-FEATURES- connected to a receiving device in Electronics -- Then and Now the ship by which a good operator could obtain approximate bearings of contacts. By E. II. Fitzgerald substantiated many times, is of a In the early thirties an under and working contact between a ship in water telegraph communication J. L. Baker Ship Type Electronics Engineering the Canal Zone and a shore sta system was developed and in Branch, tion at , or even as far stalled. This equipment contained Bureau of Ships north as Bremerton, on the old a total of 30 vacuum tubes and had ship- shore frequency of 355 kilocy two transmitting antennas and To appreciate the advancements cles. Other ships have worked three receiving antennas. made in the electronics installa similar distances between the The total cost of the electronic tion in a fleet destroyer, it is only Canal Zone and east coast shore installation in a four-stack de necessary to go back a quarter of stations. stroyer was about $30,000. The a century and live again the "good However, it must be remembered cost to install was approximately old days" on a U.S. Navy "four- that those ships could have flattop $7,000. These figures, it must be piper tin can." antenna lengths of 150 feet, where remembered, were the going price The missions of the "tin cans" as the picture has changed drasti during the days of the depression, were comparable to some extent cally with the advent of later types and no comparison between them with the missions of the later de of and greater quantities and similar costs today is intended. stroyers: antisubmarine work, shipboard electronic equipment and To maintain and operate the screening for the battle line, scout associated antennas. equipment on a typical 1930 de ing, delivering high-speed The TAD covered a frequency stroyer, the ship was allowed, and attacks on enemy surface ships, band from 2,000 to 3,000 kilocy usually had on board, a chief ra gunfire assaults on attacking ships, cles and had 2 electron tubes with dioman, one radioman of each first, and, to a much lesser extent, anti a rated output of 100 watts. The second, and third classes, and a aircraft fire. It can be truthfully TAD was, by its nature, a short- striker. said that the expression "they were range medium-frequency transmit The "chief," who was usually expendable" applied to the old four- ter used primarily for division or the material man, was charged with pipers. squadron communications during the maintenance and upkeep of the To carry out its mission, the tactical maneuvering and for rou equipment. He was assisted in destroyer of 25 years ago had a tine traffic when in port. It had a this job by the first-class radio very small electronics installation vertical wire antenna about 40 feet man. The second- and third-class consisting primarily of three basic long for a radiator. radiomen and the striker usually types: Radio, sound listening de Three receivers were provided stood the operator watches except vices, and a direction finder. on those ships—models RE, RF, when more than one watch stander The radio room on the main deck and RG, with a combined frequency was required. immediately below the bridge was coverage of 10 kilocycles to 20,000 Maintenance was of a minor approximately 8 by 10 feet. In kilocycles. The oldtimers will nature. It consisted primarily of stalled in the radio room were the well remember these receivers for battery charging, tube changing, transmitters and receivers with their wonderful "microphonic" re occasional receiver repair, and position facilities for three opera sponse when they were tapped with once in a great while transmitter tors. a finger or hand, or while an op or motor generator repair. The standard installation con erator was trying to copy a weak In the mid-thirties the Navy ac sisted of a model TU series trans signal with a typewriter. The re quired the first new destroyers mitter for low-frequency coverage ceivers had the "peanut" type of built in about 15 years. These de and a model TAD transmitter for electron tubes, which were battery stroyers incorporated many im medium- frequency coverage. De operated, with 2 volts on the fila provements over the four-pipers in stroyers of that era had no require ment and 45 volts on the plate. tonnage, hull length, beam, top ment for a high-frequency transmit The direction finder was a stand side outline, engines, ordnance, ter and none was installed. ard low-frequency receiver with and electronics. The new ships The frequency coverage of the some added refinements. It had a were grouped under classes that TU was from 155 to 565 kilocycles rotatable loop antenna that was were determined by various dif and consisted of 7 electron tubes mounted atop the after deckhouse. ferences in construction or equip with a rated output of 2,000 watts. Its function was to determine the ment, but the electronics installa The TU had a two- wire flat top bearing of a received signal within tion on all of them was essentially antenna 150 feet long with a down the frequency range of the receiver. identical. lead of approximately 40 feet. Many The sound installation on a 1930 Each ship had a low-frequency stories have been told of the amaz destroyer was very limited, con transmitter model TAJ covering a ing ranges obtained by the trans sisting of several hull-mounted range from 175 to 600 kilocycles; mitter and antenna. hydrophones on the port and star a medium-frequency, high-frequen A typical story, which has been board sides. The hydrophones were cy transmitter covering 2,000 to

