<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div>Jim,</div><div><br></div><div>I thought it was the aft sphere that flooded?</div><div><br></div><div>Vance,</div><div><br></div><div>Is / was Vickers the same company that manufactured the Vickers machine gun in WWI? <br></div><div><br></div><div>Joe</div><div><br>On Jan 28, 2014, at 10:56 PM, <a href="mailto:jimtoddpsub@aol.com">jimtoddpsub@aol.com</a> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><font color="black" size="2" face="arial">
<div><font size="3" style="background-color: transparent;">Vance,</font></div>
<div><font size="3" style="background-color: transparent;">Pretty <font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">hairy</font> situation. Apparently they were 76 hours into their 72-hour life support capacity when the rescue was completed. Do you know how the tank was inadvertently flooded, why they couldn't blow the tank, or why they couldn't release a drop weight to ascend? Below is the story per Wikipedia:</font></div>
<div><span class="mw-headline" id="1973_Pisces_III_rescue"></span> </div>
<div><span class="mw-headline"><font size="4"><strong>1973 <i>Pisces</i> III rescue</strong></font></span></div>
<div><font size="3"><i>Pisces</i> III was used to lay </font><a title="Transatlantic telephone cable" class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transatlantic_telephone_cable"><font size="3">transatlantic telephone cable</font></a><font size="3"> on the sea bottom off Ireland in 1973. When a buoyancy tank was inadvertently flooded, it sank to the bottom of the ocean with its two-man crew, Britons </font><a title="Rescue of Roger Mallinson and Roger Chapman" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rescue_of_Roger_Mallinson_and_Roger_Chapman"><font size="3">Roger Mallinson and Roger Chapman</font></a><font size="3">, stranded at a depth of 1,575 feet (480 m) and 72 hours of available life support, which they were able to extend to 76 hours by careful conservation.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Way_Out_2-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisces-class_deep_submergence_vehicle#cite_note-Way_Out-2"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-World_Book_3-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisces-class_deep_submergence_vehicle#cite_note-World_Book-3"><span>[</span>3<span>]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Chapman_4-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisces-class_deep_submergence_vehicle#cite_note-Chapman-4"><span>[</span>4<span>]</span></a></sup> Initial rescue efforts by <i>Pisces</i> III sister submersibles were unsuccessful. Through an international effort of the </font><a title="United States" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States"><font size="3">United States</font></a><font size="3">, Canada, and </font><a title="Great Britain" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain"><font size="3">Great Britain</font></a><font size="3">, the U.S. Navy Cable-controlled Undersea Recovery Vehicle (</font><a title="CURV-III" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CURV-III"><font size="3">CURV-III</font></a><font size="3">) was deployed within 24 hours 6,000 miles from its home base. Deployment of CURV-III from CCGS <i>John Cabot</i> was hampered by heavy sea conditions. Rapid repairs were made when CURV-III’s </font><a title="Gyroscope" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyroscope"><font size="3">gyroscope</font></a><font size="3"> failed and electronics shorted-out after green water came aboard the <i>Cabot</i>. Assisted by the submersibles <i>Pisces</i> II and <i>Pisces</i> V, CURV-III was able to attach lines to the <i>Pisces</i> III hatch. The <i>Cabot</i> raised CURV-III at 60 to 100 feet (18 to 30 m) per minute until their lines entangled. The lines were cut, CURV-III was abandoned, and <i>Pisces</i> III was floated to 60 feet (18 m) where </font><a title="Scuba divers" class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scuba_divers"><font size="3">scuba divers</font></a><font size="3"> were able to attach lines that were used to lift <i>Pisces</i> III the rest of the way to the surface. CURV-III performed the deepest underwater rescue in history when <i>Pisces</i> III’s two-man crew was rescued after 76 hours with just 12 minutes<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-5"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisces-class_deep_submergence_vehicle#cite_note-5"><span>[</span>5<span>]</span></a></sup> of air remaining.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Way_Out_2-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisces-class_deep_submergence_vehicle#cite_note-Way_Out-2"><span></span></a></sup></font></div>
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