30. The inventor of the modern torpedo was British engineer Robert Whitehead. His design was stolen and copied by a German called, and you cannot make this up, Schwarzkopff (‘black head’)
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Wasn’t his daughter the mother of the Von Trapp children ie Sound of Music?
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31. On the internet Ballistic missile submarines are often referred to as ‘Boomers’. But that’s the USN lingo, the British equivalent is ‘Bomber’
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32. Another British-American submarine terminology difference is the bit that sticks up in the middle. American term is ‘sail’, but Brits call it the ‘fin’
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33. Should point out, Americans say ‘submariner’ wrong (I’m a Brit so I would say that)
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34. The French term for the sail/fin is ‘kiosk’, although some would argue that’s old fashioned (like conning tower)
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How long ago are we talking for Old Fashioned? I was a midshipman starting in '06 (unable to commission for medical) and definitely learned it as conning tower from the LT.
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Which navy? I’m not fussed, but conning tower was when there was an chamber in it for the conn
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U.S. College program midshipman at U of SC.
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And that LT served on boomers.
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Interesting Was ‘sail’ also used on your submarine?
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Not that I recall.
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In 1950s when USN & RN started streamlining it they switched terminology to sail/fin, partly to emphasize the change I think
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Curious, in spanish, the word "kiosco" or "quiosco" is used when refering to newsstand/paper shop business
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Kiosque in french is a little structure. You can find them in public gardens where some musicians can play for instance. It is also a little structure where people sell stuff (newspaper, flower, whatever). And the submarine's top structures. (But I'm not sure while it would sound old fashion 😅)
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Here in spain "kiosko" means the same for 2 of the 3 cases, for the submarine top structure, is called the "vela" (sail) of the submarine.
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The Spanish choice might simply be because after WW2 they got subs from America before later adopting French subs
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In Swedish it is, as far as I understand, "torn" i.e. tower or turret.
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35. Anyone who wants to seriously argue, or worse belittle others, based on the use of these terms is a plank and best avoided
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Isn't it tragic how no WW1 submarines survive? Those boats had real conning towers. I mean, U-1, but that was a training boat only, already obsolete in 1914. Kerosene-powered attack submarine...
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Yes See post .38
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36. LNG tankers are probably a lot harder to blow up than most people imagine (Admittedly I’ve never tried)
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I'd guess the second torpedo hit would do the job. The first opens a tank and aerates the gas, the second ignites it. If this is a scenario, there is probably also a time component, as you need sufficient time for the gas to deliquefy.
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Then again, liquid gas is heavier than air, so normal ship destruction processes apply. Open a hole big enough underwater in the hull and normal fluid dynamics start doing their thing. (This is an interesting question. I'm at least one navy has researched it.)
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😂😂😂 www.youtube.com/shorts/HBB3D...
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38. The German UC-1 and follow-on UC-2 classes were the most successful submarines ever, but they are largely forgotten. They sunk ships by laying mines.
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Mines are just underrated in general. There's a reason we Aussies keep a decent stockpile of Stonefish around.
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The Germans didn't really go for (the smaller) sub minelayers in WW2. Any idea why? Maritime patrol aircraft? Payload considered too small? Focus on convoys?
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39. The Soviet Ushakov flying submarine was a terrible idea. Only famous for fanboy reasons
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Now that is something I would have drawn as a kid.
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40. The VA-111 Shkval rocket powered supercavitating torpedo is much overrated. It’s interesting but nowhere near the superweapon the internet makes out
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oops
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Just 114 more facts (and counting) and you'll meet the challenge. I predict you won't make it 😜
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As an American, the Americans win this one.
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As an American, not navy, the Brits are right.
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