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79-498: Launched on 24 September 1888, she was developed in France following early experiments by Henri Dupuy de Lôme , and, after his death, by Gustave Zédé (1825–1891) and Arthur Krebs , who completed the project. For Gymnote , Arthur Krebs developed the electric engine , the first naval periscope and the first naval electric gyrocompass . The name "Gymnote" refers to the Gymnotids ,

158-513: A 360-degree field of view without moving his seat, including rear vision by engaging the extra prism. This design, patented by Rudolf Gundlach in 1936, first saw use in the Polish 7-TP light tank (produced from 1935 to 1939). As a part of Polish–British pre- World War II military cooperation, the patent was sold to Vickers-Armstrong where it saw further development for use in British tanks, including

237-431: A 45° angle. This form of periscope, with the addition of two simple lenses, served for observation purposes in the trenches during World War I . Military personnel also use periscopes in some gun turrets and in armoured vehicles . More complex periscopes using prisms or advanced fiber optics instead of mirrors and providing magnification operate on submarines and in various fields of science. The overall design of

316-574: A Continental Navy ship during the American Revolution. The first ships of the Continental Navy were Alfred , Cabot , Andrew Doria , and Columbus . These were former merchantmen, and their names were assigned during conversion and outfitting. Later, Congress authorized the construction of thirteen frigates, and no names were assigned until after four had launched. The first description that we have of an American warship christening

395-429: A United States Navy vessel. The contemporaneous account does not name her. The first identified woman sponsor was Lavinia Fanning Watson, daughter of a prominent Philadelphian. She broke a bottle of wine and water over the bow of sloop-of-war Germantown at Philadelphia Navy Yard on August 22, 1846. Women as sponsors became increasingly the rule, but not universally so. As sloop-of-war Plymouth "glided along

474-449: A device that can rotate to provide a wider field of view (or is fixed into an assembly that can), while an episcope is fixed into position. Periscopes may also be referred to by slang, e.g. "shufti-scope". An important development, the Gundlach rotary periscope , incorporated a rotating top with a selectable additional prism which reversed the view. This allowed a tank commander to obtain

553-669: A fixed, non-retractable periscope that used a combination of prisms to relay the image to the submariner. (Peral also developed a primitive gyroscope for submarine navigation and pioneered the ability to fire live torpedoes while submerged. ) The invention of the collapsible periscope for use in submarine warfare is usually credited to Simon Lake in 1902. Lake called his device the "omniscope" or "skalomniscope". As of 2009 modern submarine periscopes incorporate lenses for magnification and function as telescopes . They typically employ prisms and total internal reflection instead of mirrors, because prisms, which do not require coatings on

632-575: A large payment for his periscope patent from some of its producers." The USSR also copied the design and used it extensively in its tanks, including the T-34 and T-70 . The copies were based on Lend-Lease British vehicles, and many parts remain interchangeable. Germany also made and used copies. Periscopic sights were also introduced during the Second World War. In British use, the Vickers periscope

711-406: A launch cradle with bow and stern poppets is erected on these sliding ways. The weight of the hull is then transferred from the build cribbing onto the launch cradle. Provision is made to hold the vessel in place and then release it at the appropriate moment in the launching ceremony; common mechanisms include weak links designed to be cut at a signal and mechanical triggers controlled by a switch from

790-552: A lever to similarly smash a bottle, of single malt from the Ardgowan distillery at nearby Inverkip . Shipyard ephemera is a rich source of detail concerning a launch and this was often material produced for the audience of the day and then thrown away. Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums has many of these items from Tyne and Wear shipyards. A number can be seen in Commons . The 1900 piece for Eidsvold reproduced in this article lists

869-680: A mobilized American industry. The historic christening and launching ceremonies continued, but travel restrictions, other wartime considerations, and sheer numbers dictated that such occasions be less elaborate than those in the years before the war. On 15 December 1941, the United States Maritime Commission announced that all formal launching ceremonies would be discontinued for merchant ships being constructed under its authority, though simple informal ceremonies could continue without reimbursement to builders. In recent history, all U.S. Navy sponsors have been female. In addition to

