Deep Ocean Technology offers images never seen as lost submarine from the First World War

A training and an engineering dive on the high seas off San Diego provided the occasion for the imagery without sight before the USS USS F-1 submarine, lost at sea, on December 17, 1917, which led to the death of 19 crew members. The detailed and high definition images of the final place of rest of the WWI submarine have been made possible by a group of interinstitutions teams, as well as by advanced imaging technology on the high seas.

From February 24 to March 4, researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) used the vehicle occupied by the man (HOV) Alvin and an autonomous sentry of underwater vehicles (AUV), the two work horses of the National Deep Submence Facility (NDSF) Submarine vehicle fleetTo capture images of almost the wreck of over 100 years, located in approximately 400 meters (over 1,300 feet) of water.

The US National Science Foundation (NSF) supported the cruise to lead Alvin and Sentry systems and engineering tests. During the cruise, the team carried out meticulous surveys of the submarine using Sonar systems on Sentry and the Research Ship Atlantis, as well as video cameras On an attached vehicle and immobile and video imaging systems on Alvin. The team also interviewed a Bomber Torpedo Navy training plane which crashed near the same place in 1950.

“Advanced ocean technology and simple teamwork have played a big role in the delivery of these new images,” said Bruce Strickrott de Whoi, director of the Alvin group in Whoi and the senior pilot of the submarine who helped direct the expedition.

“Once we identified the wreck and determined that it was sure to diveWe were able to capture perspectives never seen before from the submarine. As a veteran of the American navy, it was a deep honor to visit the wreck of the F-1 with our colleagues Onr and NHHC aboard Alvin. “”

The surveys and subsequent images of the wrecks were made possible by the expertise and support of the Partners of the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the University Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS), NHHC and Whoi. NSF finances the NDSF fleet with the support of the ONR and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

“The NDSF provides essential equipment to reach the deep ocean“Said Lisa Cloud, director of the acting division of the NSF division of ocean sciences.” Although Hov Alvin and Auv Sentry are essential to reveal geological risks in the high seas and studying distant ecosystems, they also offer opportunities to train the next generation of scientists and discover crucial moments in our country. “

The seven dives were part of a previously planned training and engineering mission carried out by the Alvin team to give time to training pilots to perfect their skills by diving the submersible and to allow the development of new technologies and capacities that serve the high seas research community.

The non-invasive visual surveys of F-1 also took the underwater archaeologist of naval and heritage history (NHHC), Brad Krueger, during his first Alvin dive, and the first dive in person on a historic wreck site. The NHHC mission is to preserve and present a precise history of the American navy, which includes the location, the interpretation and protection of the American navy and the planes.

“It was an incredibly exciting and humiliating experience to visit these historically important wrecks and to honor the sacrifice of these brave American sailors,” said Krueger. “We all at the NHHC we are grateful for this collaboration, which also allowed us to document and assess the state of crafts.”

“As a veteran of the navy, making this dive – together with another navy veteran and a naval historian – was a solemn privilege,” said Rob Sparrock, ONR program officer, who was in DSV Alvin during his inspection and analyzed the submarine. “It was almost eight hours, it was time to contemplate the risks that all sailors, past and present, are confronted. This also reminded me of the importance of these training dives, which take advantage of the knowledge of past dives, learned lessons and sound engineering.”

A souvenir ceremony took place aboard Atlantis above the location of the wreck after the dives. A bell sounded 19 times – one for each member of the service lost at sea. “History and archeology are people and we estimated that it was important to read their names aloud,” said Krueger. “The navy has the solemn responsibility to ensure that the inheritances of its lost sailors remember.”

The rapid improvement in imaging technology has improved the team’s ability to study and document the Wiper F-1 wreck site. Multi-Faisceau Sonar systems on R / V Atlantis and AUV Sentry have produced detailed and high resolution cards of the wreckage and the surrounding seabed.

Completing this, high resolution cameras on Alvin have captured a detailed video and photos of the wreckage that Whoi imaging specialists have sewn in photogrammetric models capable of providing precise measurements of the submarine and animals that have colonized its wreck over the years.

The use of new tools and techniques has provided real -time training for use on future missions, including mapping strategies in the complex topography of the seabed.

This richness of data and images allowed the ocean imaging team of Whoi to rebuild the F-1 submarine using photogrammetry, which led to superb 3D models.

“Although these depths are well in the diving capacity for Alvin and Sentry, they were technical dives requiring expertise and specialized equipment,” said Anna Michel, chief scientist of NDSF and co-directed from the expedition. “We have been careful and methodical to investigate these historic sites so that we can share these amazing images, while maintaining the reverence that these sites deserve.”