Topics

1

Museum Submarine Discussion / Prop Shaft Motors

« on: March 27, 2013, 02:44:44 PM »

I was wondering if any of you museum boats that have at least one running engine, if you a) have ever tried to running electricity to the control cubicle and b) ever tried to run power to one or more prop motors?  Some boats have props.  Some don't.  Just curious as to how far people are taking some restoration projects.

2

USS Batfish (SS-310) / Periscopes Repairs

« on: February 26, 2013, 12:48:58 PM »

I finally took the first steps in hunting down the right people to talk to about scope repairs.  Cavalla had theirs done a few years ago and it took Kollmorgen a little while to make the repairs.  So, in the mean time, I believe that the Navy loaned two scopes to them until the originals returned.  Pictures are posted on the Cavalla board of the scope installments.

Until we get hydraulics working, again, I recommended to Rick that we modify the metal stands that the scopes rest on, now, and install ones with a kind of Lazy Susan to allow the scopes to rotate.  Of course, we can no longer use scope shims in the housings, if we go this route.  So, the stands would have to be much beefier, since each scope weighs about 2,000 lbs.

3

USS Torsk (SS-423) / Batfish Manual Bow Plane Rigging Photos

« on: February 24, 2013, 10:35:15 PM »

Darrin asked for these. 

In the first photo you can see that I'll pulling back a plunger on the back of the motor housing that operates the bow plane rigging transmission.  This handle has to remain out like this during the entire process.

The second and third photos show the wheel with a circular chain attached to it for rigging the planes out by hand.

The last photo shows the transmission set to rigging, rather than the bow windlass. 

Let me know if you need any other photos or details.  I don't remember which direction the chain has to go for the planes to move up or down.  It's been 2 1/2 years since we did ours and I wasn't even present.  You need one additional person with a radio in the FTR and someone else on the dock or on deck with the other radio.

4

School of the Boat / School of the Boat (21 Jan 2013) - Plumbing System

« on: January 21, 2013, 01:42:01 PM »

Back in 2008 we had a thread on the boat's drain system that primarily focused on the drain/bilge pump and what it drained, but as far as I can tell, we never discussed the boat's plumbing system (supply and drain lines) in any School of the Boat discussions.  So, now would be a good time to start, since we're looking at tapping into the system and getting it partially functional again on the Batfish.  Thanks.

5

USS Torsk (SS-423) / Best of luck riding out Sandy

« on: October 29, 2012, 09:13:35 AM »

Our thoughts and prayers go out to you guys in Baltimore.  The eye appears to be heading right for you.  Does anyone plan out riding out the storm abourd the Torsk?

6

Museum Submarine Discussion / Radio Repeaters

« on: November 07, 2011, 07:08:55 PM »

As most of you know, there are four radio repeaters on the boats: FTR, Ward Rm., Galley, and ATR.  Where is the central feed point to these repeaters.  I figure that it's somewhere in the radio room.  Some pictures would help us a lot.  Thanks.

7

USS Batfish (SS-310) / Batfish Phone System Once More Operational

« on: August 31, 2011, 11:47:48 AM »

Correy Twilley and I finally got around to restoring our sound-powered phone system.  Thankfully, we had enough Type-L handsets to put in just about every compartment.  All that's left to connect is the Ward Rm. phone and XO's phone.  In many cases the original handset cable/cord was cut off at the base of the phone jack.  The wiring is so old and brittle in some jack boxes that we decided to run the new phone cable through the plug hole of the jack, rather than trying to fish out the old cord and installing the new one through the same hole.

Also, by trial and error we figured out that you need to criss-cross alligator clips between the phone terminals in the telephone switch box in order to get the network to work.  One of these days we will make a replicate switch panel and rewire it appropriately.

Our next project is to restore the call bell system for the phones.  We do not have the howlers that the newer boats have.  Our boat uses an AC bell system that is routed through the I.C. Switch Board in the C.R.  Even older boats than ours had a DC system, which would have been more of a pain to work with.  Most bell boxes need new bells, clangers, and selector dials, which we will have to have made.  The fun part will be figuring out the dial positions for each bell box, since they are all unique.

8

USS Batfish (SS-310) / Another WWII Batfish vet passes...

« on: July 27, 2011, 01:52:23 PM »

Richard F. Hosler, 89, Sarasota, formerly of Endwell, New York, died July 24, 2011.  Services were private and Packer Funeral Home is in
 charge of the arrangements.  Survivors include wife, Ruthmarie of Sarasota, Sons, Gary (Marylou) of Wyoming, Minnesota, John of
Schenedtady, New York, daughter, Eileen (Glenn) Hosler- Simpson of Clifton Springs, New York, one grandchild and one
great-grandchild.  Richard was a survivor of WWII Submarine Service serving USS Sandlance & USS Batfish. He was a member of US
WWII Submarine Veterans, Submarine Veterans Inc. He was also a member of the V.F.W. and Optomists Club and the American Legion.
 In lieu of flowers please make donations to the United States Submarine Veterans Charitable Foundation, P.O. Box 3870, Silverdale,
Washington 98383, or Honor Flight Inc., Attn: Diane Gresse, 300 E. Auburn Ave., Springfield, OH. 45505. Donations are tax deductible.

9

USS Batfish (SS-310) / Dive Horn (H-9) for Sale

« on: July 26, 2011, 10:25:52 AM »

http://cgi.ebay.com/1942-Brass-Submarine-Horn-Siren-POMODON-SS-486-WW2-/230651711873

Auction ends on Aug. 3.

10

School of the Boat / USS Batfish Tour Sheets

« on: February 14, 2011, 07:35:00 PM »

Here are the first 5 tour sheets.  I have spent a lot of time on these for a period of over a year and you will see that some have been revised multiple times...

11

Submarine Related Chatter / Azimuth

« on: February 09, 2011, 11:02:48 AM »

Would this have been used on a sub?  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320654221473

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Museum Submarine Discussion / NMG-1 Underwater Sound Equipment

« on: December 22, 2010, 06:21:09 PM »

Has anyone ever heard of this equipment?  A speaker for the unit is listed on eBay... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260669932628

It does not look familiar to me as far as WWII boats go.

13

USS Torsk (SS-423) / Earl preps

« on: September 02, 2010, 04:11:41 PM »

So, are you guys prepared for Earl?  I know it's a sub, but the seals on these things aren't as great as they used to be... plus the not-so-watertight doors installed in the torpedo rooms.

14

Museum Submarine Discussion / Mk. 28 Homing Torpedoes

« on: August 31, 2010, 11:30:48 AM »

In the last months of the war they started issuing Mk. 28 homing torpedoes to the fleet - Batfish fired several in a training exercise in May '45 before deploying on her last war patrol.  They were modified Mk. 18 electric torpedoes with only one screw to reduce the noise.  Were these fired out of the forward and aft tubes or just aft?

15

Museum Submarine Discussion / Box - Sub Battery Test Kit

« on: August 25, 2010, 03:30:31 PM »

One of the museums might be looking for one of these... nothing inside... http://cgi.ebay.com/WWII-US-Navy-Submarine-Battery-testing-Box-1942-/120519513030