Continued from the specifications begun in KTB #164

TWO BUSCH SULZER DIESELS PLUS TWO M.A.N. DIESEL / GENERATOR AUX. SETS

The first USS BARRACUDE (SS-163), was laid down on 20 October 1921 at the Portsmouth Navy Yard at Kittery, Maine, as USS V-1 (SF-4)...and launched on 17 July 1924. The submarine was commissioned into the United States Navy on 1 October 1924 with Lieutenant Commander Sherwood Picking in command.

When commissioned, this V-1 class submarine displaced 2,000 tons (standard) on the surface (and had a mean draft of 14'7") and 2,620 tons submerged; was 341'6" in length overall; had an extreme beam of 27'6"; could safely dive to 200' (the test depth); had a partial double and riveted hull; had 10 watertight compartments; had a 9/16 inch mild steel pressure hull; could make 18.71 knots on the surface and 9 knots submerged; had a maximum cruising range on the surface at 11 knots of 10,000 miles and could run submerged at 5 knots for 10 hours; carried 90,935 gallons of diesel fuel; and was designed to patrol for 45 days...unsupported.

The submarine had two engine rooms: In the after portion of the hull were two 2,250 brake horsepower diesel engines built by the Busch Sulzer Diesel Engine Company at Saint Louis, Missouri. These main propulsion engines moved the submarine on the surface through a diesel direct drive system. In the forward part of the hull two 1,000 brake horsepower Maschinenfabrik-Augsburg-Nürnberg (M.A.N.) type diesel engines were installed for auxiliary power. These engines turned generators that, through a diesel-electric drive system, could propel the vessel via two 1,200 horsepower main propulsion motors manufactured by the Elliot Motor Company at Jeannette, Pennsylvania. These motors could also be driven for submerged propulsion by power from a 120-cell main storage battery...which was divided into two 60-cell batteries made by the Electric Storage Battery Company (Exide) at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Total shaft horsepower developed on the surface during trials was 6,200; total shaft horsepower available for submerged propulsion was 2,400.

FOUR FAIRBANKS-MORSE OPPOSED PISTON DIESEL ENGINE / GENERATOR SETS AND ONE F. M. AUX. SET.

USS THREADFIN (SS-410), originally named USS SOLE (SS-410), was laid down on 18 March 1944 at the Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine; launched on 26 June 1944. Commissioning took place on 30 August 1944 with Commander John J. Foote in command. USS THREADFIN (SS-410) is a unit of the BALAO Class, designed, developed and built by the Portsmouth Navy Yard. Thus, USS THREADFIN is a "Portsmouth Boat." When commissioned, USS THREADFIN was 311 feet 8 inches in length overall and had a maximum beam of 27 feet 3 inches. Her standard displacement on the surface was 1,526 tons, her normal displacement on the surface was between 2,010 and 2,075 tons, and her submerged displacement was 2,401 tons. Fuel capacity was 118,300 gallons (rated) of diesel oil, which fueled 4 main Fairbanks-Morse opposed piston 1,600 horsepower diesel engines, and one auxiliary Fairbanks-Morse opposed piston diesel engine...which turned generators...which made electricity...which turned two Elliot main propulsion motors of 2,740 shaft horsepower...which could drive the boat at 20.25 knots on the surface...and gave her a cruising range on the surface of 11,000 miles at ten knots (rated).

FOUR GENERAL MOTORS DIESEL GENERATOR SETS Plus ONE AUX. G.M. DIESEL GENERATOR SET

USS HARDHEAD (SS-365) was a unit of the Electric Boat Company's version of the BALAO Class submarine. Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company built submarines from Electric Boat Company plans. When commissioned, USS HARDHEAD was 311 feet 9 inches in length overall and had a maximum beam of 27 feet 3 inches. Her standard displacement on the surface was 1,526 tons, her normal displacement on the surface was between 2,010 and 2,075 tons, and her submerged displacement was 2,424 tons. Fuel capacity was 118,000 gallons (rated) of diesel oil, which fueled 4 main General Motors Model V16-278A, 1,600 horsepower diesel engines and one auxiliary General Motors diesel engine...which turned generators...which made electricity...which turned four General Electric main propulsion motors of 2,740 shaft horsepower...which could drive the boat at 20.25 knots on the surface...and gave her a cruising range on the surface of 11,000 miles at ten knots (rated).

THE POPULAR WWII ENGINES

Fairbanks Morse: 8 cylinder, opposed piston diesel (based on the German Junkers Jumo), similar in configuration to Sun's. It had a one piece welded steel frame. A silent chain transmitted power from the upper to the lower crankshaft (later engines used vertical drive gearing). The upper crankshaft drove the scavenging blower. The early 8 cylinder 38A8 was superseded by a 1,365 BHP 8 cylinder 38D-8-1/8 and then then by a 9 cylinder, 1,535 BHP 38D-8-1/8; wartime submarines (from SS 381 on) used a 10 cylinder, 1,600 BHP 38D-8-1/8.

