During the 1940s, IIHR (like research institutions across the country) participated in a number of studies crucial to World War II efforts. New IIHR investigations during this period included ship model research, cavitation studies, fire monitor and gas diffusion studies, and wastewater disposal investigations. The first wind and water tunnels were built at IIHR during the war to enable the completion of these studies. Most fields of study continued after the war, with ship model studies remaining a major IIHR research area today.

This record group consists of three archival boxes. Most of the folders therein contain research reports about war efforts, funded by one of the war departments. Note that “NDRC” refers to the National Defense Research Committee, which directed much of the war research. The files contain many original high-quality photographs of research setups.

Administrative papers from this period are included in the “IIHR Administration and Miscellaneous” record group.

Box 1. Ship Model Research, 1942–47

• “Description of 10-Foot Channel and Appurtenances for Test on Stationary Ship Models in Flowing Water” (anonymous, IIHR unpublished Report 1, July 29, 1942)
• “Tests of Stationary Ship Model in a 10-Foot Channel” (anonymous, IIHR unpublished Report 2, Dec. 14, 1942)
• “Test of a Stationary Ship Model in a 16-Foot Channel” (anonymous, IIHR unpublished Report 3, May 5, 1943)
• “Tests of Stationary Ship Models in a 16-Foot Channel” (anonymous, IIHR unpublished Report 4, Nov. 15, 1943; two copies)
• “Resistance Tests on Ship Model and Friction Plane in 16-Foot and 11-Foot Channels, Influence of Variation in Turbulence on Resistance” (anonymous, IIHR unpublished Report 5, July 30, 1945)
• “Turbulence Measurements with 10-, 14-, and 18-Inch Spheres in 11- and 16-Foot Channels” (anonymous, unpublished IIHR Report 6, March 14, 1947; two copies)

Fire Monitors 1945–49

• “Fire Monitor Investigation, Preliminary Report” (J. Howe, C.J. Posey, et al., unpublished report prepared for David Taylor Model Basin, Bureau of Ships contract, 1945; three copies)
• “Experimental Investigation of Fire Monitors and Nozzles” (H. Rouse, J.W. Howe, et al., unpublished report prepared for Bureau of Ships and Office of Naval Research, 1949)

Box 2. Cavitation Tests, Torpedo Heads, 1944–45

• “The New Water Tunnel at the Hydraulics Laboratory” (J. McNown,  Transit, 1944)
• Cavitation Tests in the Iowa Variable-Pressure Water Tunnel (H. Rouse, J. McNoun, and E-Y. Hsu, unpublished reports prepared for NDRC, 1944). Three reports:
  • “Tunnel Characteristics and Test Procedure for Bodies of Revolution”
  • “Cylindrical Body with Hemispherical Head” (two copies)
  • “Cylindrical Body with Blunt Head” (two copies)

• Cavitation Tests on a Systematic Series of Torpedo Heads (H. Rouse, J. McNown, E-Y. Hsu, and C. Lamb, or subset thereof; unpublished reports prepared for the NDRC or for the Office of Naval Research, Navy Department; 1945). Eighteen reports:
  • “Water-Tunnel Characteristics and Test Procedure” (three copies)
  • “Hollow Cylindrical Head” (three copies)
  • “1:2 Concave Ellipsoidal Head” (three copies)
  • “1:2 Ellipsoidal Head” (three copies)
  • “2:1 Ellipsoidal Head”  (three copies)
  • “Summary, Ellipsoidal Torpedo Heads” (three copies)
  • “135° Concave Conical Head,” (two copies)
  • “135° Conical Head”  (three copies)
  • “90° Conical Head” (three copies)
  • “45° Conical Head”  (four copies)
  • “Summary, Conical Torpedo Heads”  (five copies)
  • “1/8 Caliber Rounded Head”  (three copies)
  • “1/4 Caliber Rounded Head” (two copies)
  • “Summary, Rounded Torpedo Heads”  (four copies)
  • “Two-Caliber Ogival Head” (two copies)
  • “One-Caliber Ogival Head” (three copies)
  • “Blunt Head” (three copies)
  • “Hemispherical Head” (two copies)

Box 3. Cavitation Tests, Torpedo Heads (cont.), 1946–48

• Cavitation Tests on a Systematic Series of Torpedo Heads (H. Rouse, J. McNown, E-Y. Hsu, and C. Lamb, or subset thereof; unpublished reports prepared for the NDRC or for the Office of Naval Research, Navy Department).  Four reports:
  • “Summary, Modified Hemispherical Heads” (1946, three copies)
  • “Half-Body Torpedo Head” (1946, three copies)
  • “Effect of Model Size” (1947, four copies)
  • “Summary, Modified Ellipsoidal Heads” (1948, five copies)

Wind Tunnel Research 1943–47

• “Scale Model Studies on Movement of Smoke and Gas Clouds” (H. Rouse, unpublished report prepared for NDRC, 1943; three copies; report includes very good wind tunnel photos)
• “Wind-Tunnel Studies of the Diffusion of Heat From a Line Source” (H. Rouse, et al., unpublished report prepared for NDRC, 1944; three copies)
• “Wind-Tunnel Studies of Gas Diffusion in a Typical Japanese Urban District” (A. Kalinske, et al., unpublished report prepared for NDRC, 1945)
• “Wind-Tunnel Studies of the Diffusion Gas in Schematic Urban Districts” (H. Rouse, et al., unpublished report prepared for NDRC, 1944, two copies)
• “Wind-Tunnel Studies of the Diffusion of Heat by Single Wind Curtains and Baffles” (H. Rouse, et al., unpublished report prepared for NDRC, 1944; two copies)
• “Preliminary Wind-Tunnel Studies on Air Flow Over Mountainous Terrain” (A. Kalinske, et al., unpublished report prepared for NDRC, 1945)
• “Correlation of Wind-Tunnel Studies with Field Measurements of Gas Diffusion” (A. Kalinske, et al., unpublished report prepared for NDRC, 1945)
• “Review of Studies of Flow Behind Grids” (J. McNown and M. Albertson, unpublished report, 1945; three copies)
• “Wind-Tunnel Studies on Effects of Vertical Distortion of Terrain Models” (anonymous, unpublished report prepared for Weather Service, U.S. Army Air Force, 1946; two copies)
• “Wind-Tunnel Studies of the Velocity Distribution Over Idealized Mountain Forms” (anonymous, unpublished report prepared for Air Weather Service, War Department, 1947; two copies)

Fog Dispersal 1944–47

• “Fog-Dispersal Recommendations for the Island of Shemya” (H. Rouse, et al., unpublished report prepared for NDRC, 1944; two copies)
• “The Iowa Radiant Burner for Furnace (Diesel) Oil” (H.O. Croft and J.M. Trummel, unpublished report prepared for NDRC, 1945; four copies)
• “Development of a Fog-Dispersal Burner for Gasoline and Fuel Oil” (M. Albertson, unpublished report prepared for NDRC, 1945; four copies)
• “Wind-Curtain Installations for Fog Dispersal” (R.A. Jensen, unpublished report prepared for NDRC, 1945; two copies)
• “Report of a Design Adapting the Principles of the Aerofoil Ring to the Wind Curtain Installation at Arcata, Calif.” (T.D. Gregg, New York City, not an IIHR report, prepared for NDRC, 1947)

Grease Interception Research

• Blueprints and sketches for Grease Interception Research Work completed by IIHR for U.S. Army during World War II