|
1953 Photos |
|
|
The "Thing" A rare photo of the Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) mounted on the port side amidships. A large contraption with articulated links that were designed to prevent the transducer from turning. The VDS was meant to be lowered below the different thermal layers in the water, thus avoiding most of the refraction errors common to hull-mounted transducers when their sound beam struck different temperature gradients. Unfortunately, the VDS only worked at very slow speeds, providing the DE as a perfect target to the enemy. In addition, the transducer heads cost about $1,000,000 each and were lost when the articulated chain twisted and broke. Robbie lost two of the heads during trials, one at the bottom of Boston Harbor, the other in the North Atlantic off Halifax, Nova Scotia (see below). Courtesy of John & Carol Fox ------------- About the Photos of the VDS you state it was in 1951, I'm sorry to disagree with you but those photos where taken in Texas in 1953. I know because I missed to trip to Texas because I was sent to Radio School in 1953. Also the other VDS Head was lost in the North Atlantic off Halifax, Nova Scotia. Hope I can get to the next reunion. I was aboard from 1952 to March 1956. Orville L. Smith,
RMC Ret. Left the Robbie as RM3. |
|
|
The unit shown
with the cable attached brings back the recollection of the cruise aboard
the Robinson which took us from Key West to Sable Island...and to
Lunenburg, Nova Scotia...thence to Halifax for R & R. I also recall a
monstrosity of a unit having been built on two railroad track runners...on
the port side about amidships...just a little forward of the Quarterdeck,
I believe. This big piece of machinery was called lovingly "The
Thing" by the crew. On that cruise the Robinson's function, if my memory serves me right, was to measure water temperatures as we crossed and crisscrossed the Atlantic until we finally reached Sable Island (in the North Atlantic east of Nova Scotia). Also, my recollection was that the purpose to help produce a better kind of sonar system. The theory was that the ocean had "walls of temperatures" and sonar, in some cases, could not penetrate these walls...had something to do with warmer and colder waters...like a warm and cold fronts in our atmosphere. And I believe we had a few Philco (maybe some other company, I'm not sure) technicians on board to oversee the operations of this 'THING' Possibly some sonar personnel or officer who was serving on board would have a better idea on that point. In any case, the 'THING' had a winch and cable attached to it. With it placed near the edge of the ship, the arm consisting of the cable(s) would lower this bathythermograph down into the water. Inside the container was placed a "smoked 35mm film" much the same size as regular still-camera 35mm film. As I understood from my viewing the goings on the unit was lowered to different levels of depth and left to drag alongside and astern of the ship. What I saw on one retrieval was this negative with a squiggly line...running across the film. I believe the film and line(s) would reflect the different water temperatures in a given time period. I think a log of when it was dropped, as well as the ship's location and the time it was retrieved, and the findings recorded on the film should be a matter of record some place. Norm G. Gignac, Email: normgee2@juno.com or see him here. |
|