May 1957 11 -FEATURES- 18,000 kilocycles; a low-frequency the optical rangefinder could come The cost of the electronics in receiver model RAA covering 10 into operation— who then could deny stallation (not including that of fire kilocycles to 1,000 kilocycles in radar capabilities? control radars) on a Fletcher-class five bands; and a medium-frequen In the night battles of the war, type of destroyer at the end of cy, high-frequency receiver model radar really came into its own. World War II was about $ 150,000. RAB covering 1,000 kilocycles to For at night, no other method than The cost to install the equipment 30,000 kilocycles in eight bands. radar can detect approaching enemy was about $50,000. The total num The RAA and RAB models were craft, and no other method can ob ber of electron tubes in a typical the first superheterodyne receivers tain range, bearing, course, and installation was many times the installed in destroyers. They were speed. number contained in a four-stack the first receivers that could be Before the close of World War II, destroyer; the two radars alone operated from the ship's powerline, many other new techniques ap had more than 100 tubes. a capability that eliminated the peared in destroyers and in other The number of technicians al need for batteries. types of ships. An electronic lowed, and on board, had not at In addition to the radio trans method of identification in which that time been increased commen mitters and receivers, each ship the principles of radar were used surate with the increase in quan had a low- frequency direction finder was introduced. It proved satis tity and complexity of equipment. and an improved underwater sound factory, particularly in the identi Many destroyers had on board only installation. For the first time, a fication of approaching aircraft. one or two qualified technicians to sonar equipment with echo-ranging capabilities was installed in de stroyers. The first of these equip ments was designated model QC. The QC equipments, plus later models such as the QCA and QCB, were the mainstays of U.S. anti warfare all through World War II. Many refinements and some improvements in presentation of information, such as the bearing deviation indicator (BDI), were in stalled as rapidly as they were produced and furnished to the Fleet. When World War II began, and as equipments became available, de stroyers and other Fleet units were outfitted with a new development in electronics—radar. The first types of radar to be in stalled on destroyers were the SC Top: The USS Gamble (1)1)- 121) before her conversion to a high-speed series air search radar, the SG in 1929. The Gamble was typical of the four-stack destroyers of . series surface search radar, and Bottom: A broadside view of the USS Forrest Sherman (DD-931), the first in the the FD (later designated mark 4) latest class of Fleet destroyers. fire control radar. All of these radars did yeoman work throughout World War II. U.S. superiority in radar equipment ana operating per sonnel were major contributing factors to success in surface and air-surface battles. However, as most oldtimers will remember, it was sometimes diffi cult to persuade skippers and gunnery officers of the value of the new device. But later, when these officers were alerted to the pres Jt »*> »-»- ence of an enemy surface or air craft long before human lookouts spotted them, and when, after proper acquisition of the fire con trol radars, the enemy was fired on and hit or sunk, even before

12 BuShips Journal -FEATURES- maintain all of the electronics the very latest of these equipments equivalent number of manually and equipment, including the fire con are installed in our Fleet de automatically operated receivers trol radars. This situation has, stroyers. Enemy electronic trans covering the same frequency range. unfortunately, deteriorated even missions of practically any type To connect the transmitters and more in the past few years. can be intercepted and analyzed receivers properly many transmit From the close of World War II without the enemy's being aware ter and receiver switchboards have until the present the Bureau of that he has been detected. Further, been installed in the main radio Ships has been constantly striving through special circuits and an room, in the combat information to place the latest types of elec tennas, his bearing and range from center, and in auxiliary radio. This tronic equipments in destroyers. the intercepting ship can be de arrangement gives maximum flexi Improvements have been made in termined. bility of use of the equipment from all fields of the art. Perhaps the greatest strides in any space on the ship that has the • Surface search radars have destroyer electronic installations necessary remote control facilities. been improved to the point that have been made in