The following comes from a personal note found in my father-in-law’s Class of 1926 (USNA) Fifty Years After Book wherein fellow classmates were invited to forward an anecdote and boast of grandchildren. This story is told by William C. (Bill/Crawf) Eddy, who among other things, had been the featured cartoonist of the Log and a heavy oarsman on the crew at the Naval Academy. Here’s his story.
William C. (Bill or Crawf) Eddy, cartoonist par excellence, inventory, and electronics wizard, was one of the few who qualified in submarines without attending Submarine School. He achieved this distinction while serving in S-35 on the China Station where, as some people claim, “Anything can happen.” Regarding his submarine service, Crawf stated, “As you know, I had a hearing loss at the Academy which in its early stages I was able to cover up by reading lips. This worked fine until I went to China and transferred to S-35 where, with typical Navy logic, I was assigned as Sound Officer on a boat which had the old binaural SC tubes which required perfect hearing in both ears to locate and track the target. As a result, S-35 hung up a dismal record in submerged attacks, but our failure gave me an idea of generating the sound into visual readings which would not require perfectly balanced hearing by the sound operator. With the idea in mind, I rotated to New London in the fall of ’29 and was given space and some petty cash to develop the so-called Eddy Amplifier. With my few dollars and even fewer capabilities in the field of electronics, I bought some cheap rubes, transformers, and parts from Kresge’s and built the Mk 1 Mod 1 which unaccountably worked on our first approach. Subsequent attempts with improved models proved equally effective which in time brought the development to the attention of Red Ruble, head of Electronics, BuEng. Subsequently, the experts discovered that the bargain basement parts that I had been using were effective to the point where the E,l, curve was distortion sufficiently to make the unit work. Knowing this, they designed in the necessary distortion, and the units went into production at the Washington Navy Yard for fleet distribution. I was later granted a patent through the Navy for this gadget.”
While still at New London, Crawf and Simon Lake collaborated to build a 156 me transmitter using a single modified 201A tube in a tin can atop a periscope for short range inter-submarine communication. About this time, the medicos caught up with his deafness, which had become more acute, and he had to retire as a Lieutenant (junior grade). (My note: Eddy was later recalled to active duty and retired as a Captain, USN.)
The following is quoted from a June 1977 letter from Craw/ regarding a matter of interest to all submariners: “Back in 1922, I was on the Class Crest Committee and, using a bows on photo of the (submarine) 0-2 and adding two dolphins rampant, I came up with a design of the ’26 class crest. About two years later, George Meale of Bailey, Banks and Biddle, mentioned that the submarine service was looking for a design for Submarine Wings to denote qualification in submarines. Using my original sketches of the ’26 crest, and flattening out the dolphins, we came up with the present submarine insignia which was adopted by the Navy. George gave me what purported to be the first dolphins struck from the dies, which I gave to my mother. I was very proud to reclaim this original dolphins after qualifying in 0-35. The class might be interested in the tie-in between the ’26 crest, the 0-2, and the present dolphins”.
Author’s Footnote: While I never had reason to study the Naval Academy’s 1926 class crest before reading Eddy’s letter to his classmates in the 50 Year After book, the similarity is amazing-the bow on sub with bow planes rigged out and flanking dolphins-not yet straightened out as in our proud insignia …
