The USS Pampanito now finds its home inside a museum as part of the San Francisco Maritime Museum at pier 41. Fairbanks Morse engine data plate Charles Butcher, Chief of the Boat, starting the motor, rolling it over with high pressure air Today Charles Butcher had no problem doing this by ear. Now that the engine was warmed up, it was time to fine tune the idle. You can see an original WWII submariner in the background, on hand for the Diesel starting. Charles Butcher, Chief of the Boat, opening the exhaust valve prior to starting the motor. ![]() This is the second of the four main motors that the chief of the boat is restoring. So as with anything in the submarine community, you made sure you had the best sailors on board to keep everything operating in the highest operational state as possible. Everything on a submarine is so tight, so packed in to conserve space, that there isn’t much room for any modifications. Needless to say, this submarine depended on these Fairbanks Morse diesels for all they could give.Īs you wouldn’t want someone on a submarine crew who did not want to be in a tight space deep down in the ocean, submarine service was and still is 100 percent volunteer.Ĭontrary to what you see in the Hollywood movies such as Up Periscope (which actually contains scenes filmed on the USS Pampanito), these diesel engines were not modified during for operation (believe it or not, the crew never added whiskey for a little added power). On her third patrol, she saved 73 POWs that were involved in completion of the Burma-Thailand railroad. Pampanito made six patrols in the Pacific during this time, and in that period, sank six Imperial Japanese ships and damaged four others. When the USS Pampanito was completed in 1943, she entered the Pacific Fleet in the height of World War II. For the newer submarines, these engines were used as the auxiliary power plant. This engine was so good that they not only continue to make parts for it, but also used it in several marine vessels for decades, including the newer nuclear submarines of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. They are dry sump engines that idle at 300 rpm (with a 400 rpm governor-imposed limit).Įven though these motors were built and assembled in 1943, you can still find parts today by calling Fairbanks Morse with the model number and serial number. Since refined diesel was not readily available during WWII, this allowed shipmen to store bunker fuel from any source and then clean it up as needed for wartime operations.Įach one of these Fairbanks Morse 38D 8 1/8 engines produces 1600 horsepower. In turn, the day tank feeds all the engines. To make this work, the bunker fuel is pumped through a centrifugal purifying system and then stored in a day tank that has a capacity of 600 gallons. This ship has the ability to store up to 110,000 gallons of raw dirty bunker fuel for all five of the diesels. The amazing part of the USS Pampanito design is the fuel storage and delivery system. “They idle at 300 rpm and the governor limits them at 400 rpm” The smaller fifth diesel provides the submarine with all the electrical power to run the lights and auxiliary onboard equipment. The bore is 5 1/4 inches and the stroke 7 1/4 inches.ĭuring normal operation on the surface, two of the main diesel engines drive the motor generators to turn the shaft another two turn the motor generators to charge the batteries. This is a 7-cylinder, opposed piston, air-starting engine rated at 440HP. Along with one ship’s service diesel is an auxiliary engine, Model 38E 5-1/4, (also supplied by Fairbanks, Morse and Company). Bore and stroke are 8 1/8 and 10 inches respectively. They are opposed piston, in-line, 10-cylinder engine employing air starting. The USS Pampanito has four Fairbanks Morse 38D 8 1/8 model motors. Each vessel took only two years to build from beginning to completion. One such submarine with the reliable power plant engine was the USS Pampanito (SS-383), a World War II Balao class Fleet submarine built from 1942 to 1944. But without a dependable diesel engine, the crew would not have had a chance to survive in the depths of the ocean. So in 1944, when World War II neared its climax, the navies required just that for their submarines. “This boat has the ability to store up to 110,000 gallons of raw dirty bunker fuel for all five of the diesels.” When it comes to military frontlines or emergency first responders, you need a power plant you can count on.
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