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948-501: A narrower field of view and higher magnification. In World War II and earlier submarines it was the only means of gathering target data to accurately fire a torpedo, since sonar was not yet sufficiently advanced for this purpose (ranging with sonar required emission of an acoustic "ping" that gave away the location of the submarine) and most torpedoes were unguided. Twenty-first-century submarines do not necessarily have periscopes. The United States Navy's Virginia -class submarines and

1027-705: A naval lieutenant completed the ceremony with a bottle of sea water. Champagne came into popular use as a christening fluid as the 19th century closed. A granddaughter of Secretary of the Navy Benjamin F. Tracy wet the bow of Maine , the Navy's first steel battleship, with champagne at the New York Navy Yard on November 18, 1890. The effects of national prohibition on alcoholic beverages were reflected to some extent in ship christenings. Cruisers Pensacola and Houston , for example, were christened with water;

1106-454: A religious element was returned to naval christenings by Princess Alexandra , wife of the Prince of Wales , when she introduced an Anglican choral service in the launching ceremony for battleship Alexandra . The usage continues with the singing of Psalm 107 with its special meaning to mariners: They that go down to the sea in ships; That do business in great waters; These see the works of

1185-401: A shallow angle rather than perpendicular, even though this requires a longer slipway when launching. Modern slipways take the form of a reinforced concrete mat of sufficient strength to support the vessel, with two "barricades" that extend well below the water level taking into account tidal variations. The barricades support the two launch ways. The vessel is built upon temporary cribbing that

1264-521: A stop to them for a time in Protestant Europe. By the 17th century, for example, English launchings were secular affairs. The christening party for the launch of the 64-gun ship of the line Prince Royal in 1610 included the Prince of Wales and famed naval constructor Phineas Pett , who was master shipwright at the Woolwich yard. Pett described the proceedings: The noble Prince… accompanied with

1343-467: A targeting, or commander's, periscope. Navies originally mounted these periscopes in the conning tower , one forward of the other in the narrow hulls of diesel-electric submarines. In the much wider hulls of recent US Navy submarines the two operate side-by-side. The observation scope, used to scan the sea surface and sky, typically had a wide field of view and no magnification or low-power magnification. The targeting or "attack" periscope, by comparison, had

1422-456: A true periscopic sight in the primary role. The periscopic sight was linked to the gun itself, allowing elevation to be captured (rotation being fixed as part of rotating turret). The sights formed part of the overall periscope, providing the gunner with greater overall vision than previously possible with the telescopic sight. The FV4201 Chieftain used the TESS (TElescopic Sighting System) developed in

1501-747: A visible wake (and may also become detectable by radar ), giving away the submarine's position. Marie-Davey built a simple, fixed naval periscope using mirrors in 1854. Thomas H. Doughty of the United States Navy later invented a prismatic version for use in the American Civil War of 1861–1865. Submarines adopted periscopes early. Captain Arthur Krebs adapted two on the experimental French submarine Gymnote in 1888 and 1889. The Spanish inventor Isaac Peral equipped his submarine Peral (developed in 1886 but launched on September 8, 1888) with

1580-659: A woman performing the launch. Ceremonial practices for christening and launching ships in the United States have their roots in Europe. Descriptions are not plentiful for launching American Revolutionary War naval vessels, but a local newspaper detailed the launch of Continental frigate Raleigh at Portsmouth, New Hampshire , in May 1776: On Tuesday the 21st inst. the Continental Frigate of thirty-two guns, built at this place...

1659-409: Is arranged to give access to the hull's outer bottom and to allow the launchways to be erected under the complete hull. When it is time to prepare for launching, a pair of standing ways is erected under the hull and out onto the barricades. The surface of the ways is greased. ( Tallow and whale oil were used as grease in sailing ship days.) A pair of sliding ways is placed on top, under the hull, and

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1738-530: Is that of Constitution at Boston, October 21, 1797, famous as "Old Ironsides." Her sponsor was Captain James Sever, USN, who stood on the weather deck at the bow. "At fifteen minutes after twelve she commenced a movement into the water with such steadiness, majesty and exactness as to fill every heart with sensations of joy and delight." As Constitution ran out, Captain Sever broke a bottle of fine old Madeira over

