Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] 1964 fiberglass sub from Germany

[Michael B Holt <tlohm@juno.com>]

On Mon, 18 Aug 2003 22:32:00 +0200 Thijs Struijs
<thijs-struijs@planet.nl> writes:
>
>I have a book called: TAUCHBOOTE, written by Norbert Gierschner. There 
>is a description of the HAGENBURG. It was build in 1964 by Graf 
>Hagenburg. Until 1968 some of them were sold to the USA under the 
>name: PORPOISE.     

Do we know anyone who bought a PORPOISE?

Tell us more about the book, please.

>It was made of GRP, its lenght was 3,1 mtr. It had 2 rotatable 
>thrusters and an acrylic dome. Maximum dive depth 50 mtr.

The one I found could dive to 95 feet.  The hull had been tested
to "over 350 feet."   Power was a 1.5 hp thruster.

>There were 3 other GRP subs build in 1963 by Eschholz and Co. in 
>Bremen. They were called S-24, SM64 and LM64. They were made of 10 mm 
>GRP with steel reinforcements. They had 1 thruster and an acrylic 
>dome. Maximum divedepth 30 mtr. 

Ah, ha!!

The model name given for the '64 sub is S-24.   You found it.  Thanks.

The hull was "almost half an inch thick with a double-thick prow."
"The hull itself is of fiberglass reinforced with steel."

By the way, Coleman Enterprises (Chicago) was the importer.
I presume that's the company that makes the lanterns and 
camping gear.

>In 1965 Bouilly (one of Cousteau's 
>men) was killed in one. In the port of Monte Carlo at a depth of 18 
>mtr. there was an explosion that shatterd the dome. It is not known 
>what caused the explosion. The batteries, the compressed air and the 
>oxigen were placed in the pressure hull. So maybe there was a little 
>bit to much O2, combined with a little bit of H2 from the batteries. 

I'd not heard about that one.  Is it listed in the accidents?

>We now know what precausions we have to take, but 40 years ago they 
>were still pioneers.    

There still are pioneers here, mostly in terms of materials and design.
PSubs are now where experimental homebuilt airplanes were in about
1940.



Mike Holt


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