Elaborate Model Submarine Built In Studio

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 241, 8 July 1938, Page 18

Elaborate Model Submarine Built In Studio

VuR the production of rhe Warner. Bros, picture, "Submarine D-l,” which stars Wayne Morris, Pat O’Brien and Doris .Weston, a masterpiece of mechanical legerdemain was created. It was made in the studio property shop. It is a replica of the Unifed States Navy’s Submarine D-l, built on a oue-Inch-to-the-foot scale, which does all manner of tricks that a real submarine will do, an'd more. The more is added because it must be controlled from the outside, whereas a real submarine is operated from the inside by a large crew. The small D-l cruised on the surface, dived to a depth of forty feet, discharged torpedos, and otherwise comported- itself in the manner of a full-sized war vessel- It steered itself and skimmed through the water at a maximum speed of nine knots. The miniature submarine, 20 feet long and weighing 1525 pounds, was driven by nine electric motors. It had a water pump that reversed, pumping water in or out of the submarine according to the operator’s will. To make this possible a new three-way valve had to be invented.

“The toughest part of this job,” said the designer, “was that you could buy hardly one thing that you needed, so we had to make most parts in the shop. The only ready-made units were the pump and the motors, the rest we east, moulded and shaped ourselves.” In addition to the submarine, the designer and his crew also made a naval cruiser, a replica of the U.S.S. Salt Lake City. In the-story of “Submarine D-l” it. is the cruiser that crashes the-eubmarine and sends it to the bottom. Naval officers were opposed to the replica of one of their active submarines. There actually is a D-l in active service, and .it was used by the players on . location off San Diego in mariy scenes. However, when it was shown that the story includes the salvaging of the submarine from the bottom of the ocean permission was given.