From: "Steve Ewing" 

On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 17:42:44 -0500, Rich Gauszka  wrote:

> The Soviet Alfa submarines, constructed of titanium, reportedly had an
> operating depth of nearly 4,000 feet.

Problem becomes not the strength of the hull, but the strength and
reliabilty of the hull openings: scopes and masts, seawater inlets, torpedo
tubes, and an assortment of miscellaneous fittings.


I remember a guy trying to do maintenance, pumping away on a grease
fitting: hmmm, wasn't going, must be plugged.  I'll just take it off and
clean it... oops, maybe we were a little deeper than he thought: he got a
face full of grease and seawater, and we had to come shallow to get the
fitting back on.

Another sub, machinist's mate is in one of the hatch trunks while
submerged, doing *his* maintenance.  The upper hatch, of course, is shut,
and he bumps the handwheel and notices it's loose.  Being the squared-away
sailor he is, he torques it down properly.  Come into port, without the sea
pressure pushing down on the hatch, they can't get the damned thing open:
they have to get underway just to dive and loosen it.


--
Steve 
http://www.qmss.com/sewing

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