Thursday, October 11, 2007

Murchison launches $1b bid for Midwest

Australian market news that matters, in 90 seconds or less

Murchison launches $1b bid for Midwest
11 October 2007 - Melbourne Australia

After failing to convince Midwest that a friendly merger was the way to go, Murchison Metals has made a bid for the company valued at approximately AU$1 billion. The move has been seen by some as an attempt by Japanese interests to head off the Chinese in the race to open up WA's lucrative Mid West. The most recent interest rate rise, coupled with low housing affordability, caused a drop in first-home buyer loans and investor led construction in August. Telstra has met the federal government's deadline and agreed to switch on 211 ADSL broadband exchanges, meaning that all Australians will now be able to access broadband internet. Westpac boss David Morgan has expressed confidence that the bank's proposed acquisition of RAMS will go ahead. Meanwhile, the All Ordinaries and ASX 200 were setting new highs again yesterday, prompting some analysts to predict the market will pass 7000 before Christmas.

All the details below...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Latest Issue of Australian Small Cap Investigator is Now Online
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Technology Cycle Starts Up

~ Australia's Growing IT Sector: Sometimes it pays to take a look at sectors that aren't in a roaring bull market. If you do, you may be able to catch a bull market in its early phases. We may have that chance this month with this particular Aussie IT share...

~ Share Tip Updates: What to buy and what to hold...

All of this and more in the just released issue of Australian Small Cap Investigator. If you are not a subscriber to Australian Small-Cap Investigator simply click here to accept our trial offer and get instant access to the latest issue.

----------------------------------

Japan v China for WA iron ore
In what is being seen as a battle between Japanese and Chinese interests for access to West Australian iron ore, Murchison Metals (ASX:MMX) yesterday launched an AU$1 billion bid for Midwest Corporation (ASX:MIS). Murchison, backed by Japanese company Mitsubishi (TYO:8058), made the bid after failing to convince Midwest – backed by Sinosteel – that a friendly merger was the way forward. The companies have different plans on how to open up WA's lucrative Mid West region.

Home loans plummet as housing moves out of reach
First-home buyer loans and finance for investor-led construction dropped substantially in August, as a hike in interest rates and a lack of affordable housing took their toll. Nationally, housing affordability may be at its lowest since interest rates hit 16-17% in 1989-90.

Coonan makes another U-turn
Telstra has agreed to switch on 211 ADSL broadband exchanges around Australia, meeting Communications Minister Helen Coonan's deadline for signing off on approximately AU$40 million in funding for the project. The company's solicitor also wrote an open letter questioning Ms Coonan yesterday, after she said that the federal Government would consider using taxpayer monies to fund a fibre-optic network to Australian homes.

Westpac bid as good as it gets for RAMS
Westpac (ASX:WBC) chief David Morgan has said that he is confident the bank's bid for distressed lender RAMS (ASX:RHG) will be successful, as a rival bid is unlikely to emerge. Mr Morgan also said that the trouble surrounding RAMS is an isolated case.

All Ords on track to crack 7000 before Christmas
The All Ordinaries set a new intraday high of 6667.6 yesterday, with BHP Billiton (ASX:BHP) and Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) playing a significant part in the index's climb. Analysts say that the market could reach the symbolically significant 7000 mark before Christmas.


All the best,

Chloe Wilson

Monday, October 8, 2007

Gold Breaks Out, But How Many Benefit?

Gold Breaks Out, But How Many Benefit?
By Chris Weber

I've been noticing a strange thing.

I sometimes meet with readers of my letter, the Weber Global Opportunities Report. Occasionally, they hire me to go over their holdings with them (the only way I can really give good advice is when I know the person and their complete situation). Some I meet at conferences, and even sometimes on trips.

But the strange thing is that with every one of these readers I've come into contact with since the first of the year, they either have very little exposure to the gold and silver area or – in more cases – none at all.

I wonder, they pay to read my opinions and what I am doing, so they must value what they read at least somewhat. In some cases, they actively don't believe gold is going up.

---------- Advertisement ----------
Earn 24-hour payouts of $5,150 or more, every single month...

Savvy investors are earning $5,150 or more in as little as 24 hours, with something called "California Overnight Dividends."

The best part is, these "Dividends" are not a one-time thing. You can collect them as often as once or twice a month.

BusinessWeek says, "Those of us on a quest for extra income may find it in an unexpected place..."

Click here to learn more
-----------------------------------

"Why do you really think this?" is how one put it. Or they think it is going to fall before it rises, and maybe then they can buy it cheaper. "Gold will go to $540 before it goes to $740," said another with great confidence. (He'd never bought any.)

But one blamed me. "You don't seem positive enough about it in your letter, always saying that you may be wrong." Well, I don't know how much more positive I can be. I do enter into almost every investment with the view that I could be wrong, and I try to protect myself in case I turn out to be.

