Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Does anybody have a copy of this book?

[Marc de Piolenc <piolenc@archivale.com>]

What a find! And what a piece of yellow journalism.

I am particularly amused and appalled by the "question" of how long the 
sub could run submerged on its battery. The anonymous naval experts 
cited stated that it could only run for one hour, while Wilkins claimed 
40 hours. Of course, both were telling the truth, with Wilkins citing 
the maximum endurance available at reduced speed while the naval experts 
gave the figure for a tactical run at full speed. By deleting that 
important qualifier, the writer generated the appearance of controversy, 
where in fact none existed, anticipating today's journalism standards.

Inasmuch as this article appeared well before the start of the 
expedition, and must have been seen by the crew, could it have been the 
stimulus for the anonymous act of sabotage (the mysterious disappearance 
of the sub's hydroplanes) that ultimately thwarted the attempt?

Not that the crew didn't have real concerns. The elaborate modifications 
ordered for the under-ice expedition seem to have consumed the entire 
shipyard budget, leaving some prosaic but vital maintenance tasks undone 
or poorly done. Lake notes:

"I understand that the craft itself functioned perfectly, but for 
various reasons Sir Hubert Wilkins and Captain Danenhower were so
anxious to get away on the voyage that they took a chance, and sailed 
with engines and electric equipment in very bad condition. An engine 
cylinder was cracked, two of the pumps were not in condition, the
ice drill and conning-tower were not functioning properly, and I have 
been told that one of the large yokes of the generator motor was loose 
in the rack."

Now it's not unheard-of for a vessel to leave port with minor machinery 
problems left to be dealt with at sea, but the machinery defects 
mentioned by Lake could not have been fixed anywhere but a shipyard. 
Indeed, the boat was laid up for some time in England before proceeding 
north, and it's clear that not even trim dives were carried out before 
the first attempt to dive under the ice, because it was only at that 
point that the absence of the hydroplanes was discovered.

Archivale catalog: http://www.archivale.com/catalog
Polymath weblog: http://www.archivale.com/weblog
Translation services: http://www.proz.com/profile/639380
Ducted fans: http://massflow.archivale.com/

On 9/24/2010 2:57 AM, irox wrote:
> Here is some more on the Wilkins attempt.
>
> "Will the Nautilus Freeze Under the North Pole?"
> Source: Modern Mechanix
> Issue: June, 1931
> http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2010/08/25/will-the-nautilus-freeze-under-the-north-pole/
>
> -----Original Message-----
> > From: MerlinSub@t-online.de
> > Sent: Sep 23, 2010 10:36 AM
> > To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
> > Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Does anybody have a copy of this book?
> >
> >
> > Hi Marc, I had a folder photocopy many years in my libary.
> > But sold it back to the original collector.
> > Will send his email adress direct to you.
> >
> > vbr Carsten
> >
> >
> > "Marc de Piolenc"<piolenc@archivale.com>  schrieb:
> > > Under the North pole ; the Wilkins-Ellsworth submarine expedition, by
> > > Sir Hubert Wilkins
> > > --
> > > Archivale catalog: http://www.archivale.com/catalog
> > > Polymath weblog: http://www.archivale.com/weblog
> > > Translation services: http://www.proz.com/profile/639380
> > > Ducted fans: http://massflow.archivale.com/
> > >
> > >
> > >
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