The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-07-27
THE SUBMARINE TORPEDO BOAT
A Singularly Silent Foe-Balloons May
Detect 1t, Though

| "A SlnSulafly SlleIl l. oe--todllooHo Hhay
Detect 1t, Though
Experiments made in good light and
on smooth sea have resulted in fix
ing the distance at which the subma-
rine running on the surface, would be-
| come visible at about seventeen hum
bred yards. To be on the safe side it
has been decided in practice to make 1t
| one mile. This is, therefore, described
as the maximum range of visibility
| 1t is thus obvious that beyond a dis
| tance of one mile the submarine can
navigate on the surface of the water
| without fear of being discovered; to APP
preach any nearer it must sink below
the waves to insure safety.
But should 1t happen that in sinking
the submarine is DETECTED from its
course, the compass would not show
the deviation, providing the vessel kept
parallel to the course decided upon.
Therefore some time before arriving at
the distance decided upon as the best
for launching the torpedo 1.-TWO hundred
and seventy yardS), the submarine will
come rapidly to the surface, verify or
correct its position and then, again sub
merging itself, it will move up to with
in two hundred and seventy yards of
its object, launch the torpedo and hast
lily retire, not coming to the surface
again until quite mile away.
The one weak point in this manoeu-
vre is the return to the surface at
distance of four or five hundred yards
that is to say, within the radius of visi-
biity. If the sea was very calm the
1l,a o,, =.
employed up to within five hundred
yards. At that distance, however, the
tube itself would begin to be visible to
those on board the object of attack
A more interesting case presents it.
self in an attack on moving object
for example, a war vessel manoeuvring
in the open or changing its position in
a squadron. Then we have an exhibit
ton Of somewhat more complicated tao
tics.
The submarine must first of all esti-
mate the speed of the moving object |
Calculating upon this basis, it will then
take a course which will enable it to
intersect that of the warship at given
point This is a very common problem
in navigation and in artillery work, and |
one that causes sailor little trouble. |
Difficulty, however may arise by the
warship modifying it's course or it's |
speed while the submarine is sub
merged. Therefore, besides coming to
the surface at the usual distance of five |
hundred yards, the submarine will have
to repeat the manoeuvre at two hun
dred and seventy yards just before
launching the torpedo.
One curious fact must be noted in
fixing the military value of the subma- |
rine 1t has been asked while admit
ting the INSTABILITY of the submarine
during naval operations, whether it Is
not possible to be otherwise advised of
its approach and avoid attack AS Is
well known, all battleships are fur
nished with microphones, which receive
the sound of the waves and tntify, es-
pecially in the night time or during a
fog. the presence and approach Of other
vessels. However, while al a consider
able distance the approach of ships of
even small tonnage is notified by the
this apparatus remains