But I say "almost" every investment. I may take my principal out on stocks and even currencies, but I have not done so on my physical gold and silver. This alone should tell you that I don't regard them in the same light. I am willing to risk all of my prior profits because I believe we are still in the early phases of a huge bull market in the precious metals.

I suspect this person who blames me that he doesn't have any metals is the type who usually blames others for his mistakes. But he may have a point. I don't jump up and down and dramatically scream that you should do anything.

There was an advisor back in the 1970s during gold's last bull market. He was famous for saying, "Mortgage the home, mortgage the kids, but buy gold and silver." That's dramatic. Well, he was right. But like so many others, he stayed too long at the party and did not get out or get his readers out at anywhere near the peak.

Maybe I'm too superstitious. I approach investments with maybe too much humility, "rendering to the gods what is theirs." I've always found that the less fanfare you announce something, the better the chances are that it will work out. Anyway, it's not my style to scream and say "GET INTO GOLD AND SILVER NOW!!!"

I can only tell you what I have done, and what I think will happen. I've repeatedly said that my target for gold was $3,000 per ounce and $187 for silver.

More on Chris Weber

Is It Time to Buy Florida Real Estate?

Thailand: An Extraordinary Story of Stability

However, for so many readers not to have any makes me think I am not getting the point across. But then, I think that every bull market takes as few people with it as possible.

The activity gets heavy only just before the bull market makes a temporary high and gets severely overbought. This happened in the weeks leading up to the May 2006 highs. Then, when the market corrects, these latecomers get out in a panic.

But many others never get on until near the very end. This may be what I'm seeing. And with so few people owning gold or silver, it makes me think that we are still very close to the start of the bull market, and not near its end.

Good investing,

Chris Weber

Editor's note: Chris Weber is hands-down one of the best investors we've ever known. In over 35 years of investing, he has never had a losing year.

Right now, Chris is recommending three little-known ways to play the bull market in gold and precious metals - and also a savings account that yields double-digit returns annually. If you're interested in learning more about where Chris is putting his money, click here for the details.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Ho Chi Minh City, VN

Here is your 5-day forecast for:
Ho Chi Minh City, VN Qwikcast.com
Today Tomorrow Thursday Friday Saturday

Partly Cloudy
Hi 26°
Lo 24°

T-storms
Hi 27°
Lo 24°

T-storms
Hi 28°
Lo 23°

T-storms
Hi 28°
Lo 24°

T-storms
Hi 28°
Lo 24°
 
View current conditions, records & averages, weather maps and additional information for this location...
 

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

All Signs Point to BUY GOLD

All Signs Point to BUY GOLD
By Greg McCoach

DENVER, CO--Continued turmoil in the mortgage finance system led to an 8.3% drop in the sales of new single-family homes for the month of August. Meanwhile, builders in the US began work on the fewest homes in twelve years and new building permits dropped 5.9% to their lowest levels since 1995.

Yuck!us housing market yuck

Robert Toll, chairman and CEO of Toll Brothers Inc., summed up the current housing market and credit crunch nicely two weeks ago while speaking at the Credit Suisse Homebuilder Conference . . .

 bob toll

Deep doodoo indeed.

Home builders are now launching new promotional price reductions as well as other incentives to attract homebuyers and move standing inventory off their books.

It's an act of desperation that I doubt will have much positive effect for them.

Potential buyers are being constantly inundated with negative media commentary on the housing market, which is further exacerbating residential housing woes.

Advertisement

Twice-in-a-Lifetime opportunity
Fatten up YOUR Portfolio in Just a Few Short Months

An URGENT opportunity from the desk of Luke Burgess--the investment analyst who has already delivered gains of 16.6% . . . 40.6% . . . and even 64.3% in the past three weeks alone . . .

Click HERE to get Luke's message.

There are about twice the numbers of homes on the market for sale compared to a year ago. Buyers have more choices, leading to higher competition among sellers and lower prices.

Furthermore, lending standards across the country are tightening. Folks who want to put no money down on a home are being subjected to more scrutiny when they apply for a mortgage loan. As a result, they are being turned down more often than they were last year.

The consequence is that houses are sitting longer on the market, and once again no one benefits. Homeowners get anxious when waiting to sell their houses and often react by lowering prices and accepting lower offers.

In an effort to help the housing market the Fed stepped in two weeks ago and cut interest rates by a half-percentage point, the first rate cut in the past four years.

It was the old band-aid on the broken leg.

And that's because for the sub-prime mortgage borrowers who are already on the brink of foreclosure, the Fed cut is of little consequence. At this point in the game, the Fed simply cannot help them. The Fed cannot help them!

