ThebathyscapheArchimède is a deep diving researchsubmersible of theFrench Navy. It used 42,000 US gallons (160,000 L) ofhexane as thegasoline buoyancy of its float.[1] It was designed by Pierre Willm andGeorges Houot.[2] In 1964,Archimède descended into "what was then thought to be the deepest part of thePuerto Rico Trench",[3] which the NY Times reported as 27,500 feet (8,400 m).[4]
Archimède was christened on 27 July 1961, at the French Navy base ofToulon. It was designed to go beyond 30,000 feet (9,100 m),[5] and displaced 61 tons.[6] In October 1961,Archimède passed its first dive tests, diving to 5,000 feet (1,500 m) uncrewed.[7] On 27 November 1961,Archimède achieved a speed of 3knots (5.6 km/h; 3.5 mph), over a distance of 4.5 miles (7.2 km) at a depth of 7,870 feet (2,400 m) in the Mediterranean Sea.[8]
On 23 May 1962,Archimède descended to 15,744 feet (4,799 m) offHonshu, Japan, in the Pacific, at theJapan Deep.[9] On 15 July 1962,Archimède descended to 31,350 feet (9,560 m) into theKuril–Kamchatka Trench, making it the second deepest dive ever, at that point in time, second only to theBathyscaphe Trieste dive on theChallenger Deep.[10] On 12 August 1962,Archimède descended to 30,511 feet (9,300 m) in the Japan Deep south ofTokyo.[11]
France
Media related toArchimede (submarine, 1961) at Wikimedia Commons
