Alexander Behm

Alexander Behm
Born	(1880-11-11)11 November 1880
Died	22 January 1952(1952-01-22)(aged 71)
Nationality	German
Occupation	Physicist

Alexander Behm(11 November 1880, inSternberg(Mecklenburg) – 22 January 1952, inTarp(Schleswig-Flensburg)) was aGermanphysicistwho developed workingocean echo sounderin Germany at the same timeReginald Fessendenwas doing so in North America.

As head of a research laboratory inVienna(Austria) he conducted experiments concerning the propagation ofsound.He tried to develop anicebergdetection system using reflected sound waves after theTitanicdisaster on 15 April 1912. In the end reflected sound waves proved not to be suitable for the detection of icebergs but for measuring the depth of the sea, because the bottom of the sea reflected them well. Thus, echo sounding was born.

Behm was granted GermanpatentNo. 282009 for the invention ofecho sounding(device for measuring depths of the sea and distances and headings of ships or obstacles by means of reflected sound waves)on 22 July 1913.

In 1920 he founded theBehm Echo Sounding CompanyinKielin order to commercialise his invention. He was also a fanaticanglerand an inventor offishing tackle,like Behm-Fliege and Behm-Blinker.

See also

• German inventors and discoverers

References

• Peter Wille (14 June 2005).Sound Images of the Ocean: in Research and Monitoring.Springer Science & Business Media. p. 15.ISBN978-3-540-24122-5.

External links

• Newspaper clippings about Alexander Behmin the20th Century Press Archivesof theZBW