hunley Road Silverdale, Washington 98315-1103 360/396-4148 Fax: 360/396-7944 Director: Mrs. Lindy Dosher; Education: Mrs. Valerie Johnson; Curator: Mrs. Mary Ryan; Exhibits: Mr. Jarrod Gahr Collection Management: Mrs. Jennifer Heinzelman and Mrs. Lorraine Scott.; Operations Manager: Mrs. Olivia Wilson; Facilities/Data Entry: US Navy personnel Naval Undersea Museum Foundation P.O. Box 408 Keyport, Washington 98345 360/697-1129 President: RADM Bruce A. Harlow, JAGC, USN (Ret); Executive VicePresident, West: Vacant; Secretary/ Treasurer: Ms. Bettye J. Shifrin; General Counsel: John A. Bishop; Trustees: Mr. Robert Anderson; Mr. John A. Bogen; CAPT Larry Carter, USN (Ret); Mr. Donald Chalupka; RADM George W. Davis, VI, USN (Ret); RDML Craig Dorman, USN (Ret); RADM Bruce Harlow, JAGC, USN (Ret); CAPT Robert Hoag, USN (Ret); CAPT Ronald Krell, USN (Ret); CAPT Michael Mathews, USN (Ret); Mr. Bruce Riggins; Vice Presidents: Mr. Theodore Barreaux; Mr. Alan Beam; Mr. Will Lent; Dr. Wayne Sandstrom; CAPT Charles Wilbur, USN (Ret) Executive Assistant: Ms. Bettye Shifrin Museum Store Manager: Mrs. Daina Birnbaums Undersea Quarterly Editor: Ms. Bettye Shifrin Mailing/Membership: Mr. John Bogen Printing: Kitsap Printing Printed on recycled paper Š 2014 NUMF
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2014 CONTRIBUTORS The Foundation gratefully acknowledges contributions made in 2014 to the museum by individuals, businesses or other organizations. Foundation Associate RADM Herb Bridge, USNR (Ret) & Ms. Edie Hilliard Mr. Jim Sisley Patron Mr. Edward McDonald Benefactor Mr. & Mrs. John Dalton Builder RADM Robert Baker, USN (Ret) Mr. & Mrs. Burt Boyd
CAPT Jack Fletcher, USN (Ret) Mr. Robert Kuehne Ms. Susan Kuehne Mrs. Amanda Loveless Mr. & Mrs. Rod Mash Ms. Ann Sisley Mr. G.E. Thornton CAPT Christos Zirps, USN (Ret) Provider Mr & Mrs. Marwin Holm Ms. Helen Langer Smith
2013 CONTRIBUTORS The Foundation gratefully acknowledges contributions made in 2013 to the museum by individuals, businesses or other organizations. Foundation Associate RADM Herbridge, USNR (Ret) and Ms. Edie Hilliard RDML Craig Dorman, USN (Ret) Dr. & Mrs. Wayne M. Sandstrom Mr. James R. Sisley Patron Mr. Robert L Cannon RADM & Mrs. GW Davis, USN (Ret) CAPT & Mrs. Robert Hoag, USN (Ret) Mr. & Mrs. Paul S. Thiebaud Seat in the Future The Buell Family John D. Buell Mrs. Patt Hannan Dennis and Patt Hannan Pearl Harbor Survivors CAPT Charles H. Wilbur, USN In recognition of William Galvani Benefactor Mr. & Mrs. John H. Dalton Mr. John C. Dimmer CDR & Mrs. Ronald Krell, USN (Ret) Mr. & Mrs. Thomas L. Lewis RADM & Mrs. J. Metzel, USN (Ret) Builder RADM Robert L. Baker, USN (Ret) Mr. & Mrs. James Bell Michael P. Berman Mr. & Mrs. Burton O. Boyd Dr. Anna H. Chavelle, M.D. Mr. John Csirke
CAPT Jack G. Fletcher, USN (Ret) Ms. Elise Gillette Mr. & Mrs. Morton O. Heinrich Mr. Richard D. Helander Ms. Susan Kuehne Mr. Robert J. Kuehne RADM WH Langenberg, USNR (Ret) Mr. & Mrs. Richard LeVon Mrs. Amanda Loveless CAPT Stanley Marks, USN (Ret) Mr. & Mrs. Rodney L. Mash Mr. & Mrs. Clarence Moore Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Riggins Ms. Ann Sisley Mr. G.E. Thornton Mr. James Vorosmarti CAPT Charles H. Wilbur, USN CAPT Christos Zirps, USN (Ret) Provider CDR John Alden, USN (Ret) CDR Frederick Bereswill, USNR (Ret) Mr. Thomas Berg Dr. & Mrs. Jaap W. Boosman Mr. Charles G. Brunnquell Mr. Robert C. Burritt Mr. Roy D. Carter Mr. & Mrs. Clifford L. Clark Mr. & Mrs. Lewis Coleman CAPT & Mrs. Robert Davis, USN (Ret) LCDR R. A. Dungan CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
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Bruce Harlow
From the President...
