Submarine Communications: Signal Flare Ejectors Aboard USS Cod

The US Fleet Sub was equipped with two miniature torpedo tubes that would send signal flares to the surface to communicate with friendly ships and aircraft, often to inform them that they were attacking a friendly sub. The ejectors could also send out false target decoys. Join USS Cod President Paul Farace as he surveys Cod's two flare ejectors and discusses why they could be life savers in combat!
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[@banedonrunestar5618]

Found this channel via New Jersey. I love hearing and seeing you and your team’s presentations on the history of this boat, US WW2 subs in general, but also how the sailors lived and worked. Thank you for your effort, I enjoy learning about all of this.

[@JoeNicks389]

Visited "SilverSide" when it was tied up at Navy Pier. Have a picture of it and my son when he was 10 years old. He just turned 53 last month, amazing how times flies. Thank you the videos and explanations, very glad that people are saving these machines from a war none of us wanted and cost millions of lives.

[@garywayne6083]

Should take a drive to Muskegon Michigan and revisit her with him. They have her there along with a fantastic sub museum and a Coast Guard cutter Mclane

[@bluerebel01]

I'm impressed with the new information I learned today about fleet boats. It's always great to learn something new, and your sharing of this beautiful information has made my day. Thank you!

[@dbfbobt]

Could also send an old beer can full of "fluid" at the DD on the next pier.

[@stevewindisch7400]

I really enjoy the videos, please keep them up! I have loved the Cod since being a Sea Explorer in Cleveland in the mid 1970's... She was our "Ship", our BSA chapter name was literally "USS Cod". She was kept in good condition then, and is apparently in excellent condition now. How can you not love a warship with the symbol of a cocktail glass on her? :)

[@scottgrimwood8868]

I really enjoyed this video. That is an important piece of equipment that unfortunately gets overlooked when touring WW2 US Navy fleet boats.

[@JosephCoates]

Do you have a merch store? I'd love to buy a shirt.

[@Grimpy970]

You deserve every view and subscription you get. Keep the videos rolling, you have a real nice on-screen presence!

[@christianweagle6253]

Superb coverage of details i've been unfamiliar with. I've been on many decomissioned subs and never seen the battery compartments. I know it's tight quarters, but maybe you could do a quick feature on them? Do these museum boats even still *have* their batteries?

[@banedonrunestar5618]

I’ve seen in mentioned in comments on other videos that USS Cod’s batteries were removed ages ago. I think it’s one of the things the navy removes before they hand the boats over to be museums.

[@christianweagle6253]

@@banedonrunestar5618 seems like a lot of work, but giant sulfuric acid bottles are no joke. I'd still like to see into the battery *compartments* for the first time.

[@paulfarace9595]

Most museum subs were formerly reserve training boats which came to those missions from the mothball fleet. After WWII the mothball efforts included removing batteries. That's why Cod and many other memorial subs have no batteries. USS Ling, USS Bkueback and USS Becuna however have all their batteries.

[@jasoncomstock2350]

Visited with my son recently. Well worth the trip to Cleveland. Fantastic preservation of a submarine of this era.

[@janjones4536]

its amazing these young men had to know all this during ww2 My own dad, John, enlisted at 17 Navy in island hopping. . He was the crew chief of the engine room by age 20 on an apa--or troop transport ( i didnt inherit his smarts). Great video, didnt even know what those were for. Thanks for sharing!

[@WhatAboutTheBee]

Hi Paul. Did the flares just float to the surface or were they somehow propelled to the surface? You may have mentioned this in the video, but I did not catch it 🤷‍♂️

[@paulfarace9595]

There's air expulsion plumbing so it was popped free with force. Beyond that buoyancy took over for the flares... the mini torpedoes that made noise were self propelled.

[@WhatAboutTheBee]

@@paulfarace9595 Thank you kindly!

[@WhatAboutTheBee]

@@thejohnbeck Hi John 👋. The guy in the video, Paul, is the gentleman who responded above "Paul Farace".

[@thejohnbeck]

@@WhatAboutTheBee thanks. Deleting my comment

[@WhatAboutTheBee]

@@thejohnbeck no worries, you don't have to do that.

