Up Periscope!: WWII Submarine Scope Demonstration

[@mrkeiths48]

Super cool that you have people able to maintain the equipment on Cod. Someday I plan on getting to Cleveland so that I can visit this beautiful boat. A bonus would be to meet Paul, Evan and the rest of the museum curators.

[@paulfarace9595]

We're here most days. Looking forward to meeting you!

[@casey6556]

I’m similarly looking at a trip!

[@lindanadaud9698]

Thank you for the video. My husband served on USS Pomodon (SS486) from 1967 thru 1968.

[@Russojap2]

Wow, great episode! What an interesting perspective from the top of the periscope! I also didn't realize that it extended so far down into the submarine. 😮 Great video, guys!👍

[@andrewd.1113]

Paul, thanks for another great video. It pleases me to see a piece of America's history so well maintained! You should be SO PROUD of your crew!

[@paulfarace9595]

I CERTAINLY AM PROUD OF OUR CREW!❤

[@MicC-yx5th]

I was able to look through the periscope on the USS Drum in Mobile Alabama. They had it pointed at the USS Alabama. Respects for the men who served on these submarines they did not have a lot of space.

[@live4java]

I took a tour of the Cod when I was visiting the area back in about '09. I think I was the only guest, so got answers to pretty much all of my many questions. Still use the USS Cod mug I picked up that day. Great museum boat!

[@jrmotorsports5532]

Everything that you do and provide is very much appreciated.

[@squadman3376]

Thanks guys...Landlubbers like me appreciate what you do.....

[@petesheppard1709]

Good video! Just the barest of glimpses of the endless, detailed maintenance that the crews had to conduct--often under extremely difficult conditions.

[@moplum]

Little periscope history for you. I knew the inventor of the WWII periscope scales inside the view. His name was Mr Limon Nicholes. His last residence was Fort Collins CO. He passed way in 1982.

[@dmitriyteslenko5836]

Great tour guide, thank you so much!

[@stevewindisch7400]

Very cool. Those potential movie opportunities sound great! I always loved submarine films they have suspense and tension, drama, and lots of action. Boy I hope I'm wrong but Paul looked to be in pain there, we all hope you are well and it was just Evan's cooking.

[@paulfarace9595]

A air travel headcold... 😢 I'm felling better ... (bring out yer deeead .... bring out yer dead! -- Monty python reference 😅😅😅

[@tankman7711]

​@@paulfarace9595LMAO!!! ' I am not dead!' ' He says he's not dead....regulations you know. ' Some awesome quotes from that movie!

[@charlesjohnson4933]

Paul, u should do a show on the seal around the periscope that keeps the water out.

[@paulfarace9595]

Well it takes $100K to remove and replace. But if we find puctures!😅

[@HM2SGT]

🧐🤔 Let me check my lottery tickets... perhaps I can fund it as maintenance. 😁

[@Thomas-j2f]

what a beautiful boat!

[@jabadabadu7089]

I'm from Slovenia and we don't have this kind of things here. I am absolutely amazed how tall periscope is. Actually the whole thing is gigantic. I thought that submarines were smaller, but I was very wrong 😄 Great video and thank you!

[@paulfarace9595]

The US fleet subs were pretty big boats.

[@BB12659]

Thought we'd have the 'pink' periscope in this one. What I've always found interesting is that the fleet subs had two, an attack scope and an optical scope. The maintenance involved was fascinating as well. All operations required attention as men's lives were dependent upon these scopes to keep them alive. Thanks, Paul, and crew!

[@paulfarace9595]

Pink periscopes... a different topic!😅

[@BB12659]

@@paulfarace9595 Hear ya! Thanks, Paul!

[@robertcunningham1542]

With Cod having a "pink" periscope, does this mean that Cod was the initial basis for the old movie "The wackiest ship in the Navy"?

[@daler1584]

@@robertcunningham1542 There were no submarines in the movie "The Wackiest Ship in the Army". The movie you are thinking of is "Operation Petticoat". Both good WW2 comedy movies.

