The Armed Forces History Division at the Smithsonian has asked the NSL for assistance in setting up their new Armed Forces Exhibit. This will be a rathe1 modest exhibit and the submarine portion will be just a part of the overall Armed Forces display. A script has been prepared by the Smithsonian staff to tell the story of the development of the submarine in the United States Navy, from its first appearance in the Revolutionary War, through various stages to the present day nuclear submarines.
We will be assisting the Smithsonian by going over the text that they have prepared and advising of any technical inaccuracies, omissions or corrections which we believe would make a stronger and more complete description of the development of the submarine in the U. S.The museum has some models with which to provide a visual impact, but they are in need of others.
The purpose of this item in the Submarine Review is to send out a call for information about models which the membership might have or about which you might have some information and which would be available for temporary or permanent use by the Smithsonian. The donors or loaners would be identified and recognized by the museum as having contributed to the display through their gifts or the loaning of the item to the museum.
The NSL would like to develop a list of the models or items of historical interest concerning submarines which may exist (with their description, scale, location, availability, etc). This would enable the League to coordinate the use of the items, should their owners make them available for this current endeavor or the future more comprehensive endeavors contemplated by the NSL
Initially, we are looking for the following models:
Turtle (Bushnell’s)
R-Boat
Fleet Type
Guppy
Albacore
Nautilus
Skipjack
Permit
Sturgeon
Los Angeles
Ohio
As mentioned above, this display at the Smithsonian is a modest effort, but it does move toward filling a void in the history presented by the Smithsonian. We, the NSL, are also considering a future endeavor to develop a more comprehensive museum, dedicated to submarines and undersea warfare. To do this in cooperation with the Smithsonian would be the ideal way to reach the greatest number of our citizens with information about submarines, their technical development and their vital contribution to the defense of our nation. More on this will be forthcoming in future editions of the Review, as ideas are formulated into a plan of action.
Please write or call NSL headquarters with your information at:
Naval Submarine League
P.O.Box 1146 Annandale, VA 22003
Tel: (703) 256-0891
