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U.S. Navy Diving
From World War II to Today
Military Diving Manufacturers
By the end of World War II, the Diving Equipment & Salvage Company
had grown to be the largest equipment manufacturing in the world. This
small Milwaukee company's expansion was due in large part to military
contracts secured during the war.
Covert Diving Operations
World War II also provided the environment for the formation of combat
swimmers, or military "frogmen," as they were sometimes called. These
groups evolved into "Underwater Demolition Teams," and are now known as
the Navy SEALS. Using various items of diving equipment, some of which
are still classified as secret, these military diving units are actively
involved in military operations today.
Saturation Diving
By the 1960s, as oilfield diving was pushing the limits of depth and time
underwater, the US Navy's SEALAB research was conducted off the coast of
Santa Barbara, around the Channel Islands.
U.S. Navy Diving Today
U.S. Navy divers today are involved in a variety of tasks. Besides being
involved in underwater military operations around the world, navy divers
are also actively participating in scientific research studies in local,
state, and federal waters around the country.
Perhaps one of the most exciting new developments in navy diving is the
salvaging of the USS Monitor. The Monitor is a Civil-War
ironclad battleship that foundered and sunk in 1862 off the coast of Cape
Hatteras, North Carolina. This ship is famous for its legendary sea battle
with the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia -- more commonly known
by its former Union name, the USS Merrimack. This famous wreck
site is designated as a national marine sanctuary, and is the subject of
ongoing research and study.
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