The Arizona copper camp., 1919-10-04
CQoOrld's Fastest
Sub Built For
Our Nauy

BOSTON-The AA-1, the first fleet
| submarine built for the United States
government, has now successfully
completed her trials off Provincetown.
Mass, and will be delivered to the
government for active service in the
near future. This vessel was built bv
the Electric Boat company, to their
own design. The contract was entered
into prior to the entrance of the
/ United States into the war, but on ac-
count of the war necessity for turning
out the maximum number of mer-
chant vessels, destroyers and smaller
submarines, her construction has
been somewhat delayed
The AA-1 is by far the largest and
fastest United States submarine. She
| is about 270 feet long, having a sur
face displacement of about 1850 tons,
as compared with $50 tons for the IS"
class, the next largest size. In the
trials just completed the AA-1 made
2092 knots over the measured mile,
which is world record for subma-
rines propelled by Diesel engines, be-
| ing considerably in excess of the best
records made by European subma-
rines. TIL high speed enables this
type to cruise in company with the
battle fleet, hence the designation
fleet" submarine The. smaller and
slower types, owing to their inability
to keep company with the battle fleet,
constitute separate arm which op.
crates Independently of the main fleet.
The appearance of the AA-1 therefore
marks the beginning of the new era
predicted by many experts, viz, that
large and fast submarines would con-
stitute an integral part of battle fleets.
The British, by the production of the
K class during the war, achieved a
partial solution of the problem of the
fleet" submarine. The K class are
large submarines Of over 200 tons dis
placement, driven on the surface by
steam turbines and attaining trial
speed of % knots. In this design,
however, everything has. been sacri-
feed to surface speed, SO that the sub
merged qualities OF the boats are very
inferior and the radius OF action IS
short.
In n o1,oI
really short-range deStroyers capable
of limited use as submarines. In the
AA-1, on the other hand, no sacrifice
of submerged qualities or radius ac-
tion has been made, SO that she is a
true submarine, possessing high sur
face speed in addition to long radius
of action, powerful armament and the
most excellent submerged qualities,
and thus the type can be used either
as part OF the battle fleet or for in
dependent operation even in distant
parts of the world. AS the fear has
frequently been expressed that with
increased size and speed the subma-
rine would lose the excellent sub
merged qualities attained by the
smaller boats, the demonstration by
AA-1 that this is not necessarily the
case is one of the most gratifying re-
suits of the trials to the naval ex-
perts who conducted them.
The Diesel engines Of the AA-1
built by the New London Ship and
Engine company. of Groton, Conn, de-
velop 4400 horsepower, as against a
maximum of $500 horsepower for the
most powerful Diesel engines in sub
marines abroad, viz, the British and
German.
While the displacement of the AA-1
is materially less than that of the
largest British and German subma-
rines, she possesses not only superior
speed, both ON the surface and sub
merged, but also contains improve
ments of confidential nature in arm
ament and in safety features which
are considered of great Importance by
naval experts.
Two additional vessels Of the type,
viz, the AA~2 and. AA-3 are under con
struction by the Electric Boat com.
pany Both vessels have been launched
and are scheduled for trial in the near
future. Nine additional vessels have
been. appropriated for by congress, butt
as yet no orders for the same have
been placed, it being the desire Of the
navy department to thoroughly test
out the AA-1 before proceeding with
this important branch of naval con.
struction.
Submerged speed of the AA.1 i'll
her recent trials was 1865 knots.