RE-VISIONING THE MUSEUM In February this year, the Naval History and Heritage Command arranged a session here at the Museum with some of the Museum staff, invited stakeholders in the area, the design firm Gallagher and Atkins, and the Foundation. This session was held to gather ideas for the re-visioning of the Museum and new exhibits planned. Don Chalupka attended for the Foundation and reported the following: The “Visioning� meeting was good. All the topics in the NHHC message and the topics in the Gallagher & Associates agenda were not thoroughly covered in the three hour session, but we did make good progress. Gallagher will story board the input from the meeting attendees and forward it to all for review this spring at which point we may need another visioning session. At one point the attendees were polled concerning what percent of each undersea artifact should be displayed (20% torpedoes, 30% diving, etc.) I suggested that exhibits should be based on the technology; i.e., was it unique, cutting edge that lead to other things, educational and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) related vs. using strict percentages. Patrick Gallagher and the attendees all agreed with my functional approach. We look forward to seeing the design books later this year. BRUCE HARLOW
2013 CONTRIBUTORS The Foundation gratefully acknowledges contributions made in 2013 to the museum by individuals, businesses or other organizations. Mr. Brett S. Dungan Mr. James J. Green Mr. William D. Hahn Mr. Edgar Harras Mr. & Mrs. Walter Hoeg Mr. & Mrs. Marwin E. Holm Mr. & Mrs. George W. Hooper Mr. Nick F. Ierise Mr. Lawrence S. Justason Mr. William J. Keiderling Mr. Ernest LeVon Mr. & Mrs. Ernest H. Linger Mr. John C. Lynch CAPT & Mrs. TM Mahony, USN (Ret) CDR R. Bruce McComb CDR Richard C. McCrory, USNR (Ret) Mrs. June Middleton Mr. & Mrs. John Nyquist Mr. & Mrs. Larry J. Porter Mr. & Mrs. Dwight E. Roof Ms. Katie Sell
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Singer Mr. James Smalley Ms. Helen Langer Smith Mr. Richard Snyder Mr. A.V. Stevens LT Thomas N. Thompson, USN (Ret) CAPT & Mrs. D. C. Welling, USN Mr. Ray W. Whitmore Dr. & Mrs. Charles R. Zentner In Memory of Alfred Gangnes Ms. Lula Belle Jenkins Lane Powell PC Levels of Giving Foundation Associates: $1000+ Seat-in-the-Future: $500 each Patrons: $500-$999 Benefactors: $250-$499 Builders: $100-$249 Providers: $25-$99
GIFTS IN KIND Newsletter Team -John Bogen -Joe Ekstedt -Frank Hutson -Dick Levon -Art Schrom Exterior Planters -Caroline Hoag -Bremerton Garden Club Professional Services -Kathie Barbaro, CPA The Volunteer Staff Foundation Board Members Newsletter Contributors -Jerry E. Armstrong -Bill Gluth -Charles Gunderson -Darlene Iskra -Larry Tucker
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A Bit of Undersea History...
