Customer Reviews

The Silent Service in World War II: The Fleet Type Submarine

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NAVPERS 16160 was the basic fleet submarine training manual during the final years of the U.S. Navy's diesel sub period, and contained a wealth of information, some of it very detailed. Declassified some years back, original copies can sell for as much as $400, presuming you can find one.

This book is a facsimile copy of the 1946 edition, and a good one. There are a few places where the type isn't quite as sharp as an original, an inevitable problem in any facsimile edition, and never a serious problem in this one. Most of the half-tone and line art illustrations--of which there are a lot--are perfectly clear, with the detailed cutaway views and diagrams in the back of the book particularly sharp. Some of the original illustrations were fold outs, and these have been reduced to fit on a normal page, with the rendering in black and white instead of color. Given that this edition sells for several hundred dollars less than an original, this is something I can accept.

As someone who writes books about submarines, I've been wanting a copy of this for a long time and really thought I'd be limited to an Internet edition. This one fills an important gap in my library, and goes on the "keep handy" shelf next to the typewriter.

Here's a book which was originally classified by the U.S. Government, and when you read it you can see why. It tells you everything you ever wanted to know about the WWII fleet submarines, the ones which beat the pulp out of the Japanese. It's a veritable encyclopedia of information about submarine systems, and includes an absolute TON of illustrations and photos. Major chapters are: Development of the Submarine, Definitions and Phraseology, Compartmentation, Tank Arrangements, Buoyancy and Stability, Engineering Plant, Ventilation System, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning System, Water System, Trim and Drain Systems, Air Systems, Main Hydraulic System, Steering System, Bow and Stern Planes System, Ancho Handling Gear and Capstans, Fuel and Lubricating Oil Systems, General Surface Operations, General Diving Operations, Compensation, Patrol Routine, and Submarine Training Devices. Wow, that's a lot of stuff! This book cleared up a great many "mysteries" I've encountered reading submarine fiction from "Run Silent, Run Deep" to "The Hunt for Red October." If you're a submarine fan and you don't have this on your bookshelf, well you should.

Originally published by the U.S. Navy in 1946, "The Fleet Type Submarine" uses the USS Perch SS313 to explain operating principles, technologies, and systems. It contains numerous diagrams and photos and offers definitions of components and terminology. It provides technical descriptions of various machinery and systems such as ballast tanks, trim, ventilation and steering. It also contains a brief history of the submarine and a discussion of patrol routines. By far this is the most complete technical guide to the boats that won WWII in the Pacific. Nothing close to it was ever assembled before, or since. Periscopefilm.com's affordable reprint comes in a soft bound edition with attractive covers. Although some of the book has been reformatted, and color images are reproduced in black and white, all of the original content is preserved. This is a must-have for anyone interested in submarines and an important reference for any historian, docent, or modeler. Length: 204 pages plus index and 27 pages of diagrams. Measures 8.5x11 inches.

Originally published in 1946 by the US Navy to explain submarine operating principles, technologies and systems. It uses the late war time USS Perch SS-313 as an example of the then modern fleet type submarine. At the time of its original publication, this document was classified.

This reprint is a facsimile of the original edition. Most of the book is quite satisfactory and quite readable. But a few pages were evidently relatively week in the original and did not copy well. In general these are still readable but some of the pictures are not too clear.

This is a detailed look at the boat by system, tanks, buoyancy, engineering, ventilation, refrigeration, water, trim, air systems, hydraulic system, steering and so on. It is a general introductory book that a new sailor entering the service would use for getting overall familiarity about subs.

These ships are, of course, long since gone, but this book is a very interesting view of the state of the art at the time.

I have found this book to be a very valuable tool in doing my job. I work on USS Cobia SS 245 as an overnight supervisor. Many times I am called upon to answer some very technical questions. This book is a great reference tool for a subgeek like myself.

As a former US Navy Submariner, I absolutley love this book! Took it with me to San Francisco and aboard USS Pampanito. Several of us sat around in the Crews Mess and just flipped to pages of system, ran off to trace them, and came back ready for a Qual checkout.

If you are at all interested in Submarines this book is MANDATORY - you are dinq is you don't have it!

Practically anything you would want to know about operation and care of a WWII sub. Some of the pictures didn't reproduce too well, but that's a common problem with books that are reproductions.

Lot's on insights on this subject, and very interesting.

I just wish that Periscopefilm hadn't put their web address on the top of each page.