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‘Lost Subs’

[NOV. 27, 2002]  "Lost Subs: From the Huntley to the Kursk, the greatest submarines ever lost — and found." Spencer Dunmore, Da Capo Press, 2002, 176 pages.

"All sailors face risks, have always faced risks. But none more so than submariners." These words, written by oceanographer and explorer Dr. Robert Ballard, demonstrate the dangers associated with submarines.

 

In his new book, "Lost Subs," naval historian Spencer Dunmore examines the development of the submarine and some of their most tragic accidents. Combining meticulous research with state-of-the-art underwater photography, Spencer provides a rare look into the fate of some of history’s most important submarines and the efforts to locate and recover the wreckage.

In "The Birth of the Submarine," Spencer describes their early history and the initial attempts to use them for military purposes. Two groundbreaking efforts in submarine development occurred in 1776, when David Bushnell’s egg-shaped sub Turtle attacked the British warship HMS Eagle, and in 1801, when Robert Fulton (of steamship fame) tested the Nautilus in a one-hour demonstration.

"The First Underwater Weapon of War" recounts the submarine’s entry into naval warfare and its use as a weapon. Launched in 1863 at the height of the Civil War, the Confederate States’ ship CSS H.L. Huntley was designed in part to help break the Union blockade of Southern ports. Although the Huntley sank a Union warship on its maiden voyage, the sub itself sank under mysterious circumstances as it returned to port.

In "The Submarine Comes of Age," the efforts of developers John Holland and Simon Lake are analyzed. Holland is credited with developing the first submarine for the U.S. Navy. Named the USS Holland, this submarine was purchased by the Navy in 1900 at a cost of $150,000.

"Battle Under the Sea" describes the efforts of opposing sides during World War I to employ the submarine as a tool of war. It is during this time that the German U-boat emerged as a formidable weapon. The most famous episode involving a German U-boat occurred in 1915 when the German sub U-20 attacked and sank the passenger ship Lusitania. In this attack, 1,195 passengers — including 123 Americans — were killed.

 

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"Lost in Peace" continues the theme of the submarine as weapon. During a trial run in 1939 the USS Squalus sank shortly after leaving Portsmouth, N.H. Thirty-three members of the crew were rescued, while 26 members lost their lives. The Royal Navy’s Thetis was not as lucky on its first dive. An accident in one of the torpedo tubes caused the sub to unexpectedly dive; the resulting disaster killed 99 crewmen.

By the time of World War II, Germany had completely revolutionized the wartime use of submarines. "The U-boat War" documents the advances of submarine warfare by the Nazis and the Allied efforts to combat this disadvantage. In 1942 the United States enjoyed a spectacular success against the U-boats when the Coast Guard cutter Icarus sank and captured the Germans’ U-352.

The most famous submarine accident of the Cold War came in 1968 when the USS Scorpion failed to return from a reconnaissance mission involving Soviet activities in the Canary Islands. The apparent cause of the sub’s disappearance and sinking was a piece of aluminum foil in one of the battery cells used in the torpedoes. All hands were lost in this tragedy; one-year later naval ordinance ordered a redesign of the battery.

The concluding chapter, "Disaster Under the Barents Sea," relives the tragic events surrounding the sinking of the Russian nuclear sub Kursk. The sub sank in 2000 in the Barents Sea and was raised from the ocean floor in 2001. Although there is no definitive answer for the cause of the Kursk disaster, one possible cause centers on a faulty torpedo.

"Lost Subs" is recommended for readers who enjoy military history, underwater archaeology or the development of the submarine.

[Richard Sumrall, Lincoln Public Library District]




Lincoln Community Theatre elects officers

[OCT. 22, 2002]  The 2002 annual meeting of the board of directors of Lincoln Community Theatre resulted in the re-election of three board members and the addition of two new directors, Tom McLaughlin and Margo Schwab, both of Lincoln. Returning to serve another three-year term are Teri Fink, Louella Moreland and Roger Boss, all of Lincoln.

Officers elected for next year are Teri Fink, president; Jean Gossett, vice president; Roger Boss, secretary; and Rich Reinwald, treasurer.

[Judy Rader, LCT publicity chairman]


Lincoln Community Theatre information

Lincoln Community Theatre’s box office, phone 735-2614,  is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday for the summer season. The office is located in the lobby of the Johnston Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Lincoln College.

Performances of "Dearly Departed" are scheduled for July 12-20, and "The King and I" will be presented Aug. 2-10. Show times are 2 p.m. on Sundays and 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The LCT mailing address is Lincoln Community Theatre, P.O. Box 374, Lincoln, IL  62656; e-mail: lincolncommunitytheatre@yahoo.com.

Visit the LDC website at www.geocities.com/lincolncommunitytheatre/index.html. Pictures from past productions are included.

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