Any WWII US Submarine Experts Here???

wallyent

We have three important gauges off the USS Sawfish SS-276 Navy Submarine that we are hoping to get more info on each. These were salvaged personally and collected by a WWII Navy Vet who was a torpedo gunner on another submarine. Any information someone can give us on each would be greatly appreciated. Info such as their importance and function of each. Thanks very much.

rufe-snow

For them to have any value, they have to be documented. As they aren't marked to a specific sub. They are just gauges, that could have come out of any junk yard.

You're going to have to get a notarized statement from the vet, at the very least.

richarda

First (largest) is depth gauge, showing how far keel is beneath the ocean's surface (used when submerged).

thorhammer

If you remove the screws on the back plate of each gauge, you can
loosen the internal mechanism and than pull it out the front, be sure to unscrew the bezel first. On the back of the inside plate is a date
and you can ascertain it's vintage. This may help date the sub to WWII.

I have done this with old boiler gauges and they are all dated.

good luck, Thor

wallyent

The 276 on the back of the gauges document which submarine they came off of and the Torpedo Gunner we got them from personally salvaged them all from the submarine himself.

charliemeyer007

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sawfish_(SS-276)

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08276.htm

http://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3022.html

http://pigboats.com/ww2/sawfish.html

11b6r

Subs used high pressure compressed air for a LOT of things- pushing ballast water out of the ballast tanks, starting diesel engines, and pushing torpedoes out of the tube. Here is a primer on sub air systems.

http://books.google.com/books?id=Is_EzoIFiGkC&pg=PA23&lpg=PA23&dq=submarine+R.T.+tank&source=bl&ots=nK70373Mkt&sig=n15VGrScKWcJWorevqBuT7FHV7Q&hl=en&sa=X&ei=tzdwU92wNe_QsQS22YHICA&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=submarine R.T. tank&f=false

babun

quote:Originally posted by wallyent
The 276 on the back of the gauges document which submarine they came off of and the Torpedo Gunner we got them from personally salvaged them all from the submarine himself.


If you are trying to infer more value because of which sub they are off of, sorry it doesn't matter unless that sub has some very important history with it, and few do.
In my antiquity and collectible business, I come across these gages very often, most garner $20 to $50 in retail sales.
A notarized letter from the person owning the gage is not too much of a provenance to the history. The painted numbers may be from a salvage number of the boat, but you would need the company"s log books to prove it, NOT a workers story.
Old relics are just like old guns..... you buy the ITEM...not the STORY. JMHO

wpage

They are certainly pressure gauges. Like others have said once detached they are items...

JIM STARK

Let's see, first one depth to keel, no brainer, impulse tank pressure for impullsing em out, (those nasty hot runs) and the WRT, or water around torpedo for tube flooding.
Hope this helps.....
JIM..............

wallyent

Thanks all for the info. Just what we needed.