The Fleet Submarine in the United States Navy: A Design and Construction History [Hardcover]

John D. Alden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1979

This book has long been considered the definitive study of the fleet submarine, one of the most successful types of warships ever built. It presents a comprehensive analysis of the submarine's design, construction, and development. The author traces its metamorphosis from the T and V classes through wartime boats and postwar Guppy and other conversions up to the 1980s. Dozens of rare photos, profile line drawings, a detailed type plan, and statistical appendixes complement the text in this large format book. The book's wealth of technical data is offered in a frame of historical reference that will appeal to the general reader and World War II history buffs as well as serious students of the submarine.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John D. Alden, a retired commander in the U.S. Navy, is the author of U.S. Submarine Attacks during World War II, among other books, and a resident of Delmar, New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Naval Inst Pr; First Edition edition (October 1979)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870211870
• ISBN-13: 978-0870211874
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,184,955 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Fleet Submarine In the United States Navy, January 24, 2008

By 

John Coxe - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fleet Submarine in the United States Navy: A Design and Construction History (Hardcover)

This is the difinative study of the WWII fleet submarine: how it came to be, how it evolved prior to WWII and how it evolved into the 1970s. Ever wonder why railroads converted from steam to diesel so quickly? The answer may surprise you. Ever wonder about the wierd conversions Fleet Boats went through in the 1950s & 1960? How did the diving depth of the Gato vs. Balo classes come about without a major design change? The answers are here. The War Damage Survey Report of USS Salmon is worth the price of the book. In cold technical terms, the depth charge damage to the sub is detailed, compartment by compartment. It is a wonder that the sub made it back to port at all, much less across the Pacific on the surface, unable to submerge. After return home, this sub was studied and then scrapped. This is a book that I have picked up from my shelf again and again over the years, till the binding finally fell out. This book will always have a place on my bookshelf.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Diesel Boat Book I've ever picked up!, August 22, 2009

By 

Phillip E. Fettig "YN3SS346" (Orlando, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fleet Submarine in the United States Navy: A Design and Construction History (Hardcover)

I have been reading about submarines for over 50 years as well as having served on them. This book is a treasure chest of information, includling photographs I have not previously seen. Owning this reference is a must for anybody interested in serious "Smoke Boat"
data.