the underwater Some spaces so equipped are the commanding officers rely on them sound field—principally since one pilothouse, the open bridge, the almost exclusively for bad weather of the primary missions of a de underwater battery plot, and, of navigating and close quarters op stroyer is antisubmarine warfare. course, the radio central and the erations. The Navy is constantly striving CIC. • Longer ranges and better meth to obtain greater reliable under The modern destroyer also has ods of presentation have been in water detection ranges. Longer three teletypewriters and associ corporated into the air search ranges are necessary because of ated terminal equipment providing radar and associated equipment. increase in speed capabilities of for transmission and reception of • Remote indicators of radar during the past few printed page messages at 60 words equipments are now installed in years. However, long-range detec a minute. The teletypewriters are all the vital spaces of a Fleet tion is not the only improvement in radio central and CIC. destroyer. in the sonar field. The space required to install the • Facilities are provided to op The Navy has made many im radio communication equipment on erate practically any one of the provements in the methods of pres a DD-931-class destroyer is about radars installed in the ship. Thus entation of information obtained 300 square feet, not including that the radar information can be used through sonar equipment. New required at the remote operating by responsible officers at strategic concepts of antisubmarine warfare positions nor for all the bulkhead- locations throughout the ship with have been developed that require mounted components. Large though out interfering with the operations the utmost in coordination between this may seem to the old destroyer at any other location. the equipment and other departments man, the "shack" is still cramped In addition to the improved air in the ship. for space. Without miniaturization and surface search radar facilities, Underwater communication cap and compactness, the space re a third type of radar has been in abilities have been vastly improved quirements would be absolutely stalled in certain destroyer types. during the past few years, and for prohibitive on this type of ship. It is referred to as a height- finding navigation purposes Navy depth- However, reduction in size by radar and is used in antiaircraft determining equipments are the miniaturization techniques has defense almost exclusively. best. placed an almost unbearable burden However, in case of a failure of Other important improvements on the technical force of the ships. the conventional air search radar, have been made in the communica No longer is it possible to make the height-finding radar can be tions field on anew Fleet destroyer. repairs and test the receivers and used for that purpose and still con An example is the very latest class, transmitters with a "pair of gas tinue to function as a height-finder. the DD-931- In these ships, the pliers" and a "borrowed mul This radar determines range, bear class allowance consists of four timeter. " ing, and height of any aircraft from medium-frequency, high-frequency The total cost of the electronics which it receives an echo. It has transmitters, with variable power installation (not including fire a high-power radiofrequency output output and flexible frequency cov control) on a DD-931*class de and provides reliable long-range erage adequate to meet the require stroyer is about $700,000, and the capabilities. ments of present-day communica cost of installation $355,000. New and greatly improved meth tions. To illustrate the increase in the ods of electronic identification In addition to the MF/HF trans maintenance load, the number of have been incorporated into the mitters, the ship has a large num electron tubes used today can be electronics installation in de ber of manually and automatically compared with a World War II de stroyers. They function in a man operated ultra-high-frequency trans stroyer, and, even farther back, ner similar to their predecessors mitters. Two very high-frequency the old "four pipers." The com but have many refinements and ad transmitters are installed, but plete electronic installation on the vantages. they will eventually be replaced DD-931 class takes approximately Great strides have been made in with UHF equipment. To operate 4,000 electron tubes and the cir electronic countermeasures, and with these transmitters are an cuits necessary to operate with

May 1957 13 -FEATURES- them. When the 4,000 tubes are the DD-931 is a chief electronics These three, or possibly four, compared with the 30 on the old technician, three lower ratings, and men are responsible not only for destroyers and with about 250 on a striker. However, the technical keeping all the installed equipment the World War II destroyers, the force problem is acute, and a ship operating, but for the proper use increase in maintenance is readily of the DD-931 class is fortunate and maintenance of some 40 pieces apparent. to have three technicians actually of extremely complicated test equip The technical force allowed for on board. ment.

