New Submarine History Exhibit

AIMM now has on exhibit a very rare "Momsen Lung". This piece of early submarine escape equipment was developed by Charles Bowers "Swede" Momsen in the late 1920s. As such, it pre-dates the earliest SCUBA gear by nearly 20 years.

The Momsen Lung on display at AIMM is one of only a handful on public display. It is on long-term loan from the USS Batfish museum in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

This photograph shows a Momsen Lung being used in escape training. (Photograph courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command).

LCDR Charles "Swede" Momsen (Photograph courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command). During WWII, he was instrumental in solving the problems plaguing the Mark XIV torpedoes, personally diving, at great risk of his own life, to retrieve a live torpedo that had failed to explode in a test.

He retired as a Vice Admiral and passed away in 1967.

USS Momsen (DDG-92) is named in his honor.