[seafarer]

found this at http://yarchive.net/mil/submarine_battery.html

From: Jim Christley <jchris@bbn.com>
Newsgroups: sci.military.naval
Subject: Re: Seawolf vs. NSSN
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 12:43:59 -0500

Folks:

Just a quick run-down of information as a data point.

Single battery, 126 cells, lead acid, submarine type

Nominal numbers
Voltage range 210 to 355 volts
Amperage capacity depended on discharge rate due to
surface sulfation and total sulfation, electrolyte layering
and temperature.

1 Hour rate aprox 5000 Amps (5000 amp hours)
3 Hour rate aprox 2500 Amps (7500 amp hours)
10 Hour rate aprox 1000 Amps (10000 amps hours)

Bus work in the well as intercell connectors had to carry full load
current. From the well to the distribution/isolation breakers were
cable bundles.

Nuclear submarines (US) have one battery
Fleet diesel submarines (Gato,Balao,Tench Class) had two such batteries
Guppy II and Guppy III had four such batteries.

Each battery can be connected in series or parallel for greater
voltage/current capacity.

Shaft proplsion motors (slow speed non-reduction gear type) on diesel
electric submarines (Gato,Balao,Tench Class) had four (two per shaft)
and these could be connected in series or parallel. Thus there was
range of propulsion battery/motor combinations for speed/endurance.

Regards
Jim Christley

I know that on Royal Navy subs, the command "group up" was to shift the batteries (RN subs had 2 to 4 batteries, I think) from series to parallel for speed runs. This posting makes me believe that US boats had a similar arrangement.