[@danquigg8311]

Both periscopes were optical.

[@NoewerrATall]

What a great video! The periscopes are HUGE! 😮

[@barnaclebill1615]

Great video! I always loved preventative maintenance 👍👍😁🇺🇸

[@scottfarnham2717]

Great video as always! Good work Cod crew!!

[@stanleybest8833]

Operation Petticoat and On the Beach. Two movies with very prominent periscope use. Remember to keep a lookout for the Good Humor Man.

[@welshpete12]

Strange but true , the film Operation Petticoat . Was loosely based on real events . But sadly not the part about painting it pink !

[@reedvending2384]

lookin good guys! Best looking sub in cleveland!

[@paulfarace9595]

Oh that's quite a compliment 😅

[@johnbeauvais3159]

In “Dust on the Sea”, Beach writes about wanting to tie a man to the periscope upside down and lower the scope until he was stuck in the well too, seems like this was purely fantasy judging from the size of the scope openings. Wonderful video, love seeing systems still operational after all these years

[@52Ford]

I've heard people were smaller back then...

[@paulfarace9595]

Returned to working in 1996.

[@wandrinyew]

I remember seeing the Cod in the 60's as part of the YMCA's Indian Guides. So cool.

[@phantmfxr]

I went to shool at the other end of the Airport at Aviation High School back in the 70"s always saw the Sub down there but didn"t know it was open for tours. Next time I'm back in Cleveland I will make sure I stop by.

[@daler1584]

When these types of subs were ruling the seas did the salt water help lubricate the periscopes or did the periscopes need to be cleaned more often. What is the highest that a periscope can travel. Or at what depth can you still see out of the thing? Are the periscopes only assessable from the conning tower? Who on the Boat was authorized to look out of the periscope when on mission? Another great video!!

[@paulfarace9595]

In no particular order: no water didn't offer lubrication Use of the scope on a war patrol was at the invitation of the captain. A high periscope lookout could spot targets before lookouts. Use of periscopes was pointless below periscope depth which depending upon model of s ope was between 62 and 65 feet (from the keel). A can of alcohol and a box of cotton wadding was used to clean the cover glass on the scope head. Early classes of fleet subs allowed scope Use from both the control room and conning tower, but by the time Cod was built they were inky viewable from the conning tower.

[@daler1584]

@@paulfarace9595 Thanks Paul!!!

[@mer2705]

Very nice video. Thank you for sharing

[@retireeelectronics2649]

You should list all the movies the Cod has been used in, that would be cool.

[@paulfarace9595]

And not long... mostly documentaries but one small budget film from 2022, "Operation Seawolf."

[@retireeelectronics2649]

@@paulfarace9595 Hopefully the museum got good coin and promotion by the film company.

[@donaldhill3823]

The #1 periscope on 688 class submarines in the mid 1990s, was essentially a WW2 optical Periscope. The #2 was more advanced but both still penetrated the hull.

[@paulfarace9595]

Yes the optical designs really didn't (have) to improve all that much. Electronics certainly improved. Modern nin-penetrating scopes were being prepared for introduction into subs in the early 2000s. Virginia class boats and perhaps Seawolf class subs have them.

[@richardjohnson4365]

Just a question, how does the periscope seal to not leak when submerged? Great video, thanks for the information and video!

[@paulfarace9595]

Multiple sections of Chevron packings... and they still leaked a bit.

[@darrelflint5436]

​@@paulfarace9595lots of grease.

[@WebberAerialImaging]

Very impressive!❤

[@michael-dm2bv]

Down Periscope is a very good movie.❤❤

[@philipcollura2669]

Thanks!

[@paulfarace9595]

Thank you for your kind support!❤

[@swanseamale47]

The thing most movies get wrong is that the periscope only goes down to the floor. They don't have the periscope well. That supprised me first time I went on a sub back in my army days.

