Public domain books in PDF format

[Vaux]

Is there a list somewhere on subsim of public-domain (out of copyright) books on submarine operations/general Pacific naval operations that are available for download?

[merc4ulfate]

I have never seen a complete list but there are plenty of them around. Some are direct US Navy Manuals but they are scattered across the interweb.

http://www.maritime.org/doc/fleetsub/

http://maritime.org/doc/fleetsub/pscope/index.htm

http://www.societaitalianastoriamilitare.org/libri%20in%20regalo/1946%20US-Navy-Fleet-Submarine-Manual-1946.pdf

http://www.valoratsea.com/links.htm

http://www.survivalebooks.com/free%20manuals/1945%20US%20Navy%20WWII%20-%20Radar%20Operators%20Manual%20%20%20408p.pdf

http://www.survivalebooks.com/free%20manuals/1942%20USAF%20WWII%20-%20Radio%20Manual-BC-348%20Radios%20%20%2088p.pdf

The next one has a huge amount of information:

http://www.hnsa.org/doc/

http://hnsa.org/doc/s-boat/index.htm

http://www.hnsa.org/doc/#ss

http://www.hnsa.org/doc/#sub

http://www.hnsa.org/doc/subreports.htm

http://www.hnsa.org/doc/#torp

http://books.google.com/books?id=vP6FGkCILPgC&pg=PA171&lpg=PA171&dq=indoctrination+depth+charges&source=bl&ots=SNu2eLgmjL&sig=W_FbwyElE0Am_HvyK-8b2H3G9vw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=hETUUoGbOonRkQf974CAAQ&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

[Vaux]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it! :salute:

[merc4ulfate]

I tell you what !!!!

Reading through the actual patrol reports is just bloody awesome to me.

Someone not too long ago was asking about modding a random failure on board. From what I have read that would be a realistic mod.

The last report I read had an upper crank shaft broken in the #4 main engine that had to be replaced and her 20mm shield washed completely off the boat bu heavy seas. They also reported the periscoped fogged really bad after 30 seconds of exposure. Further reports stated the periscope could not be used more than 10 seconds at a time due to fogging.

http://issuu.com/hnsa/docs/ss-280_steelhead

The Atlantic exploits of USS Barb (Lt.Cdr. John R. Waterman) is a good read as well.
The Barb had a great report about how she was not able to maintain depth at 120 feet due to heavy seas and had to go deeper to find smoother water to maintain depth.

Other patrols for US FLEET BOATS are found here :

http://www.hnsa.org/doc/subreports.htm

[Vaux]

Hi Merc. I'm reading through that USS Steelhead link you posted. Interesting stuff! I can see I'm going to lose many hours on that site.

I actually started reading it at lunch, and caught myself (twice) with my sandwich hovering in front of my half-opened mouth for several seconds. I was that engrossed!

Wow! That training accident off Pearl in October of '44 where "simultaneous material casualties" caused a 53 degree down angle during a routine dive. :huh: That had to be terrifying. "...the effects of this experience were long felt by all hands". YA THINK?

I just started on the log entries section and saw an entry when they were leaving Pearl and dove to 300 ft. to test for leaks. It's mentioned that they "received two indoctrination depth charges at periscope depth".

What's an "indoctrination depth charge"? Was it to test the boat's systems integrity (a literal "shakedown cruise"), or was it more to familiarize new crew members with what a depth charge sounded/felt like?

[merc4ulfate]

I tell you what ... read it for yourself my friend.

http://navsource.org/archives/08/pdf/0818129.pdf

On this one it is in the 6th paragraph:

http://www.queenfish.org/noframes/stories3.html

On this one, besides all the other good reading you'll find something of interest to this topic on page 171:

http://books.google.com/books?id=vP6FGkCILPgC&pg=PA171&lpg=PA171&dq=indoctrination+depth+charges&source=bl&ots=SNu2eLgmjL&sig=W_FbwyElE0Am_HvyK-8b2H3G9vw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=hETUUoGbOonRkQf974CAAQ&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false

The Navy does a fair job of trainging and simulating real world adversity. They ran me into burning brick buildings where the floor is a metal grate. Under the grate is water with fuel oil running over it and you have to put a fuel oil fire out that is not only floating on the surface of the water but you only had water to put it out. Gooseneck through the hatch with one hose and you push the fuel oil back until you have it cornered and fog it until the oyegen is low and you better not let the oil slip past behind you either LOL. I saw men run out of that building ... the fire friengtened them to much.

I wish I had a scanner to make photos of the book I have from bootcamp. I seemed to smile the most when I was in the gas chamber or in the fire building LOL. I loved Damage control school. That was just to much fun for me.

My son finished DC school along with his A school and sub school up in Groton a few months back. He thought is was a blast.

You might find these of interest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp7BBfRPGds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wd2Plax5HhI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vdp0oxSoo5E

This video was required watching in Navy bootcamp for the Do's and Don'ts of fighting a ship born fire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxP4AtGBnTs

[Vaux]

You are a wealth of information, Merc. Thanks again! Now... I have some reading to do!