1817-419: Is the end-on launch, in which the vessel slides down an inclined slipway , usually stern first. With the side launch, the ship enters the water broadside. This method came into use in the 19th century on inland waters, rivers, and lakes, and was more widely adopted during World War II. The third method is float-out , used for ships that are built in basins or dry docks and then floated by admitting water into

1896-577: The Avro Vulcan and Handley Page Victor and the Nimrod MR1 as the "on top sight". Various US bomber aircraft such as the B-52 used sextant periscopes for celestial navigation before the introduction of GPS . This also allowed the aircrew to navigate without the use of an astrodome in the fuselage. An emergency periscope was used on all Boeing 737 models manufactured before 1997 found under "Seat D" behind

1975-633: The Crusader , Churchill , Valentine , and Cromwell models as the Vickers Tank Periscope MK.IV . The Gundlach-Vickers technology was shared with the American Army for use in its tanks including the Sherman , built to meet joint British and US requirements. This saw post-war controversy through legal action: "After the Second World War and a long court battle, in 1947 he, Rudolf Gundlach, received

2054-619: The Royal Navy 's Astute -class submarines instead use photonics masts , pioneered by the Royal Navy's HMS  Trenchant , which lift an electronic imaging sensor-set above the water. Signals from the sensor-set travel electronically to workstations in the submarine's control center. While the cables carrying the signal must penetrate the submarine's hull, they use a much smaller and more easily sealed—and therefore less expensive and safer—hull opening than those required by periscopes. Eliminating

2133-427: The puja ceremony at launch. In the 20th century, ships were launched with a lady breaking a coconut on the bow of the vessel, which is sometimes followed by a small Puja . Japanese ship launchings incorporate silver axes which are thought to bring good luck and scare away evil. Japanese shipbuilders traditionally order the crafting of a special axe for each new vessel; and after the launching ceremony, they present

2212-514: The submarine V-6 with cider. However, battleship California appropriately received her name with California wine in 1919. Champagne returned in 1922, but only for the launch of light cruiser Trenton . Rigid naval airships Los Angeles , Shenandoah , Akron , and Macon were built during the 1920s and early 1930s, carried on the Naval Vessel Register , and each was formally commissioned . The earliest First Lady of

2291-432: The "electric eels". The submarine was built with a steel single hull, a detachable lead keel, and three hydroplanes on each side. She made over 2,000 dives, using 204 cell batteries. She was armed with two 355 mm (14 in) torpedoes . Gymnote was partly inspired by the earlier development of the submarine Plongeur , the world's first mechanically powered submarine. Gymnote was an experimental design and so

2370-517: The Bowmore distillery on the island of Islay instead of champagne because the ship had been built and launched in Scotland. The Duchess of Rothesay similarly launched HMS  Prince of Wales by pulling a lever which smashed a bottle of single malt Scotch whisky at the side of the ship. At the 2024 launching of CalMac ferry Glen Rosa , newly-qualified welder Beth Atkinson named the ship and pulled

2449-482: The Lord Admiral and the great lords, were on the poop , where the standing great gilt cup was ready filled with wine to name the ship SO soon as she had been afloat, according to ancient custom and ceremony performed at such times, and heaving the standing cup overboard. His Highness then standing upon the poop with a selected company only, besides the trumpeters, with a great deal of expression of princely joy, and with

French submarine Gymnote (Q1) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2528-583: The Lord, and His wonders in the deep. In 1969, Queen Elizabeth II named the ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 after herself, instead of the older liner RMS  Queen Elizabeth , by saying, "I name this ship Queen Elizabeth the Second . May God bless her and all who sail in her." On 4 July 2014, the Queen named the Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier HMS  Queen Elizabeth with a bottle of single malt Scotch whisky from

2607-504: The Moon]. Hevelius saw military applications for his invention. Mikhail Lomonosov invented an "optical tube" which was similar to a periscope. In 1834, it was used in a submarine, designed by Karl Andreevich Schilder. In 1854, Hippolyte Marié-Davy invented the first naval periscope, consisting of a vertical tube with two small mirrors fixed at each end at 45°. Simon Lake used periscopes in his submarines in 1902. Sir Howard Grubb perfected

