Submarines

Submarines

Shipwreck USS Bass
There is something unique about diving a submarine - USS Bass

Submarines

The protected waters of Connecticut and Rhode Island were the site of much of the US Navy's early submarine development efforts, and continue to be even to this day. Many of the Navy's early submarine designs were less than successful, and a number of these boats, some of which were obsolete before they were completed, were used as subjects in weapons tests. If you would like to see a sub closer to home, you may tour the USS Ling in Hackensack.

There are also several German U-boats in the region, most notably the U-853. In the early years of World War II, the u-boats had tremendous success off the East Coast, mainly because practically no effort was made to combat them. These were typically the small Type VIIc and Type IXb submarines, and none of them are sunk off New Jersey or Long Island. The Germans called this 'The Happy Time.'

In the later years, anti-submarine warfare improved tremendously. Although the boats were the larger and more capable Type IXc, they seldom got away without being attacked, and three of them lie in diveable waters, if you call 200-300 feet diveable. And who knows - there may be others.

None of the u-boats that are known to have had action off the New Jersey / New York coastline survived World War II, although the U-123 was raised after the war and put back in service by France. The U-151 of World War I did survive that war, and was sunk as a target in 1921. Also in WWI, the U-156 is assumed to have laid the mine that sank the USS San Diego, and was lost shortly after.

USS Bass - NOAA




Shipwreck USS Bass
This photo is signed by Admiral Chester W Nimitz.
Type:
shipwreck, submarine, U.S. Navy
Built:
1924, Portsmouth Navy Yard, NH USA
Specs:
( 341 x 28 ft ) 2000 displacement tons, no crew
Sunk:
Monday March 12, 1945
deliberate - weapons test
Depth:
155 ft - sand ; 140 ft - deck ; 120 ft - conning tower



colors

You might not think that color matters much, but I prefer light, bright colors for any accessory that I might drop or set down. This includes knives, lights, bags, weights, and many other things. Yellow is my favorite color for this.

Despite the fact that black is really the only cool color for tech divers, I prefer Coast Guard orange uppers on my drysuits. These make you easier to spot, whether in the murk of the quarry, or drifting away on the surface of the Atlantic.

DIR

All equipment must be black. Ha ha - just kidding. You guys can take a joke, right?

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