One of the things I enjoy most in the study of WWI submarine chasers is corresponding with people around the world whose interests intersect in one way or another. Doug Charles and I have been passing emails back and forth from time to time for quite a while now, discussing the details of the Standard Motor Construction Company engines that were used in the 110' chasers and ML boats. Recently Doug posted his work on the subject, in the form of several papers on Standard engines. See the links below to download them.
Also included this month are quite a few photos, and a link to an article about the post-war fate of one of the WWI subchasers.
Best wishes for a pleasant summer.
Todd Woofenden, Editor
Standard Motor Construction Company Engines
Doug Charles has posted a set of pdf files of his research papers on Standard Motor Construction Company engines. Drawing from a large body of technical papers, schematics, manuals and other early materials on these engines (you'll see some items from this site, and from my collection, incidentally), Doug puts together a comprehensive account from both the technical and the practical perspectives: how they were built, and how they were run.
See especially the segment on "Reversible Standard D: The 10×11 Naval Standard" for very detailed information and illustrations of the engines used on the 110' submarine chasers (and the ML boats).
For engine/mechanical equipment enthusiasts, there is a great deal of information about an early engine; and for anyone interested in the lives of the men on the chasers, you'll get a sense of what it was like to operate these enormous machines.
Imagine running three 6,300-pound open-crankcase engines in the enclosed engine room of a 110' wooden motorboat -- and crossing the Atlantic ocean.
Download the papers here: mechanicalbaroque.com (Click the "Power" tab.)
SC 38 Photographs
Recently posted are two photos from the service of Raymond E. Irby, a crewman on submarine chaser SC 38. Thanks to his grandson, Raymond Irby, for submitting the photo scans to The Subchaser Archives.
Mysterious Wreck in the Hanover Flats
I recently came across an interesting article about a WWI chaser wreck, SC 241 - The Mysterious Wreck in the Hanover Flats, by Ray Freeden of Marshfield, Massachusetts. It's a good example of a post-war use of a chaser: at one time possibly a rum-runner, later as a private boat and finally as a makeshift home.
I added a couple of notes on the stats -- but the story is entertaining and worth reading, and gives a good sense of what happened to these boats after the war.
Text-only is attached, in case the link fails.
SC 248 Set
A photo collection recently donated to The Subchaser Archives by Don Peteya includes a number of excellent images from the service of SC 248. Several photos showing scenes at "American Bay," Base 25, Corfu, are posted. More to follow, especially a set of images showing scenes on the Austrian warships handed over to chaser crews just after war, including SMS Radesky and SMS Zrinyi.
Hull Number Collection
Several new hull numbers are represented, one from a photo set donated by Don Peteya (more from that collection separately), and most from an excellent photo in the collection of the National WWI Museum. Thanks to Jonathan Casey and Don Peteya for submitting the images to The Subchaser Archives.