2686-565: The Spectators) this noble fabrick was completely to her anchors in the main channel, in less than six minutes from the time she run, without the least hurt; and what is truly remarkable, not a single person met with the least accident in launching, tho' near five hundred men were employed in and about her when run off. It was customary for the builders to celebrate a ship launching. Rhode Island authorities were charged with overseeing construction of frigates Warren and Providence . They voted

2765-523: The United States to act as sponsor was Grace Coolidge who christened the airship Los Angeles . Lou Henry Hoover christened Akron in 1931, but the customary bottle was not used. Instead, the First Lady pulled a cord which opened a hatch in the airship's towering nose to release a flock of pigeons. Thousands of ships of every description came off the ways during World War II , the concerted effort of

2844-415: The axe to the vessel's owner as a commemorative gift. The axe is used to cut the rope which tethers the ship to the place where she was built. Sponsors of British warships were customarily members of the royal family, senior naval officers, or Admiralty officials. A few civilians were invited to sponsor Royal Navy ships during the nineteenth century, and women became sponsors for the first time. In 1875,

2923-467: The birth of a vessel; and people throughout history have performed launching ceremonies, in part to appeal for good fortune and the safety of each new vessel. In Canada, Aboriginal peoples will perform ceremonies at the launching of vessels along with other methods of launching. French ship launchings and christenings in the 18th and early 19th centuries were accompanied by unique rites closely resembling marriage and baptismal ceremonies. A godfather for

3002-533: The boat would become unstable. At this speed the boat would be angled down 3-5° to maintain depth, so that the bow would be 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) lower than the stern. Further rudders were added at the centre of the boat in 1893, which as well as improving stability meant that she remained more level as it dived. The original sixteen pole electric motor was designed by Captain Krebs to develop 55 horsepower (41 kW) at 200V and 200A. Gustave Zédé asked Krebs to connect

3081-486: The ceremonial breaking of a champagne bottle on the bow, the sponsor remains in contact with the ship's crew and is involved in special events such as homecomings. Periscope A periscope is an instrument for observation over, around or through an object, obstacle or condition that prevents direct line-of-sight observation from an observer's current position. In its simplest form, it consists of an outer case with mirrors at each end set parallel to each other at

3160-401: The ceremonial platform. On launching, the vessel slides backwards down the slipway on the ways until it floats by itself. Some slipways are built so that the vessel is side-on to the water and is launched sideways. This is done where the limitations of the water channel would not allow lengthwise launching, but occupies a much greater length of shore. The Great Eastern designed by Brunel

3239-476: The ceremony of drinking in the standing cup, threw all the wine forwards towards the half-deck, and solemnly calling her by name of the Prince Royal, the trumpets sounding the while, with many gracious words to me, gave the standing cup into my hands. The "standing cup" was a large cup fashioned of precious metal. When the ship began to slide down the ways, the presiding official took a ceremonial sip of wine from

French submarine Gymnote (Q1) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3318-416: The classical submarine periscope is very simple: two telescopes pointed into each other. If the two telescopes have different individual magnification, the difference between them causes an overall magnification or reduction. Johannes Hevelius described an early periscope (which he called a "polemoscope") with lenses in 1647 in his work Selenographia, sive Lunae descriptio [Selenography, or an account of

3397-427: The cup, and poured the rest on the deck or over the bow. Usually the cup was thrown overboard and belonged to the lucky retriever. As navies grew larger and launchings more frequent, economy dictated that the costly cup be caught in a net for reuse at other launchings. Late in 17th century Britain, the standing-cup ceremony was replaced by the practice of breaking a bottle across the bow. Launching could be said to mark

3476-521: The device in World War I. Morgan Robertson (1861–1915) claimed to have tried to patent the periscope: he described a submarine using a periscope in his fictional works. Periscopes, in some cases fixed to rifles , served in World War I (1914–1918) to enable soldiers to see over the tops of trenches , thus avoiding exposure to enemy fire (especially from snipers). The periscope rifle also saw use during

3555-405: The dock. If launched in a restrictive waterway, drag chains are used to slow the ship speed to prevent it striking the opposite bank. Normally, ways are arranged perpendicular to the shore line (or as nearly so as the water and maximum length of vessel allows) and the ship is built with its stern facing the water. Where the launch takes place into a narrow river, the building slips may be at