[@TheTarrMan]

That's cool that you're selling them. Could somebody maybe explain how the hydraulic system works, or how the periscopes actually operate and how they would have been used back in the day and perhaps even today. How accurate was the periscopes in Hunt for Red October when they were flashing lights at each other?

[@musicynic]

Coolest thing I've seen on youtube in years.

[@P61guy61]

Thank you for posting.

[@TX-biker]

Does the Periscope descend PAST the conning tower? If so, could you show us where the shafts are that contain them🤠 I’ve never even considered this question until this episode 💁🏽‍♂️

[@paulfarace9595]

In a future episode. They sit waaay down on the keel.

[@rolanddunk5054]

I am really amazed by the amount of underwater drag that must be caused by the periscope support arrangement on the top of the conning tower,the deck gun I can understand,but when aircraft were being tested in wind tunnels it doesn’t seem to make sense.

[@paulfarace9595]

You have to understand that subs in this era moved slowly underwater so drag was not an issue of great importance. When Guppy and nuclear power programs improved underwater speeds, then measures were taken to reduce hydrodynamic drag.

[@HM2SGT]

@@paulfarace9595🧐🤔👍 You can see it in the evolution of hull design; more streamlining of the sail, more focus on the hydrodynamics of the hull as a whole, rather than the ship-that-sinks-(& hopefully surfaces!) with the destroyer-like knife bow & narrow beam.

[@spaceghostohio7989]

Doing the makers work ! Keep it going USS Cod !!!

[@matthewgeis122]

👍🇺🇸 USN forever!

[@Orxenhorf]

Heard you had a Keith Rucker visit. Looking forward to seeing that.

[@paulfarace9595]

He's producing a video. We have a Facebook post about his visit in the wings.

[@stevea9604]

Periscopes are water lubricated…They get tight when dry…Try using running water on it 👍🏻🤩

[@darrelflint5436]

Those periscopes have grease lines to keep them lubricated on the outside and to make a seal around them to keep water from leaking around them.

[@steveyountz9184]

What keeps sea water from flooding in around the seals? If the seals are tight enough to keep water out it seems like you would not be able to raise or lower the periscopes or any other hull penetrating mast.

[@johnslaughter5475]

Really cool. Good to see the guys wearing safety harnesses. Why can't people look through the periscopes? That would be a highlight of a tour. I remember reading about the packing glands being broken and causing the periscopes to leak. What are the packing glands and can you point them out? What would crew have to do to fix this while still under attack? Thanks. 🫡

[@garywayne6083]

If its anything like the Becuna's tower, getting up and down the ladder isn't the easiest or safest thing, plus its a really small space to let people go into on their own

[@paulfarace9595]

We have a scope in a tower on the land.

[@NoewerrATall]

People break things.

[@onemoremisfit]

When I was in grade school I looked thru the periscope of the U-505. This was during mid 1960s when The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago had the sub parked thru an opening in the building, most of it was outdoors. The tour was a short walk thru, but every kid in my class was given a few seconds to look thru the periscope. It was aimed at the traffic on Lake Shore Drive. The Museum now has the sub completely indoors and there is no longer any periscope viewing possible.

[@johnslaughter5475]

@@onemoremisfit It seems to me one of the coolest things about a sub would be to take a turn at the 'scope, call out, "range," "bearing," "angle on the bow zero, shoot."

[@grahamrowe6278]

I watched you operate it, but how about a full explanation of how it actually works and all that goes to using them in context. Great job maintaining them.

[@drucifer00]

Now I have an idea about mounting my electric toothbrush.

[@dennisk5818]

Were there optical components contained within the 'tube'? Was the 'operational bridge' the only location the periscope was used, or within the conning tower? There must have been a lot of drag on the 'tube' if the boat was moving. The engineering and design of the structure containing the optical tube assembly must have been interesting; holding the tube and preventing water from entering while the boat was submerged. Great job with the restoration!

[@paulfarace9595]

Much of they optics were in the tube, but the headbox contained prisms and controls, as did the scope heads.

