Quote:
Originally Posted by Bubblehead1980
.How do explain the vast difference in the Cachalot and Balaos test depth? Perhaps Balao was all welded construction.Not sure.
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Difference was in material and quanity used.
The material difference was balao's (and tench's) High tensile steel. On top of that, the steel plating used was thicker.
Gato and boats preceeding it used a softer steel. Not high tensile steel, and the quanity used was slightly less in thickness.
Thus the nickname of "thick skinned" and "thin skinned" boats.
edit:
more detailed info here
http://www.submarineresearch.com/bull31.html
edit: And i had the part about the thickness of the steel increasing wrong. It was all in the material used.