FEATURES INDEX Maintenance control Management invites, employees respond Feb 10 November 1956 Through April 1957 - Mathematical theory of probability Feb Microwave tracking Apr 2 Issue Page Minesweeper propeller blade change Apr 9 Aircraft carriers, deck-edge power Feb 2 Mobilization planning for troopship Aluminum bronze welding Apr 11 conversion Nov 2 Analysis of variance Feb 7 Nautilus refueling Apr 9 Architects, engineers, naval Nov 6 Naval architects, engineers, and the Navy Nov 6 ASP Nov 9 Navy-Industry teamwork in nuclear Atmosphere sounding projectile Nov 9 engineering Jan 4 Atomic washdown of ships Jan 2 New York: radiography of bronze castings Dec 2 Automatic tracker Apr 2 NRDL research rocket developed Nov 9 " Aviation fuel systems on carriers Jan 6 Nuclear engineering teamwork Mar - BDL-1X Dec 7 Nuclear power, effect on diesel engines Mar Beach discharge lighter Dec 7 Pearl Harbor: submarine overhaul Dec 12 Bearings, sleeve, gas turbine Jan 8 Personnel boat gas turbine Mar 2 Beneficial suggestion program Feb 10 Petroleum industry and the Navy Jan 4 Boolean algebra, its use in computer logic Mar 11 Plastic piping washdown systems Jan 2 Bronze, aluminum, welding Apr 11 Power, deck-edge, on carriers Feb : Bronze castings tested with radiography Dec 2 Printing developments Nov 5 Carrier for helicopters Dec 11 Production control speeds overhaul Dec 12 Carrier Ranger launched Nov 4 Projectile, atmosphere sounding Nov 9 Carriers, designing aviation fuel systems Jan 6 Propeller blade change on minesweeper Apr 9 Carriers, electrical deck-edge systems Feb 2 Radio astronomy Apr 2 Computer logic Mar 11 Radioactivity: washdown for ships Jan 2 Controlled maintenance Dec 7 Radiography of bronze castings Dec 2 "Darkened ship* lighting systems Feb 14 Radiometric inertial reference system Apr 2 Deck-edge power on aircraft carriers Feb 2 Ranger launched Nov 4 Designing aviation fuel systems for Rigel, refrigerator ship Nov B ' carriers Jan 6 San Francisco, INDMAN Apr - Diesel engineers Mar 7 Self-retracting beach lighter Dec Discharge beach lighter Dec 7 Shipboard lighting systems Feb 14 Effect of nuclear power on diesel engine Mar 7 Shipbuilding assignments for 1957 Dec 13 Electrical deck-edge systems on carriers Feb 2 Sleeve bearings for gas turbines Jan s Electronic printing Nov 8 Special shipboard lighting systems Feb 14 Engineers, architects, naval Nov 8 Statistical significance, analysis of " Evaluating new tools for shipyards Apr 12 variance Feb Fleet and Assistant Industrial Manager Apr 7 Submarine overhaul Dec 12 Fuel, aviation, carrier systems Jan 6 Suggestion program Feb 10 Gas turbine powered personnel boat Mar 2 Sun tracking equipment Apr 2 Gas turbine sleeve bearings Jan 8 Thetis Bay, helicopter carrier Dec 11 Helicopter carrier, Thetis Bay Dec 11 Tool evaluation Apr 12 IGS welding of aluminum bronze Apr 12 Training vessels for naval academy Apr 1? IGY-International Geophysical Year Apr 2 Triton takes shape Mar 14 Incentive awards program Feb 10 Troopship conversions Nov 2 INDMAN, San Francisco Apr 7 Turbine powered personnel boat Mar 2 Industry-Navy teamwork Jan 4 Turbine sleeve bearings Mar S Inert gas welding aluminum bronze Apr 11 Underwater propeller blade change Apr 9 Inertial reference navigation system Apr 2 Vega, replenishment-at-sea ship Nov 8 Lighting systems for darkened ships Feb 14 Washdown for ships Jan 2

14 BuShips Journol