Moreover, the Fed cannot fix the overall broken house market. It can only work to delay the inevitable.

The world's financial policy technicians will be hard pressed to solve the housing issue. And for now we can't get around the problem. We have to just go through it.

The piper must be paid.

Meanwhile the USD continues to erode in value.

The dollar extended its recorded-setting lows against the euro this morning. The once mighty greenback fell to $1.43 per euro, its lowest level since the 13-nation currency's debut in 1999.

euro

The USD Index, a basket of six weighted world currencies, has also been steadily trending lower. At last look, the USD Index was at 77.86.

usd indez

Further dollar weakness is probably still in the cards. And an unpleasant thought lingers in the back of everyone's minds: Recession.

Let's face it . . . Americans are spending junkies. We've borrowed trillions of dollars to remodel our homes, take vacations to Tahiti, and buy 60" plasma HDTVs and giant gas-guzzling SUVs.

There are consequences to this lifestyle. And we'll reap what we've sown.

We're living financial history here, ladies and gentlemen. And the best way to hedge yourself against personal fiscal catastrophe is by doing what I've been urging--practically begging--people to do for the past ten years: BUYING GOLD!

With the USD on the back foot and the economy on the verge of recession, precious metals will see continued support.

Gold has recently breached the $750/oz. level as the reality of economic disaster is finally beginning to sink in.

The yellow metal is now at a 28-year high after rising some 10% last month. And the fundamentals for gold have never looked stronger.

Besides the weakness in the USD and the credit crisis, September and October are typically a period when jewelers increase their holdings. Gold ETFs have also been buying aggressively in recent months and central bank selling has cooled off.

Please, do yourself and your family a favor: Hedge the coming financial economic crisis with gold.

Until next time,

Greg McCoach 

Monday, October 1, 2007

RBA to decide on rates tomorrow

RBA to decide on rates tomorrow
1 October 2007 - Melbourne Australia

By Al Robinson

Tomorrow the RBA will make its monthly interest rate decision. The expensive Aussie dollar may be enough to induce an upward adjustment from our central bank. Strong economic growth is backing the currency. Economic output doesn't appear to have suffered any permanent damage from credit fears. But most analysts are expecting no change to the cash rate. Helen Coonan has fired a return shot at Telstra. The federal communication minister has accused the telco of acting irresponsibly with shareholder funds. Seven is offering Unwired another AU$65.6million for all of the business. The initial bid was AU$127 million. Virgin Blue is looking to muscle in on Qantas territory. US and Australian governments are working on an aviation agreement. This agreement would clear the way for Virgin Blue to operate on the Australia-US route. Meanwhile, a five-year study by Oxfam has the charity organisation accusing Oceanagold of intimidating Filipino villagers.

All the details below...

IMPORTANT REMINDER: In order to ensure that you receive future emails from Money Morning, please add moneymorning@moneymorning.com.au to your e-mail address book.

RBA to meet as dollar thunders
Tomorrow the Reserve Bank of Australia will hold its monthly interest rate meeting. The Australian dollar is at its highest level in 23 years against the US currency. But the futures market indicates investors expect no change to the cash rate.

Govt bites back at Telstra
Communications minister Helen Coonan has criticised Telstra (ASX:TLS) for waging a mass-mailing campaign against her and the federal government. The company is currently suing Coonan. According to Telstra's version of events, she imposed an unfair licensing condition on the telco.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Lesson Plan - Build A Submarine

Lesson Plan - Build A Submarine

LESSON PLAN MATERIALS:

·         Build a Submarine activity sheet

·         empty 16 or 20 oz. plastic soda bottle with hole in cap (the hole should be big enough to pass a flexible straw through)

·         three wide rubber bands

·         24 pennies

·         aluminum foil

·         adhesive tape

·         flexible straw

·         large tub of water

LESSON PLAN PROCEDURE: Build a Submarine activity sheet

1. Cut three holes in side of the soda bottle.

2. Stack the pennies into three piles containing 4, 8, and 12 pennies.

3. Carefully wrap stacks of pennies with foil.

4. Place a rubber band around the plastic bottle and slide it next to the closest hole. Position the other rubber bands next to the two remaining holes.

5. Place the four-penny stack under the rubber band closest to the bottle's top.

6. Place the eight-penny stack under the middle rubber band, next to the middle hole.

7. Place the 12-penny stack under the last rubber band (NOTE: The weights should be next to the holes NOT over them.)

8. Push the shorter end of the straw (about 1 inch) through the hole in the bottle's cap. Reattach the bottle cap to the bottle. Keep the flex section outside and bent upwards. Tape straw securely into place in bottle cap.

