Georges Commeinhes: A Very Discreet Pioneer ßy Commandant PhiUppe Rousseau

Circa lare J930'!... The presidefl' 01 fhe Frem:h Repllblic. Le Bmll, (center, \\Illire Iw;r) eil/ring (I v;sir TO rlle COlllmeillhes company. Slighrly hidt/ell by fhe person w{!arillg l/te Commeil/ hes (lpparall/~' is Mr. Relle CQII/Illeillhes, GeorgesJather. Georges is rhe solirary Jig/lre aTlhe/ar left 01 file piCfllre. COllrtesy Dalliel David Archive.

Introduction by Leslic Lcaney: Thank you, Leslie. Let me fi rst say that this paper is 11 is my pril';lege {O illlrodllce Commandalll Philippe also based on much research done by Daniel Dav id, nO l ROlisselill. Commolldalll ROllsseau started his profes­ just myself. sional diving career;/I 197/, Jws worked as a submers­ Georges Commeinhcs was born on November 9, ible pilor for Hallos, ami is a certified commercial mixed 19 11 , in the 12th district of Pari s. He was the eldest of the gas diver. For /5 years he Iws served os an expert ;11- Ih ree children. His sis ters Jacqucline and Charlotlc wcre lIe!ifigaror Jor Ihe FreI/eh COl/r,s oJ lustice, coverillg is­ born in 1919 and 192 1, respectively. From the beginni ng .mes;1I fhe mililOry, eo",,,,ercial, and recrearional divillg of the 20th Cenlury Ihe Commeinhes fami ly business was areal'. He il' currelltly olle o! ollly 60 National Diving based at number 21, Avenue Carnot, in SI. Maur. L1ter IlIl'truetors !or the French Diving Federatioll, and ;s a the factory was transferred to 137, Bou levard de Creleil , regular eOlll'ulwllI !or several FreI/eh media out/eis Oll St. Maur. divillg (///(/ divillg hisfory. His writtell research into Ihe Rcne Commei nhes, Gcorgcs' fmher, had on ly a gram­ his/ory o! dilling lIas appeared in oller 50 differelll (lf· mar school certi fica te but hc nevertheless foundcd an tiele:.' ill burfl ,he FreI/eh amI EIIg!i.\'f, ICII/gllages. Co",· automoli ve proeluclion anel boel ywork company, mainly II/(II/(Ialll ROltsseall \Vas rhe cltie! diver !or fhe MI/sie manufacturing trucks and coaches from that period, and Espaliolf and a key eompol/ em in brillging fhe I1IllSe· also the first fire engines. RenC's mechanical precision did I/m's RouCjllayrol Denayrollze equipmem 10 America ill not exelude a Li ttle marketi ng imagi nation, and his "Com­ 1998. Ne il' CIlrrelll/y employed as fhe Commallda1l1 Jor mei nhes Coaches" were introd uced wilh a piano and pia­ fh e Frem:h Fron /ier cmd Immigm/ioll Police Air . nist on board. Nobody had thought of this bcfore! CommandclIIl ROllsseaulws beeil ,he FreIIch represeuw­ Georges was a very qu iet boy, but this did not stop lilie !or The Historieal Dillil/g Sociely U.S. A. Jor eight him from be ing a daredcvil. His sister Jacqueli ne teils years ami i,\' a co-foll/ufer al/d C/l rrent Vice Presidellt o! a story of Georges being involvcd in a serious accident UDS Fra/lee. Please we(come oll e oJ fhe wor/d's fmding while driving a motorboat 100 fast. He also became in­ divillg historia/ls, COII/mallda /it Philippe Rotlsseau. lerested in underwater hu nti ng and we know that he met Yves Le Prieur, and thc young marinc offi ccr Jacques­ Yves Cousteau, on several occasions prior 10 Ihe out­ break of World War 11 . According to Phi lippe Taill iez, HI STO RICAL DI VER Volume 13, Issue 3, Number 44 21 Circa 1952. A :o."ide ami back view 0/ a G.C 42 .w;/lballilil. We belive the IIlI it ill the backgrolllld is 1I DC-52 (see !)(lge 3 1). We have 110 olher details 0/ these photos. Commeinhes was thought of by his family as fearJess The First UnderwaterTcsls. In 1937, Georges Corn­ but also totally unaware of danger. Georges worked for meinhes gOI the idea to modify the R.C 35 ap­ tbc family business in the workshop along witb hi s sister paratus that his fa ther had invenled. Georges' idea was Charlotte. In 1935 the Commeinhes firm orientated itself to adapt it into an amphibious di ving appara lU s. Georges in a new directioll. equipped il wilh a face-mask very similar to that ofCom­ On September 9, 1935 Rene Commeinhes registered a mandant Yves Le Prieur's diving apparatus. The proto­ patent fo r an uutonomous self-contained breath ing appa­ type of Georges' first worked with an ratus, which was 10 be marketed to the fi.re brigade. It was open demand circuit, and was ca lied simply the "R.C35 a portable apparatus with two metal cylinder compressed Amphibious." It was shown to the French War Minislry air reservoi rs at ]50 bar. The cyli nders were interchange­ and was granted approval number 2701 on June 20th able, and Ihe unit worked on an open circuit wjth a mask 1937. We have very little information about the tests thai that was equipped with an ex haust valve. The two cylin­ Georges Commeinhes carried out. We only know thai he dcrs were fastcned vertically in u light alloy square sup­ tested and demonstrated the amphibious unit in the swim­ port, with the cylinder valves at the bottom. They were ming pool at Pontoise Road, Paris. This is the sa me pool connected 10 a regulator with a quick connection non-re­ where the Commander Yves Le Prieur and Jean Pa inleve turn valve. Each boule was joined to the breathing bag, founded the Club des Scaphandriers ct de [a Vie Sous which in turn was bound to the mask by a hose. An artic­ l'Eau (Thc Di ving Club of Life Underwatcr) wh ich was ul ated palette fo llowed the inflating and defl ating, of the the very first diving sports club in the world . There is 110 breathing bag. As the breathing bag dcftated the palette trace of Georges Commeinhes ever bei ng a member of aclivated the regulator by means of a rod, and supplied the club. as much air as was needed. This new Commeinhes appa­ In 1939 when wa r was declared, Georges was drafted ratus perfor med very weil and it was quickly adopted by to the 507t11 Tank Regiment, lead by Cl certain Colonel the fire brigade. It was so good that the Frencb army, navy Charles de Gaulle. This regiment stopped the progress of and several official authorities also adopted it. Even the the German Panzer tanks near the village Montcorne in President of the French Republique was personally show n l'Aisne region at the end of May 1940. It was a short-lived the working of thc apparatus. lt was designated R.C 35, victory du ring the general struggle against the invasion, which stood for Rene Commeinhes 1935. but this victory won Georges Commeinhes a lot of pres- 22 HISTORICAL DIVER Vo lume 13, Iss uc 3, Numbcr 44 A (/iver eq//ipped willl a G.c. 42. The air IIose s//ppl)' 10 lire feft side oflhe mask ca" be c/early seeII. Tlre mall ill Ihe sl/il is Georges COlllmeillhes.

