Thank you to all of you who have offered kind words on Hunters of the Steel Sharks. (If you haven't seen it yet, visit Signal Light Books.) I am working on arranging some book events in the area soon, including a presentation for the U.S. Navy League in Bath, Maine this month and later on a presentation for a group in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (in the vicinity of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard). New to The Subchaser Archives this month are three or four hull number photos, and several new photo sets. Also be sure to see the excellent photos added to the set of images showing David Jack's 1:24 scale chaser model. A note to other model makers: Please send in photos for the Showcase section. --Todd Woofenden, Editor, The Subchaser Archives


New in The Chasers >> Photo Sets

You may recall that some time back several excellent photos of interior spaces were posted, scans of images from the collection of George Edgar Warren, Quartermaster on SC 136. This set has been expanded to include photos of officers and crewmen. There are some very good shots in this set, including a nice detail photo of the bridge. Inspired in part by a conversation with Aled Jones, a historian in Wales, I have scanned and posted a set of images from the collection of a crewman on SC 45, a chaser that for a time served from Holyhead. I'm still working on notes for these images. If you see a location you recognize or an interesting detail, please speak up. Also posted recently, from the G.S. Dole Collection, is a set of rare images of American Expeditionary Forces in northern Russia. Lt. Dole served as unit leader of a three-chaser unit assigned to service in the White Sea after the war, to assist during the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Russia. These are AEF photos taken in Murmansk and Archangel during his tour of duty there.


New in Chaser Models >> Showcase

David Jack has been working on a RC chaser model in 1:24 scale. Just posted are several photos showing further progress, including an excellent photo showing two of his models, the WWI chaser and its larger WWII successor. The juxtaposition of these two models shows the scale and differences of the two related vessels very nicely. For the model makers among you - or anyone interested in fine construction details - the images of the rudder cable arrangement recently posted may also be of interest, and for large-scale work, a shot showing the rudder cable guides. This answers the question of how the rudder cables could be run alongside of the lifeline stanchions and stay put, given the shape of the hull. Of course the rudder cables were troublesome anyway, as is evident from the many personal accounts of broken cables causing delays and navigation problems. Imagine trying to operate the rudder manually, in the event of a rudder cable separation while under way in bad weather. The crewmen assigned to that task (see this photo) must have been the most pleased to see the cables repaired.


New in The Chasers >> Hull Number Photographs

Four new additions to the collection of hull number photographs: SC 19 shown during trials of a hydrophone listening device developed in Wisconsin; SC 55, which served in the Third Naval District; SC 58, which also served in the Third Naval District; and SC 431, which was transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard in 1919, shown here in 1941. Also posted is a nice photo of SC 332, submitted to The Subchaser Archives by Edward Boynton.


New in The Chasers >> Subchaser Crews

Just posted is a crew photo from SC 93, submitted by Betsy Keenen Walker, granddaughter of C.W. Keenen, who was chief machinist's mate on SC 93. Lt. George S. Dole was CO of SC 93 during the war.