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Re: US Diesel (Harder, Darter, Trigger, Trout - always in, never out.)

As I am sure others will remember, Harder, Darter, Trigger, Trout were always in, never out, at least during periods of their initial operational capability, because they had four 16-cylinder so-called "Pancake" diesel engines: four banks of 4 cylinder stacked vertically like an aircraft engine with speeds as high as about 1600 rpm (?).

The problem that the design configuration created was very high levels of torque on the crankshaft; failures were so frequent that those four boats were lengthened by 8 feet each to accommodate three mod-speed FM-8 engines which left ALBACORE as the only operational Pancake platform. That hull could not be lengthened without unacceptably changing the hydrodynamic efficiency of that test platform.

Ref Arg detections in the San Juan ops area, they occasionally occurred not only by the 40-element array but also by at last one of the shallow-water systems located near the deep-water edge of the Grand Bank. A range value of 2000 mmi comes to mind.

Ramey also had its own unique capability and - in 1964 - held a Type 1 in the approaches to the Strait of Gibraltar when Antigua and Barbados did not.

The Cape Verde target detections were due to a unique bathymetric feature that funneled the signal into the deep sound channel axis only when the surface ship transited above that feature. Similar features exist elsewhere: in the Norwegian Sea and the far western Pacific. One was so efficient that some sources were never detected by any other sensor regardless of range. I was lucky enough to be on-site when one of those phenomenal events occurred.

Re: US Diesel

Learned that in New London, CT. about 1969.

Re: US Diesel

As I recall from my days at BDA (1968-1970) the saying was "The Harder, the Darter, the Trigger, the Trout, they always abrupt in and they always abrupt out." This was due to the FM 10's on board that replaced the pancake 16's in 1956-1958 time period. Long before most of us were in the Navy.

Re: US Diesel

Funny I was on Darter in her last years out of Sasebo and it seemed we were constantly filling in for Nuke Boats on Gate Guard who mysteriously went broke dick while tied up in Subic. Our Fairbanks and Morse's always worked and it was Barbel who we lovingly referred to as Building 580 who was winning Battle E's tied to the pier for 18 months.

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