Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-11-28
HOW SUBMARINE
DOES ITS WORK
Methods of Attack Used by
the UNDERWATER Sea
Fighters.

The successful raids OF both British
and German submarines in the North
sea, says lid Bits, have gone long
way toward justifying the claim Of
Sir Percy Scott that this type Of YES
sci. rather than dreadnoughts. will be
the deciding factor In modern naval
battles.
1t is rather amusing in these days,
however, when Britain is rapidly add
ing to her feet of over 100 submarines
Germany has only about 4a-to re-
fleet that when Fulton, the American
inventor, first propounded his idea
OF an underwater boat and expert
mented under the auspices of the
British and French governments, his
plans were denounced as revolving to
every noble principle" both French
and British admlrals declaring that
they wished ito fight like gentlemen
and not to be drowned like rats And
it was really not until Lord Fisher
boldly adopted the submarine for the
royal navy, only few years ago, that
such views and opinions in the ser
vice vanished.
Indeed, the statement in the navy
estimates for 1902 that five sub
marine vessels had been ordered took
away the breath OF old naval Off
GERS. Those five submarines were of
the type known as the Holland, and
precisely similar to the first sub
marines of the United States navy.
Inventions and improvements. how
ever. followed so quickly that soon the
Holland submarine was improved be-
yond all recognition, and the A, B, c,
D and z classes followed rapidly on
one another, each OF these classes
possessing distinct advantages over
the previous class.
For instance, while the thirty-seven
boats Of the c class built by 1908,
were vessels of 316 to 321 tons, with
speed of ten to fourteen knots, fitted
with two torpedo tubes, and a full
speed range of 1000 miles, or sub
merged, of $50 miles. the D class,
which was begun in 1908, were boats
of $40 TO 800 tons, with three torpedo
tubes and a range of 1000 miles. 1t
was in a D boat that the first gun
which disappeared within water
tight compartment when the boat was
submerged.
Then came the z class, No. ., one
OF which recently sank the German
cruiser Hela, which are the newest
and most powerful submarines in the
navy. They have a radius Of action
Of 1000 miles, and are capable OF re-
naming a whole day under water.
E-9 is fitted with cabins and berthing
and living accommodations for her
crew of 2S. Four torpedo tubes, firing
21-lnch torpedoes, and two 12-pounder
guns are carried on these powerful
craft, which attain speed on the
surface of 16 knots.
The admiralty, however, is advanc-
Fots = hi hoo n
as fast as possible with the building
of a fleet of submarines which will be
known as F class, and which will
have a speed of IL to 20 knots, and
armament of six torpedo tubes and
two guns.
The methods of attack Of subma-
r!ne are very simple. Seeing an
enemy, she blows out the required
number of air tanks and by means of
her planes descends until the coming
tower is just above water, from which
the movements of the distant enemy
are observed. Having approached
within a distance judged to be safe
from discovery, the submarine Is sub
merged completely, her course being
eonned solely by means of the peri
scope, and at the chosen moment dis
charges her torpedo,
A period of several minutes may be
required for subnerging, and the sub
marine caught in the act by destroy
ers is in a hopeless situation. The
aeroplane, too, enables submarines to
be seen when submerged, and wireless
messages may convey intelligence to
the big ships and set the swift de-
stroyers on the alert.
At night the submarine IL blind, and
in bad light or rough sea she works
with difficulty, owing to the obscurity
of her vision.