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Friday, September 29, 2023

Friday Film: "SCAT - Submarine Classification & Tracking System (1960's)

An "interesting" idea from Ford. More on it here:

SCAT was a mechanical noisemaker affixed to large magnets which, when it attached to the hull of a moving submarine, generated noise that allowed the sub to be easily tracked. The SCAT was to be delivered using the already existing Hedgehog system. SCAT was the brainchild of inventor Frank Dobson, who also patented and developed a hovercraft and aircraft as well as children's toys. It's unclear exactly what the fate of the system was, but apparently it was never deployed, most likely because the odds of having the device successfully attach to the hull of a moving submarine at sea were very low.

Friday, September 15, 2023

U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) Report, 16 August - 13 September 2023

Interesting section: 1. (U) (LATE REPORTING) YEMEN: On 25 August, an entity impersonating the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM) was directing merchant vessels in the vicinity of Aden Anchorage, near position 12:48N – 045:15E, to divert to Hodeidah Port in the southern Red Sea. (UKMTO; Clearwater Dynamics)

U.S. Navy Office of Naval I... by lawofsea

Friday Films: "Boilers and Their Operation" and "Deaerating Feed Tanks" (both 1955)



Getting ready to go to sea in the days before gas turbines in ships meant the snipes had to get up really early to light off the boilers to have enough steam for propelling the ship. Boiler Techs did not work in quiet air-conditioned spaces. But they often worked miracles.