Underwater Acoustics: Brief Historical Overview Through WWII

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the historical development of underwater acoustics, particularly during World War I and World War II, highlighting significant advancements in sonar technology and oceanographic research. Key contributions were made during the 169th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) in Pittsburgh, PA, where the evolution of acoustic science was presented. Additionally, the conversation touches on a fictional narrative involving a merchant ship cook who allegedly created an 'acoustic dampening system', which is identified as a product of AI-generated historical fiction.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of sonar technology and its applications in naval warfare.
  • Familiarity with oceanographic research methods and their historical context.
  • Knowledge of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) and its role in acoustic science.
  • Awareness of historical narratives and their impact on public perception of technology.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the advancements in sonar technology during World War II.
  • Explore the contributions of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) to underwater acoustics.
  • Investigate the historical accuracy of narratives surrounding underwater acoustics, particularly in fiction.
  • Read "Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage" for insights into Cold War submarine operations.
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for historians, naval engineers, acoustic researchers, and anyone interested in the technological advancements in underwater acoustics and their historical implications during the world wars.

Astronuc
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Naval warfare and the threat it poses have been the greatest motivation for underwater acoustics, starting with World War I (WWI) and reaching remarkable levels of achievement during and after World War II (WWII). These efforts led to basic discoveries in oceanography and acoustic science and engineering, including sonar and geophysical exploration.

The history of underwater acoustics over the first half of the 20th century includes its initial development, followed by a myriad of accomplishments through two world wars. This is a very broad and voluminous topic, for which only highlights can be given in this brief sketch. The material covered is largely derived from three special sessions on the topic, chaired by the authors at the 169th meeting of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) held in Pittsburgh, PA. . . .
https://acousticstoday.org/wp-conte...rview-Through-World-War-II-Thomas-G.-Muir.pdf

This topic relates to a discussion about a fictitious narrative regarding a cook on a merchant ship who purportedly developed an 'acoustic dampening system'. The story appears to be 'historical fiction' generated by AI (LLM).

Ref: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/random-thoughts-7.1056780/post-7293577

Edit/update (original post about a merchant marine cook and an 'insane' idea about acoustical damping):
Astronuc

History Post in thread 'For WW2 buffs!'

An interesting story - How One Cook's "INSANE" Idea Stopped U-Boats From Acoustically Detecting Convoys



The story apparently involves "historical fiction" by combining historical facts interwoven into a fictional narrative. WWII Rising Stories appear to be mostly fictional.

How this content was made
Altered or synthetic content
Sound or visuals were significantly edited or digitally generated.
The disclaimer/caveat indicates the video is generated by AI.

Some of the persons mentioned in the video are actual people.

Vice-Admiral Sir Peter William Gretton...
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Astronuc said:
https://acousticstoday.org/wp-conte...rview-Through-World-War-II-Thomas-G.-Muir.pdf

This topic relates to a discussion about a fictitious narrative regarding a cook on a merchant ship who purportedly developed an 'acoustic dampening system'. The story appears to be 'historical fiction' generated by AI (LLM).

Ref: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/random-thoughts-7.1056780/post-7293577
And this is just one we noticed. Edit. How about the times they've been used for general, applied research?
 
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There's a great book on this called Blind Man's Bluff:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Man's_Bluff:_The_Untold_Story_of_American_Submarine_Espionage

Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage (ISBN 0-06-103004-X) by Sherry Sontag, Christopher Drew, and Annette Lawrence Drew, published in 1998 by PublicAffairs, is a non-fiction book about U.S. Navy submarine operations during the Cold War. Several operations are described in the book, such as the use of USS Parche to tap Soviet undersea communications cables and USS Halibut to do the same in Operation Ivy Bells.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind...Espionage?wprov=srpw1_6#cite_note-NYTreview-1"><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></a>

The book also contains an extensive list of collisions between Western and Soviet submarines and U.S. submarine awards.
 
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There is one story in there about a Russian sub and American sub grazing one another. Somehow the Russian sub lost its propeller stuck in the sail of the American sub.

The American sub waited around hoping the Russians would surface for a rescue but they never did. The American captain felt they had perished at sea and it bothered him until he died.

Many years after the incident when Russia opened up. The Russian captain went to visit the American captain but sadly he had passed away believing he had killed his fellow submariners in a shadow war that no one wanted to fight.

Check out the Wikipedia USS Tautog and K-108 collision circa 1970.
 
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