Denise
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2009 11:05 am
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
"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