THE SUBMARINE REGISTRY AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
by CDR John D. Alden, USN(Ret.)
The late Dr. Thomas O. Paine was best known for his management of the space program under NASA, but submarines were his first and last love, stemming from his experience on seven war patrols aboard USS POMPON (SS 267) and as executive officer bringing the captured Japanese submarine I-400 to the United States. His project was nothing less than “to build an on-line cross-indexed submarine database” listing every submarine ever built and every book and article about submarines ever published, “available to any and all interested researchers.” At the time of his death in May 1992, he had recorded data on some 8,000 submarines of 50 nations cross-referenced to 6,000 books and articles, about half of which he held in his own library.
This massive undertaking was sufficiently complete to warrant its early publication as a research resource, while efforts are continuing to find a suitable repository in the U.S. or abroad for the Paine library and database. The Submarine Registr,y and Biblio&raphy, by Thomas 0 . Paine, assisted by Frederic C.M. Paroutaud, of 828 pages, has been published privately by Thomas Paine Associates, 2401 Colorado Avenue, Suite 178, Santa Monica, CA 90404 (price not given). A commercial edition is expected to be available in the near future .
This book will be an invaluable resource to any serious researcher on submarine operations and technology. Even more valuable will be the database and library if a qualified institution takes over the project and continues to expand and update it in the years ahead.