H1STOR1CA L D1VER Volume 13, Iss lI e 3, Number 44 23 Close-up vieh' oJrhe cylinder cOllllectiOIlS 01 a G.C. 42

G.c. 42 IIlIir (md mask (II/e! submersible press ure gauge.

A G.c. 42 IlIIit with fhe CO\'er remo\!ed. D(lIliel David specu­ lates fhal fhis is perha!Js fhe acwal apparalifs IIsed ill fhe 53 mefer divc 01 ll/Iy 1943. Ir is kefJf by fhe Marille Na/iOllale in fhe Divillg School ;1/ Toulon. Sailll-Mallgrier, al/d presellfed by Dr. Pcny, II'ho II'(IS olle 01 fhe doclOrs Oll tlte Naval base. tige and popularity from his fe llow comrades of the 2nd Armored Di vision. After the armistice, Georges ret urned to his workshop in 51. Maur, and was vcry bitter about the French defeat Now back at horne, he set about perfecting his divi ng eq uipment and regulators. On the 29th of Apr il , 1942, Georges Commeinhes reg istered a patent for one of his many versions of his self-contained autonomous diving breathing apparalus. He called his equipment "G.c. 42 ," fo r Georges Com­ meinhes 1942, and was granted patent number 976,590. The follow ing is part of the text of the G.C. 42 patent specificat ion: A sailor wearil/S a COlllmeinhesjacell/{/sk. "A n automatie breat hing apparatus to be used in liq­ (photo /rom fhe Marine Nmiollale) uid under a certain exterior ...w hich wou ld en- 24 HI STORICAL DIVER Volume 13, Issue 3, Number 44 Original sllippinc cOlllai/Jer lIIilil !he G.C. 42 /lni! and mask.

