Last week I had the pleasure of speaking on the history of subchasers in WWI to USS Maine Base, a group of submarine veterans, who meet at the American Legion post in Augusta, Maine. Some of the photos in my presentation were of listening devices that were used on the chasers, and versions used on submarines as well. These include the little-known "Y Tube" hydrophone, a variation on the K-Tube device. For use on a submarine, the device was fixed to the hull. Had the war continued, a similar device would probably have been developed for use on chasers, as casting the K-Tube overboard was a time-consuming process and required that the boat be stopped. If anyone can point me to any sources that describe actual use of the Y-Tube in action, I would love to hear from you.
Todd Woofenden, Editor
New audio/video content at In the Great War
New Section: Document Archives >> Mystery Photos
Just launched in the Document Archives section is a subsection for "mystery photos," various WWI photographs of unidentified scenes, ships or events. If you can answer the questions on one or more, please send an email with the answer. To start the section, there is an interesting shot of British C-Class submarine HMS C5, next to an unidentified ship with a notable stripe pattern on one stack. Also posted is a "where is it" photo, of a restaurant with U.S. servicemen in the street outside.
New in The Chasers >> Hull Number Photographs
Recently posted is a very rare photo, of submarine chaser SC 60. This ill-fated chaser was sunk in a collision with the American tanker Fred M. Weller on 1 October 1918. Two crewmen were killed.