Discovery: Julius Kroehl's "Sub Marine Explorer"

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

SailorJoe

Registered
Messages
38
Reaction score
51
Location
US
# of dives
50 - 99
Great story about the first submarine to dive and resurface on its own. It was discovered several years ago by a fisherman in Panama, and later confirmed by Jim Delgado (director of Vancouver Maritime Museum) to be Kroehl's "Sub Marine Explorer". He used it to find pearls in the oyster beds.

Sadly he passed away a few years later in Panama from "the bends" (decompression sickness). Little was known about the need to ascend slowly to prevent it. A very dangerous venture that cost the crew their lives.

0,1020,613783,00.jpg
Early Submarine Discovery: The Secret of the Pearl Islands - SPIEGEL ONLINE - International
 
I saw the wreck featured on engineering impossible. It was the episode of building the 900,000 ton oil platform repair ship. The submarine should be taken out of that environment before it disappears forever.
 
I saw the wreck featured on engineering impossible. It was the episode of building the 900,000 ton oil platform repair ship. The submarine should be taken out of that environment before it disappears forever.

I'm not sure if they plan on moving it. Kroehl and his fellow divers died from decompression sickness/bends and are buried in Panama. Back then nobody knew about decompression sickness. In some ways one can look at the vessel as a memorial. If it is shipped to any museum it would ideally go to New York (Kroehl's home state) or perhaps Germany where he was born. Considering he gained much of his knowledge on this in New York (e.g. Maritime Industry Museum) I think that should be the best place for it to reside. One thing is for sure...it doesn't belong in Vancouver, BC.

Fort Schuyler, New York
 
The sub is too far gone for restoration work, a salt water aquarium might be her only way to be a physical part of his memory. I believe this sub was featured in diving with armor or a history of early subs. I will have to browse through my collection.

Nevertheless it's one of the very few subs built in between our civil war and the first world war and should be researched as a true pioneering feat.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

Back
Top Bottom