9. Lower the "submarine" into the water. Do not let long end of straw take in water.

10. Observe the action of the "sub" and record your observations.

11. When the sub stops sinking, blow into the straw.

12. Observe the action of the sub and record your observations.


LESSON PLAN QUESTIONS:

1. What makes your submarine sink?

2. What makes it surface?

3. After you learn the basic properties that make submersibles dive and surface. What is your soda bottle model missing that real submarines have to navigate underwater? Think of your sub as an underwater plane.

The Future of Submarines

The Future of Submarines

The evolution of future submarines for military use will be driven by the trend to use smaller, autonomous, and unmanned vehicles to perform missions both under and above the sea. Submarines of the future will be used for their inherent stealth to link and provide support to a deployed network of sensors and weapons. These deployed systems will act to increase the area over which the submarine performs its missions and improve its effectiveness in performing these missions, while reducing the threat to the submarine and its crew.

Modularization coupled with the development and use of off-board systems will allow a wide range of payloads to be employed by submarines. These remote sensors and weapons will include Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs); Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs); advanced cruise missiles; undersea acoustic and non-acoustic sensors and weapons; and new forms of submarine based systems for Anti-Submarine, Anti-Surface, and Anti-Air Warfare.

These capabilities combined with the submarine's advantage of being able to remain on-station and undetected for extended periods will multiply the effectiveness of these systems by adding the element of surprise and survivability.

The following timeline summarizes the evolution of submarine design, from the submarine's beginning as a human-powered warship to today's nuclear powered subs.

1578 <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_2.htm>

The first submarine design was drafted by William Borne but never got past the drawing stage. Borne's submarine design was based on ballast tanks which could be filled to submerge and evacuated to surface - these same principles are in use by today's submarines.

More Info <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_2.htm>

1620 <http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bldrebbel.htm>

Cornelis Drebbel, a Dutchman, conceived and built an oared submersible. Drebbels' submarine design was the first to address the problem of air replenishment while submerged.

More Info <http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bldrebbel.htm>

1776 <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_3.htm>

 <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_3.htm> <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_3.htm> View Full-Size <javascript:zpu(515,'http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/b/D/submarine10.jpg',800,800,'FSI')>  Francis BarberDavid Bushnell builds the one-man human powered Turtle submarine. The Colonial Army attempted to sink the British warship HMS Eagle with the Turtle. The first submarine to dive, surface and be used in Naval combat, its intended purpose was to break the British naval blockade of New York harbor during the American Revolution. With slight positive buoyancy, it floated with approximately six inches of exposed surface. Turtle was powered by a hand-driven propeller. The operator would submerge under the target, and using a screw projecting from the top of Turtle, he would attach a clock-detonated explosive charge.  More Info <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_3.htm>

1798 <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_4.htm>

 <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_4.htm> <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_4.htm> View Full-Size <javascript:zpu(515,'http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/e/D/submarine11.gif',800,800,'FSI')>  LOCRobert Fulton builds the Nautilus submarine which incorporates two forms of power for propulsion - a sail while on the surface and a hand-cranked screw while submerged.  More Info <http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventions/a/Submarines_4.htm>

1895 <http://inventors.about.com/od/hstartinventors/a/JohnHolland.htm>

 <http://inventors.about.com/od/hstartinventors/a/JohnHolland.htm> <http://inventors.about.com/od/hstartinventors/a/JohnHolland.htm> View Full-Size <javascript:zpu(515,'http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/a/D/submarine11.jpg',800,800,'FSI')>  LOCJohn P. Holland introduces the Holland VII and later the Holland VIII (1900). The Holland VIII with its petroleum engine for surface propulsion and electric engine for submerged operations served as the blueprint adopted by all the world's navies for submarine design up to 1914.  More Info <http://inventors.about.com/od/hstartinventors/a/JohnHolland.htm>

1904

The French submarine Aigette is the first submarine built with a diesel engine for surface propulsion and electric engine for submerged operations. Diesel fuel is less volatile than petroleum and is the preferred fuel for current and future conventionally powered submarine designs.

1943 <http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/Military_Subs_2.htm>

The German U-boat U-264 is equipped with a snorkel mast. This mast which provides air to the diesel engine allows the submarine to operate the engine at a shallow depth and recharge the batteries

More Info <http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/Military_Subs_2.htm>

1944

The German U-791 uses Hydrogen Peroxide as an alternative fuel source.

