Crash dive

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the 1943 movie, see Crash Dive.

A crash dive is a maneuver by a submarine in which the vessel submerges as quickly as possible to avoid attack. Crash diving from the surface to avoid attack has been largely rendered obsolete with the advent of nuclear-powered submarines, as they normally operate submerged. However, the crash dive is also a standard maneuver to avoid a collision.

A crash dive in a

Chief Engineer.[1]

Before hatches and air induction vents fall below the surface they must be closed. Before that, the diesel engines must be stopped or they will suck the air out of the boat in a matter of seconds. On submarines with direct drive, the crew disengages the diesel engines from the propeller shafts and switches to electric motor propulsion. The motors run at high speed to maintain the forward momentum. Once all hatches and induction vents are closed, the diving planes (like the control surfaces of an airplane) pull the boat below the surface and level it out at the desired depth—typically between 70 and 90 metres (230 and 300 ft).

periscope depth from the surface. However, it is capable of doing so faster if required; the smaller, more agile attack submarines
can dive quite rapidly. The crash diving rate of a missile submarine is also not relevant since it can stay submerged for very long periods of time, and is not expected to ever cruise on the surface when in range of enemy units of any type. A WWII era submarine (technically a submersible since it is only capable of diving for limited periods of time) is by design forced to spend much of its time on the surface, and therefore needs to be able to "escape" by diving when an enemy is spotted.

In extreme emergencies, submarines have had to crash dive so quickly that lookouts were left on-deck. Such was the only survivor of

Howard Gilmore earned the Medal of Honor posthumously during World War II by ordering a crash dive ("Take her down!") while wounded and unable to leave the bridge of USS Growler (SS-215)
.

See also

Look up crash dive in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Notes and references

Notes

  1. myth
    that the ostrich, when frightened, buries its head in the sand and thereby raises the position of its tail relative to its body.

References

  1. ^ a b Diving Regulations for U-boats. Berlin: Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine. 1943. pp. items 114 to 126.
  2. ^ "U-Boat Tactics: Evasion Tactics". www.uboataces.com. Retrieved 2017-06-01.
  3. ISBN 9781612513652
    .
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