NUM.2018.018.012
Engineman 2nd Class Bille D. Ledford of Underwater Demolition Team 12 is checked by diving supervisor Chief Gunner's Mate Carl O. Schultze of Underwater Demolition Team 11. The caption on the reverse of the photo reads "Bille D. Ledford, EN2, of UDT-12, receives / final checkout prior to 200 foot dive from / diving supervisor Carl O. Schultze, GMC, / of UDT-11."
This photograph was likely taken by Jay D. Skidmore, a Navy photographer and aquanaut on Sealab II’s Team 1.
The Sealab II project demonstrated the possibilities of saturation diving, a new approach to undersea work that kept divers underwater for days or weeks at a time. Saturation divers enjoyed unprecedented lengths of work time in exchange for only one decompression period.
In July 1964, four aquanauts spent four days living underwater in the first Sealab experiment — the first real-life test of saturation diving. The following year, the Navy drastically expanded the scale of testing with Sealab II. Beginning August 28, 1965, three teams of ten divers spent 15 days each living and working 205 feet underwater off LaJolla, California. They tested underwater tools, raised a sunken fighter jet, conducted geological studies, set up a weather station, and worked with a dolphin named Tuffy trained to carry tools and messages between the habitat and the surface.
For their efforts, the Sealab II team was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation — the first time it was given to a mixed military and civilian scientific team.
Photograph donated by John and Lynne Skidmore. In the collection of the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum, Keyport, WA. www.navalunderseamuseum.org/
NUM.2018.018.012
Engineman 2nd Class Bille D. Ledford of Underwater Demolition Team 12 is checked by diving supervisor Chief Gunner's Mate Carl O. Schultze of Underwater Demolition Team 11. The caption on the reverse of the photo reads "Bille D. Ledford, EN2, of UDT-12, receives / final checkout prior to 200 foot dive from / diving supervisor Carl O. Schultze, GMC, / of UDT-11."
This photograph was likely taken by Jay D. Skidmore, a Navy photographer and aquanaut on Sealab II’s Team 1.
The Sealab II project demonstrated the possibilities of saturation diving, a new approach to undersea work that kept divers underwater for days or weeks at a time. Saturation divers enjoyed unprecedented lengths of work time in exchange for only one decompression period.
In July 1964, four aquanauts spent four days living underwater in the first Sealab experiment — the first real-life test of saturation diving. The following year, the Navy drastically expanded the scale of testing with Sealab II. Beginning August 28, 1965, three teams of ten divers spent 15 days each living and working 205 feet underwater off LaJolla, California. They tested underwater tools, raised a sunken fighter jet, conducted geological studies, set up a weather station, and worked with a dolphin named Tuffy trained to carry tools and messages between the habitat and the surface.
For their efforts, the Sealab II team was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation — the first time it was given to a mixed military and civilian scientific team.
Photograph donated by John and Lynne Skidmore. In the collection of the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum, Keyport, WA. www.navalunderseamuseum.org/