Crewmen stand ready on the deck of the nuclear-powered attack submarine USS BILLFISH (SSN-676) as it enters port. The BILLFISH is carrying the deep submergence rescue vehicle Avalon (DSRV-2). Both are scheduled to participate in the NATO deep sea rescue exercise Sorbet Royal '92

Beginning in ancient times, humans sought to operate under the water. The legendary origins of the submarine stretch back to 332 BC with a tale about Alexander the Great being lowered into the sea in a glass barrel to study fish. The submarine concept was thereafter consigned to the backwaters of history for some 1,800 years. This collection presents various submarines: from small and simple to nuclear-powered underwater behemoths.