1913-1915 Dräger Badetauchretter

The development of the Badetauchretter 1915

In 1913, following the DM1, Draeger designed the DM2 and the D2 Tauchretters, an apparatus for rescuing drowning persons. The first model, the Dräger Baderetter from 1913, was an apparatus that showed great similarities with the previously designed Tauchretters and was used for the rescue of drowned persons to a depth of 30 meters in case of shallow water and could be used to a maximum depth of 45 meters. No information has been found of this device and presumably the product was further developed into the Bade tauch Retter 1915. The Badetauchretter 1915 was a device that showed great similarities with the D2 tauchretter which was developed in the same year. The diving apparatus was equipped with an oxygen cylinder that dosed 1.8 liters of oxygen per minute with a flow meter. The system was equipped with an overpressure valve. In the manual it is described that for deep diving the breathing bag had to be filled with normal outside air (to get nitrogen in the contralung) after which one could dive to a depth of 30 meters! As soon as oxygen was added to the breathing mix it became necessary to ascend to a maximum depth of 15 meters. The rebreather was equipped with a lead chain and a lead weight that, like the D2, was mounted on a hook at the back.

Schedule showing the working principle of the Dräger-Bade-Tauchretter

a) Breathing bag b) Neckchain (lead) c)Overpressure valve d) Oxygencylinder e) Cartridgechamber f) Pressure gauge g) Manual addition valve (push button) h) Breathing hose i)Mouthpiece j) Noseclip l) tailweight (5 kgs).