3634-532: The early 1980s that was later sold as surplus for use on the RAF Phantom aircraft. In modern use, specialised periscopes can also provide night vision. The Embedded Image Periscope (EIP) designed and patented by Kent Periscopes provides standard unity vision periscope functionality for normal daytime viewing of the vehicle surroundings plus the ability to display digital images from a range of on-vehicle sensors and cameras (including thermal and low light) such that

3713-480: The frigate. Everything being prepared, and the most profound silence prevailing,... At a given signal she glided into the waters, a sublime spectacle of gracefulnes and grandeur. Immediately on touching the water federal salutes were fired from the sloop of war Portsmouth , the revenue cutter Jay and the Aspasia , Indiaman. These were returned by the uniform companies on shore, who fired a feu-de-joye , and marched off

3792-410: The ground to the battery... and were dismissed. As the 19th century progressed, American ship launchings continued to be festive occasions, but with no set ritual except that the sponsor(s) used some "christening fluid" as the ship received her name. Sloop of war Concord was launched in 1828 and was "christened by a young lady of Portsmouth." This is the first known instance of a woman sponsoring

3871-528: The heel of the bowsprit . Frigate President had an interesting launching on April 10, 1800, at New York: Was launched yesterday morning, at ten o'clock, in the presence of perhaps as great a concourse of people as ever assembled in this city on any occasion. At nine, captain Ten-Eyck's company of artillery..., accompanied by the uniform volunteer companies of the sixth regiment and the corps of riflemen, marched in procession... and took their station alongside

3950-462: The hull of the ship and aid its launching motion into the water, thus this method is arguably safer than other options such as sideways launching. These airbags are usually cylindrical in shape with hemispherical heads at both ends. A Babylonian narrative dating from the 3rd millennium BC describes the completion of a ship: Openings to the water I stopped; I searched for cracks and the wanting parts I fixed: Three sari of bitumen I poured over

4029-473: The inclined plane" in 1846, "two young sailors, one stationed at each side of her head, anointed her with bottles, and named her as she left her cradle for the deep." As late as 1898, the torpedo boat MacKenzie was christened by the son of the builder. Wine is the traditional christening fluid, although numerous other liquids have been used. Princeton and Raritan were sent on their way in 1843 with whisky . Seven years later, "a bottle of best brandy

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4108-409: The men in the yard during the time of her building, every man with pleasure exerting himself to the utmost: and altho' the greatest care was taken that only the best of timber was used, and the work perform'd in a most masterly manner, the whole time from her raising to the day she launched did not exceed sixty working days, and what afforded a most pleasing view (which was manifest in the countenances of

4187-467: The motor directly to the propeller at 200 rpm. It is the reason why the rotor was 1 metre in diameter and weighed 2 tonnes. The motor was constructed and tested at the Societe des Forges et Chantiers at Le Havre. It was fitted with two sets of brushes, one for forward and one reverse motion. Once installed it was found that the rear bearing was inaccessible and could not be repaired with the motor installed. It

4266-402: The new ship presented a godmother with a bouquet of flowers as both said the ship's name. No bottle was broken, but a priest pronounced the vessel's name and blessed it with holy water. In India , ships have historically been launched with a Puja ceremony that dedicates the ship to a Hindu god or goddess, and seeks blessings for her and her sailors. Historically, Hindu priests would perform

4345-530: The new vessel as a symbol of blessing. Shrines were carried on board Greek and Roman ships, and this practice extended into the Middle Ages. The shrine was usually placed at the quarterdeck , an area which continues to have special ceremonial significance. Different peoples and cultures shaped the religious ceremonies surrounding a ship launching. Jews and Christians customarily used wine and water as they called upon God to safeguard them at sea. Intercession of

4424-554: The other 3 in series giving 114 V and 7 knots, 2 banks in series paralleled 3 times giving 84 V and 5.5 knots, all 6 banks in parallel giving 45 V and 6 knots. A bank was capable of delivering a maximum of 166 amps. The whole array weighed eleven tons. A new battery was installed in 1891 using a Laurent-Cely sulphuric acid design having 205 individual 30 kg assemblies of five plates each. Again these were arranged into six banks, now each having 17 parallel pairs of batteries connected in series. At 8 knots (15 km/h; 9.2 mph) range

