Lake Torpedo Boat Company Defender Submarine

[Mark Nankivil]

Good Day All -

Interesting story about the Defender being found by a dive team: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/submarine-wreckage-long-island-sound-divers-defender/

More on the design here: http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08452.htm and here: https://en.topwar.ru/120200-podvodnaya-lodka-defender-ssha.html

Enjoy the Day! Mark

 

[1635yankee]

Even (or especially) as somebody who lives on Long Island Sound, it's surprising what's sunken there.

 

[Brickmuppet]

I've always been interested in Defender. I've looked for a plan of the vessel for 30 years. It was a really interesting historical "almost" that, despite loosing the navy competition, seemed to have a lot of potential. Interestingly, I understand that Lake marketed Defender (as well as the earlier Protector) to the army as well. (It was advertised as being a good underwater work boat and just small enough for riverine as well as coastal defense work).

Of course Lake also saw civilian applications such as salvage, research and even niche applications in fisheries (President Teddy Roosevelt had gone on an underwater "hunt" in Argonaut....causing alarm when they stayed down longer than planned to cook and eat their catch...mostly clams IIRC ).

In Defender, Lake probably tried to do too many things in one hull, contributing to the loss of the Navy competition but it was a really advanced and forward thinking design.

 

[southwestforests]

In Defender, Lake probably tried to do too many things in one hull, contributing to the loss of the Navy competition

This book has some about that, and other early submarine development and the whys and wherefores,