U.S. Navy Sealab Iii Progress Report (1969)

Synopsis

This silent U.S. Navy film, "SeaLab III Progress Report #2" documents the ill-fated SEALAB III experiment, in which aquanot Berry L. Cannon died. The film was likely shown as part of a U.S. Navy presentation, and would have had an accompanying script or commentary (now lost) read while it was projected. Some of the interesting segments in the film show the moving of the SeaLab habitat and its deployment, underwater assembly operations ( 7:25 ), and support operations. The converted LST USS Elk River (IX-501, ex LSM(R)-501) which served as a support ship for the program is shown at the 13:40 mark. It's unclear but it's possible that the sequence at 15:00 shows the end of the SeaLab III mission. (If you know more about this mission we'd love to hear from you!) SEALAB I, II, and III were experimental underwater habitats developed by the United States Navy in the 1960s to prove the viability of saturation diving and humans living in isolation for extended periods of time. The knowledge gained from the SEALAB expeditions helped advance the science of deep sea diving and rescue, and contributed to the understanding of the psychological and physiological strains humans can endure. SEALAB III used a refurbished SEALAB II habitat, but was placed in water three times deeper. Five teams of nine divers were scheduled to spend 12 days each in the habitat, testing new salvage techniques and conducting oceanographic and fishery studies. Preparations for such a deep dive were extensive. In…

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Details

Running time

15 minutes

Collection

Ephemeral Films

Subjects on the Internet Archive

• Stock Footage