Photos of condenser intake

[chuck]

Does anyone have any photos of a WWII era ship's condenser intake and other underwater valves? Most plastic and resin models don't bother with such details on a ship's underwater hull as condenser intakes, ballast flood valve opening, magazine flood valve opening, counterflood valve opening, etc. I want to add them back.

[graham]

Chuck
From my experiance they just a hole the main condersor would be say 12-24-36" for a WW DD the idea being to get as much water in as possiable as fast as posiable . For over board dischagre a smaller hole say 6" I done recall seeing any grates but don't know what the USN policy was/is
Graham Murdoch

[Werner]

Does anyone have any photos of a WWII era ship's condenser intake and other underwater valves? Most plastic and resin models don't bother with such details on a ship's underwater hull as condenser intakes, ballast flood valve opening, magazine flood valve opening, counterflood valve opening, etc. I want to add them back.

I have pictures of Essex condenser inlets/outlets and sea chests somewhere. Let me look for them.

[Shaun Carter]

Howdy
I don't have any pictures and my experience is with merchant ships built mostly in the 60s and 70s. That said, I saw most often an open sided box set into the hull with a pipe leading from it to the condenser and a grate, flush with the hull plating, covering the box's opening. I also looked at the plans on the french site "http://www.servicehistorique.sga.defense.gouv.fr/02fonds-collections/banquedocuments/planbato/planbato/listebato/listebato.php" for the Lafayette ( ex-US cvl). They are labeled with purpose and size. They indicate, at least to me, that most of the openings were thru the bottom, not the sides.
Hope this helps.
Shaun

[Laurent]

Hi all ,

on some ships , you had both sets , high suctions which were used in muddy harbours & low suctions while at sea .

Those sea chests were grated , with two valves with a filter in between , you sometimes could have a main suction line which ran from port to starboard , with a sea chest on each side of the ship . This allowed the crew to clean a clogged filter while the other one remained in use .

Regards ,

Laurent