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Originally Posted by E.B. Fluckey
I toured the Clamagore (SS-343) at Patriot's Point, South Carolina. This sub was commissioned in 1945 - too late to see action in WWII. Anyhow...I was talking to one of the vets on the sub (not sure if he was a submarine vet) and he claimed the sub is always powered by electric motors. I'm a bit skeptical so perhaps someone can clear these questions up.
1. When surfaced does the submarine use electric motors?
2. If so, when surfaced is the current to run the electric motors drawn from the batteries?
3. Or is the current drawn directly from the generators when surfaced?
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WWII era American subs were powered with Diesel-electric engines like the ones in diesel-electric locomotives. On the surface the diesels drove the electric motors directly and were disconnected from the electrics when submerged. The electrics then drew power from the batteries.