During World War I, Wooden Submarines Were all the Rage
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Wooden Submarines in World War I? It Actually Happened
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Even stranger. It worked.
Here s What You Need to Remember: These ships helped hunt down surfaced Nazi subs. This is how they did it.
When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, the nation’s Navy was shockingly short of combat ships particularly the submarine chasers that would be vital to combating the German U-boat menace. A prodigious ship-building program was hastily implemented, but because of heavy demands on the country’s steel industry for destroyers, cruisers, and battleships, the only material left available for submarine chasers was wood. Small, privately owned shipyards soon received contracts to build wooden submarine chasers. The design approved by the Navy Department called for a sturdy vessel with an overall length of 110 feet, a displacement of 85 tons, and a maximum speed of 18 knots.