C/ose-II/) ofrhe G.c. 42mask SIIOIII;IIC rlle adjllsrllble ex/uillsr "ah'e.

HI STORI CAL DI VER Volume 13, Issue 3, Number 44 25 able work to be carried oul underwater, ensuring complete eylinder pressure and a warning whistle in the scrvicing liberty of actions ami movement, replacing the ex ist ing cyli nder. diving equipment al ready in use. The flexible membrane ARecord Depth of 53 Meters is Reached on 30th of the regulator enables the opening of the air when the July 1943. On Ju ly 30, 1943, aI 10.57 a.m., Georges Com· pressure of the regu lator becomes in ferior 10 a pre-deler­ meinhes submerged with his G.c. 42 in the bay of Mar­ mined level , equal to a few grammes. h was best to place seille, in fro nt of L'Estaque. 18 minlltes later he was back the regulator al the top of the apparatus, so as the fl exible on the surface after hav ing completed a dive to a depth membrane the milsk and the used air ex it were subject of 53 meters, hav ing taken only two minutes to ascend. to the same exterior pressure at the base of 's lt was the deepest depth a self-contained free swimming neck ... " diver had ever reached, and it demonstrated the reliabilit y The regulator used a metal demand membrane, and potential of the G.c. 42. On the surface vessel several shaped li ke an accordion. A soft-ringed supply pipe sent observers from the Kriegsmarine and the Navy witnessed regulated air at an ambient hydrostatic pressure inlo the the dive. It was 1943 and all activities were controlIed by rubber face mask. A valve instalIed next to the membrane the occupyi ng fo rces. A report was then wri llen on a naval on top of the regulator controlled the release of the air. map of the Ma rseille area, showi ng where Georges' dive There are two boules strapped to the back which have look place, and it was signed by the military observers two valves at the bottom. The Iwo identical steel cyli nders who had witnessed i1. We have reproduced this document, had either a 4 or 5 liter capacity each. The apparatus was wh ich was discretion itself. Georges never informed his eqll ipped wilh a submersible pressure gauge, indicating next of ki n about hi s div ing activities, and his sisters were lucky to have been told about his 53 meter dive. One an-

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1943. A chan showing the locarioll o/Commeinhes' 53-meter dive. The cross mark at top right indieates the loeation offthe bay 0/ L' Esraque. 71,e dive IW/S witllessed by {/ committee 0/ tlle Kriegsmarine al/d a eommittee 0/ fhe Marille Nationale (Viehy governmem.)"The llIulersigned w;tllessed MI'. Georges Commeilllles, patellfed eonstrueter /rom Paris, dove in fhe boy 0/ Mar· seille Ihe 30111 July 1943 to a deplh 0/53 meters wirh his /lew lImphihious breafhing apparalus. The descel1f lOok 18 millllfes, the ascel1f 2 filiI/ures. (//1(/ file delegatioll 0/ doetors obserl'€d Ilte pe/feet helllih o/Ihe diver." Thi ... doclllllelll was provided 10 Daniel David by Ilte Commeillhes/amily.

26 HI STORICAL DI VER Volume 13, lsslle 3, Number 44 19430r /944. PhoJOS raken at the Le Dru-Rollin swimming pool. Rite de POllto;se, Paris 75005. Georges Commeinhes is wearing the farger black swimmillg cosflime. He is SIIOII' II willl a group 0/ diver.~ aflwearillg his equi"ment. Images collrtesy 0/ Daniel David /rom file colleClion 0/ Dr. Le Laup 0/ Paris, wllo acquiretl fllem in (/ ba/eil %ltlllell'spapers pllrelwsed ;11 (/ book shop.

