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Billy the submarine hunting sea lion
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Billy the submarine hunting sea lion
A remarkable naval experiment came to light after the war was over, deemed so unlikely that when The Illustrated London News first heard of it, they believed it to be a hoax. The suggestion that attempts were made to train sea lions were trained to hunt submarines, did seem far-fetched. However, after a thorough investigation, they were satisfied with its authenticity enough to publish a lavish spread on it in April 1919. In the summer of 1917 the Admiralty hit on a novel way of hunting submarines. It was simply to employ tame sea-lions (Otaria Gillespie) to track them down-the idea being that the sea-lion could be taught to distinguish the noise of a submarines propeller and to follow it in the hope of getting food. A buoy would be attached to the animal, and a trawler would follow the buoy and drop a depth charge when the sea-lion appeared to have found the submarine. Here is Billy the submarine hunting sea lion, being fed by his keeper through a trap door in his muzzle
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Media ID 14387592
© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans
Billy Lion Lions Sealion Sealions Submarine U Boat
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In the aftermath of World War I, an extraordinary naval experiment emerged from the shadows, initially met with skepticism and disbelief. The Illustrated London News, upon hearing whispers of sea lions being trained to hunt submarines, dismissed it as a hoax. Yet, after rigorous investigation, the publication was convinced of its authenticity and dedicated a grand spread to the topic in April 1919. The Admiralty, in the summer of 1917, devised an innovative approach to submarine hunting. Instead of relying solely on technology, they turned to nature and sought to harness the unique abilities of tame sea lions (Otaria Gillespie). The idea was to teach these animals to distinguish the distinctive noise of a submarine's propeller and follow it, with the hope of leading naval forces to the underwater threat. A buoy would be attached to the sea lion, and a trawler would trail the buoy, dropping a depth charge when the sea lion seemed to have located the submarine. Meet Billy, the submarine hunting sea lion, depicted here in this photograph. Billy, along with other sea lions, underwent rigorous training, learning to associate the sound of a submarine with food rewards. His keeper, seen in the image, feeds Billy through a trap door in his muzzle, reinforcing the connection between the submarine sound and nourishment. This unconventional method, though initially met with skepticism, proved to be an intriguing and effective addition to the naval war effort. The use of sea lions in this capacity showcases the ingenuity and resourcefulness of those involved in the war effort, as they sought to explore every possible avenue to gain the upper hand against the elusive submarine threat.
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