Military Officer - October 2008 - (Page 59) John P. Holland (above) stands in his submarine, the Holland VI, in 1898. It later became the first submarine purchased by the U.S. Navy. A computer image (above left) shows the sinking USS Housatonic and the H.L. Hunley. Drawings of the H.L. Hunley (left) were based on descriptions by a survivor of the sinking. The “American Turtle” (bottom left) was designed and built to carry gunpowder underwater. WORLD WARS BENEATH THE WAVES The pace of advancement in submarine technology was incremental until the start of World War I, when it shifted into high gear. The submarines that emerged from the conflict were propelled by diesel engines while on the surface and electric motors when submerged. Torpedoes and deck guns became the mainstay of submarine armament. Between the wars, Germany continued to upgrade and improve its submarine fleet. When World War II broke out, America found itself lagging woefully behind. To answer the threat looming in Europe, the country’s war production machine swung into action, producing the Gato class of submarines that would become the linchpin of America’s underseas force. The Gato boats, PHOTOS: ABOVE, ASSOCIATED PRESS; CENTER, COURTESY FRIENDS OF THE HUNLEY; TOP LEFT, COURTESY FRIENDS OF THE HUNLEY/DAN DOWDEY; TOP RIGHT, U.S. NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER OCTOBER 2008 MILITARY OFFICER 59
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