1954 <http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/Military_Subs_3.htm>

 <http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/Military_Subs_3.htm> <http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/Military_Subs_3.htm> View Full-Size <javascript:zpu(515,'http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/_/D/submarine12.jpg',800,800,'FSI')>  U.S. NavyThe U.S. launches the USS Nautilus - the world's first nuclear powered submarine. Nuclear power enables submarines to become true "submersibles" - able to operate underwater for an indefinite period of time. The development of the Naval nuclear propulsion plant was the work of a team Navy, government and contractor engineers led by Captain Hyman G. Rickover.  More Info <http://inventors.about.com/od/militaryhistoryinventions/a/Military_Subs_3.htm>

1958

 View Full-Size <javascript:zpu(515,'http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/-/D/submarine7.gif',800,800,'FSI')>  U.S NavyThe U.S. introduces the USS Albacore with a "tear drop" hull design to reduce underwater resistance and allow greater submerged speed and maneuverability. The first submarine class to use this new hull design is the USS Skipjack.

1959

 View Full-Size <javascript:zpu(515,'http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/Z/D/submarine8.gif',800,800,'FSI')>  U.S. NavyThe USS George Washington is the world's first nuclear powered ballistic missile firing submarine.

Nuclear Propulsion Submarines - Admiral Hyman Rickover

Nuclear Propulsion Submarines - Admiral Hyman Rickover

In the 1950s a revolution in sub design occurred - the introduction of nuclear propulsion. With nuclear power the submersible torpedo boat of old became a true submarine - a ship with greater endurance than its human crew.

Hyman Rickover - Background

Admiral, Hyman Rickover, the Father of the Nuclear Navy, was born in Makow, Russia (which is now Poland) on January 27, 1900. At the age of six, he emigrated with his parents to the United States, settling in Chicago, Illinois. Hyman Rickover entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1918 and was commissioned an ensign in June 1922.

Following sea duty aboard USS La Vallette (DD-315) and USS Nevada (BB-36), Hyman Rickover attended Columbia University, where he earned the degree of Master of Science in Electrical Engineering. From 1929 to 1933, he qualified for submarine duty and command aboard the submarines S-9 and S-48.

In June 1937, he assumed command of USS Finch. Later that year, he was selected as an Engineering Duty Officer and spent the remainder of his career serving in that specialty.

During World War II, Hyman Rickover served as Head of the Electrical Section of the Bureau of Ships and later as Commanding Officer of the Naval Repair Base, Okinawa. In 1946, he was assigned to the Atomic Energy Commission laboratory at Oak Ridge, Tennessee and, in early 1949, to the Division of Reactor Development, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.

USS Nautilus

As director of the Naval Reactors Branch, Hyman Rickover developed the world's first nuclear powered submarine, USS Nautilus </od/weirdmuseums/ig/Submarine-Photo-Gallery/USS-Nautilus.htm> (SSN 571), which went to sea in 1955. In the years that followed, Hyman Rickover directed all aspects of building and operating the nuclear fleet.

Hyman Rickover - Awards

Hyman Rickover's numerous medals and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Navy Commendation Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. In recognition of his wartime service, he was made Honorary Commander of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Hyman Rickover was twice awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for exceptional public service. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter presented Admiral Rickover with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest non-military honor, for his contributions to world peace.

Hyman Rickover retired from the United States Navy on January 31, 1982, after over 63 years of service to his country and to 13 Presidents. His name is memorialized in the attack submarine USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 709) and Rickover Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy. Hyman Rickover died on July 8, 1986 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

World War II Submarines

World War II Submarines

Both sonar and radar technology matured during World War II, and both were used by the Allies to combat German U-boats. Sonar and radar were also added to Allied submarines to warn of aircraft attack and counterattack from surface vessels. Since World War II sonar has been the most important of the submarine's senses. Hydrophones are the submarine's ears, and they listen for sounds from other ships and the echoes of sound waves transmitted from the submarine itself. See Photo: Typical WW II Submarine Layout </od/weirdmuseums/ig/Submarine-Photo-Gallery/WW-II-Submarine-Layout.htm>

Submarine Snorkels

During World War Two German submarine losses increased sharply as radar-equipped Allied aircraft attacked U-boats running on the surface recharging their batteries. To charge the batteries that powered the electric motors for submerged operations, all submarines had to surface to run their air-breathing diesel engines.

To counter the Allied radar threat the Germans perfected a Dutch device known as the snorkel. Using a snorkel a submarine could run its diesel engines and recharge its batteries while operating just below the surface. Air for the diesel engines was drawn into the submarine through the snorkel that was extended to the surface. To some extent the snorkel reduced vulnerability to detection and attack, but it protruded above the surface and could be detected by radar. The Germans introduced the snorkel too late in the war to make a difference.

Japan

Although the U.S. Navy still had a relatively small number of subs when World War Two broke out, this fact did little to dampen the spirits of American submariners. On January 7th, 1942, one month after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the USS Pollack (SS-179) sank a Japanese freighter off Tokyo Bay. It would be the first of many sinkings by U.S. submarines. When the figures were finally tabulated, it was found that American submarines sank five and one-half million tons of Japanese shipping, over half of the entire Japanese merchant fleet. U.S. subs accounted for about 60 per cent (over 1300 ships) of all Japanese merchant and warship tonnage sunk, yet the submarine strength at that time comprised less than two per cent of the entire U. S. Fleet.