OPERATION STARVATION by Ralph Enos Reprinted from Undersea Quarterly, May 1985
Operation Starvation was the code name given to US mining of Japanese home waters in the last months of World War II. The campaign is also known as Inner Zone Mining—to distinguish it from mining in waters under Japanese control elsewhere called Outer Zone Mining. Inner Zone Mining ran from March to August 1945 and was extraordinarily successful, reducing seaborne commerce in Japanese home waters by 90 percent, and sinking or damaging nearly a million and a half tons of shipping. It was also a successful early demonstration of joint service cooperation. Finally, the Inner Zone Mining campaign was almost a textbook example of the utility and economy of mine warfare; significant results at little cost in money and lives. One wonders why Operation Starvation is so little known or appreciated outside of the mine warfare community. In late 1944, the US Pacific Fleet believed that a vigorous mining campaign in Japanese home waters would bring the enemy to his knees. Mines would complete the maritime stranglehold already being applied by fleet air and submarines. Although these forces were successfully interdicting the Japanese strategic pipeline from the East Indies in the Formosa Straits and Yellow Sea, they had not yet penetrated the Sea of Japan or Inland Sea, nor had they had much effect on coastal traffic. In late 1944, an enormous amount of seaborne traffic still flowed into Japan across the Tsushima Straits and southern Sea of Japan, including 20 percent of its food, 24 percent of its coal, and 88 percent
This article was quoted in the Winter Quarter 2013 Issue of the Undersea Quarterly and is presented now to further our understanding of World War II military tactics.
B-29s OVER JAPAN of its iron ore. If this flow could be stanched, Japan would literally starve. Such a mining campaign would have to be on a lavish scale, far bigger than any undertaken by the US previously in the war. But how could the mines be delivered? It happened, in the fall of 1944, that the means was in place. The means turned out to be US Army Air Force B-29 bombers, which were becoming available in large numbers at the recently captured Marianas bases at Saipan and Tinian. There is a kind of principle of unintended utility that often operates in wartime. A weapon designed for one purpose is either a failure at its intended purpose, or the purpose becomes irrelevant. Yet a use is found for the weapon that is markedly different from the original design intention, but for which it is superbly well suited. It happened with the US fleet submarine and the German 88 mm gun. So too with the B-29 bomber. The B-29 was very good at its intended mission of strategic bombing, but it was perfect for the unintended mission of planting mines in distant waters. The B-29 could defend itself; it had a range of CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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OPERATION STARVATION
over 3,000 miles; it could carry twelve 2,000 pound mines; and, it could plant them by radar, at low altitude, and at night. The Navy proposed the mining to the Army Air Force in November 1944 and after a brief hesitation, the Air Force agreed. Its agreement seems somewhat out of character, especially for the strategic bombing forces, considering the difficulty the Eighth Air Force had recently made over releasing aircraft to support the Normandy invasion, and the testy relationship between the Air Force and Navy that would develop in the early postwar years. Yet the Air Force did cooperate on Operation Starvation, willingly and wholeheartedly. The mining campaign was actually a subsidiary affair for our air forces in the Marianas. Mining sorties accounted for only 6.7 percent of all 21st Bomber Command operations. Starvation was a true joint venture. Navy personnel prepared the mines, planned the minefields, and briefed the missions. Air Force personnel exclusively flew the missions and delivered the mines. The 21st Bomber Command, flying out of Tinian, flew 1529 sorties and delivered 12, 135 mines on target. The 12,135 mines delivered represent 49 percent of all mines planted against Japan during the war. The Air Force lost 15 planes and 117 men in the campaign, a ratio of 0.9 percent of its force engaged in mining (vs a 1.01 percent loss ratio for all its other operations).