Winton Engine Corp. (later the Cleveland Diesel Engine Division of General Motors): a 12 cylinder, 950 BHP 2 cycle Vee, Model 201, with exhaust valves in the cylinder head for uniflow scavenging (i.e., for the scavenging air to flow one way, up the cylinder, rather than across and down, as in a Sulzer). Its unit fuel injectors combined the functions of fuel injection valve and fuel injection pump into one unit in each cylinder, operated by a single cam; and it was the first to use a welded steel housing. The 1,535 BHP 16-248 used larger cylinders at a sharper V-angle, with a stronger crankcase and more reliable pistons and rings. It was superseded by the 1,600 BHP (aluminum pistons) and then 16-278A (steel pistons). After WWII, Cleveland Diesel became The Electro-Motive Division of General Motors.

THE UNPOPULAR WWII ENGINE

Hooven, Owens, Rentschler (HOR), was a 1,300 BHP, 2 cycle, double acting engine, identical to that in the German cruiser Leipzig except that it had 8 cylinders. HOR was the only firm to offer a double acting engine. It used a one-piece welded steel frame. This engine excited interest because it offered more power than either General Motors or Fairbanks Morse (in a tight double-action package), but it soon gained a reputation for gross unreliability. The HOR was noisy, and it needed 40 percent more air than the other two engines.

There were 16 new submarines commissioned in 1937, 1938, 1939 and 1940. These submarines were of three classes: Salmon (SS-182) class, Sargo (SS-188) class, and Seadragon (SS-194) class. It was decided to give them names starting with S. Apparently everyone forgot about the old S-type submarines still serving with the fleet, because the class numbers S-1 through S-16 assigned to the new fleet-type submarines duplicated names already held by some of the older S-boats. This source of confusion was ultimately eliminated when the class numbering system was abolished in 1939 and the SS hull numbers were painted on the conning tower fairwater for peacetime identification.

USS SALMON (S-1) (SS-182) 1938 HOR Engines
USS SEAL (S-2) (SS-183) 1938 HOR Engines
USS SKIPJACK (S-3) (SS-184) 1938 HOR Engines
USS SNAPPER (S-4) (SS-185) 1937 G M Engines
USS STINGRAY (S-5) (SS-186) 1938 G M Engines
USS STURGEON (S-6) (SS-187) 1938 G M Engines
USS SARGO (S-7) (SS-188) 1939 HOR Engines
USS SAURY (S-8) (SS-189) 1939 HOR Engines
USS SPEARFISH (S-9) (SS-190) 1939 HOR Engines
USS SCULPIN (S-10) (SS-191) 1939 G M Engines
USS SAILFISH (S-11) (SS-192) 1940 G M Engines
USS SWORDFISH (S-12) (SS-193) 1939 G M Engines
USS SEADRAGON (S-13) (SS-194) 1939 HOR Engines
USS SEALION (S-14) (SS-195) 1939 G M Engines
USS SEARAVEN (S-15) (SS-196) 1939 G M Engines
USS SEAWOLF (S-16) (SS-197) 1939 G M Engines

ENGINE CHANGES

Main engines and/or entire drive systems that were found to be troublesome were removed and replaced during a major overhaul. This represents a major undertaking because the hull had to be opened in order to remove these large pieces of equipment and re-build the drive installation.

THE AUXILIARY ENGINES

The R and S boats did not have auxiliary engines. All fleet type submarines, except the first three built (USS T-1, USS T-2, and USS T-3), had one or two or three auxiliary engines installed. Most fleet type submarines that made war patrols during the 2nd World War had one auxiliary engine/generator set. It was installed on the centerline in the lower flats of the after engine room.

EXPERIMENTAL & PROTOTYPE ENGINES

The search to develop lightweight powerful diesel engines for submarines resulted in a number of prototype configurations, bore and stroke experiments as well as numbers of cylinders and engine speeds. Some examples are presented:

On the Fairbanks Morse opposed piston engines:

The 38A8, PLUNGER - POLLACK, had 8 cylinders, rated at 1,300 BHP, 720 RPM, 8.0" bore x 10.0" stroke. The 38D8-1/8, 179 - 180 re-engined, SS 201 and later boats had 9 cylinders, rated at 1,600 BHP, 720 RPM, (8.5")??? (Probably a typo - should be 8-1/8") bore x 10.0" stroke. The 38A6-3/4, postwar lightweight version, had 8 cylinders, rated at 1,000 BHP, 1,335 RPM, 6.75" bore x 8.0 stroke.

On the Winton and later GM engines:

GM 12-258S ARGONAUT re-engined V-12 rated at 1,500 BHP, 900 RPM, 9.5" bore x 12.0" stroke. Winton prototype V-12 rated at 950 BHP, 720 RPM, 8.0" bore x 10.0" stroke. Winton PORPOISE 201A V-16 rated at 1,300 BHP, 750 RPM, 8.0" bore x 10.0" stroke. GM 16-258 NAUTILUS re-engined V-16 rated at 2,000 BHP, 900 RPM, 9.5" bore x 12.0" stroke. (Note: same engine as CACHALOT but different rating)

GM 16-258 CACHALOT re-engined V-16 rated at 1,535 BHP, 900 RPM, 9.5" bore x 12.0" stroke. (Note: same engine as NAUTILUS but different rating)

GM 16-248 and GM 16-278A used in many fleet boats V-16 rated at 1,600 BHP, 750 RPM, 8.5" x 10.5" stroke. GM 16-338, 16 cylinder pancake used in postwar submarines, rated at 1,000 BHP, 1,600 RPM, 6.0" bore x 6.5" stroke. In 1933 at Electric Boat, it was the S-20 that had the first 16 cylinder VM1 engine installed. Rated at 635 BHP, 1,175 RPM, 6.25" bore x 8.25" stroke.

Examples of some prototype engines:
Stearns Diamond-4 321 BHP, 1,300 RPM, 5.25" bore x 8.5" stroke
Sun Ship 6 cylinder, 685 BHP, 620 RPM, 6.25" bore x 9.75" stroke
Continental Radial-10 rated at 1,400 BHP, 6.5" bore x 7.5" stroke.

U.S. SUBMARINE ENGINES

The U.S. Navy utilized the internal combustion engine as the basis for propulsion power and to charge the batteries. The early engines used gasoline as fuel, which eventually was changed to the less intoxicating and explosive diesel fuel.

The engines for Holland and the A-boats were made by the Otto Gas Engine Works of Philadelphia. Engines for the B-, C-, and D-boats were made by Electric Boat at Fore River. Lake's G-1 and G-2 had White & Middleton engines (Springfield, Ohio); Cramp used Italian-made FIATS.

EDITOR NOTE – the Otto engine is basically the original gasoline engine designed by a German engineer named Nicholas Otto and in Germany there are only Diesel and Otto engines – they are not called gasoline engines. Thanks to WALTER KERN (6345-2001) for this bit of information.

The first practical diesels operated on a 4-stroke cycle (4-cycle) like that of a standard gasoline engine. Air sucked in on the down stroke is compressed on the up stroke. At the top of the up stroke, oil is injected under sufficient pressure to overcome the pressure of the air in the cylinder. It immediately ignites, heating the air in the cylinder. The expanding hot air-gas mixture drives the piston down in a power stroke. The spent mixture is expelled on the following up stroke, and the cycle repeats.

In the alternative 2-stroke type, air is blown into the cylinder late in the power stroke to blow out (scavenge) spent gas and then provide fresh air for the following (compression) stroke. Every other stroke, rather than every fourth stroke, is a power stroke.

Submarines required unusually lightweight compact engines. International competition to develop and test a wide variety of lightweight compact diesel engines for submarines went on, from the early boats right through WWII. A wide variety of submarine drive systems were used. Some engines were reversible and could be used for maneuvering. Others were not and had to rely on battery driven electric motors for maneuvering. Engines could be used for propulsion or for battery charging because the engines and main motors were coupled to the propeller shafts with clutches. The advent of the use of four diesel/generator sets culminated as the best compromise. This arrangement provided maximum flexibility for directing power, generated by any combination of diesel/generator sets for battery charging, propulsion and maneuvering operations.

GASOLINE ENGINES WERE SUPPLIED BY:

Otto Gas Engine Works of Philadelphia, PA.;
Craig Shipbuilding Co., Long Beach, CA.;
White & Middleton Co., of Springfield, Ohio.;
Fiat - San Giorgio Ltd., Italy.

DIESEL ENGINES WERE SUPPLIED BY:

The New London Ship & Amp; Engine Company of Groton, CT., supplied many diesel engines known as NELSECO.

The Busch Sulzer Brothers Diesel Engine Company of St. Louis, MO supplied a variety of their engines.

The M.A.N. diesel engines were manufactured at the New York Navy Yard in Brooklyn, NY, and at the Electric Boat Company of Groton, CT. They were of the M.A.N. (Maschinfabrik-Augsburg-Nürnburg German Design).

Hooven, Owens, Rentschler Co., of Hamilton, OH supplied the H.O.R. engines.

The Winton Engine Company of Cleveland, OH was bought by the General Motors Corp., and became the Cleveland Diesel Division which supplied a number of V=20 type engines.

Fairbanks Morse and Co., of Beloit, WI.

The American Locomotive Co., of Auburn, NY.

We have long been needing a technical section, and JIM SANTOS is coming through for us on that. While there have been excellent technical articles in the past, we can always use more. Thanks JIM.

And remember, we will be happy to accept any articles, technical or otherwise, from Members. Just remember – research your subject thoroughly and carefully. Accuracy is uppermost and cannot be let slide to a lower level. Photographs or diagrams to illustrate your subject will be great. We’ll scan them here and return them to you.