Denise

[shipstamps]

In the November 1962 issue of Sea Breezes I referred to "The Diving Art" as typified by a recent set of stamps from Monaco. At the conclusion of the article I mentioned that the 50 cents stamp depicted what was, I imagined, an inspection submersible from a work of fiction, since I could find no mention of a " Soucoupe Plongeante"' in the many works on oceanography and diving that I had consulted. I am therefore extremely grateful to Capt. J. J. van der Starre, of The Hague for some interesting information. He writes:
"From a German book by Cord-Christian Troebst entitled "The Grappling After the Sea" (freely translated) I learned that this craft was developed by Capt. Jacques-Yves Cousteau, She is the Denise (the book contains a photograph of her), a form of submarine with a crew of two, each having his own observation port. The vessel can stay under water for 20 hours and is propelled by high-pressure pumps which suck in water and expel it through jet tubes. The diving limit is 500 metres and the craft is used for observing the habitat of fish."
SG744, 1738 Sea Breezes 3/63

[aukepalmhof]

She was a small submarine invented by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and engineer Jean Mollard at the French Centre for Undersea Research.
She was built by the Office Francais de Recherches Sous-Marine, Marseille for the Campagnes Oceannographiqus Francaises, Monaco.
1959 Completed under the name SP-350 DENISE.
Displacement 3.8 tons, dim. 2.75 x 2.75 x 1.5m. (draught).
Powered by a 2hp DC motor which propulsion consist of steerable water jets, which allowed the vehicle to navigate in all directions, as well to turn about on its vertical axis. Speed 2 knots.
She could carry two people which entered the craft through a hatch situated on the top of the hull.
They had to lie side by side on mattresses to operate it.

1959 Placed on the aft deck of the CALYPSO, and via a crane lowered or hoisted out of the water.
She can dive to a depth of 350 meters for 4 or 5 hours.
Fitted out with three movable lights, which can illuminate small objects up to 10 meters away.
After test dives, she was permanent a part of the CALYPSO.
1965 She was joined by two one-man diving saucers.
More as 1500 dives were carried out by her.
Fate of DENISE is unknown.

Monaco 1962 50c sg?, scott525.
Monaco 1985 2.10fr. sg1738, Scott? (the sailing vessel on this stamp is the HIRONDELLE (I)
Palau 1995 32c sg901, scott372b
Chad 2014 25Fr. sg?, scott?
Sierra Leone 2015 3500Le (The research ship is the CALYPSO.) and 14,000 LE sgMS?, Scott? In the margin of ms.)
Djibouti 2020 250Fd sg?, Scott 2072, and 1000 Fd sgMs/, Scott 2073. (DENISE in margin)
Tristan da Cunha 2022 50P sg?, Scott?, More info on this issue: viewtopic.php?t=18198

Source:: Wikipedia and other internet sites.