An Encyclopedia of the History of Technology part 56. This one of a kind encyclopedia presents the entire field of technology from rudimentary agricultural tools to communication satellites in this first of its kind reference source. Following an introduction that discusses basic tools, devices, and mechanisms, the chapters are grouped into five parts that provide detailed information on materials, power and engineering, transportation, communication and calculation, and technology and society, revealing how different technologies have together evolved to produce enormous changes in the course of history | PART THREE TRANSPORT In the post-war years surprisingly few radical changes in ship design were evident apart from the general adoption of a more streamlined appearance pioneered by more enterprising owners in the 1930s. Crews now needed better quarters entailing more superstructure while advanced navigational and radio equipment developed during the war years was generally fitted. The diesel engine steadily improved in efficiency although gas turbines seemed to have little application in merchant as compared to fighting navies. Thanks to steel hatch covers and improved methods of construction ships could now be given larger hatches than ever before with consequent improvements in cargo handling. The growth of air travel and increasingly stringent safety requirements steadily drove the great passenger liners out of operation or into the cruise business for which new and luxurious but smaller vessels were built. From the 1960s onwards the cargo ship refrigerated or otherwise steadily gave way to the container ships very large and fast with holds designed to carry cargo of all kinds in internationally standardized rigid containers which ports of all major nations have been adapted to handle. The old tramp ship has been replaced by the much larger bulk carrier working to specialized terminals. Oil tankers have grown to vast size the very large crude carrier VLCC attains 382 500 tonnes and ultra large crude carriers ULCCs of up to 408 000 tonnes have been built. All these new types adopted engines aft and progressively diesel engines especially after the increase in oil prices of the 1970s. WARSHIPS The sailing man-of-war had developed slowly a seaman of the seventeenthcentury Dutch Wars would not have been too unfamiliar with a naval ship of the 1840s. The only essential difference from the contemporary sailing merchant vessel was in armament numerous guns were mounted along the naval ship s sides on two or three decks for a line of battle ship only one on frigates or
