Logo
Prev
Bookmark
Rotate
Print
Next
Contents
All Pages
Related Articles
Browse Issues
Help
Search
Home
'
National Geographic : 1950 Jan
Contents
Blimp Pilots Pursue aSpeeding "Guppy" offKey West Deep water and good weather combine tomake theKey West area ideal fortheNavy's subma rine and antisubmarine warfare training. Blimp and submarine, war's natural enemies, train together here, each striving tooutwit the other forthegood oftheNavy. Lessons learned inthismock chase could spell thedifference between defeat orvictory inbattle against astrong submarine power. The dirigible, hovering likea stationary platform, easily keeps itssurfaced partner under obser vation. When thesubmarine dives, theairmen mark thespot with a bagofdye, staining thesea. Using thesub's lastknown posi tion, they deduce herdirection under water. Byusing radio, the blimp canreport thesub's move ments toadestroyer orany acci dent toarescue vessel. Bymethods known tothe Navy, thedirigible may commu nicate with thesubmarine, though thelatter besubmerged. The submarine isoneofNavy's new streamlined guppies, from which guns have been removed and deck fittings recessed within thesuperstructure. ©National Geographic Society Kodachrome byJ.Baylor Roberts
Links
Archive
1949 Dec
1950 Feb
Navigation
Previous Page
Next Page