Archimède

The Archimède in 1961, on launch

The bathyscaphe Archimède is a deep diving research submersible of the French Navy. It used 42,000 US gallons (160,000 l) of hexane as the gasoline buoyancy of its float.^[1] It was designed by Pierre Willm and Georges Houot.^[2] Archimede was the first vehicle to reach the deepest part of the Atlantic, 27,510 feet (8,390 m) down into the Puerto Rico Trench.^[3]

Archimede was christened on 27 July 1961, at the French Navy base of Toulon. It was designed to go beyond 30,000 yards (27,000 m),^[4] and weighed 61 tons.^[5]

In October 1961, Archimede passed its first dive tests, diving to 5,000 feet (1,500 m) unmanned.^[6]

On 27 November 1961, Archimede achieved a speed of 3knots, over a distance of 4.5 miles (7.2 km) at a depth of 7,870 feet (2,400 m) in the Mediterranean.^[7]

On 23 May 1962, Archimede descended to 15,744 feet (4,799 m) off Honshu, Japan, in the Pacific, at the Japan Deep.^[8]

On 15 July 1962, Archimede descended to 31,350 feet (9,560 m) into the Kurile-Kamchatcha Trench, making it the second deepest dive ever, at that point in time, second only to the Bathyscaphe Trieste dive on the Challenger Deep.^[9]

On 12 August 1962, Archimede descended to 30,511 feet (9,300 m) in the Japan Deep south of Tokyo.^[10]

Archimede explored the Mid-Atlantic Ridge jointly with the submarine Cyana and submersible DSV Alvin, in Project F.A.M.O.U.S.(French American Mid Ocean Underwater Survey) in 1974.^{[11][12][13][14]}

Archimede operated until the 1970s.^[15] As of 2008, it is on operational reserve, at Toulon.^[16]

The Archimede was honoured with a stamp in Palau.^[17]

References

1. Popular Science, "Jeeps in the Deep", Wallace Cloud, August 1964 (accessed 11 September 2010)
2. Collins, "Exploring the Deep", Andrei Aksyonov, Aleksandr Alekseevich Chernov, 1979, p.118
3. Popular Mechanics, "The Ocean Adventure", Gardner Soule, September 1966, pp.92 (accessed 11 September 2010)
4. Dayton Beach Morning Journal, "French Bathyscaphe", Associated Press, 29 July 1961
5. New York Times, "New French Bathyscaphe to Seek Record Ocean Deep", 29 July 1961
6. New York Times, "French Bathyscaphe Tested", 30 October 1961
7. Milwaukee Sentinel, "Bathyscaphe Hits 3 Knots", Associated Press, 28 November 1961, page 2
8. Baltimore Sun, "French Bathyscaphe Dives To 15,744 Feet", 24 May 1962, pg.A2
9. Dayton Beach Morning Journal, "Reports Intensive Life Down At 31,350 Level Of Ocean", Associated Press, 16 July 1962, p.3
10. New York Times, "Bathyscaphe Archimede Descends 30511 Feet", Associated Press, 13 August 1962
11. Mariner Books, "Ships of Discovery and Exploration", Lincoln P. Paine, 2000, pp.7
12. New York Times, "3 Craft to Dive Deep in Mid-Atlantic Valley", Walter Sullivan, 21 May 1975
13. New Scientist, "A cry 'Eureka!' From the Mid-Atlantic Ridge", 7 June 1973, Vol. 58, No. 849 (accessed 11 September 2010)
14. (French) Encyclopaedia Universalis, "F.A.M.O.U.S. (French American Mid Ocean Underwater Survey)", 2010
15. University of Washington Press, "Oceanographic History: The Pacific and Beyond", Keith R. Benson, Phillip F. Rehbock, ed.s, 1993, 2002, pp.388
16. (French) Editions Quae, "Carnet de bord de vingt ans de campagne oceanographiques", Joseph Coic, 2008, pg.16
17. http://www.seemotive.de/html/tauch.htm (accessed 2010 September 11)

See also