4503-503: The outside; To the gods I caused oxen to be sacrificed. It is believed that ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans called on their gods to protect seamen. Favor was evoked from the monarch of the seas— Poseidon in Greek mythology , Neptune in Roman mythology . Ship launching participants in ancient Greece wreathed their heads with olive branches, drank wine to honor the gods, and poured water on

4582-421: The process of transferring a vessel to the water. It is a nautical tradition in many cultures, dating back millennia, to accompany the physical process with ceremonies which have been observed as public celebration and a solemn blessing, usually but not always, in association with the launch itself. Ship launching imposes stresses on the ship not met during normal operation and in addition to the size and weight of

4661-411: The protectoscope allows the vision slit to be blanked off with spaced armoured plate. This prevents a potential ingress point for small arms fire, with only a small difference in vision height, but still requires the armour to be cut. In the context of armoured fighting vehicles , such as tanks , a periscopic vision device may also be referred to as an episcope . In this context a periscope refers to

4740-436: The reflecting surface, are much more rugged than mirrors. They may have additional optical capabilities such as range-finding and targeting. The mechanical systems of submarine periscopes typically use hydraulics and need to be quite sturdy to withstand the drag through water. The periscope chassis may also support a radio or radar antenna. Submarines traditionally had two periscopes; a navigation or observation periscope and

4819-469: The resulting image appears "embedded" internally within the unit and projected at a comfortable viewing positions. Periscopes allow a submarine , when submerged at a relatively shallow depth, to search visually for nearby targets and threats on the surface of the water and in the air. When not in use, a submarine's periscope retracts into the hull . A submarine commander in tactical conditions must exercise discretion when using his periscope, since it creates

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4898-560: The saints and the blessing of the church were asked by Christians. Ship launchings in the Ottoman Empire were accompanied by prayers to Allah , the sacrifice of sheep, and appropriate feasting. Chaplain Henry Teonge of Britain's Royal Navy left an interesting account of a warship launch, a "briganteen of 23 oars," by the Knights of Malta in 1675: Two fryers and an attendant went into

4977-484: The sum of fifty dollars (equivalent to $ 1,300 in 2023) to the master builder of each yard "to be expended in providing an entertainment for the carpenters that worked on the ships." Five pounds (equivalent to $ 100 in 2023) was spent for lime juice for the launching festivities of frigate Delaware at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania , suggesting that the "entertainment" included a potent punch with lime juice as an ingredient. No mention has come to light of christening

5056-468: The telescoping tube running through the conning tower also allows greater freedom in designing the pressure hull and in placing internal equipment. Periscopes have also been used on aircraft for sections with limited view. The first known use of aircraft periscope was on the Spirit of St. Louis . The Vickers VC10 had a periscope that could be used on four locations of the aircraft fuselage, V-Bombers such as

5135-447: The vehicle roof. Prior to periscopes, direct vision slits were cut in the armour for occupants to see out. Periscopes permit view outside of the vehicle without needing to cut these weaker vision openings in the front and side armour, better protecting the vehicle and occupants. A protectoscope is a related periscopic vision device designed to provide a window in armoured plate, similar to a direct vision slit. A compact periscope inside

5214-469: The vessel represents a considerable engineering challenge as well as a public spectacle. The process also involves many traditions intended to invite good luck , such as christening by breaking a sacrificial bottle of champagne over the bow as the ship is named aloud and launched. There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching". The oldest, most familiar, and most widely used

5293-519: The vessel, and kneeling down prayed halfe an houre, and layd their hands on every mast, and other places of the vessel, and sprinkled her all over with holy water. Then they came out and hoysted a pendent to signify she was a man of war; then at once thrust her into the water. The liturgical aspects of ship christenings, or baptisms, continued in Catholic countries, while the Reformation seems to have put

5372-576: The war – this was an infantry rifle sighted by means of a periscope, so the shooter could aim and fire the weapon from a safe position below the trench parapet. During World War II (1939–1945), artillery observers and officers used specifically manufactured periscope binoculars with different mountings. Some of them also allowed estimating the distance to a target, as they were designed as stereoscopic rangefinders . Tanks and armoured vehicles use periscopes: they enable drivers, tank commanders, and other vehicle occupants to inspect their situation through