[@ruikazane5123]

Is there some sort of a cap that is put on top of the scope tube for protection when not used? Maybe not on active patrols but now as a museum? Glad to see them moving!

[@paulfarace9595]

No cap I've seen. But perhaps when subs were mothballed for long-term storage a cover plate may have been installed. But our scopes are used occasionally, so they must be free.

[@ruikazane5123]

@@paulfarace9595 Atleast all is good, moving and all! Should one would be needed sometime, a cap like what you would see on old cameras or camcorders (ones that pop off automagically when the lens moves out, plastic so it wont scratch or beat up anything) would be an option.

[@redfields5070]

One of these days I'm going to buy a WWII submarine and take it to my beautiful deserted island with bikini clad ladies sunning on the beach. They'll see me coming and run up to me all hoping to be the first to hand me a rum drink with umbrellas in it. Wait a minute, my wife is yelling something at me. Forget it.

[@runestone1337]

Down periscope!

[@michealfeeney8920]

Not surprising the scope on shore is so popular. I recall often waiting in line for a turn at the periscope (no idea of if it was a navy model of ANY type or not) at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. @ 3:00 ... We are looking at the search scope retracted into its well while the attack scope is all the way up? or am I wrong? @ 4:15 Holy poop was there a lot of work in keeping the scopes working in wartime? Of course TV and movies never cover THAT part!

[@JoshuaTootell]

Probably was a lot of maintenance. But you also have a full crew on board, plus maintenance people on shore to assist.

[@paulfarace9595]

Yes. Both scopes will completely house into the shears. The shorter height of the radar/search scope is a factor of the need to accommodate the wave guide that extends about three feet below the headbox of the scope. The depth of the scope well is fixed so the height of the head is less.

[@TXARNGarmy15X]

Speaking of periscopes, I don't know if it's been explained but, show how they took photos though the periscope to gather intel ect.

[@noop1111]

How do they keep the water leaking in the periscope hole? Or is the periscope plugging the hole perfectly?

[@garyt4800]

on the 1mc.... "there are men working aloft, do not rotate or radiate any electronic equipment while men are working aloft"

[@jaysonlima7196]

I remember it as "there are men working in the sail, do not raise, lower, rotate or radiant from any mast or antenna. Do not cycle the fairwater planes. Do not sound the ships whistle. There are men working in the sail."

[@garyt4800]

@@jaysonlima7196 Guess its different for you bubble heads... LOL

[@joemoore4027]

Very cool.

[@Jon-wf3tg]

I remember seeing a periscope break the top of the water while I was smoking on deck of a destroyer escort as.a kid in the navy.

[@da20eclipse]

Paul, have you repaired COD’s engines? I thought I heard they were to be repaired or replaced? Your COD is the most original museum boat, I wish it were totally operational, like so many of our warbirds. Thank you and the many volunteers. I’m going to fly up from PA next summer for a visit. Will land next door 😊 and walk over.

[@johns1039]

Why is the conning tower off limits? Just curious as it seems like that would be maybe the best part of a tour. Great videos!

[@paulfarace9595]

Visitors can look into this space but climbing extra ladders is testing our insurance too far and the space is easily damaged by visitors.

[@jan-olofharnvall8760]

Cod, mm! Panfried in butter with boiled potatoes, melted butter and grated horseradish 😋

[@martinadams7949]

They had a periscope at the Columbia River Meritime Museum. Visitors kept stealing the knobs

[@SkipFlem]

i though that (from reading both sea and av 'charts/maps') MASTS have guy wires and towers don't...?i.e. a tv antenna with no guy wires is a tower? And that those with guy wires are antenna masts?

[@dennisjay3277]

Ok, now tell us about the periscopes. Do they sit in seawater or are they dry? Paul said something about the targeting scope having radar.

[@Subpac_ww2]

Oops! I forgot to send Evan the footage I took while sitting at the ticket booth of this 🤭🤭 sorry guys! BZ to the Cod crew you guys do wonderful work.

