Next stop was the Submarine Experience. We’d never been in a submarine before so this was pretty cool.
The submarine we went on was built to take on the Japanese in WW2, but the war was over before it launched in 1945. The Alliance is an A class submarine and performed many different roles all over the world in the Cold War era. We couldn’t get far enough away to get a good photo.
We started in the bow in the torpedo bay.
It carried 4 torpedoes in the tubes, and another 4 as reloads. It is very cramped inside, there were 63 men in this submarine and hardly any space.
The cabins served as their mess so their off duty time was spent in this 8x8ft space.
The bridge was a jumble of periscopes (3), valve wheels and levers, 8-10 sailors worked in this space.
It was powered by electric motors run off batteries, but these were charged by a noisey diesel generator which could only be run on the surface or close to the surface with a snorkel as it needed fresh air to operate.
There were 3 toilets for the 63 men, and 3 hand basins, that was it – no showers or baths. And this was the galley to prepare meals for the 63 souls.
I don’t think I could live the life of a submariner.
Submarines are older than you think,
The first British submarine was HMA Holland 1 launched in 1901, and this is on display in the submarine museum.
Traveling Further 