The submarines of World War II were effectively surface vessels with submersible

capabilities. They nearly always operated on the surface - dipping under only to hide
or attack. They were designed for speed and stability on the surface. When
submerged, they operated at slow speeds for relatively short periods of time. Battery
life was the primary restriction in extended underwater operations. The NSF
recommendations called for a feasibility study of a submarine with a fully rounded hull,
a single propeller located along the axis, and a pressure hull constructed with a new,
stronger steel called HY-80.

USS Albacore (AGSS-569) was a unique research submarine that pioneered the
American version of the teardrop hull form. The revolutionary design was derived from
extensive hydrodynamic and wind tunnel testing, with an emphasis on underwater
speed and manoeuvrability.

The submarines of World War II were effectively surface vessels with submersible
capabilities. They nearly always operated on the surface - dipping under only to hide
or attack. They were designed for speed and stability on the surface. When
submerged, they operated at slow speeds for relatively short periods of time. Battery
life was the primary restriction in extended underwater operations. ASW advances
during the war had broken the back of Germany's U-boat service. After 1943, U-boats
were vulnerable to detection and attack whenever surfaced. To counter this, a new
boat - type XXI - was developed. This type became operational in 1945 but it was too
late for Germany. The type XXI boats were the first true submarines and were, in large
measure, the basis for the next generation of Allied submarines. After the war the
Undersea Warfare Committee of the National Science Foundation issued a set of
recommendations recognizing that submerged speed and endurance were critical in
war-making and survivability. The NSF recommendations called for a feasibility study
of a submarine with a fully rounded hull, a single propeller located along the axis, and
a pressure hull constructed with a new, stronger steel called HY-80. The NSF report
ignited debate within Navy circles over a variety of issues such as the merits of twin
propellers vs. singles, and the sacrifice of surface stability for undersea speed. The
result of the recommendations and ensuing debate was the U.S.S. Albacore.

Phase I

Construction was approved in 1950 and in March 1952 her keel was laid at the
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. She was launched just over a year later,
on Aug. 1,1953. Her shape - smooth, rounded into a tear drop, with a small stream-
lined sail ,was vastly different from active duty boats in 1953. She was shorter and
broader abeam than conventional submarines. Her designers had made every effort
to streamline the hull – going as far as testing the shape in a wind tunnel. To that end,
her capstans, cleats and bullnoses, antenna and periscope were housed in recesses
when not in use. Since she was an experimental boat, no weapons were ever fitted
to the Albacore. In the first phase of testing, the after control surfaces were suspended
behind the single screw by large arms. She was fitted with bow planes and a small
dorsal rudder mounted on the rear portion of the sail. The dorsal rudder was included
to prevent the boat from excessive heeling during high-speed maneuvering. During
her initial trials, the boat met her speed goals handily. Because no one was sure what
might happen during high speed maneuvering, the initial runs were performed at a
constant depth and course.

As her handlers became more confident, the boat was subjected to increasingly tight
turns at high speed. This testing proved particularly valuable when Albacore
participated in ASW drills with Navy destroyers. The destroyers soon learned that the
little sub was a quiet adversary. Her smooth hull silently (to 1950's sound gear) sliced
through depths even at high speeds. When located and pursued, she routinely turned
inside the destroyer's turning radius and sped away. Speed was an entirely new arena
for submarines. Before Albacore, most submarines topped out at 10kts or less
underwater. While Albacore's top speed is still classified, she held the undersea speed
record even after the Skipjack class became operational - and they were rated,
unofficially, at 30+ kts submerged. Unofficial sources have indicated that speeds
approaching 50 knots might have been attained. The Albacore designers borrowed
freely from aircraft technologies where appropriate. The single "driver" controls depth
and course with an aircraft-style wheel. Down angle was increased by pushing the
wheel forward and vice versa. The driver's station contains a seat belt for high-speed
maneuvering.

Phase II

The results of Phase I testing had indicated that, at high speed, the stresses at the
base of the arms suspending the after control surfaces was unacceptably high. As a
result, in 1956 the Albacore was given a new set of after control surfaces. The rudders
and after diving planes were moved forward of the screw and arranged in a cruciform
or "+" configuration. In addition, the dorsal rudder was eliminated and sound-
deadening materials were added to many key areas. Even while the Albacore
continued her work, a new generation of attack submarines were under construction
using many of the advancements she had tested in phase I. In May 1956, the
construction of the U.S.S. Barbel, first of a three-boat class, began. Barbel and her kin
had the same tear-drop hull design as the Albacore and were constructed with the
same HY-80 steel. The Barbel's were 219 feet long and had a 29 foot beam - just
slightly greater than the Albacore. They were diesel/electric boats and were fully
armed. They were also the last non-nuclear combat subs built by the U.S. Navy. The
Skipjack program was run in parallel with the Barbel construction. These boats
combined the Albacore hull shape, single axis-mounted propeller and HY-80 steel with
a nuclear propulsion system. The S5W reactor performed so well and proved so
reliable that it was used for two decades in U.S. and some British sub designs. As for
the Albacore, much of her testing in this period was on Sonar advancements. Further
changes in Phase II included the deletion of the bow planes in 1958 and, the following
year, a larger, 14 foot propeller was installed and then deleted in the next phase.

Phase III

The stern control surfaces were changed again in 1960. The rudders and diving planes
were rotated into an "X" shaped configuration. This arrangement proved very popular
with foreign submarine designers but has never reappeared on U.S. submarines. The
Dorsal rudder was reinstalled and enlarged and the boat was outfitted with speed
brakes. These brakes - another concept borrowed from aviation - technology,
consisted of 10 hinged panels ringing the nafter part of the ship. When needed, they
were hydraulically opened into the waterflow, bringing the boat to a rapid stop. New
Sonars were tested from the bow radar dome and a towed array was fitted to the after
part of the vessel. In 1962, project "Bailout" was initiated. Still concerned about the
high speeds Albacore was operating at, the Navy constantly searched for new ways
to increase the safety margin for the crew. The Navy borrowed three B-47 drag chutes
from Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire.

Phase IV

The predominate change in this phase was the installation of counter-rotating screws.
The drive shaft for the forward screw consisted of a sleeve which housed the drive
shaft for the after screw. A new system of blowing water ballast was also installed .
The Albacore and other U.S. subs ran a maze of piping run from the air banks, through
the control room and then on to the ballast tanks . In the Control Room, the blow valves
were manually operated to expel ballast in each tank. The new system brought the
blow valves to the ballast tanks. These were operated by a single switch in the control
room. The new system was simpler to operate and maintain. In case of emergency or
loss of power, the ballast would be automatically blown and the vessel would quickly
rise to the surface. In addition, new silver-zinc batteries replaced the conventional
lead-acid type and the speed brakes were removed. Further high-speed trials were
conducted to evaluate the propulsion system, and controls after which the Albacore
received her last configuration changes. The distance between her counter-rotating
screws was later shortened, from 10 feet to 5 feet

Further tests of communications equipment were completed before she was placed
on reduced status in 1969 and subsequently decommissioned in 1972. She had
fulfilled her designers promises with distinction. A little submarine with a long legacy: