Submarines During World War 2

U.S. Submarines were greatly improved intervening the start and finish of World War II.  Some would be stupefied to find out how big these submarines actually were.  They weighed 1,525 tons.  Most of the weight was the steel cylinder known as the pressure hull, which helped the submarine endure ocean water pressure.   Compartments at each end of the ship were filled with torpedoes.  A total of twenty-four torpedoes were in the entire submarine.  At each end of the sub were bunks and lockers for seventy men aboard the ship.  About one hundred men were aboard the entire submarine.  Members of the submarine crew had to promise with candor that they would defend their country.  If members of the navy demurred to life aboard a submarine, they would have to go anyways if they were truly needed. The journey on the submarine was not bleak.  When the men were not fighting, they could talk or play cards for entertainment.  If a marine was very religious, he might go through a catharsis, that is, he might pray a lot or even conduct prayer services among some of the crew. The command center was a room in the submarine where data from periscopes, radar and sonar was obtained.   The control room directed the diving and surfacing of the sub.  Vents in the bottom of the sub became ajar, allowed some water to come in and make the sub sink.  Vents were drained of water to bring the sub to the surface.  The “Christmas Tree” was a panel of red and green lights that showed the status of the haul openings. 

Below the control room was hydraulic refrigeration and an air-conditioning system.  The maneuvering room was where the speed could be changed or power source could be changed from the engines to the batteries.  The battery compartment held the battery and bunks for thirty-six members of the crew.    The rest of the sub was filled with propulsion machinery, or machinery that made the boat move.  On the outside of the submarine were deck guns.  The guns were five inches wide with sixty-five pound cartridges that could fire ten rounds per minute.  Deck guns were specially shielded and lubricated to alleviate water pressure against the guns.  If the water pressure was able to crush the deck guns, the aftermath of the submarine could be fatal. These deck guns could hit a target eight thousand yards away.  This way, the crew could easily defend their domain.    Since World War II, submarines have been updated even more.  But for the time period of World War II, the U.S.’s submarines were highly technical and worked considerably well.