[@Mountain-Man-3000]

You are a natural presenter sir. And these videos have great editing and pacing. Well done USS Cod!

[@tomnewham1269]

As the saying goes, everyday is a school day.

[@steveanderson9290]

Excellent! Keep 'em comin'!

[@georgemartin1436]

Off topic how is the boat electrically powered now? Is the equipment powered by AC or DC? Love to follow the electrons.

[@paulfarace9595]

We bring city AC rectify it to DC and pipe that aboard via the maneuvering room switchgear. An AC museum circuit is also aboard for hotel loads . Cod thinks she has her forward battery in place ... shhhh... don't tell her!😂

[@georgemartin1436]

@@paulfarace9595 Thank you so much. I assumed any sub, or any watercraft would need DC to operate safely if it gets wet (during normal operations). I'll have to try to get a look at the rectifiers next time just to see...

[@ryanjones6303]

Awesome video. Thank you.

[@burroaks7]

so cool, this channel is awesome I gotta' come visit! I've been to Cobia, U505 obviously living the the Chicago burbs' can't go to UC97 lmao but I will stop at Silversides on the back from Cod. Gotta' go see Cod first lol

[@tomtrenter3208]

You haven't been to UC 97 yet?

[@user-rl5nd3ys8p]

Great presentations . Thank you 🇦🇺

[@ArcticBlues1]

Good Job! Thank You :)

[@paulbervid1610]

Great video

[@1SemperDad]

Served onboard a FBM submarine and our signal ejectors were not much different. One in the torpedo room and the other in the engine room. I stood watches in the Torpedo Room so it was part of our qualification to know how to load and launch a signal from the ejector. One of our unofficial qual questions were "How many beer cans would fit in the forward ejector. LOL

[@Lion_McLionhead]

Much brighter lighting & paint than what was pictured in Das Boot. Wonder if the difference between boats is period accurate.

[@paulfarace9595]

Movie folks like to create a dramatic environment ... and they add smoke for some reason ! Cod uses her original lights so I'm guessing that's pretty accurate.

[@larrythorn4715]

Foxer was a specific decoy. Foxer was used by surface ships to confuse German acoustic homing torpedoes.

[@paulfarace9595]

Yes but the name was adopted by submariners.

[@garywayne6083]

Awesome! I hope to visit someday, i had no clue of this. I have the Becuna local to me and I have spent many hours on her but she's had her Guppy conversion out of WW2 form

[@rogerlevasseur397]

Wow! I've never heard or read about those countermeasures that were described in the video during the WWII era. Thanks!

[@stevenlaswell6901]

How was the water contained when the flare was loaded?

[@paulfarace9595]

The outside door was closed when the inner door was opened in the tube.

[@tomtrenter3208]

They had to be very, VERY fast and strong to push the breach shut against the sea pressure!

[@Shinzon23]

....why wouldn't they get on the radio and tell them (attacking friendlies) to knock it off? They had the radio frequencies for aircraft for their rescue work as well as for surface ships

[@tomtrenter3208]

That would mean poking up an antenna or even worse broaching and giving away their position.

[@Shinzon23]

@@tomtrenter3208 radios work underwater at the depths they'd operate at

[@tomtrenter3208]

@@Shinzon23 not in WW2.

[@Shinzon23]

@@tomtrenter3208 yes, they did

[@tomtrenter3208]

American boats in WW2 used HF and VHF for comms and both attenuated to rapidly to be of much use. If radio waves propagated to useful ranges then sonar wouldn't be needed. I was a sonar tech, were you a radioman by any chance? After WW2 the Navy did tons of research to communicate reliably with submerged subs and the only long range stuff that worked satisfactorily was ELF.

[@TheSlugstoppa]

Another great brief on this Boat but I take it then that due to the lack of 'Muzzle Cap' the Launcher in the Control room could not be reloaded whilst underwater ? Thanks for posting

[@tomtrenter3208]

They are kinda like miniature torpedo tubes and have interlocked inner and outer doors and can be reloaded submerged.