5451-436: Was 32 miles (51 km), at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph), 100 miles (160 km). Another battery was installed in 1897. The hull was made of 6 mm steel at the centre, tapering to 4 mm at either end with a circular cross section. Internally it was coated with coal tar to provide protection from spilled battery acid. The hull was supported by 31 circular frames with additional longitudinal bracing. The boat

5530-514: Was Launched amidst the acclamation of many thousand spectators. She is esteemed by all those who are judges that have seen her, to be one of the compleatest ships ever built in America. The unwearied diligence and care of the three Master-Builders... and the good order and industry of the Carpenters, deserve particular notice; scarcely a single instance of a person's being in liquor, or any difference among

5609-526: Was broken over the bow of steam sloop San Jacinto ." Steam frigate Merrimack earned her place in naval history as Confederate States of America ironclad Virginia , and she was baptized with water from the Merrimack River . Admiral David Farragut 's famous American Civil War flagship steam sloop Hartford was christened by three sponsors; two young ladies broke bottles of Connecticut River water and Hartford, Connecticut spring water, while

5688-416: Was built this way, as were many landing craft during World War II . This method requires many more sets of ways to support the weight of the ship. Sometimes ships are launched using a series of inflated tubes underneath the hull, which deflate to cause a downward slope into the water. This procedure has the advantages of requiring less permanent infrastructure, risk, and cost. The airbags provide support to

5767-488: Was designed to operate underwater with a small positive buoyancy, so that without power and rudders driving it downwards it would tend to float to the surface. There were three ballast tanks, one in the centre and one either end. Water could be ejected either using compressed air or electrical pumps. Continuous adjustment was needed during a dive. It was originally equipped only with a stern rudder, which gave poor control. At speeds greater than 6 knots (11 km/h; 6.9 mph)

5846-401: Was difficult to inspect the armature or repair damage to the insulation. The motor was not designed to come to an immediate halt when power was disconnected, but instead would freewheel to a halt relatively slowly. Reverse power could not be applied until it had stopped moving, so it was not possible to immediately reverse the propeller in case of emergency. The motor proved so problematic that it

5925-434: Was equipped with two 14-inch torpedo tubes . Gymnote was damaged on 5 March 1907 when she ran aground. The boat was drydocked but a hatch was left open while the dock was being filled, allowing her to flood and sink on 19 June 1907. Repairs were considered too expensive so she was sold for scrap in 1911. Ship naming and launching Ceremonial ship launching involves the performing of ceremonies associated with

6004-480: Was fitted with several types of periscopes , but they proved unsatisfactory. Diving was delayed by the need to fix or stow the periscope and water seals proved to be unreliable and on a couple of occasions led to dangerous flooding. A small conning tower was added in 1898. The boat had a compass and a gyroscope . Although the latter were not entirely reliable it allowed the Gymnote to force a naval block in 1890. The ship

6083-452: Was provided with sighting lines, enabling front and rear prisms to be directly aligned to gain an accurate direction. On later tanks such as the Churchill and Cromwell, a similarly marked episcope provided a backup sighting mechanism aligned with a vane sight on the turret roof. Later, US-built Sherman tanks and British Centurion and Charioteer tanks replaced the main telescopic sight with

6162-597: Was replaced with a smaller but more powerful Sautter-Harlé motor. The boat was originally fitted with 564 Commelin-Bailhache-Desmazures alkaline cells designed from the Lalande-Chaperon patent which used Zinc and copper oxide electrodes with potassium hydroxide electrolyte. These were located all over the ship arranged into six banks of 45 parallel paired cells connected in series. To vary the speed, banks could be connected in different combinations, 6 banks in series giving 150 V and 8 knots, 3 banks in series in parallel with

6241-440: Was subject to continuous changes through its lifetime. The original design was commissioned by Admiral Aube , commenced by Dupuy de Lôme before his death and completed by Gustave Zédé before his. Construction work then fell to Romazotti . The keel was laid on 20 April 1887 at Mourillon Arsenal at Toulon operated by La Société des Forges et chantiers, of which company Zédé was a director. Trials began on 17 November 1888. The boat

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