powering the ship’s electrical systems. While on the surface, the generators charged the batteries, which supplied power—for a limited time—to run the electric motors while the submarine was submerged. These batteries were located in compartments beneath the main deck, one below the crew quarters and the other forward, beneath the officers’ quarters and wardroom.
World War II American fleet submarines—like Billfish —had two batteries, each composed of 126 cells. Each cell was about fifty-four inches high, over a foot deep, and almost two feet wide, and weighed about 1,650 pounds. As the cells were being charged, they produced explosive hydrogen gas, which had to be removed through the ventilation system and discharged outside the pressure hull. Meters were hung throughout the vessel to keep tabs on the accumulation of the gas inside the boat. It was a definite and perpetually present explosion hazard.
Another potential problem with the batteries was saltwater contamination. If salt water mixed with the electrolyte, poisonous chlorine gas could be produced. That, if concentrated enough, was an obvious danger to the crew.
Because of the exhaust gases and smoke and the need for plenty of air for the diesel engines to run, they could not operate while the boat was submerged. Even if some sort of snorkel system made it possible to run the engines, pulling in air and venting smoke—such a snorkel was actually employed in some submarines after World War II—they still made plenty of noise and black smoke, making detection by surface craft easy.
If the boat ran at her full eight to ten knots’ speed that was available while submerged, a full charge on the batteries allowed only about an hour’s worth of power. Those same batteries also supplied the juice for air-conditioning and air scrubbing as well as all other electrical systems while submerged, too. The only way to recharge them was to surface and fire up the diesel engines. There was the crew’s dilemma.
Only battery power could be used while submerged, and batteries could not be charged while underwater. The submarine had to remain on the surface while charging, and that could take a while to get a full charge. Being submerged with little or no battery power remaining could be catastrophic. That was only one thing a sub crew had to watch continually and calculate accurately so as not to run out of juice.
Frederic Lucas was a plank owner on Billfish . That means he was a member of the crew that put her into commission. Another submariner standing at attention on the deck of Billfish on April 20, 1943, for the official commissioning ceremony—and thus another plank owner—was an experienced submariner named C. T. Odom, a “rag hat,” or enlisted man.
Charley Odom joined the Navy the first time in 1934 and selected submarine duty, primarily because he wanted to learn more about diesel mechanics. Many who enlist and choose submarine service will admit they did so because of the training they got in specialized areas. Odom went to USS S-1 (SS-105), another of the primitive submarines built during and just after World War I. It was there he learned how to properly maintain diesel engines, and he learned well.
Odom decided he wanted to return to civilian life after a six-year hitch. He left the Navy in 1940 and went to work at the DuPont explosives factory in Memphis, Tennessee, keeping the locomotives in the plant’s roundhouse running. The plant had one major customer for its powder and shipped most of it there. Great Britain needed all they could get to fend off the attacks from Nazi Germany, but not all of it made the transit across the Atlantic. The German U-boats saw to that.
When the United States finally entered the war after Pearl Harbor, Odom was among the first in line to re-up. He knew he had some skills that would be very much in demand. So even though he had just married an Army nurse and settled into home life, he rejoined and went back to
World War II American fleet submarines—like Billfish —had two batteries, each composed of 126 cells. Each cell was about fifty-four inches high, over a foot deep, and almost two feet wide, and weighed about 1,650 pounds. As the cells were being charged, they produced explosive hydrogen gas, which had to be removed through the ventilation system and discharged outside the pressure hull. Meters were hung throughout the vessel to keep tabs on the accumulation of the gas inside the boat. It was a definite and perpetually present explosion hazard.
Another potential problem with the batteries was saltwater contamination. If salt water mixed with the electrolyte, poisonous chlorine gas could be produced. That, if concentrated enough, was an obvious danger to the crew.
Because of the exhaust gases and smoke and the need for plenty of air for the diesel engines to run, they could not operate while the boat was submerged. Even if some sort of snorkel system made it possible to run the engines, pulling in air and venting smoke—such a snorkel was actually employed in some submarines after World War II—they still made plenty of noise and black smoke, making detection by surface craft easy.
If the boat ran at her full eight to ten knots’ speed that was available while submerged, a full charge on the batteries allowed only about an hour’s worth of power. Those same batteries also supplied the juice for air-conditioning and air scrubbing as well as all other electrical systems while submerged, too. The only way to recharge them was to surface and fire up the diesel engines. There was the crew’s dilemma.
Only battery power could be used while submerged, and batteries could not be charged while underwater. The submarine had to remain on the surface while charging, and that could take a while to get a full charge. Being submerged with little or no battery power remaining could be catastrophic. That was only one thing a sub crew had to watch continually and calculate accurately so as not to run out of juice.
Frederic Lucas was a plank owner on Billfish . That means he was a member of the crew that put her into commission. Another submariner standing at attention on the deck of Billfish on April 20, 1943, for the official commissioning ceremony—and thus another plank owner—was an experienced submariner named C. T. Odom, a “rag hat,” or enlisted man.
Charley Odom joined the Navy the first time in 1934 and selected submarine duty, primarily because he wanted to learn more about diesel mechanics. Many who enlist and choose submarine service will admit they did so because of the training they got in specialized areas. Odom went to USS S-1 (SS-105), another of the primitive submarines built during and just after World War I. It was there he learned how to properly maintain diesel engines, and he learned well.
Odom decided he wanted to return to civilian life after a six-year hitch. He left the Navy in 1940 and went to work at the DuPont explosives factory in Memphis, Tennessee, keeping the locomotives in the plant’s roundhouse running. The plant had one major customer for its powder and shipped most of it there. Great Britain needed all they could get to fend off the attacks from Nazi Germany, but not all of it made the transit across the Atlantic. The German U-boats saw to that.
When the United States finally entered the war after Pearl Harbor, Odom was among the first in line to re-up. He knew he had some skills that would be very much in demand. So even though he had just married an Army nurse and settled into home life, he rejoined and went back to
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