The U.S. sub campaign deprived Japanese industry of raw materials and effectively shut down Japan's economy. The price of this success was high, 52 American submarines and over 3500 sailors remain on eternal patrol.

Greater Underwater Propulsion Program

Technological advancements like sonar, radar, and the snorkel came about as a result of the pressures of WW II, and the U.S. Navy applied these advances to improving its Submarine Force. In the late 1940s the Navy began the Greater Underwater Propulsion Program (Guppy </od/weirdmuseums/ig/Submarine-Photo-Gallery/Guppy-Type-Submarine.htm>), a modernization program for World War Two fleet-type submarines.

Under Guppy the fleet boats were streamlined by reducing the submarine's superstructure and removing deck guns. Snorkel masts were installed to allow Guppys to remain submerged while they ran their diesel engines and charged batteries. Finally, improved storage battery technology permitted longer submerged operations between battery charges. However, the Guppy program was evolutionary, a development of existing technologies

Military Application Submarines

Military Application Submarines

In 1912 the U.S. Navy replaced its submarine gasoline engines with safer and more efficient diesel engines. The oil-burning diesel engine required no complicated ignition, or sparking systems, and it produced fewer noxious fumes. The USS Skipjack (SS-24) and USS Sturgeon (SS-25) were the first U.S. submarines equipped with diesel propulsion.

The diesel engine and the electric battery remained the power source for submarines until nuclear power was introduced in the 1950's. While many modern submarines are still diesel powered, nuclear power has become the propulsion system of choice in US submarine construction. The British Royal Navy's submarine force is also entirely nuclear-powered. The French, Russian, and Chinese Navies use nuclear propulsion for some of their submarines.

World War I

The United States entered World War I in 1917 with a total of 24 diesel powered submarines.

U.S. Navy subs patrolled the waters off the U.S. East Coast and deployed overseas to the Azores and Ireland. The American submarines primary missions were to escort Allied shipping and counter the German U-boat threat.

Though there were no confirmed sinkings of U-boats by American submarines the number of German attacks repulsed by near misses showed the submarine to be an effective anti-submarine weapon. However, it was Germany's use of the U-boat in World War I that demonstrated the vital role the submarine would play in the next global conflict.

Naval Shipyards & All-Welded Submarines

After the war, the U.S. Navy slowly built up its sub force. Construction contracts with commercial shipyards were cut back, forcing the Lake Torpedo Boat Company to go out of business in 1922. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in New Hampshire became one of the largest submarine builders in the U.S. and between 1924 and 1929 the Portsmouth yard designed and built five 381-foot V-class submarines. Between 1932 and 1941, Portsmouth built an additional 22 submarines in the 1500-ton category.

It was during this period that the first all-welded submarine, USS Pike (SS-173), was completed. The welded hull allowed Pike to submerge to much greater depths than her predecessors and at the same time provided greater protection against depth-charge attacks.

Sonar

Sonar </od/sstartinventions/a/sonar_history.htm> is a system for detecting submarine sound in the water. It was first developed by the British for use against U-boats in World War I. Radar uses radio waves to detect objects on and above the land and sea surface. Radar was developed in the 1930s to detect aircraft.

The USS Holland Submarine - John Holland

The USS Holland Submarine - John Holland

In 1862, the United States Federal navy tested a prototype submarine called Alligator </od/weirdmuseums/ig/Submarine-Photo-Gallery/The-Alligator-Submarine.htm>. The Alligator submarine was intended for operations in the James River below Richmond, Virginia. However, the Alligator proved too large for diving in the river's shallow waters. The Alligator sank at sea while it was being towed to the Charleston operating area.

In 1872, the Navy unsuccessfully tested Intelligent Whale </od/weirdmuseums/ig/Submarine-Photo-Gallery/Intelligent-Whale-Submarine.htm>, another hand crank-powered submarine that failed. After the Intelligent Whale's failure as a submarine, inventors realized that until a propulsion method better than manpower could be developed for underwater use, submarines were not going to be worth the effort.

John Holland

By the last decade of the nineteenth century steam propulsion had replaced sail power in the U.S.

Navy. In 1896, the Navy insisted that submarine designer John Holland build his first contract submarine named the Plunger, with a steam engine for surface propulsion.

John Holland, an Irish-American school teacher and inventor, objected to steam power in submarines. Nonetheless John Holland built the Plunger with three steam engines to meet the Navy's prescribed surface speed.

The Plunger

During dock trials of the Plunger submarine, the temperature in the fire room reached 1370F with the power plant at 2/3 rated output. Similarly, during Plunger's sea trials a crewmember reported, "When we tried to submerge, it was so hot no one could live in her." Today, the nuclear reactor has eliminated this drawback to a heat source and submarines are driven by steam. But, before the advent of nuclear power, the internal combustion engine was the submarine's first viable source of power.

Internal Combustion Engine

The internal combustion engine </library/inventors/blinternalcombustion.htm> offered speed and comparative endurance on the surface, but its deadly carbon monoxide exhaust fumes and high oxygen consumption were obstacles to life beneath the surface. By 1900, submarine designers had solved this problem with the storage battery and electric motors. John Holland was the first to conceive of employing electric motors and the internal combustion engine to power a submarine.

John Holland and Simon Lake

John Holland and another American, Simon Lake, became the first modern submarine designers. They began their experiments in the last decades of the nineteenth century, John Holland in the 1870s and Simon Lake in the 1890s.

John Holland built six submarines, including one under government contract, before the Navy would accept one of his underwater boats. The Navy also considered, but decided not to accept, Simon Lake's Argonaut, an advanced version of his Argonaut, Jr.

Simon Lake's Argonauts had wheels with which to crawl along shallow bottoms and air locks to permit divers to enter and leave the wooden hulk while it was submerged.

USS Holland

In 1900, John Holland sold the US Navy its first viable submarine, USS Holland (SS-1) </od/weirdmuseums/ig/Submarine-Photo-Gallery/USS-Holland--SS-1-.htm>. This submarine was originally named Holland VI and was not developed under Navy contract. Holland VI was designed and built by its namesake using his own funds. USS Holland had the "amazing speed" of seven knots surfaced, made possible by her 45-horsepower internal combustion engine. She also had an endurance of several hours submerged when running on rechargeable storage batteries.

The USS Holland was armed a single torpedo tube and a pneumatic dynamite gun that fired through an opening in the bow. The Holland carried three Whitehead torpedoes, each with a pressure-sensitive piston that controlled the depth of the torpedoe run. The torpedo's stability was controlled by a pendulum, while direction was controlled by a gyroscope. A number of modern torpedoes used similar principles.

John Holland and Simon Lake were at odds in developing their submarine concepts.

John Holland and Simon Lake were at odds in developing their submarine concepts.

Simon Lake experimented with boats that ascended vertically according to negative or positive buoyancy controlled by pumps and tanks.

John Holland's boats were given neutral buoyancy by admitting water to balance the weight of the boat with the weight of water it displaced. With diving planes and a constant source of power, Johm Holland's boat could dive and surface on diagonal lines.

John Holland Submarine Diving

John Holland's principle, with some alternatives for fast diving and surfacing, is still used by modern submarines.

For all its innovations, the USS Holland </od/weirdmuseums/ig/Submarine-Photo-Gallery/USS-Holland--SS-1-.htm> had at least one major flaw; lack of vision when submerged.

The submarine had to broach the surface so the crew could look out through windows in the conning tower. Broaching deprived the Holland of one of the submarine's greatest advantages, stealth.

The Periscope

Lack of vision when submerged was eventually corrected when Simon Lake used prisms and lenses to develop the omniscope, forerunner of the periscope </library/inventors/blperiscope.htm>.

Sir Howard Grubb, designer of astronomical instruments, developed the modern periscope that was first used in Holland-designed British Royal Navy submarines. For more than 50 years, the periscope was the submarine's only visual aid until underwater television was installed aboard the nuclear powered submarine USS Nautilus </od/weirdmuseums/ig/Submarine-Photo-Gallery/USS-Nautilus.htm>.

·         More on John Holland

·         Photo of USS Holland (SS-1) </od/weirdmuseums/ig/Submarine-Photo-Gallery/USS-Holland--SS-1-.htm>

·         John Holland (1841-1914) <http://www.geocities.com/gwmccue/>

·         John Holland - Submarine Inventor <http://www.allaboutirish.com/library/people/holland.shtm>

Robert Fulton and the Nautilus Submarine

Robert Fulton and the Nautilus Submarine

Then came another American, Robert Fulton, who in 1801 successfully built and operated a submarine in France, before turning his inventing talents to the steamboat </library/inventors/blsteamship.htm>.

Robert Fulton - Nautilus Submarine 1801

Robert Fulton's cigar-shaped Nautilus submarine was driven by a hand-cranked propeller when submerged, and had a kite-like sail for surface power. The Nautilus submarine was the first submersible to have separate propulsion systems for surfaced and submerged operations. It also carried flasks of compressed air that permitted the two-man crew to remain submerged for five hours.

William Bauer - 1850

William Bauer, a German, built a submarine in Kiel in 1850, but met with little success. Bauer's first boat sank in 55 feet of water.

