Chapter 16 



RELATION OF NOISE TO THE HABITABILITY 

 OF SUBMARINES 



F. K. BERRIEN 



Colgate University 



Research on the effects of noise has been 

 concerned either with the effects directly on 

 auditory functions or on general fatigue and 

 other non-auditory physiological or psycho- 

 logical functions. Conclusions in the first of 

 these fields are fairly clear cut; in the latter, 

 generaUzations are hazardous. The appli- 

 cabihty of these basic research results to 

 submarines and surface craft is comphcated 

 by an apparent variabihty of moderate mag- 

 nitude in noise conditions among such ships. 

 Furthermore, few submariners have men- 

 tioned noise as an important factor adversely 

 affecting personnel, although it is obviously 

 recognized as an important factor so far as 

 detection and defense are concerned. 



The summary of 1471 patrol reports com- 

 piled by Duff (20) includes only one com- 

 ment suggesting that noise has adversely 

 affected personnel. One commanding offi- 

 cer noted that engine room men were becom- 

 ing deaf because of the high noise levels. 



On the operational side, a report of factors 

 involved in sonic fistening recommends that 

 the sound operator be located in a place as 

 free from airborne noise as possible (57). 

 Harris (33) examined systematically the ef- 

 fect of masking noise on pitch discrimina- 

 tions of the Idnd often demanded in sonic 

 listening. Discriminations were poorest 

 when the noise was within five decibels (db) 

 of the signals and improved consistently as 

 the difference between the noise and signal 

 levels became greater. 



Although it is beyond the scope of this 

 discussion to deal with the problems of com- 

 munication, it is important to indicate in 

 passing that noise often masks auditory com- 



munication. This difficulty has been high- 

 lighted by a report that on one Canadian 

 mine layer, conversation was impossible in 

 the engine room. Sometimes the men in 

 this space missed telegraph signals unless a 

 man was sent from the bridge to alert the 

 engineers (7). 



The precise noise conditions have been 

 reported for the interiors of only two sub- 

 marines, although overside measures are ap- 

 parently made routinely. The earfier of 

 these two reports deaHng with USS PERCH 

 indicates that noise levels when submerged 

 approximated 75 to 95 db, depending upon 

 location and speed. However, during the 

 blowing-up operation, when both rapid com- 

 munication and a high degree of team work 

 are essential, noise levels increased to 102 to 

 124 db. Under night attack conditions (sur- 

 faced) engine room noise varied between 111 

 and 116 db, although conning and control 

 spaces had noise levels approximating 76 to 

 90 db (58). 



Harris and Stover (34) not only found the 

 levels somewhat lower on the USS RATON, 

 but also analyzed the noise spectrum. En- 

 gine room noise (surfaced) varied between 99 

 and 108 db. Forward torpedo rooms were 

 recorded as 68 db (RATON) compared with 

 82 db (PERCH). The authors conclude, 

 "It seems clear that on the RATON there 

 are no noise levels which will be likely to pro- 

 duce detrimental effects on psychomotor per- 

 formance, or on hearing per se except in the 

 engine room with Diesels operating — and 

 even here the noise level at the most extreme 

 is not such as to produce of necessity any loss 

 of job efficiency. With Diesels operating, 



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