Many people local to the New Hampshire seacoast are aware of the submarine that is now a museum in Portsmouth, but are not aware of the impact it had the Navy’s submarines of today. This submarine is the USS Albacore (SS-569). Never intended to be an attack submarine, the Albacore paved the way for the submarines of today.
The Albacore was designed to test and develop new technology for the Navy to use in future submarines. Throughout the 19 years of commission, the Albacore went through five different design phases. With each new phase, the submarine got a little faster, quieter, and easier to control. Shortly after World War II the Navy realized they needed a submarine fleet that was easily maneuverable while retaining speed and fortitude. For Phase I, The Albacore had an all new tear shaped hull and a dorsal rudder attached to the rear edge of the sail. The rudder ran from the hull to the top of the sail and helped prevent a rollover during a dive. In addition, a single, 11-foot diameter, five-bladed propeller was used, as it provided the best propulsion while underwater. In addition to the hull’s design, a new metal was used that was stronger than anything the Navy had ever used. This was HY-80 steel, and after 50+ years, this steel is still being used today.
During Phase II, the dorsal rudder attached to the rear edge of the sail was removed. In addition, moving the stern planes and rudder forward of the propeller improved high speed stability, while low speed maneuverability was slightly decreased. While the bow planes were removed to reduced noise, a new 14-foot diameter propeller was implemented to improve underwater thrust.
From 1957 to 1961 the Albacore went “under the knife” for Phase III. Now that the submarine had the desired amount of underwater propulsion, it needed the ability to stay under control at those speeds. A larger dorsal rudder was brought back into the design, and 10 diving brakes were added around the hull to help in slowing the boat down in case of an uncontrollable high speed dive. Lastly, new sound-isolation mounts were used on loud machinery to minimize the amount of noise heard by unfriendly forces.
To test the Phase III improvements, the Navy removed the propeller and towed the Albacore in order to hear the noise generated by the hull traveling through water. To listen to the noise, a sonar array was deployed around the submarine. This sonar technology is still used today to listen to other submarines in the water.
In 1965 the Navy finished production on Phase IV of the Albacore’s development. This phase brought on a second, counter-rotating propeller. In order to operate both propellers a second main motor was installed. The distance between the propellers was set at 10 feet. To watch the water flow through the propellers, a real-time video system was installed. After a series of tests it was found that a 5-foot distance between the propellers produced the best water flow through the two propellers. The only other submarine with contra-rotating propellers was the USS Jack (SSN 605) before the technology was deemed unnecessary. In 1966 the Albacore set the world record for underwater speed at 33 knots.
The loss of the USS Thresher (SSN 593) in 1963 brought forth the need to improve the ballast tank blow systems. Normally, the blow valves could be operated by crew men to discharge ballast in each tank. Added to the system was a lever in the control room to blow all the ballast tanks at once. This lever and improvements to the piping helped increase airflow to the tanks and is still used in today’s submarines.
Phase V of the Albacore’s development and testing was called the “Slippery Water” project began in 1968. This involved a sticky polymer liquid released from the hull to coat the submarine and reduce drag. Even though early tests showed the liquid’s benefits, engine problems caused the project to be canceled.
In August of 1971, the Albacore was decommissioned and placed in the Inactive Ship Facility in Philadelphia, PA. It remained there until 1984 when it was towed to Portsmouth, NH to be converted to a museum. The Maritime Museum at Albacore Park first opened to public on Aug. 30, 1986 and is still open to this day.
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