User:Nicam1701

R.I.M.A.F

Russian Investigation of Mediterranean arms foundation

RIMAF is an unofficial Russian cover operation started in 1906. Its purpose was to investigate the best spots for firing long range weaponry. As of yet the operation has remained absolute top secret, however since its 100 years since the start of the project the Russian government were forced to release its information. It consisted of 3 ships and around 2,000 scientists. Two of the ships were transport ships and were taken back to Russia after two years, after heavy damage from U-boats, of unknown origin. The project was forced to close after 3 years because; well basically it had never produced any results! Come 1914, the beginning of World War 1 the last remaining ship, NICAM 1701 was taken out of dry dock and used as a soldier transport ship between Italy and Spain. It served for a good four years until, December 17 1918, it had served one run to much. Only three miles off the coast of Italy, one cold Tuesday morning the engine exhaust funnel, had so much of a difference in temperature (Outside cold, inside hot) that is started to bend and became very narrow. This stopped the exhaust gasses escaping. The engineers in the boiler room merely thought that not enough coal was being burned and ordered relief valves closed and more coal burned. Of course this meant extra pressure was added to the funnel. Eventually the entire funnel bent so much it fell off, falling to the port side of the ship. This meant all the pressure from the exhaust gasses could escape and thus caused the engines to speed up. It sped up so fast the relief valves were completely jammed and the engine was overdriven. The ship was designed with a weak point when the engine does go into overdrive. The universal joint between the propeller and the propeller shaft gave way. Unexpectedly the port side propeller gave way and the port side of the ship started to flood. The ship engineers and designers came to the very quick decision which was that if they sealed off the starboard side and continued to let the port side flood they could make it to the nearest port safely. They continued to steam forward on one propeller until the port side of the ship became so flooded it slowed right down. Luckily a nearby ship had come to the rescue. Moments later the ship went down by the port side, spiralling down to the bottom.

THE DISCOVERY This ship had remained underwater for over 60 years before it had been discovered by Dr Eishtien Grabowlski of the Russian federation. IT was declared as a memorial site and not to be disturbed by anyone from any nation of the world.

THE RECOVERY In 2001, permissions from the Russian government were praised to raise the ship out of the water and be preserved inside a museum. Two submarines were sent down, they managed to raise the ship off the ground enough so a large steel plate could be placed underneath it. The starboard hull, after 83 long years was still full of air! Which meant the engine on the starboard side should be in recoverable condition. After many hours of lifting the ships entire body was indeed raised and the engine was recovered. It was cut out from the ship and taken to a dry dock in New York where it remained in penetrative rust killer oil for 3 months, taken out and restored. Today it runs. The ship was dropped back to the bottom of the ocean and completely crumbled away. The Russian government complained and were allowed the engine of the ship if they didn’t sue, and it was agreed. The engine today is used in a replica ship as an open air museum.

Written by Harley Silvermouth, aged 17