The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-30
DESTROYING THE SUBMARINE.
Information From an Expert Who shows
How DifiicuIt II Il.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Str: Hunt
ing the submarine is not so easy as APP
pears TO the American naval omcer whoss
ideas on the subject THE Sun has dealt
with edltorally.
How will you grapple submarine :
periscope when it is a mile away? Ana
II 1t is as near as that YOU will have al
ready its torpedo whether YOU like IL or
not. And hand grcnades? What use
would they be? You cannot even elnk \
submarine by a shot from big snip
gun when YOU see only the periscope
three feet above the water. as II means
that the boat itself Is still fifteen feot
below the surface OF tho water. which ie
more effective protection against any KIND
Of shell than tho thickest armor piaie can
be A shot hitting the water at an angle
will leave the water at the same angle
If YOU shoot the perlscope away In
dancing seaway what will happen TO the
submarine? Nothing! The periscope
breaks OF. the water rtshes In with
sharp knock. but the inner glasses and
LENSES are calculated to Withstand pres
sure OF 200 feet depth so there IL no
harm done. BESIDES, the submarine has
another periscupc for the helmsman, ana
II that also is shot away then the boat can
come up in short porpoise movements
which will allow "A peep through the bulls
eyes of the coming tower in order TO find
out whore the enemy II. Should then
there be such a narksman In the world
who Just in that second could hit with MS
big gun or even a quiokflre gun the very
strongly built coming tower the con-
struction Is such that the tower with It's
three inmates would break or, whereas
the boat itself would remain Intact Bj:
still It would not be quite helpless
although "sightlcss,' !; could hear by
means Of the submarine hell signal sys-
tenn. which has a combination that gives
the angle at which TIA" noise OF. say. the
churning propellcrs OF an enemy's ship
can he distinguished. The boa would
remain under water SO long as Il heard
nois". and to he safe. Il would run for
several hours submerged away from the
spot The boat could stay seventy-two
hours under water. having compressed air
for breathing and alhil air purifiers
which absorb the c1rbonic acid in the ex-
hailed air.
Now this clever expert SAYS that he
would ram ;he submarine by special ves-
sells OF shallow draft. why shallow draft
Til" submarine with its periscope three
feet above water Is still fifteen feet below
the surface. All these nice stories there
fore ~ rammirg or, more amusing still.
cannonading the submarine down are
mostly untrue. for success very peculiar
and favorable circumstances are required.
Even whom rammed sometimes only the
supers'ructure IL torn away or a heavy
oil tank split open, but even that would
not Kill the crew ~ the inner second hull.
Nn.tn - so strong mat 10 may stand the
water pressure Of more than 300 feet
depth, does no; give way. \ vertical shot
from an ae-oplane might" destroy the
submarine II The shell did not explode
when touching the water. There IL a
feasible scheme -: making life hard for
submarines. but ] have lao reason TO get
:hat pub shed now, as | am a German.
\ highly Interesting story was recently
printed 81 a submarine tNat lad been
STaShed. VIII IN after remaining FOR one
holr under vnt'r. came Up 10 the surface
aga wiki the wi..e Gag ho.sted tthey
must have done that unde- wa;Ar). and
then the crew stepped out o, the eirkng
boat. ! cannot account for this fact, as
the Germans officially stated that no sub
marine was missing: bu; /; may have
been similar 20 the news OF the Zeppelin
THAI was forced by cavalry 10 stop n
m!dglr ard whose crew mad TO step out
and surrender.
When YOU hear again a London paper
saving that the submarines "crept on the
bottom Of tho sea" please take that 80
u" 'iyii" language" Tic German boats
nave no wheels. AZ NJ. Latte Is go proud
% believe. They did not steal any OF his
doss as FAR as know.
wERSIR rrsNsR.
NEW YoER, December IS.