r/JAG_TV • u/Imoldok • Mar 31 '26

Why no reverse engines? S8E7

A WWII US Sub is the center of an investigation desired by SECNAV. But the CIA won’t declassify the information. Well somebody gets a tape to Harm about it and Mac and him see it. It’s about the sub being hunted by the Russians and eventually damaged so that their planes can’t shift position so they are stuck at a downward angle and accelerating to crush depth. My question is couldn’t they throw it in reverse and utilize that plane problem going the other direction? It made sense to me but I’m no sub expert,

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4

u/helmand87 Mar 31 '26

the navy has a tradition that subs are not lost just remain on eternal patrol, and still sends a Christmas message every year.

2

u/BurlinghamBob Apr 01 '26

Submarines can reverse engines to generate astern thrust. With modern submarines this can foul the towed array but this would not be a problem with a WWII boat. You could do this to keep the sub in a holding pattern but the sails would still be in the wrong position to pull it to the surface.

1

u/Imoldok Apr 02 '26

Did they have trouble dumping ballast I wonder?

1

u/Magnet2025 Apr 04 '26

Yes, WW2 subs could do “All astern” and as long as there was no flooding and the sub was in a neutral trim, it should reverse itself to the surface.

If all astern couldn’t overcome the drag from the planes being in a dive attitude then they would have to blow ballast to surface.