OVERVIEW:
U.S. Combat Swimming. There were two groups of U.S. combat swimmers
during World War II: Naval beach reconnaissance swimmers and U.S. operational
swimmers. Naval beach reconnaissance units did not normally use any breathing
devices, although several models existed. U.S. operational swimmers, however,
under the Office of Strategic Services, developed and applied advanced methods
for true self-contained diver-submersible operations. They employed the Lambertsen
Amphibious Respiratory Unit (LARU), a rebreather invented by Dr. C.J. Lambertsen
The LARU was a closed circuit oxygen UBA used in special warfare
operations where a complete absence of exhaust bubbles was required. Following
World War II, the Emerson-Lambertsen Oxygen Rebreather replaced the LARU
The Emerson Unit was used extensively by Navy special warfare
divers until 1982, when it was replaced by the Draeger Lung Automatic Regenerator
(LAR) V. The LAR V is the standard unit now used by U.S. Navy combat swimmers
Today Navy combat swimmers are organized into two separate groups, each
with specialized training and missions. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)
team handles, defuses, and disposes of munitions and other explosives. The Sea,
Air and Land (SEAL) special warfare teams make up the second group of Navy
combat swimmers. SEAL team members are trained to operate in all of these environments.
They qualify as parachutists, learn to handle a range of weapons, receive
intensive training in hand-to-hand combat, and are expert in SCUBA and other
swimming and diving techniques. In Vietnam, SEALs were deployed in special
counter-insurgency and guerrilla warfare operations. The SEALs also participated
in the space program by securing flotation collars to returned space capsules and
assisting astronauts during the helicopter pickup
BOOK SUBJECTS by CHAPTER:
1. TEXT - Guidance For Diving In Contaminated Waters
2. TEXT IN SLIDE FORMAT - U.S. Navy Diving Manual Revision 6 (October 2011)
3. TEXT IN SLIDE FORMAT - TECHNICAL MANUAL OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL
ORGANIZATIONAL LEVEL: LIGHTWEIGHT DIVE SYSTEM (LWDS) MK 3 MOD 0 (2003)
4. VIDEO - Navy Divers
5. VIDEO - Navy Rescue Swimmers
6. VIDEO - Diver Physical Screen Test