HJ STORICA L DlVER Volu me 13, Issue 3, Number 44 ecdote of this di ve was, hav ing once reached the seabed, Georges was st upefied to see a big nower (a Spirograph) elose up! In the meantime Jacques·Yves Cousleau asked Emile Gagnan of Ihe Socictc Air Liquide to transform Gagnan's gas regulator for cars into a prototype for autonomous divi ng. In October 1943, jllSI 10 prove that the Cousteau· Gagnan (C.G.) equipment was as good if nOI beuer than thc Societe COll1meinhcs, Frederic Dumas dove wi th a c.G. unit to H depth of 62 meters, thus beating Georges Commeinhes's 3·month·old record. On February 7, 1944, Georges Commeinhes regis· tered a second patent for an "Automatic compensating regulator fo r appanllus ... characteri zed by a compensato· ry dev ice .... fitted with a spri ng ... .the apparatus keeps au· tornatic pressure in the regulator, at a predetermined level even though the ai r pressure drops lillie by lillle in the air reservoirs." Before the production of Spirotechnique's Cousteau·Gagnan regulator in 1945 (C.G. 45), Georges Commeinhes had already invented the compensation {balancedJ regulator! I1 only rcmained for him to solve the Icchnicalilics of the main moving balance pieces, which A (liver w;illg fh e COlllmeinhes applIrllfllS. we ohen find in our modern regulators. But destiny was to dccide othcrwisc. phibious system. Georges ex plained to Alain how to 'ab­ The 2nd Annorcd Division landed in Normandy and sorb' the carbon ic gas with granules of lillle sodium. We approached Paris. Georges didn't hesitate for a sccond, are left to wonder how Georges imagi ned this apparatus and he cll ii sled in Leelerc's army. The tank Austerlitz, of wOlild be. Sornethi ng probably a lillie more soph isticated the 2nd company of 501 R.C.C., had jllsl lost two men al than he had already invenled and which released fewer Lollgjumeau. Thcy were killed by mortar fire and some bubbles. fragment s broke the ta nk's turret. It was a Sherman tank Destiny Leaves us WOllderillg What Might Have armed with a 75mm canon. As a chief sergeant , Georges Been. On September 8, 1944, the ta nks left Paris Irave!· COlllllleinhes was irnmediately assigned as tank chief fo r ing down the Champs·Elysees. A few days later they were the Austerl itz, even though he was a very young man. in Lorrai ne, and Ihen Vosges, before going 10 Ihe AIsa· Alain de Salley was his assislant. At the end of August eian plain s. On November 18, during the allaek on Peti t· 1944, the tan ks and the crews of the 2nd Armored Di· mont , Georges Commeinhes saw the two leading tanks vision werc slHt ioned in the Boulogne woods (Bois de put out of action . He drove his tank towards Ihe enemy's ROll1 0gne, jllst ollt side Paris). On Ihal nighl Georges 101d slronghold where Ihey were enlrenched and succeeded in Alain timt he had seen a fortune teller whom he consult· neut ra li zing them. He was later commended in the divi· cd fro m time 10 time to look into hi s futu re. Commein· sion order because he was responsible for thc success of hes knew that the 2nd Armored Division was going to the operation, and the seizure ef the village. leave Paris in the nex i few days, following the advance Very early on the morning of November 23, in a th iek eastward 10 Germany. He remembered the oath made by fog, the tanks moved forward 10 Strasbourg. After scv· Led ere at Koufra. in Libya. When addressing his treops, eral skirm ishes along the way they could see Fort Kleber. Led ere told them to hang the French flag on the spire of 800 meters to the Icft, but an anti tank pit stopped Ihern. Strasbourg cathedral before lay ing down their weapons. The Austerlitz, wh ich was the leader of the column, was Georges