Our present undisputed control of the sea was achieved primarily through the employment of naval air-sea forces in the destruction of Japanese and German sea power. Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, USN Commander, Pacific Ocean Areas
The results of Operation Starvation were extraordinary: 294 ships of 411,000 tons sunk; 376 ships of 987,000 tons damaged. This nearly 1.4 million tons lost represented 77 percent of the shipping available to Japan at the start of the campaign. Of greater significance is the disruption the mining campaign caused. The Japanese were forced to close ports for days or weeks at a time, to shift shipping to unmined, more distant ports, to expend enormous resources in sweeping. By August 1945, Japanese imports were only 10 percent of what they had been in December 1944. The Japanese government estimated that if the campaign had continued, within one year 7 million people would have starved to death. Conventional wisdom says the atomic bomb brought the Japanese to the peace table. But history is never that simple; Operation Starvation was a factor too. RALPH ENOS
Personnel Directory Websites Naval Undersea Museum.......................... navalunderseamuseum.org Naval Undersea Museum Store....... store.navalunderseamuseum.org Navy Band Northwest............ https://www.navybandnw.cnrnw.navy.mil Foundation Personnel email addresses Undersea Quarterly Editor, Foundation...... ShifrinBJ@wavecable.com Daina Birnbaums, Museum Store....... MuseumStore@wavecable.com
NUM Personnel email addresses Lindy Dosher, Museum Director.......................Lindy.Dosher@navy.mil Jarrod Gahr, Education...................................... Jarrod.Gahr@navy.mil Jennifer Heinzelman, Collections Mgt..Jennifer.Heinzelman@navy.mil Valerie Johnson, Educator.........................Valerie.Johnson2@navy.mil Mary Ryan, Curator..........................................Mary.C.Ryan@navy.mil Lorraine Scott, Collections Management........ Lorraine.Scott@navy.mil Olivia Wilson, Facilities....................................Olivia.Wilson@navy.mil
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E-DAY ACTIVITIES Activity 1: SUBMARINE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS? BELIEVE IT! From WWI through WWII, several different nations experimented with submarine aircraft carriers. These are submarines equipped with fixed wing aircraft, usually used for reconnaissance missions. The planes could be attached to the deck of the submarine, and then detached to take off from the water’s surface, or directly from the sub’s deck. Engineering: Issues that prevented the planes from being widely used included the amount of time the submarine would have to be exposed, and the inability of the planes to land directly on the submarine. Challenge: Can you build and land “The Eagle” on the deck of a submarine? What if it’s not right in front of you? Can you alter your plane to control its flight direction? Would you want it to fly faster or slower? Activity 2: WHERE DID YOU SAY MY PACKAGE WAS? How many of your daily needs do you think were shipped to the store by sea? 30%? 50%? It turns out over 90% of EVERYTHING is transported by sea! At any given moment, there are tens of thousands of ships carrying anything you can imagine around the world. Each of these ships, in turn, can carry up to 18,000 shipping containers. Imagine, a ship that size could carry a neighborhood block (houses and all) and still have plenty of room left over! Engineering: With just about everything transported by sea, and thousands of crew members traveling across oceans, it is really important to build ships that are well balanced; safe; and can carry enormous loads. Challenge: In order for a ship to transport goods, it is going to have to float. Can you design a metal ship with a density low enough to not only float, but carry a load of pennies?
Activity 3: GRAVITY AS FUEL: ZIP LINES Many people are familiar with back-yard zip lines as a fun activity. You suspend yourself from an angled line, and use gravity (with only a little friction) to slide from one end of the line down to the other. Scientists though need zip lines to access remote areas of rainforests, mountains, and other regions they wish to study. Engineering: For accessing remote areas, zip lines can be the best way. But what if you are sending supplies, and can’t be there to fix any tangles if the goods get stuck? And how will someone at the other end know when to expect the equipment’s arrival? Challenge: Given the zip line, gravity, and weighting materials, see if you can design a low friction carrier that can transport washers from one end to the other, in 4 seconds or less. Activity 4: MUSIC TO MY EARS Sound can be used for music and communication, but did you also know that submarines can use it for locating other ships? Because sound is made of vibrations in the air, water, or through solid objects, we can measure its frequency and wavelength, and determine how far away something is based on an echo. Challenge: Make a Sound Sandwich with an adjustable vibration- also called a wave