• , 'yL.7 



The Navy/Woods Hole research submersible Alvin is seen being recovered after almost 

 a year on the bottom off the New England coast. A recovery team of surface ships 

 worked with the submersible Aluminant to retrieve the research craft from over 5,000 

 feet of water. 



cooperation of the Navy research ship Mizar and the commercial submer- 

 sible Aluminaut. The combination of great depth, long lift, and great weight 

 posed unprecedented problems. After several exploratory dives, Aluminaut 

 attached a toggle bar to Alvin's hatch which led to a 4J/2-inch nylon lift line 

 led through the Mizar's center well. Once surfaced, Alvin was suspended 

 under a salvage pontoon and towed homeward, in remarkably good con- 

 dition after her long submergence. 



The Navy has an integrated deep submergence biomedical development 

 program which has as one of its objectives the safe and efficient underwater 

 operations by divers to depths of 1 ,000 feet for periods of up to 30 days. The 

 Bureau of Medicine and Surgery has produced a development plan for at- 

 tainment of this objective by 1977. Total biomedical eflForts now underway 

 support all facets of Navy's deep submergence program, including ambient 

 pressure diving and vehicle and habitat occupancy. 



Ship Construction 



The years 1970-71 mark the completion of a major transitional period for 

 the Navy's operational oceanographic fleet — the completion of the pro- 

 gramed phasing out of obsolete converted military ships, manned by naval 

 personnel, and their replacement by new ships specifically designed and in- 



177 



