Cold War Stories – “Look at that thing fly” – Submarine Design in the Modern Ages

Look at that thing fly – submarine design in the modern ages The sleek submarines of today are powerful examples of the evolution of naval ship design. What were once awkward frames surrounding the simplest of motive engines, are now the deadliest hunter killers that have ever ranged the oceans deep. The technology to create […]

The Holland Movie

I have spent a lot of time harvesting information about the early days of submarining both here and abroad. Over the past few years, I have tried to take a deeper look at the Holland submarine and its impact on the US Navy. A few of those articles are here: https://theleansubmariner.com/2022/03/30/the-men-who-go-down-into-the-waters-in-these-boats-must-take-their-lives-in-their-hands-hollands-invention-in-1898/ https://theleansubmariner.com/2020/04/09/the-creation-of-a-disordered-mind-hollands-submarine-boat/ Recently I signed […]

“Information from other sources sheds rather a different light on the matter.” Underestimating any enemy can be dangerous

“Information from other sources sheds rather a different light on the matter.” Underestimating any enemy can be dangerous. Recently, I was browsing through the national archives and found some declassified documents dating back to the 1920’s about submarine development abroad. During that time frame, there was a great desire on all parts of the world […]

In the beginning… building a submarine despite the odds (1900)

In the beginning… building a submarine despite the odds (1900) The 125th Anniversary of the United States Submarine force will occur in April of 2025. This is one of a number of articles related to that celebration. I spend a lot of time researching history and my favorite source material comes from the National Archives. […]

Crush Depth is theoretical… until it isn’t

Note: I collected much of the technical information for this story from open source documentation. As always, I do not reveal information from my actual submarine experience. I love and respect my fellow submariners still on patrol and only publish these generic submarine statistics to make a point. So you were a submariner? What […]

1910 – HARD LIFE ON A SUBMARINE

Only the hardiest and bravest need apply The submarines of the first B class were larger and more capable than the original Holland class and included a number of improvements. These improvements allowed them to travel further and faster with less attachment to the shore or escort vessels. But the challenges of the Holland followed […]

1908 – Submarines Floating on a Sea of Champaign

1908 – Submarines floating on a sea of Champaign In the winter of 1908, Connecticut House of Representative Member George L. Lilley brought a scathing accusation against members of the House of Representatives and a whole host of people who had been involved with the previous year’s submarine competition. The competition had determined that the […]

1907 – Sunken, Silent Stilettos of the Deep to Deal Deadliest Blows in Future Warfare on the Sea

1907 was an important time for the American Navy. The building program championed by President Theodore Roosevelt following the Spanish-American War had yet to fully bear fruit. The Navy in 1907 was still growing, still challenging Germany for second place among the world’s naval powers. The organization of the Navy at this time also reflects […]

1906 – A very bad year for submarines

1906 – A very bad year for submarines The submarine race around the globe was gaining steam as more and more of the major powers sought to join the growing list of naval powers that possessed the underwater craft. The recent war between Russia and Japan was an example of how important the threat of […]

1903 – 1904 A Different Kind of Submarine Race

What if a submarine was present on that day? Japan issued a declaration of war on Russia on 8 February 1904. However, three hours before Japan’s declaration of war was received by the Russian government, and without warning, the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked the Russian Far East Fleet at Port Arthur. On the night of […]