Cinderellas of the fleet . The ability of the M. B. to eliminate undesirable noises is ex-plained by the fact that a sound coming from the sides would strikethe nearest ear first, then the next, and the next, and so on, and by thetime it got to the main channel of the instrument would be confusedand blanketed by itself. Supposing the instrument were set at zero,only sounds coming from the sector between 345 degrees and 15 de-grees and those from the opposite sector between 165 degrees and 105degrees would be heard at all. It took somewhat longer to search thecomplete circle with the AI. B. tub
Cinderellas of the fleet . The ability of the M. B. to eliminate undesirable noises is ex-plained by the fact that a sound coming from the sides would strikethe nearest ear first, then the next, and the next, and so on, and by thetime it got to the main channel of the instrument would be confusedand blanketed by itself. Supposing the instrument were set at zero,only sounds coming from the sector between 345 degrees and 15 de-grees and those from the opposite sector between 165 degrees and 105degrees would be heard at all. It took somewhat longer to search thecomplete circle with the AI. B. tube but its possibility for accuracywas much greater although I believe on some boats it was seldom usedbecause of its complicated construction and susceptibility to leaks. The K Hydrophone Submarines took advantage of the darkness to come to the surfaceto charge their storage batteries. A submarine is itself a pretty goodlistening device even without any special listening apparatus, and when 74 THE CINDERELLAS OF THE FLEET. Photograph by courtesy of Ensign George Wallace, The 136 lifted out bodily for over-night repairs at Norfolk, showing the hous-ing of her hydrophone alongside the keel. it heard anything in the vicinity it stayed below. For this reason itwas customary for the Chasers to lie to and drift all night in order tolisten and avoid being heard. At such times or when on station inthe daytime a much more elaborate electrical listening device was usedknown as the K. tube. The S. C. and the M. B. tubes had aradius of only about four or five miles but with the K. workingunder good conditions, vessels could be heard up to 30 miles or K. tube, which was really not a tube at all, was designed toeliminate local water noises and was constructed in the following man-ner. A triangular shaped brass pipe with rubber ears at the cornerswas suspended by an electric cable at a depth of about 40 feet. Thisdevice was supported for the most part by a hollow metal flo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookidcinderellaso, bookyear1920
