The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-01-13
New School Is important Link In
Anti Submarine Warfare Program
Commissioning
Here Marks
Latest Step In
Training Plan

When the new Fleet Son
ar School IS commissioned
here tomorrow, it will mark
the latest step in a training
program that began Is years
ago.
Adm. Lynde d. Mccormick, USN
Commander Chief, u. S. Allan.
tic Fleet, viii commission the new
building On the Naval Base at q
p. m. tomorrow.
The $l,700, 900 school Is Of con.
siderable Importance Is . train.
Ing center since The Navy has
hesn laying more and more stress
on antI.suhmarine warfare ii she
yesrs following the end Of World
War Il.
A more descriptive name for the
school would be the Atlantic Fleet
Anti-Submarine Warfare School be-
cause only one Of the schools
many courses involves sonar.
Other cpurEes taught involve all
phases Of anti-submarine warfare
for aviators, submariners, and
combatant ship sailors and officers
Of the Atlantic Fleet up to and in.
GLIDING the rank Of Admiral.
Sonar Is Naval ahhFevisiion .
for seund Navigation and Rang
Inc. u uses svper.sonie sound for
desseslon purposes and combines
electronle equipment with sound
20 accomplish underwater desee.
tlon.
While the Fleet Sonar School was
established In 1859 in New London,
Corn, rs actual heginnings reach.
Tar back into the history Of mar.
Macedonians, soldiers in the SER
vice Of Alexander the Great, watch.
ed the first submersible, a crude
baErel-shaped affair, as II slipped
beneath the surface Of the sea to-
explore the wonders Of life beneath
the waves.
Although Alexander's barrel was
IN Impractical machine, the dream
Of mans mastery Of the oceans liy-
cd on. Eventually. the submarine,
! powerful weapon Of war, was
developed, and used with telling ef.
feet In both world wars Of the Goth
Century.
It will play an even more out.
standing role In the event Of 4 third
World War.
The original site for The Fleet
Sonar School IN New London.
Conn.,. was selected Is an emer-
geney measure. rs New london
was already . training base foF
submarines. instruction In HE
use Of sound equipment Installed
IN Submarines had been offered
mere TOR some time.
The first classes al sonarmen
were instructed by submarine per-
sonnet; there were no texts, equip.
nnent, or planned curriculum. One
day Of practical experience at sea
was all the functional training that
was given.
Beginning in 1910. however.
ths various units Of Fleet Sonar
School were gradually moved 10
Key West, where weather and
see conditions were ideal.
The Naval Station could allocate
only two buildings to house the
school, but in few months the
facilities available had expanded
considerably to keep step with the
demands for more and more train.
cd sonarmen as the Battle Of the
Atlantic moved ahead at a furious
pace.
The fall of 1914 saw the school
ut its peak intensity Of activity
The outstanding characteristic a.
che German U-Boat throughout
most of World War II was sur
faced operation in which radar do.
lection could be used with telling
advantage. The snorkel, however
n the later stages of World War
II developed new submarine tar.
dies which make detection increa.
singly difficult. This new suhmar.
Inc can operate for long periods
while submerged and strike with
comparative immunity.
Whereas previously sonar and
radar played almost equally i'm,
portant roles in winning the great
battle with the submarine SONAR
stands today as the major snb.
marine detection device.
Instrumental in anti-submarinel
warfare is the ASW officer and the |
Sonarman, trained in the indivi.
dual skillS Of operation Of snnar
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