32 FRONTIERS IN OCEANIC RESEARCH 



tifieally and technologically so as to begin harvestng vital resources from the sea 

 and to utilize the advantage of deep sea operations for strategic military 

 purposes. 



It is considered essential to the orderly progress of pursuing the host of studies 

 involved in manned exploration of the deep sea that deep submersible vehicles 

 and shore facilities, scientific personnel, and existing experience be integrated to 

 provide the United States with the most effective means of maintaining leader- 

 ship in deep oceanic research. The established operating base for the bathyscaph 

 Trieste, at the U.S. Navy Electronics Laboratory, which is adjacent to the most 

 suitable location for bathyscaph operations in the United States, appears to be the 

 most propitious location for such a base. In addition, the Nation's largest 

 community of scientists and personnel concerned with basic and directed oceanic 

 research is located in the San Diego area. 



Coupled with the oceanic specialists is a scientific, technical, and educational 

 community that will contribute to the overall effectiveness of such an establish- 

 ment. As a military center, San Diego continues to encompass one of the Nation's 

 largest Navy establishments. The U.S. Navy Electronics Laboratory, in particu- 

 lar, possesses many facilities that would be immediately available to any 

 expanded deep submersible program. Future developments in subsurface vehicles 

 and oceanic research is also of extreme concern to fleet commands; several of 

 these are located in San Diego. The scientific community surrounding the United 

 States Navy Electronics Laboratory is fully cognizant of the needs of military 

 operations and that there is no comparison between the urgencies of the problems 

 of the oceans and those of outer space. In the great depths of the sea, there rest 

 strong potential advantages for detection, evasion, surveillance, and control of 

 vast areas of the sea by those vessels that can master the problems of operating 

 in the abyss. Utilization of the third dimension in the sea by the Navy is becom- 

 ing more of a reality with the advent of deep submersibles. Adding the potential 

 of being nuclear powered, the deep-traveling vehicle will be the craft of the future 

 that will be able to utilize all of the strategic advantages offered by the deep sea 

 environment. Therefore, it is vital that the United States endeavor to maintain 

 a significant lead in deep sea research using manned deep submersibles and 

 advanced instrumentation to accelerate our knowledge of this newly opened 

 domain. 



SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS 



One of the prime reasons for the seemingly poor diving record during the 

 Trieste's first year in the U.S. Navy was that of securing proper support for the 

 craft. The personnel had to have time to become properly indoctrinated with 

 operation and maintenance of Trieste. There were no printed instruction man- 

 uals or precepts other than the personal experience of one man, Jacques Piecard. 

 It was a case of learn by doing. No formal classes were held ; rather, we learned 

 by the apprenticeship system. A great deal of equipment had to be procured, 

 much of which was neither military standard nor off the shelf. Time-consuming 

 delays were experienced in trying to find the U.S. equivalent to many of the 

 Trieste's European-made parts ancl in converting many of the craft's fittings from 

 metric to U.S. standards. Shore facilities were allocated at the Navy Electronics 

 Laboratory. However, they were assigned before anyone had seen the bathy- 

 scaph, and some revision of the space estimates was in order when it finally ar- 

 rived. It was a very slow process getting used to this completely unorthodox 

 craft. 



Shore facilities 



Shore facilities for the bathyscaph are all located in the waterfront area of 

 N.E.L. and, besides office space, include the following: A fenced concrete com- 

 pound for drydocking stowage and shop spaces, and berthing space between two 

 wooden piers. 



Deficiencies in shore facilities include the following : 



(a) The present fenced compound is inadequate, if another vehicle should be 

 built and assigned to N.E.L. 



f h ) A ballast storage area should be provided. 



(c) A fuel handling System capable of absorbing the 30,000 gallon fuel load 

 of the Trieste should be provided at the facility. 



(<l) Shop space in the order of 5,000 square feet should be available and ex- 

 pandible to provide a machine shop, instrumentation shop, storage of delicate 

 equipments and spare parts, work area for sphere instrumentation and repair, 

 a darkroom for special deep-sea cameras, and a high pressure test facility. 