lold Alain that , accord ing to the fo rtu neteller, he blocked. Shots came from the Fort and ne ise of the bul· wO lild never see the Sirasbourg cathedral. Accordi ng 10 lets on thc plati ng was resonating inside the tank. Alai n, Georges told hi rn Ihis in a serious tone with a lillle The sil houette of Slrasbourg cathedral was at first undear bit of humor amI fatali srn . in thc mi st, but eventually becl.lme dear in fro nt of Ihern. AnOl her time Georges spoke 10 Alain de Sancy about Alai n de Sa ncy shouted to Georges Commeinhes, "Look his production of hi s autonornous divi ng apparatus and in fronl of you, we can see the cathedral. You c.m tell his concern thaI the bubbles belrayed the position of the you r fort une teller she was wrang!" divers. Before re·joini ng the 2nd Armored Division in Augusl 1944, he was Irying 10 perfect a d osed circuil am· 28 HI STORICAL DIVER Vo lu me 13, Issue 3, Number 44 There fo llowed a dull bang, and Roger Labarrere the volv ing dives by Frederic Dumas wilh the G.c. 42 appa­ gunner of the tank crew, shouled thaI Commcinhes was ralus which had laken place two days before. The report crumpled on his seal. Alain Oe Saney quickly left his was edited by PhiJippe Tailliez. He clearly states that the place at the front aClion stat ion and cJimbed up on tbe G.c. 42's competitor. the autonomous Cousleau-Gagnan tank. Labarrere and de Sancy pu lIed Commeinhes' body apparatus, was better. But , how could it have been other­ out of the turrel wh il e still under fire. Tbey wise? NevertheJess, in 1947 the Commcinhes eompany at gave thei r friend 's body 10 the service d'ambul ance Ro­ SI. Maur manllfaclured a new autonomO lls diving appa­ chambeau of thc 2nd Annored Division. Having returned ratus, named G.c. 47. Several autborilies were equipped to his place in the AusterJitz. and sti ll under gunfire, with these unils including the River Police and lhe Pre­ Alain de Sancy brokc down and cried. He would never fecture ofthe Paris Police. Then slowly the Commeinhes know if his friend had seen the cathedral of Strasbourg. company stopped the production of di ving apparatus to Commein hes was taken 10 the 11th Amcrican Hospital, concelltrate more exclusively on bl"Cathing apparatus and situated in Bayon (Muerthe and Moselle) where he ar­ rescue equipment for the fi re brigade. Thc Commeinhes rived at 18.45 hours. Doetor Riehard L. FIeseher of the proteclion company was dissolved in 1983. U.S. Army could only record the death ofGcorgcs Com­ If his destiny had left Georges to conl inuc 10 improve meinhes. He was buried temporarily in Bayon, until his his apparatus, instead of his honorable decision 10 hel p body was transferred 10 Carre du Souvenir Fran!yais, in liberale his country. and thus meel his dealh, we would the SI. Maur cemetery. most eertainly now be supplied witb self-eolllained au­ Thc dcparting of commcinhes didn't stop produc­ tonomous equipment derived from the G.c. 42. Thc tion. After Georges died, the Commeinhes firm carried Commeinhes design prineiple of Iwo fixed bottles, with on manufacturing hi.s sclf-conlained autonomous diving valvcs underncath, and a qu ick connection link which apparalus. Meanwhile, the French Navy bad created the was secured to the inlerior part of the brealhing apparatus Underwaler Research Group, er GERS, as Ibey are some­ frame, was reprodueed laler on. It was the excellent D.C. limes know!l, under the command of Captain Philippe 55 (Dufau Casanabe, 1955). This un it is still in use in the Taill iez. in Toulon. T he grou]] ca rried out severa l tests French Navy. and evaluations of divi ng equipmenL On June 20, 1947, Ihey produced a technicallest repert, P.Y. !lumber 23, in-