[@skovner]

I note the picture of one periscope down in the shears, but no cover. Did they have a cover or did the boats deal with the noise and drag of water running into and out of the shears?

[@paulfarace9595]

Not at the underwater speeds of these boats. Once submerged speeds increased the shears were covered again.

[@tankman7711]

What type of lubrication was used on the scopes to defend against salt water corrosion?

[@paulfarace9595]

Not sure in WWII.

[@tankman7711]

@@paulfarace9595 That's ok, thank you for replying to the question,! Gives me something to research !

[@Chez8922-kf6cy]

Do a video on how the depth meter or whatever it's called works.

[@kenmorales4187]

You need to find a OM (opticalman) tio hep you with those scopes, OM was gone in 1999 along with the IM'S

[@robertfindley921]

After my father completed Navy basic training during WWII they told all the men above a certain height to leave. Then the instructor told the men to count off. Then he said "If your number is X, congratulations, you're in the submarine corps." 😯

[@embreeja]

If anyone at the memorial is reading these comments: I realize you did call this a 'demonstration'... And for that it was good. BUT: it would have been nice if you mentioned a little about the periscopes: How far do they travel up and down? Why are there two periscopes? What is that cover with all the bolt holes right over the periscope tube about? What are the measurements that a periscope gives? Maybe you already talked all about this, but I am new to your channel. Regardless, thanks for the show

[@lawrencequave7361]

What was the length (distance) from the waterline of the scope when it was up, to the top of the main deck when the sub was at periscope depth and the scope was fully extended? (i.e., I'm wondering how deep the top of the main deck was below the water when the sub would be at periscope deck. How easy/difficult was the sub to see below the water in those conditions with the sun more or less high in the sky? (Did it kind of resemble a whale?)

[@paulfarace9595]

All the distances depended in the type of boat. But basically periscope depth is 62 feet from the keel. Two feet of scope above the water. The keel to top deck is about 24 feet ... that leaves about 30 to 35 feet of water above the deck, depending on bow vs. stern. And yeah, in some sea conditions and depending on how deep the water was, you could see a submerged sub, especially in high sun angles and shallow water over light sandy bottoms!

[@warchela]

I keep my periscope lubed too!

[@2eREPPARA]

Aussie combat vet Can you please tell me what bulkhead flappers are & why they’re closed when diving,or is it just a Hollywood thing to say?🇦🇺🇺🇸

[@paulfarace9595]

They're the ventilation valves between compartments. You can flood through them if open.

[@PatricioGarcia1973]

I always see in classic war movies, the captain turning his hat backwards and using gloves. I always wondered why the gloves? is it cold due to water or maybe static electricity?

[@stephenlebold9126]

That was cool !! Now we need someone to climb out on the anchor and make a video.

[@aamiddel8646]

Interesting. Just wondering how they are moved up/down?

[@paulfarace9595]

Cables at first then hydraulics lifted them.

[@crazyguy32100]

The fleet boat staff always seem to go the extra mile for interpretation. Cod, Bowfin, Cobia, etc. Not enough to make it looks like the crew just walked off, you want the diesels runnable, the periscopes free and the coffee ready for if they do.

[@marktibbetts3799]

Man,I had NO IDEA they had THAT MUCH range of up and down motion

[@2eREPPARA]

Aussie combat vet Forgetting about it having a pink submarine in it do you think that the procedures & lifestyle depicted in the movie Operation Petticoat were accurate?🇦🇺🇺🇸

[@brianmunyon5669]

Does the tube where the scope comes out have a drain so it does not hold water? I would hate to an issue brought on by a freeze.

[@welshpete12]

I'm surprised how far it is from the shears to the keel !

[@SOU6900]

Is there any history on the one you guy's have outside in the rack?

[@paulfarace9595]

Not that we can discern.

[@jetdriver]

Is the speed at which they are going up and down reflective of what it would have been when in active service? Seems like it goes up rather slowly.

[@darrelflint5436]

I can control the speed of them with the handle that raises and lowers them.