frequency- for different musical notes. Activity 5: WOULD YOU PLEASE STOP RINGING THE DOORBELL? Can you imagine a doorbell that never stopped ringing? Or a toaster that only makes burnt toast? Magnets are used in many tools we see every day, but sometimes it would be more helpful if they weren’t working all the time. That’s where electromagnets come in: Powered with electricity, they are only magnetic when you need them to be. Engineering: Unlike permanent magnets, whose electrons are always aligned for magnetism, electromagnets only have the electrons aligned in the presence of an electric current. Knowing that electrons have a negative charge, and protons have a positive CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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one, helps to understand why magnets have poles (a positive end, and a negative one) and how they can be used. Challenge: See if you can build one using just the materials supplied. Activity 6: I THINK, THEREFORE I AM? MODULAR ROBOTICS. Even the most complex machinery will start with simple building blocks. The same is true with robotics. Small cubes each have their own job, and when combined, work together to perform tasks. Engineering: Working in robotics means thinking about many different factors. How will your machine be powered? If it’s automated, what will be the signal for it to begin working? Can the robot sense its surroundings for productivity and safety? How will it process information it’s given, and what will the active response be? Challenge: See if you can build any of the challenge cards, or create a new robot! Activity 7: KICKING MACHINE Ever wonder how a bowling ball is returned to you at the alley? Or how the batting cage pitching machine can thow baseballs at different speeds? Challenge: Build a machine that kicks a Ping-Pong ball into a cup lying on its side 12 inches away. Use either (1) a pendulum, (2) a rubber band, or (3) a combination of the two to do this. Activity 8: MIRROR MAZE Being able to bend and reflect light is an incredible tool. Periscopes reflect images off mirrors to show submariners what’s above the water’s surface; Cameras bend light to capture clear photo images; you probably use a mirror every morning while you brush your
teeth. In all of these cases though, it’s important to be able to direct where and how the light is being reflected. Thankfully we know that the angle that light strikes a mirror (the angle of incidence) is the same angle that the light will reflect off the image (the angle of reflection). Challenge: This is a team challenge! Have one team reorganize the maze walls, and the other team arrange mirrors to reflect the card image from one end of the maze to the other. Activity 9. PAPER ROCKETS Whether rockets, torpedoes or arrows, they all have three parts in common. Each has a body (also called a fuselage) a nose, and fins. The fuselage can often carry cargo, or electronics, the nose helps to minimize drag (the friction of air or water on the body that would slow it down) and the fins help to stabilize the object’s forward momentum. As well, these objects can travel using fuel, or be launched from a quick push of compressed air. Challenge: with a nose; fuselage; and fins of your own design, see if you can create a paper rocket that will hit a target when launched off of a straw.
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Artifact Highlight...
SEALAB END BELL
The Sealab undersea habitats were groundbreaking experiments conducted by the Navy between 1964 and 1969. Navy scientist Dr. George F. Bond developed and led the Sealab projects to test and demonstrate the concept of saturation diving. Bond’s experiments with saturation diving were born from the desire to improve the length and efficiency of deep sea dives. While divers work underwater, their body tissues fill with atmospheric gases that can cause decompression sickness if they do not allow the gases to safely leave their tissues through decompression. Divers using surface-supplied air breathing systems often had to spend many hours decompressing after only minutes of bottom work time. Bond postulated that, after 24 hours at a particular depth, a diver’s tissues would saturate with atmospheric gases, capping the amount of decompression time the diver required. Divers could thus remain underwater for days or weeks and still decompress for the same amount of time.