HISTORJCAL DIVER Volume 13, Isslie 3, Nli mber 44 29 1944 (L to R) Capwill de Wiwsse. Georges COII/meill ftes al/(/ 1944. 71Ie /{mk L'Alisterlitz o/the 211d bmw/ioll regimellt 0/ Ulb(lrrcre oll the fIIrrel o/the A/lsrerlil':. Comll/eill hes was Gel/eral Ledere. (jf the/oOl the Are de Triomphe ill the 0/ ea/Jtai" o/this tank. Cholll/JS EI)'sees. jllst prior to the departure /ar tlle eO l/lltr)'­ side 0/ Alsace. GeorgeJ COlllmeillhes is Oll the tllrret. ill the eel1ler.

Curiously. in Ihe middle or ille 1970's the Italian firm eommal/der 0/ 'Le Comismer Marille Natiollal, le Mede­ Technisub. a subsid iary of Spi rolCchnique, produccd a ein-eil -Chef, Lue GUil10 1i. CEMPPMICOSIMERIMarille remarkable tw in cylinder system of 4 m3, wilh a valve Nationale, fh e Jrigafe caplain, EIIIII/wlllelle de !a Taille, underneath <1 1 the height of Ihe diver's kidneys, and a re­ com11lunder oJ Ihe diving school oJ SI. Mal/drier/Marille serve mechan ism whieh worked Ich , or right , in a polyes­ Nationale. Also, Roger ViolleI (Paris), Andre Calane, ter eage. Does the descriplion of Ihis equipmenl remind IlJrema/;ol1a! UI/denvater COIl/me/ors, USA, and Oliver YOll of anYlhi ng? BUI the production of Ihis superb twin Wells, Hislorieal Dil'illg SocielY USA, Jor \Vil/WUI fheir cylinder unil was very quickly interrupled because of the {/Ssüftlllee II/is paper \Vou/d /l ever have ex/sIed. high manufacturing eoSIS. The two bottom connections, - 'heads dow n' - was a fou ndry maslerpiece even before il was remodelcd, and much too complicated for mass manufacluri ng. Fi nally, il is unfortunate that Jacques­ Yves Cousleau himself involuntarily du lIed the image of his predecessor, Gcorges Commeinhes, by writing in his book, The History oJ Mal/'s Re-enrry illlo fhe Sea, "that Commeinhes died during one of his first dives." It is just and righl 10 re-establish the lrulh by pay­ iug Georges Commeinhcs, the very discreet pioneer, the respeci Ihal he juslly deserves, and securi ng his place in divi ng history. Thank yo u.

Tlie autlwrs wish 10 lVa rmly Ihallk fhe Commeill­ li es family alld in partielliar Jaeqlleline Berhand al/d SlIwlllle (Charlalle). Nerol/ (SI. Mallr), alld also Alaill de Sallcy (PclI"is). Also MI'. Gaffelat, Jormer recllllician o/Ille Commeinhes firm, fh e Colonel COllrdesses alUl Mr. Ebrm'd 01 ,he FOl/d Hisloriqlle Marechal Ledere de Haufec!ocqlle (Paris), COllstallf MOlljaret, ex-ser­ Freneh media photo showillg 0 di\ler l\Iitll 0 vicemllll oJ Ihe 2nd 0.8.. fhe ship capfaill Alail/ Josse, eOll/mei//lles mask by lIis leg. 30 HISTORICAL DIVER Volume 13, Jssue 3, Number 44 APPARE ILS RESPIRATOIRES AMPHIB IE S A A IR COMPRIME

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Circa 1952. (L 10 R) We beJieve rllis 10 be {/ G.c. 42 and tI FreI/ eh Navy D.C. 52.

HI STORICAL DIVER Volume 13, Issue 3, Number 44 31 Georges Commeinhes lnvents the Submarine Underwater Parachute

• • Georges Commeinhes rnvente ,e parachute sous-mann•

,. Indll.triel !'Tlln~.I •• 101' , mond. da cleKent, en Rlon,," Ce lont Ie.. JIOl.uonl et lellr 0101'1'1' Commtlnllu, 11m 'VIC" tI3 mMr ... ,.... u. trop veaete relplno.totre qul ont donn' U vlfnt dl mettre '\1 point 'rolli. 112') 1,,1 IIt 'bupt .on «u.. IdM .. M. Commllnh.... un appareU perm.ttant d, 11_ u»lnence. Ahu,l. IN pournOD.l 1I I. roatIr eondre dan. r ••u '" d, rand" U app*reU 111 I ~ .Emple : con ..rvenl !eu ... pl'O[lrl'tb pll)'_ profondeure, Je corp.o entl~,.~ de u. (Oll une) OOlllelll... d'• .I1' .I010lelqUelt~ . • t le ""rpl ,,'ul ment IIbrll. comprlm4 cl.n. Je d...... Uh .. .. PoIl. er> procure. !',ttI..,.eU', un rn_1I1 , ..elal et entre Je. ...Quell... '"". bellu ehauu IOllI- LI • t.n H' uaaJ. IUI·mb"ot, t.e deux uo mklonume d, d6t"nte m.rlntt In poo ...peetlv.' 30 julltet 19-1 3 a Mllr,eUle, 11 'ta­ et da dl.tdbutlnn. P.~ belOlln d. Abordant IIn ca... ct.... pi'" bll... lt 11 premier rteord du "rlagt, 11 " falt tollt &tu\. h\lJ1\.ln. M. Comm.tnbe~ P.... "bi. - et o'At Il I. gnnde aent. auJOI,Ird'hu, I, c S. O. S. _, 'Iuutlon - commanl peut-Il .. apparetl d. "lIntAfil pour tou .. (.Ire qu'll pUl_deaeendre &u181 ma .. I".. baH .tU r I, mlm, .,.. profond~m.nt ..n. 'In 6c:ru' t'me que lIOl\ premier apparetl, par '" preQlon cle l'eau f Ca. mels .omprenent, en outr•. une taut I. mond., nil qUI eett. bouh .e ~lIllnt IlI.tomllttQUI­ p"I_.. lon Nt de 1 vlUttm. p&r menL «ntlm4'.... eArr' eb&qui rol . Un .ou.. narln ••1 In d6- qUI I'on duc.nd dalll ruu d'un truM. : Lu hommu d, l'iQul­ eentlm.tre. A 10 mMr.... .,.1& talt page monlent d.nl le IU Oll dono un kilo. " ohembre d'EveCUAtion. On Intro­ dult I'.au dedllnl, pul. On ollvr• .~ lI'! .IlH1 1<>Mo.., " la oollpole. A ct moment, I'. tl. p(I .... 10'" I.. t:

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A Frencb industrialist, Mr. Georges Commeinhes, It was the fi sh and thei r breal hi ng bladder that gave has just fini shed the fina l lauches 10 an apparatus, which Mr. Commeinhes this idea. Thus the lungs a nd the heart will descend ill to the deep deplhs of water, leavi ng the conserve their physiological suilabil ily. .. ,.an el thc body is body ent irely free. not crushed. To fin d out its effi ciency he did the trial dives hi m­ Let's approach Ihis from a human ang le. Mr. Com­ self. On the 30 Ju ly 1943 in Marseille, he established the meinhes today presents the S.0.5 lInderwater rescue ap­ fi rst world record of free diving descent to 53 meiers, the paratus, based on the same system of his fi rst apparatus, water bei ng too cold (12 degrees C) he was forced to cut but thi s onc had an automatie innatable buoy incorpo­ short his ex perience. raled. The apparatus was very simple; Two (ar one) boules A submari ne is in distress; the crew goes to the evac~ of compressed a ir on the back allached 10 a facemask and uation room. Then waler is introduecd inside, then Ihe be{ween the {wO a regulator distributor mechanislll . No dome is opened. AI that time they pull on the handle, the need for any adj ustments, Ihe apparatus did it on its own. buoy infl ates and they make their ascenl where they ca n But - and Lhis is the big question - how could he fin d help. go so decp withoul being crushed by the water pressure? It is the 'submari ne parachute,' wi th which all s u bm a~ Everybody knows Ih is pressure is I gram every square ri nes should be equipped in the futu re, cenü meler, every time you descend a centimeter. 10 me ~ ters equals I kilogram. This is 0 1944 press cilttingjrom Oll IIl1 ktW1V1I FreIIch ..... Antl 100 fOlls 8, lIelVspaper. Georges Commei"hes is showlI in ,he phoro Jor Ihe human body al a deplh demo llsrrarillg his 'submarine porachllle,' deslined to oj 53 meters. save sailors in t1isrress. Silbmitted by Dalliel Da vitl jrom So, Mr. Commeinhes has invented a regulator which his archive. All righrs reserved. compensates the interior pressure of the body wilh thai of the water. The firs t is even 20 grams superior! Translated by Jill Leaney

32 HJSTORICAL DIVER Volume 13, Iss lle 3, NlImbcr 44 ~~-~~~.E' .. -

/949. A sitle view ololle 0/ Gale/'l1e's divers II.\-;ng file / 949. The dive,. 01/ ,he left is Llleiell Mi/iol1, who i.\' II'Cllrillg m()(lified fire dC/){mmclII Commei"hes. NO/e ,he sel)(/­ (I standard ~'C llba /Illir. 11Ie dil'er Oll ,he ";8'" is Pierre Labor, rare face ma.5k al/d twO regularar hoses. wcaring fhe Ga/erne lIIodijied Commeillhes. lAbelt wem on 10 wrile ,he earl)' seI/ba div;'lg book Marvclous Kingdom. Divers using the Commeinhes equipment modified in 1949 by Andre Galerne and his team. By Antonio Castro (Scaph SO and HDS France)

In 1949 Andre Ga lerne and his team cf spe!eologists dec ided to use cqui pmcnt so (hey CQuld to go through the si phons and underwater obstacles they would encounter while explori ng underground. Thc only equip­ ment ava ilablc 10 thcm at thaI ti me was Commeinhes breath ing apparatus from thc loeal fire department for use in smoke and taxie gas environ ments. The fire department agreed to loan the equ ipment rar the good public ity they woule! gai n frorn il. In iti'llly the equipment seemed ta fit the task and was comfortable to use. However, it soon started to show some naws with the \Vater tightness or the mask seal arou nd the face. The mask was equipped wi th a bladder wh ich was innated 10 pcrfect aseal, but th is never seemed to work properly in its new underwaterenvironment. Galernc dccided 10 replacc the Commeinhes mask and modify the system. He auached a mouthpiece to the ex­ isti ng hose coming from the regul ator. He then added an exbaust hose to the mouthpiece Ihal had a "bec de canard" (duck's bi ll) valve to release the expired air. Oncc modifi ed, the COlllmeinhes beeame the perfeet piece of equ ipment.

Photos © Antonio Castro. A ll rights reserved.

Ollr tlulIIks 10 George KoskasJor his assistOlice il/ obtailli"g this article.

HISTO RICAL DIVER Volume 13, Issue 3, Number 44 33 i ' ,I I : , I .I "

Schemas annexes a I' Addition n° SS 480

34 HISTOR ICAL DIVER Volll mc 13, Isslle 3, NlI mbcr 44 Georges Commeinhes invente e parachute sous-marrn•

r; Industdel fr&n~aI8, ,M, monde de deseente en p,longee Cesont les' polasons et leur Ge 0 rg e 8 Commelnhes, Ilbre avec 53 metres, l'ell:\I, trop vessle resplratolre qul ont donne vlent de mettre au point frolde (120) lul ftt abreger 80n cette Idee a M, Commelnhes. U I , un apparelt permettant da des· experlence. Alnsl, les poumons et le OOlur condre dans I'eau a de grandes L'apparell est tres simple, : conservent leurs proprletes phy· profondeufB, le corps entlel'e· deux (ou une) boutentes d'alr slologlques", ., et le corps n'eet ment libre, comprlme dans le dos rellees a pas ecrase, ' Pour en procurer I'efftcaclte, un masque taelal et entre les Quelles beiles chasse! sous­ 11 a falt ses essais lul·meme, Le deux un mecanlsme de detente mar,lnes en perspecUve! , 30 julllet 1943 aMar8elll~, 11 eta· et de distribution, Pas heBoln de Abordant un carllctere plus s6 hllft8!11l le pI'emler re~ol ' d : du reglage, 11 falt wut seuL ' ;: humaln, M. Commelnhca prä· , Mais - et c'eat IA la grande sente aujourd'hulle « S, O. S, », question - commenl peut·1I se appareil de sauvetage pour sous­ faIre qu'll pulsse descendre aus si marlns, base sur le meme m· profond~ment asns eIre eCTBSe teme que 80n premier apparell, par la pression de I'eau? Car mals comprenant, en outre, une tout le monde salt que 'cette bouee se gonftant automatlque· preeslon est de 1 gramme par ment. centlmetre carre chaque fols Un sous-lliarln est en d~· que l'on descend dans I'eau d'un tresse : les hommes da I'equl· centImetre, A10 mHres, cela falt page montent dana le m ou dODQ unkllo, chambre d'~vacuat!on " On Intro­ dult l'eau dedans, puls on ouvre ". Et 106 totmes 8, 1& eoupole. Ace moment, 118 U· POIIt tOllt 16 corp,' IMlmalll, rent aur la manette, la bouee se h 53 m~tr83 gonfte et 11, remontent ala Bur· 118 Eh bien, volla, M. Commelnhea fa.ce ou peuvent attendre, lai, a Invente un detendeur qul corno secours. ' penae la pressIon Interieure du e'es! le ( parllchute des SOU8- corps mc celle de I'eau. La pre· marlniers ) dont tous les sous­ miere est meme superleure de mulns devralent ~tre dotes il' 20 gl'ammes! I'avenlr.