Diesels for the First Stealth Weapon

This fourth work by Lyle Cummins is yet again a scholarly historical work, this time about how the diesel engine enabled the long voyage submarine and how the rigors of submarine use forced the engine ot its design and materials limits.

This is a masterpiece of the "how" among so many "who, what, when, and where" books about submarines, most of which tell nothing of the essential propulsion and battery charging technology abaft of midships.  Cummins knows his diesels, and his credentials, as well as research skills, got him to other men "who were there" in British, German, Russian, and other navies' submarine services and engine builders.  While this book's title may sound specific and narrow, it is the contrary, it is a broad gauge story built on research excellence and the author's understanding of history and mechanical engineering.

Like a Virgil, Cummins guides us through a landscape few of know anything about--the diesel engine--and shows us how it came to be, and how it influenced good and (in this book) evil during the century just passed.

The inside of the book's jacket reads: "In 1921 a United States Navy officer wrote that 'the requirements of a submarine diesel engine might be considered as a quest of the absolute.'  His statement is the theme of this book, a surprisingly long neglected subject.   Much has been written on the diesel boats which played such destructive roles in two world wars of the last century.   Yet rarely do they tell about the engines propelling them or charging the batteries to provide power when submerged.  Now for the first time the submarine diesels of all the world's navies are described  beginning with the initial, less than proven designs when Rudolf Diesel's brainchild was still in its infancy.  Included are the people and engine makers who transformed the diesel into a reliable and durable submarine power plant.  Here also are first hand accounts from the enginemen serving on these boats and how politics and government bureaucracies affected diesel progress.  This unique history will appeal to navy veterans, engine enthusiasts and readers interested in a technology's evolution.




Diesels for the First Stealth Weapon: Submarine Power 1902-1945, by Lyle Cummins.
Sewn Cloth Hard Cover, Dustjacket, 756 pages, 11 1/4” x 8 3/4”, 700+ B&W photos and line drawings.

$55.00