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AGSS-569 Albacore 1949-1953 - Early Developments

During that first half of the 20th Century, submarines were primarily surface vehicles with the ability to submerge, but their outstanding war record inspired a series of high-ranking naval officers to put scientists and engineers to work on a true submersible. Speed may have been an initial goal of this design effort, but through successive improvements and the incorporation of new technologies the end result would prove to revolutionize submarine performance and handling, and greatly influence modern submarine design. She was regularly modified to test new hull features, sonar systems, propulsion equipment and control configurations.

In 1949 a special committee began a series of hydrodynamic studies which led to a program within the Bureau of Ships to determine what hull form would be best for submerged operation. The Bureau of Ships authorized the David Taylor Model Basin at what is now the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, to research the ideal architecture of a fast and capable underwater vessel. The David Taylor Model Basin tested a series of proposed designs. Working at the David W. Taylor Model Basin in Carderock, Maryland, engineers and scientists built a series of models ranging in size from seven to 75 feet.

From July 1949 to April 1951, the David Taylor Model Basin tested a variety of hull forms and associated appendages that would increase underwater speed without jeopardizing surface performance. Designers looked to aviation for inspiration - something aerodynamic would be hydrodynamic as well. Derived from the traditional shape of airships or blimps, a rounded hull in the form of a paraboloid was incorporated in the initial designs.

The best two - one with a single propeller and the other with dual screws - were then tested in a wind tunnel at Langley Air Force Base, Va. Since air and water have comparable flow characteristics, the two models could be measured accurately and the data converted at the same time it was being used to predict full size performance. Because the twin propellers on previous submarines were largely for surface maneuvering and not really required for submerged running, a single, 11-foot diameter, five-bladed propeller was tested.

When tests proved that this configuration was the most efficient for propulsion and maneuverability, the single propeller and tear-drop shaped hull were adopted. Construction of an experimental submarine to this design was authorized on 25 November 1950. This ship was classified as an auxiliary submarine (AGSS) and named Albacore. And thus began the story of a 204-foot submarine that would break the world speed record twice and establish key design parameters for virtually all future submarines - USS Albacore (AGSS-569). HY-80 steel - the toughest and strongest steel yet produced - had just become available and was used for Albacore's pressure hull. With these innovations, the new design was a milestone in imaginative submarine technology.

The submarines used in World War II were long and narrow. This configuration permitted high-surface speeds but offered only marginal performance under the water. The hull forms in use during the Second World War were long and slim, usually about 11 times longer than they were broad. This is a hull form designed for high surface speed. Rear Admiral Charles B. Momsen pushed for a new hull designed for maximum underwater performance. To avoid compromises to satisfy various bureaus, Momsen kept Albacore's design within the Bureau of Ships and limited the requirements to achieve high-submerged performance. To garner support from outside the submarine community she was described as a "high speed target."

On November 24, 1950, Albacore was ordered from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This yard specialized in submarine building and maintenance and was uniquely suited to building experimental submarines. Albacore cost $20 million and took 33 months to build. The hull was built of a new alloy called "low carbon steel STS" which was later renamed HY-80 and used in all subsequent U.S. submarines. She was launched on August 1, and commissioned December 5, 1953. After completion of her initial trials, Albacore began work on Phase I testing.