Bond proposed the idea of saturation diving in 1957 and conducted a series of laboratory experiments over the next six years to establish gas mixtures and decompression schedules. These controlled experiments culminated with Project Genesis, which applied all of Bond’s findings to human subjects. The next step was to demonstrate the viability of saturation diving in a non-controlled environment. Under Bond’s supervision, in July 1964, four aquanauts spent nine days at 192 feet living in and working from Sealab I off the coast of Bermuda. The divers conducted extensive oceanographic research, returning to the pressurized 40’ x 9’ habitat between tasks, before an approaching hurricane truncated the exercise. The success of Sealab I established saturation diving as an efficient method of working underwater. Sealab II was designed and built at Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco. Fifty feet long with a 12-foot diameter, it featured four separate areas: entry, laboratory, galley and living spaces. The redesigned Sealab II featured two end bells that were fashioned through explosive metal shaping, a technologically advanced method at the time. After a one-inch thick piece of flat steel was placed over the concave side of a dome-shaped die, one hundred pounds of C-4 plastic explosive were attached to the steel. The C-4 was detonated thirty feet underwater, forming each end bell in 0.004 seconds. Sealab II was designed to work at a similar depth as the first Sealab, but extended the length of the aquanauts’ stay and expanded the type of work they performed. Between CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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SEALAB END BELL
END BELL ON DISPLAY AT THE MUSEUM
28 August and 14 October 1965, three teams of ten divers spent 15 days each at 205 feet off the coast of La Jolla, California. During their time aboard Sealab II, the aquanauts tested underwater tools, raised a sunken fighter jet, conducted geological studies, set up a weather station, and worked with a porpoise trained to carry tools and messages between the habitat and the surface. The Sealab II structure was modified to operate at a greater depth for the third Sealab experiment. Rated for 600 feet, the habitat was lowered to the ocean floor off San Clemente, California, in February 1969. The project came to an abrupt halt after experienced aquanaut, Barry Cannon, died of carbon dioxide asphyxiation while repairing a helium leak underwater. The tragedy put a swift end to Sealab III and other saturation diving experiments. Despite this terrible accident, the Sealab projects conclusively demonstrated the principle of saturation diving and its potential application in Navy (and civilian) underwater operations. The Navy went on to create saturation diving systems like the transportable Mark I fly away system and the more sophisticated Mark II system with personnel transfer capsules and deck decompression chambers. Today they continue to advance saturation diving techniques through ongoing research programs at the Navy Experimental Diving Unit and the Navy Submarine Medical Research Laboratory.
FABRICATION OF SEALAB END BELL by Larry Tucker
The idea for writing this article came to mind while researching diving equipment used by our Navy in the 1960’s. My diving equipment research project set in motion a personal in-depth research effort of the three Sealab projects with a focus on Sealab II and its many accomplishments. I was fascinated by one of those accomplishments—the construction of Sealab II. The largest remaining physical example of Sealab II’s achievements is the 12 foot diameter end-cap from Sealab II, located to the right of the main entrance of our museum; this artifact is the subject of my article. Construction of Sealab II was accomplished by San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard (Hunters Point) and vessel construction is an unremarkable shipyard task. However, the unique process used to construct the end-bells warrants further discussion. For years Naval Shipyards have ensured that, when our Navy’s ships are deployed to sea, they are
FIGURE 1: PLASTER OF PARIS MALE MOLD BEING FINISHED
ready to meet the demands of their mission. Now if that statement sounds like a plug for our Naval shipyards – well, so be it. Having served on a ship while in a Naval shipyard and later employed at a shipyard, I have witnessed firsthand the highly CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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FIGURE 2: STEEL DIE CASING IS LOWERED ONTO FIBERGLASS LINING
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FABRICATION OF SEALAB END BELL of complex curved aerospace components. Explosive forming was especially important in the development of short-production-run missile components—particularly for the curved domes of missiles and rocket nose cones. Notwithstanding aerospace experience, explosive metal forming of large and complex sections like these end-caps had never been attempted. The first and critical fabrication step was constructing a large male end-cap mold of Plasterof-Paris, duplicating the final shape and size of an end-cap. (Figure 1) Once the Plaster-of-Paris form was completed, it was covered with fiberglass layers which became a liner of the concave portion of the dome shaped mold. The dome mold was then placed in a circular steel casing (Figure 2). Concrete was poured in the steel casing covering the rear of the fiberglass mold, and once the concrete cured, a steel backing plate was installed to seal the rear of the mold. (Figures 3 & 4) The Plaster-of-Paris mold was then discarded, leaving a concave cavity that would eventually shape the steel end-cap when the explosive charges are detonated.
