I come from a fairly non-military culture(I’m Canadian). I dont know anyone in the military. My family came to Canada because they were religious pacifists, and military service was looming, in a country to which they fled to escape military service.
The only person in the family to serve was my grandfather, who was drafted for WWII, and all he would say was “I spent the war peeling spuds in Newfoundland”. It is probably true.
So I my immediate thought was that “Close shaves” was some sort of military lingo. I must strive for more prosaic thoughts I suppose.
You are welcome. But, I would have thought that would be obvious. Most ships, naval or civilian end up being scrapped. Metal is metal and its very possible that the metal that is in your car or your kitchen utensils was once part of a battleship or a submarine. Break a ship, sell the scrap, melt it down and you can use that for something else entirely.
I, too, thought that " giving close, comfortable shaves to somebody at the present time" would be a way of saying that the submarine was in an area VERY close to a target.
As it happens, John Ericsson designed a very complicated flush toilet for his innovative ironclad USS Monitor during the Civil War. If you didn’t do every step exactly right, the story goes, the toilet would spew whatever was in it all over you.
This thread reminds me of a rather unpleasant story I read once. It was a good example of how to make something safe or something damn dangerous when it comes to ergonomics.
It relates to deep sea divers and diving bells. When divers do work deep, they put in them in decompression chambers/habitats which they either just live in for awhile until the work is done or at the very least take a few hours to a day or two to decompress from the deep dive in.
Now, obviously, you need a toilet. One habitat had one. It was easy to flush. You did your business, got up, dropped the lid (which SEALED the toilet) and you pressed a button which opened a valve or two. The airspace (which was under much higher pressure than the outside air) in the toilet provided enough pressure and volume to push out all the water and stuff.
Problem was, you could press that button while sitting down on the toilet with the lid up. Some poor guy did just that. Sucked a good bit of his insides out of him from the back end. IIRC he actually lived but I suppose going to the bathroom was a rather haunting event for a good while after that.
I dont think this is right. I dont believe US subs use titanium because we dont have a good source of titanium available to the US. Also there are downsides to using titanium vs. steel.
The Russians had titanium hulled submarines because they had large reserves of titanium.
I dont believe real titanium is used in razor blades, its still kinda expensive.
I’m not aware of any U.S. submarine hull that has ever been made from titanium. While it’s very strong for its weight, it’s also extremely difficult and expensive to fabricate.
As for urinals, I don’t really remember any on my 688-class submarine, but there may have been some in the main head. I do remember the stainless steel toilets with ball valves. You opened a valve for a seawater flush, then opened the ball valve at the bottom of the toilet, let it flow for a moment, then shut the ball valve, let the toilet bowl fill up a few inches, and manually shut off the flushing water. The waste water went into holding tanks that were emptied with high pressure air. God help you if you opened a toilet ball valve when the associated sanitary tank was pressurized!
Back aft, it was commonly known that watchstanders would piss into condensate drains. It was easier than calling for a relief, and there were no heads in the engine room.
It could and usually does. Unless the people peeing are following that with water from a bottle or the like.
Urinals on ships are a PITA. They reek and a bitch to maintain. Always having massive buildup. Using extremely hot water to flush them down during the day would help but you had to do it everyday.
Ironically, speaking of “close shaves”, the Royal Navy is the only branch of the UK armed forces in which you’re allowed to grow ‘a full set’ (meaning a beard). It is prohibited in the other two branches (except in special forces).
I served on a 688-class as well- and I do remember a urinal in the wardroom head (I was a Junior Officer)- I don’t remember if the other heads had one.
I recall the Engine Room Lower Level watch’s “favorite funnels”… those needed extra special attention on field day.
There are no American subs with titanium hulls. The Soviets had a few, and they could go exceptionally deep, but they were so expensive they were deemed not worth it..
I texted my son (currently a submariner) and his answer was, “Mom you ask me some wierd assed questions.” So sorry, I can’t really help. Hopefully he’ll answer me (he’s most probably at work right now and can’t text anything by way of explanation and answering the question) later and I’ll let you know what he says. He’s on the The USS Wyoming.
But, I would have thought that would be obvious. Most ships, naval or civilian end up being scrapped. Metal is metal and its very possible that the metal that is in your car or your kitchen utensils was once part of a battleship or a submarine. Break a ship, sell the scrap, melt it down and you can use that for something else entirely.
Hopefully he’ll answer me (he’s most probably at work right now and can’t text anything by way of explanation and answering the question) later and I’ll let you know what he says. He’s on the 