As his craft was sinking, he opened the flood valves to equalize the pressure inside the submarine so the escape hatch could be opened. Bauer had to convince two terrified seamen that this was the only means of escape. When the water was at chin level, the men were shot to the surface with a bubble of air that blew the hatch open. Bauer's simple technique was rediscovered years later and employed in modern submarines' escape compartments that operate on the same principle.

Horace Lawson Hunley

During the American Civil War, Confederate inventor Horace Lawson Hunley converted a steam boiler into a submarine.

This Confederate submarine called the could be propelled at four knots by a hand-driven screw. Unfortunately, the submarine sank twice during trials in Charleston, South Carolina. These accidental sinkings in Charleston harbor cost the lives of two crews. In the second accident the submarine was stranded on the bottom and Horace Lawson Hunley himself was asphyxiated with eight other crew members.

The Hunley

Subsequently, the submarine was raised and renamed the Hunley </od/weirdmuseums/ig/Submarine-Photo-Gallery/Horace-Lawson-Hunley.htm>. In 1864, armed with a 90-pound charge of powder on a long pole, the Hunley attacked and sank a new Federal steam sloop, USS Housatonic, at the entrance to Charleston Harbor.

After her successful attack on Housatonic, the Hunley disappeared and her fate remained unknown for 131 years.

In 1995 the wreck of the Hunley was located four miles off Sullivans Island, South Carolina. Even though she sank, the Hunley proved that the submarine could be a valuable weapon in time of war.

Biography - Horace Lawson Hunley 1823-1863

Horace Lawson Hunley was born in Sumner County, Tennessee, on 29 December 1823. As an adult, he served in the Louisiana State Legislature, practiced law in New Orleans and was a generally notable figure in that area.

In 1861, after the start of the American Civil War, Horace Lawson Hunley joined James R. McClintock and Baxter Watson in building the submarine Pioneer, which was scuttled in 1862 to prevent its capture. The three men later constructed two submarines at Mobile, Alabama, the second of which was named H.L. Hunley. This vessel was taken to Charleston, South Carolina, in 1863, where it was to be used to attack blockading Union ships.

During a test dive on 15 October 1863, with Horace Lawson Hunley in charge, the submarine failed to surface. All on board, including Horace Lawson Hunley, lost their lives. On 17 February 1864, after it had been raised, refurbished and given a new crew, H.L. Hunley became the first submarine to successfully attack an enemy warship when she sank USS Housatonic off Charleston.

History of the Submarine - David Bushnell 1742-1824

History of the Submarine - David Bushnell 1742-1824

From Mary Bellis </mbiopage.htm>,

David Bushnell's Turtle Submarine

The first American submarine is as old as the United States itself. David Bushnell (1742-1824), a Yale graduate, designed and built a submarine torpedo boat in 1776. The one-man vessel submerged by admitting water into the hull and surfaced by pumping it out with a hand pump. Powered by a pedal-operated propeller and armed with a keg of powder, the egg-shaped Turtle gave Revolutionary Americans high hopes for a secret weapon - a weapon that could destroy the British warships anchored in New York Harbor.

Turtle Submarine - Use as a Weapon

The Turtle's torpedo, a keg of powder, was to be attached to an enemy ship's hull and detonated by a time fuse. On the night of September 7, 1776, the Turtle, operated by an Army volunteer, Sergeant Ezra Lee, conducted an attack on the British ship HMS Eagle.

However, the boring device that was operated from inside the oak-planked Turtle failed to penetrate the target vessel's hull.

It is likely that the wooden hull was too hard to penetrate, the boring device hit a bolt or iron brace, or the operator was too exhausted to screw in the weapon. When Sergeant Lee attempted to shift the Turtle to another position beneath the hull, he lost contact with the target vessel and ultimately was forced to abandon the torpedo. Although the torpedo was never attached to the target, the clockwork timer detonated it about an hour after it was released.

The result was a spectacular explosion that ultimately forced the British to increase their vigilance and to move their ship's anchorage further out in the harbor. Royal Navy logs and reports from this period make no mention of this incident, and it is possible that the Turtle's attack may be more submarine legend than historical event.

·         David Bushnell Larger Photo of Turtle Submarine </od/weirdmuseums/ig/Submarine-Photo-Gallery/David-Bushnell-s-Turtle-Sub.htm>
David Bushnell built a unique vessel, called the Turtle, designed to be propelled under water by an operator who turned its propeller by hand.

·         David Bushnell's American Turtle <http://www.usna.edu/NAOE/new/turtle.pdf>
The only working, full-scale model of David Bushnell's 1776 invention, the American Turtle.

·         David Bushnell 1740-1826 <http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/bushnelld.html>
The most sensational contribution of patriot and inventor David Bushnell to the American Revolutionary War effort was the world's first functioning