[@leroycharles9751]

In the future could you make a video from the outside showing full retraction to full extension of both scopes? Also, which scope is the one used for "attacking" and which one has the radar on it? Thanks.

[@gildedbear5355]

The attack scope is the one that is narrower at the top, to produce less wake when it's above the surface and generally be harder to notice. The radar is on the thicker scope that has a bigger "window" at the top.

[@leroycharles9751]

@@gildedbear5355 Thank you.

[@paulfarace9595]

​@leroycharles9751 what he said!

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

All that extra grease helps it slip through the water easier...😉

[@ricrobinson9965]

Two? Is one a snorkel for the engines?

[@paulfarace9595]

Helllllll noooo. One is a radar - optical night scope and the taller one is the attack scope (just optical).

[@paulfarace9595]

You might run a lawn mower engine on the air you could suck down a periscope tube... certainly not a submarine diesel. 😅

[@AndrewCZ47]

Bigger optics are better (especially at low light), but also easier to spot - so most subs used 2 scopes, one for general observation and low light work, and one with the head part as small as practically possible for attack runs.

[@spades1080]

Please explain why we don’t have access to the tower on Cod. No problem with this, I just think it need an explanation.

[@nyandyn]

My guess is that ladders are always a liability in public spaces

[@randyshanks9176]

My guess it’s a safety issue going up ladders. I’ve been on 3 of them and I think I remember Drum was accessible. I didn’t make it up in because it was full of noisy little kids and the Alabama heat was getting too much for me.

[@paulfarace9595]

For both the reasons mentioned previously by our viewers AND because the scopes are so delicate (field repairs were available in the 1990s and quoted to be $100K! We don't have staffing to have someone watchdogging and climbing the ladder up and down DOUBLES the likelihood of a ladder fall. Our insurance had jumped in 10 years by 300%!

[@J-1410]

@@paulfarace9595 So, what is broken on them that needs repairs?

[@spades1080]

@@paulfarace9595 Thank you for your reply, Paul.

[@s.porter8646]

The periscopes purpose is to let the dive know if he sucks at maintaining PD

[@Tomcatntbird]

I use a parascope almost everyday on world of warships😊

[@bigsarge2085]

⚓️

[@c.hundley9714]

How long are they?

[@paulfarace9595]

Depends on the type and model. About 45-feet long.

[@madcarew5168]

Heard about skill of balancing a subs depth by using the 'scope....

[@WildBillCox13]

Two 40mm M1 on bandstands above the deck . . . that's more armament than a "Flak-boote" . . . and THEN you add the deck gun!

[@paulfarace9595]

Our 40mm guns weren't used against aircraft! Only surface targets!

[@stephenswistchew7720]

I served on a British frigate in the last war I was in the green paint division we had fourteen tanks of green paint and six anti aircraft guns our mission was to listen for the enemy pings from the u boats and when we picked them up we would sit there and spray green paint on the water the sub would raise its periscope and the lens would get covered in green paint and it would keep rising we waited till it got three hundred feet in the air and then we would shoot it down with the anti air craft guns 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@janstolk486]

can somebody tell me the difference between function and functionality ?

[@Ka9radio_Mobile9]

🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@pogos6633]

Why is it off limits??

[@paulfarace9595]

Preservation, safety issues.

[@haywoodyoudome]

It'd be nice if you explained more of the innards and mechanicals instead of just it going up and down.

[@paulfarace9595]

This isn't a navyvl training film on periscope design. At some point we hope to visit the Corning glass museum where a former display periscope of ours is open for public inspection. That will be a program!

[@speed150mph]

So the diesels have been run up, the gun fired and scopes checked out. When are we taking her to sea for a test dive 😂

[@mazack00]

The potty mouth on that kid though :(

[@jaymiller5949]

YOu showed everything but the periscope.

[@MikeNelson-s4o]

What a bad video! All we saw was a greasy tube moving up and down.nothing about the optics, or the magnification if any. Nothing! How far up do they go? Do they leak? So many questions? What a waste of time!