Lacoste Ship Brake on USS Indiana (BB-1), 1910
Here we see the Indiana class battleship USS Indiana (BB-1) at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 1 April 1910 have the Lacoste Ship Brake installed. This device would be held flat against the hull in normal use, but if the ship needed to stop quickly it would be released, water pressure of the ship moving forward (the bow is the right) would force it fully open, and it would act as a water brake. The ship brake did indeed decrease the time and distance needed to stop the ship, but didn't enter widespread use and this example was removed from the Indiana.
How to cite this article:
Rickard, J (20 October 2023), Lacoste Ship Brake on USS Indiana (BB-1), 1910 , http://www.historyofwar.org/Pictures/pictures_USS_Indiana_BB1_lacoste_ship_brake.html
