National Submarine Day: History, facts and 3 ways to celebrate
WASHINGTON, DC: The purchase of the USS Holland (SS-1), the first contemporary submarine to be commissioned, is commemorated on April 11 as National Submarine Day. Although the US Navy's acquisition of its first modern submarine is celebrated on this day, living underground isn't particularly attractive.
Crews frequently spend months at sea and only come home when food supplies are low. They have more than just the sea and opponents to deal with. Here are some history and facts that you should know about submarines as the nation commemorates the day.
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History
Although Holland VI was the first submarine owned by the US, National Submarine Day honors the government's acquisition of it. The first submarine known to be owned by the United States was the USS Alligator. Brutus Villeroi finished building his submarine, which he may have called the Nautilus, on August 10 and demonstrated it off the French coast.
The submarine, which was then referred to as a ‘fish boat’, was 10 feet six inches long and three feet seven inches wide at its widest point. It was a spectacular sight as the fish boat sank to a depth of 20 feet. Villeroi created the USS Alligator in 1861, which the United States lost to a fierce storm on April 2, 1863, and sank in the seas.
The Irish-American inventor John Phillip Holland's Holland VI, which cost $150,000 and was put into service on October 12, 1900, was purchased by the US government on April 11, 1900. It was called the first modern submarine with a variety of outstanding components all in one craft and was commanded by Lieutenant HH Caldwell.
Facts
1. The Holland VI has been declared inoperative and removed from the Naval Vessel Register.
2. The USS Alligator, the US government's first acquired submarine, sinks in the Atlantic Ocean.
3. A day on a submarine is actually 18 hours, broken up into three shifts of six hours each. Consequently, a submariner might labor for six hours and then train, repair equipment, or sleep for another twelve.
4. Due to the lack of privacy and habitability on a submarine, women could not be assigned to submarine crews prior to 2010.
5. Many people believe that Wolfgang Peterson's epic German movie ‘Das Boot’ is the best submarine movie ever created.
3 ways to celebrate National Submarine Day
1. Touring a real submarine
Have you ever considered what it might be like to live in a submarine? Take a tour of a real submarine to get a sense of marine life. You may imagine what life might be like for a submariner while learning firsthand about the responsibilities onboard, the difficulties they confront, and how submarines function.
2. Take a visit to a Navy museum
A Navy museum is the ideal destination if you enjoy history and want to learn everything there is to know about the service. Discover the historic naval events, epic battles, and operations that shaped human history. Experts that have access to all the information will respond to your queries.
3. Naval experience
Take a virtual tour from home if you can't visit a submarine or a Navy museum in person. The next best thing is watching videos online. Use internet videos to do your own study and take a deep dive into a particular aspect of naval history that interests you. Have a submarine movie day with 'The Hunt for Red October,' 'U-571' and other titles to see how Hollywood interprets submarine action.
