newcomb@world.std.com (Donald R Newcomb) (04/17/91)
From: newcomb@world.std.com (Donald R Newcomb) Mark Kinney (kinney@wku.edu) writes: >Country X proceded to fill several supertankers with >styrofoam and send them into the Red Sea before his fleet. The theory was that >the styrofoam would keep the ship afloat despite mine detonations, and would >clear corridors for the fleet. Possible or not? Of course, this is in no way a new idea. A very interesting article in _Naval History_ (1) discusses U.S. Navy efforts to develop methods for sweeping pressure mines. Mentioned are several Liberty ships modified by filling with "refined versions of ping-pong balls." One, the John L. Sullivan (YAG-37), was "fitted with a propulsion plant consisting of four surplus T-54 turboprop airplane engines mounted on the main deck, thus eliminating boilers, gearing, shafts, and propellers as candidates for derangement." The main feature of the article was XMAP-1, a 251 foot long, 28.5 foot diameter, 2880 ton, steel "cigar" designed to be towed through a minefield to sweep magnetic, acoustic and pressure mines. The "thing" proved to unwieldy and was scraped in 1964. BTW this issue also has an article, with a picture, of the Wolverine (IX-64) which was the subject of previous postings. (1) Alden, John D., Cdr. USN (Ret), "The Indestructible XMAP", in _Naval History_, Winter 1988, pp. 44-47. Donald Newcomb newcomb@world.std.com (new personal mail address) drn@pinet.aip.org (still in use)
GNewsam@itd.dsto.oz.au (G.N. Newsam) (04/24/91)
From: GNewsam@itd.dsto.oz.au (G.N. Newsam) > Mark Kinney (kinney@wku.edu) writes: >>Country X proceded to fill several supertankers with >>styrofoam and send them into the Red Sea before his fleet. The theory was >>that the styrofoam would keep the ship afloat despite mine detonations, >>and would clear corridors for the fleet. Possible or not? I seem to remeber that in WWI the Royal Navy filled some obsolete battleships with lumber and tried to use them to blast a way through the forts and mines guarding the Dardanelles. I believe that the forts were down to the last few rounds when the attack was finally called off, to be restarted later as the Gallipoli campaign. G.N. Newsam ANZUS: The last line of defence for penguins.