The chronicle=news., 1914-09-18
PRESENT war WILL
DEMONSTRATEuTIuTy
OF SUBMARINE BOAT


naval powers of the world have cx-
for many years. are des-
tined to have their first practical
war test in the great struggle now
raging in Europe.
The great battle that is daily being
expected in the North sea, where the
British and German ships went un-
der sealed orders as soon as war
was declared. will see the great mod
ern submarines In action for the first
time.
Believers in the submarine. though
goat Il rude shock few days after
the war began. when a British cruis-
err destroyed a German submarine
with only two shots. by the simple
exoedient of "blinding" the diver.
shooting out its eye
When the Germans attacked sever
al British ships. their flotilla was ac-
companied by a submarine. A Brit
ish cruiser singled out the submarine
as the most dangerous of the enemy
and sent shell crashing through her
periscope. With her officers and
crew unable to see what was going
on, the diver was as helpless as
blinded thing. and staggered straight
toward the British cruiser. the gun
ners of which waited until she came
qnite close. When the German ship
was within easy range. another shell
the second of the battle, was fired
into her hull. and the submarine
went to the bottom of the North sea
carrying her crew to death.
That yah the ignominious fate of
the first submarine engaged in the
war and the east with which the ves-
sci was destroyed was great shock
Germany and France who had be-
lieved that type of sea fighter almost
invulnarable.
Almost everything connected with
the submarine branch of the German
navy have been kept strictly secret,
but it is generally understood that
the organization OF the flotilla is
thorough and efficient.
The German vessel that was
blinded and sunk was the us and
was completed at Danzig in 1912. 1t
was a type similar to the British
&C" class of 321 tons displacement.
with speed OF 13 knots above water
and 81 knots below the surface
They carry two torpedo tubes.
A larger type. however. is in SER
vice In the German navy. beginning
with the U21. which is OF 500 tons
displacement and has q speed Of II
knots above and ~ knots below the
water. She carries three torpedo
tubes.
Like those of the British navy. all
OF the German submarines are pro-
PEELED on the surface by heavy oil
engines. the quantity OF fuel carried
being sufficient for cruising radius
ranging from 700 miles for the small
er vessels to three times that dis
tance in the case of the largest sub
marines.
The submarine is the thing feared
by naval men. The fear has been in
spircd more by the mystery surround
ing the divers and the amazing stor
les circulated about their possibili-
ties. rather than by actual knowl-
edge of the ships potentialities.
This type of fighting craft was de-
signed to destroy warships OF the en-
emy by sliding under them and send
ing torpcdoes into them. 1t has been
assumed that the submarines could
fire torpedo at a warship from be-
meath the surface before the COM
mander of the ship knew of the pres
encc of the diver.
The first submarine was built in
the United States and the American
government was the first to adopt it,
BY strange coincidence the invent
or died toward the beginning of the
present war.
Naval men of all the world are
watching this war with the keenest
interest, because naval warfare al
ways affords surprises. Fighting
machinery. big guns, torpedoes. sub
marines. are invented and their spon-
sors claim wonderful and miraculous
things for them. In peace demon
stratiOns the inventions behave ac-
cording to expectations, but when
they ore given test In real war. the
results are sometimes entirely differ
ent from what was anticipated.
England has 50 submarines: Ger
many SO: France 90: Russia As;
Italy 20: Austria-Hungary 15: Unit
ed States so; Japan Is
In the Japanese-R Russian war, sub
were used to slight extent.
but 1t may be said that the modern
under-Sea fighting craft has moi had
its real trial until now Its first
in the North sea was disap-
pointing to its champions, but the
submarine may yet do some surpris-
ing and dealy execution and justify |
their claims.
kiel is the submarine headquar-
ters and the base of the principal
boats as well as the light cruiser
which acts as parent !
ship and the salvage shin Vulcan