FIGURE 3: VIEW SHOWS I-BEAM STRUCTURE FORMING BOTTOM OF DIE
qualified and skilled workforce – technical as well as trades-people. Demonstration of these shipyard attributes in 1965 was the construction of Sealab II end bells used to cap the main cylinder. Normal suppliers of large components similar to the end bells could not meet the Navy’s delivery date. The production schedule for Sealab II was extremely tight so the Navy decided to form the end-caps using explosive forming method. During explosive metal forming, large forces are applied to the work material to deform it to get the desired product. The Navy’s West Coast Shock Testing Facility was located at Hunters Point and thus had a fair amount of experience in underwater explosions. As early as the 1950’s, aerospace companies in the United States were using explosive forming for the manufacture
FIGURE 4: CONCRETE IS SCREEDED AND BOTTOM OF DIE IS CAPPED AIRTIGHT WITH STEEL PLATE CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
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FABRICATION OF SEALAB END BELL FIGURE 6: RING SHAPED CHARGES BEING MOUNTED ON DIE ASSEMBLY
A blank of 1-inch thick steel was placed over the mold (Figure 5) and a vacuum was drawn under the blank, eliminating any gas pockets that could cause deformation of the end-cap. The most important item in the analysis of an explosive metal forming process is the determination of the magnitude of the applied energy. C-4 explosives are well suited to this purpose because they can be readily shaped by hand to any configuration and size of charge; and are relatively stable when compared to other explosives. One hundred pounds of C-4 plastic explosive were distributed in two concentric rings and a lumped central charge. (Figure 6) Another important factor is to know the extent of deformation to which a work piece can be subjected before it fails. So the relationship between the energy and the deformation is critical. The calculations for charge configuration, size, and standoff distance were extremely complex and important, as was the depth of water at detonation. On 1 April 1965 the entire assembly, weighing 60 tons, was lowered 30 feet beneath the surface of San Francisco Bay using a shipyard crane. (Figure 7) There the explosive charges were detonated, and in approximately 0.004 seconds the first dished head for Sealab II was formed. The energy of the explosion is transmitted as a pressure pulse through the water, forming the steel against the female die. (Figure 8) After stress relieving, the end-caps were
FIGURE 5: STEEL BLANK IS CLAMPED IN PLACE WITH DOGGED HOLD-DOWN RING
FIGURE 7: 60 TON DIE ASSEMBLY IS LOWERED INTO SAN FRANCISCO BAY TO 30-FOOT DEPTH WITH THE BIG CRANE.
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FABRICATION OF SEALAB END BELL checked against the design specifications and they were within 1/16” of planned diameter and within ¼ inch of the designed contour. (Figure 9) Listing participants in the three Sealab projects is like reading a list of Who’s-Who in Navy diving history, but I feel that two names stand out because they participated in all three Sealabs. Captain George Bond, or “Papa Topside”, was the medical supervisor for all three projects and pioneer in saturation diving. CAPT Bond was a pioneer in the study of the physiological effects of diving beyond the deep-seated depth limits set by the Navy and the medical community. CAPT Bond wrote, “Papa Topside: The Sealab Chronicles of Captain George F. Bond, USN”. The other person of note, who also participated in all three projects, was Chief Warrant Officer Robert A. Barth, then an instructor at the Navy’s submarine escape and rescue school. Bob is author of “Sea Dwellers: Humor, Drama, and Tragedy of the U.S. Navy Sealab Programs” - my personal favorite. Another recent book about Sealab by Ben Hellwarth is “Sealab: America’s Forgotten Quest to Live and Work on the Ocean Floor”. All three of these great books are available in our museum library and Hellwarth’s book will soon be available in our museum store. LARRY TUCKER
FIGURE 9: FORMED BLANK IMMEDIATELY AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM DIE
SPECIAL THANKS TO MARY RYAN, MUSEUM CURATOR, FOR HER ASSISTANCE WITH THE PHOTOS IN THIS ARTICLE. FIGURE 8: SMALL PLUME OF WATER BEING FORMED BY DETONATION OF CHARGES.
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SHARE YOUR MEMORIES Readers trained on this piece of submarine rescue equipment please tell us about your experiences in 100 words or less. The US Navy used it until 1957, and replaced it with the Steinke Hood in 1962. We will identify this device and summarize your contributions in our next newsletter. Write to Bettye Shifrin at: shifrinbj@wavecable.com
SUPPORT YOUR FOUNDATION, YOUR MUSEUM Many of you, our foundation members, choose to support the museum because your careers were spent in our military and in defense contracting. Our volunteer staff comes to us as retirees from Keyport, as military spouses, as service retirees. Your life experiences while in the service are unique to each of you; your children and grandchildren may not know anything about what obstacles you encountered, what goals you achieved, where you were sent, even what you did on a daily basis before you became their parent or grandparent. These stories should not be lost. You are currently enjoying the contributions and suggestions from our volunteers and members. We would welcome the opportunity to publish articles, memoirs, photos—items that would be of interest to the naval history community. While we cannot promise to publish everything that is submitted, we would be pleased to hear from you at any time. The email address for the editor is shifrinbj@wavecable.com and the mailing address is Naval Undersea Museum Foundation, PO Box 408, Keyport WA 98345. Think about where you’ve been. Think about the people you’ve met. Remember your comrades and the camaraderie you experienced. Then, write it down and send it to us.
