In common usage, submarine normally means military submarine; vessels used for research or commercial purposes are usually called submersibles?. Non-military submarines are usually much smaller than military submarines. A type called a bathysphere? is not self-propelled. A predecessor of the bathysphere was the diving bell, a chamber with an open bottom that is lowered into the water.
Tourist submarine work mainly in tropical and resort areas. In 1996 there were over 50 private submarines operating around the world. They carried approximatly 2 million passengers that year. Most of these submarines carried between 25 and 50 passengers and sometimes made 10 or more dives a day. These submarines borrow mainly from research sub designs with large windows for viewing and many have significant mechanical systems on the outside the the sub to free up interior space. They are mainly battery powered and very slow.
A fairly recent development, very small unmanned submarines called marine remotely operated vehicles are widely used today to work in water too deep or too dangerous for divers. For example, remotely operated vehicles repair offshore petroleum platforms and attach cables to sunken ships to hoist them. Such remotely operated vehicles are attached by a tether (a thick cable providing power and communications) to control center on a ship. Operators on the ship see video images sent back from the robot and may control its propellers and manipulator arm.
Before and during WWII, submarines were designed to operate primarily on the surface, submerging occasionally. Thus, they were roughly triangular in cross-section, with a distinct keel, to control rolling while surfaced. In contrast, modern submarines are designed to operate almost always submerged, surfacing only rarely, and have the cigar?-shaped "Albacore" hull form.
The raised tower on top of submarines accomodates the length of the periscopes? and electronics masts (which can include radio, radar, electronic warfare, and other systems). In the "boat-shaped" earlier classes of submarines, the control room, or "conn," was located inside this tower, which was known as the "conning tower." Since that time, however, conn has been located within the main body of the submarine, and the tower is properly known as the "sail." Conn should not be confused with the "bridge," which is a small platform set into the top of the sail used for visual observation while running on the surface.
Sonar? is a principle means of navigation.
A great deal of attention in the design of a submarine is devoted to making its travel through the water silent to prevent its detection by enemy ships and submarines.
A typical military submarine has a crew of over one hundred.
Submarines are useful to a military because they can approach their attack victim without necessarity being detected, then strike at close range. They come in two general types.
Ballistic missile submarines (or boomers, in American slang) are armed with nuclear weapons for attacking strategic targets such as cities or missile silos anywhere in the world. They are universally nuclear-powered?, to provide the greatest stealthiness and endurance. They played an important part of Cold War mutual deterrence: since both the United States and the Soviet Union had the capability (or could contend to have) to heavily strike at the attacking nations should one attack the other, both nations were "deterred".
Submarines armed with torpedoes?, for attacking merchant ships or other warships, and sometimes cruise missiles for attacking land-based targets, are known as attack or hunter-killer submarines. They use a much wider variety of propulsion systems. The majority use the same diesel-electric combination developed early in the 20th century, many use nuclear power, and a growing number use other forms of [air-independent propulsion]? such as [fuel cell]?s.
Though the first submersible vehicles were tools for exploring under water, it did not take long for inventors to recognize their military potential. The first military submarine was the Turtle, a hand-powered spherical contraption designed by American David Bushnell that accomodated a single man. During the American Revolutionary War in 1776, the Turtle attempted and failed to sink a British warship in New York harbour.
During the American Civil War, the rebel South fielded a human-powered submarine. It was used for attacking the North's ships, which were blockading the South's seaports. The submarine had a long pole on the front, upon which was attached an explosive charge. The sub was to sneak up to an enemy vessel, attach the explosive, move away, and then detonate. It was extremly hazardous to operate, and had no air supply other than what was contained inside the main compartment. On at least one occasion, the sub sank, and the entire crew perished. It was not a major factor in the war.
Many more submarines were built subsequently, but they were not to become effective weapons until the 20th century. Both battery power and gasoline power were tried.
The first military submarines to see effective use were the U-boats of Germany, first introduced in World War I. The U-boats ran on diesel? fuel and could only travel submerged for a short distance. The sinking of the [ocean liner]? RMS Lusitania by a U-boat was a major factor in bringing the United States of America into the war.
Germany again put submarines to devastating effect against the merchant ships of the United Kingdom and the United States during World War II. Germany was thereby able to maintain a blockade against the United Kingdom that was only broken with the help of the United States. [Japan]] also used submarines during WWII, sometimes on suicide missions.
In the 1950s, [nuclear power]? partially replaced diesel fuel in those nations with access to nuclear technology. Equipment was also developed to extract oxygen from sea water. These two innovations gave submarines so equipped the ability to remain submerged for weeks or months. Non-nuclear nations continued to develop conventional forms of propulsion.
During the Cold War, the United States of America and the Soviet Union maintained large submarine fleets that engaged in cat-and-mouse games. Russia continues this tradition today. The United Kingdom employed nuclear-powered submarines against Argentina in 1982 during the two nations' dispute over the Falkland Islands.
Recently two tragedies involving submarines occurred. In 2000, the Russian submarine Kursk? sank in the Arctic Ocean; an international rescue effort failed to save the crew. In 2001, the American submarine USS Greeneville accidentally struck and sank a Japanese ship, killing nine Japanese crewmen.
Articles on specific submarine vessels: USS Greeneville. Related topics: submarine sandwich, naval warfare tactics, USS Indianapolis.
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