Have you ever wondered what to give your parents, your grandparents, your grandchildren, your friends for their birthday, for the holidays, to acknowledge their retirement, to celebrate their anniversary? A membership in the Foundation is an excellent gift in so many ways. The articles and information in the newsletter alone are well worth the membership cost. A Seat-In-The-Future is another wonderful way to memorialize loved ones, fallen comrades, friends and significant figures in undersea history. A one-time gift of $500 entitles the donor to dedicate a plaque on the arm of a seat in the Jack Murdock Auditorium to someone of their choice. Naval Undersea Museum Fdtn P.O. Box 408 Keyport, WA 98345
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From the Museum Store...
SPRING FORWARD!
Spring forward and volunteer at the Naval Undersea Museum Store! Our volunteers are the secret to our success, and we’d like more of them! Please consider volunteering at the store – we offer a positive atmosphere, flexible scheduling , a retail discount and volunteer luncheons, all while knowing that your work helps support the Naval Undersea Museum Foundation. If you, or someone you know, would like to join this smiling group, please contact Daina at the store 360-6971537 or museumstore@wavecable. com. Thank you and we hope to see you soon! DAINA BIRNBAUMS FRONT ROW (SITTING): MARY JO THARP, FERN WEBB, JOYCE JOHNSON, DORIS BOYD. BACK ROW (STANDING): PEGGY UNDERWOOD, SHARON BAKER, SUZANNE ST. JOHN, SAMANTHA SOUTHARD, LIV GALLES, CAROLINE HOAG WITH DAINA BIRNBAUMS IN THE THIRD ROW. NOT IN ATTENDANCE - NIKKI HAAS, VIVIAN TUCKER, DAN BATMAN, KEE WEBB, SHERI BANDY, ANNEMARIE HERBERT
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MAKING THE DREAM COME TRUE
I believe in the Naval Undersea Museum’s vision of the future and I want to help make it come true! I want to see the Museum complete with state-of-the-art exhibits, quality supporting facilities,and exciting educational programs. Please sign me up for the following: ___ Seat(s) in the Future $500 each Dedicated to_____________________________ Sustaining membership ___ Foundation Associate *$1000+ ___ Patron *$500-$999 ___ Benefactor $250-$499 ___ Builder $100-$249 ___ Provider $25-$99
Make checks payable to the Naval Undersea Museum Foundation (NUMF) VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover accepted. Card #___________________________ Exp ________ Signature_____________________________________ Send to: Naval Undersea Museum Foundation P.O. Box 408 Keyport, Washington 98345
*Donors of $500 or more may participate in the Seat-inthe-Future program by dedicating a seat in the Jack Murdock Auditorium for each $500 given. Other ___ As a one-time gift
Sustaining members receive regular quarterly newsletters, invitations to special events. The NUMF is a registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Gifts and memberships are tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes.
Name(s)_____________________________________________________________________________________ Address_____________________________________________________________________________________ City_________________________________________________ State___________________Zip_____________ Email______________________________________________ Phone________________________________
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS NAVY BAND CONCERTS
16 March 2014, 2 P.M. FREE Popular Music Group “Passage” & “Cascade” Protocol Jazz Combo Naval Undersea Museum Auditorium Keyport, WA 27 April 2014, 2 P.M. FREE Woodwind Chamber Ensemble & “Five Star Brass” quintet. Naval Undersea Museum Auditorium Keyport, WA
TOLLING THE BOATS
22 May 2014. Museum Plaza. FREE
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QUARTERLY NONPROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #2 KEYPORT, WA 98345
BILL GLUTH AND DAN BATMAN INSTALL SHELVING IN THE MUSEUM STORE
NIKKI HAAS IN THE NEW BOOK NOOK IN OUR MUSEUM STORE.