Evening star., 1914-11-01
LATEST TYPE. OF
BRITrSHSUBr1AR1r1E

displacement, twenty-knot speed and
armed not only with torpedo tubes, but
with rapid-flre rifles.
feet today are frankly developments
of the Holland idea That calls for a
single. spindle-shaped hull-built in
the shape of a giant cigar. 1t Is made
submersible by the action of horizon
tai rudders acting in conjunction with
ballast tanks" which may be flooded
with water. These boats dive as por
potse dives, nose first. instead of sink
by 1900 horsepower heavy oil engines
at surface speed of seventeen knots
and are OF some 1900 tons displace
ment.
What the British empire thinks of
the submarine today as a defense is
best Illustrated by the changes she has
made in guarding her own coast line
and ports. Before the coming of the
submarine she depended for this serv-
ice almost entirely upon her so-called
coast and port guard ships, and with
these-often they were outworn hulks.
ready for action OTTER a fashion and
manned with apologies for crews
England deluded herself with the belief
she was secure. But these ships have
long been abolished. and such harbors
as Queens Ferry. Hull, Harwich. Port
land. Southampton, Berehaven, Ports
mouth. Plymouth and Medway today
i X
And what Great Britain thinks TODAY
OF the submarine as a weapon of Of
Tense Is best set forth in the official
report following the sinking of the
Aeoukir, the Hogue arr the Cressy.
The report read:
The sinking of the Aboukir was. of
course. in the ordinary hazard of pa
troll duty. The Hogue and the Cressy.
however. were sunk because they has
tened to the assistance of their con-
sort. presenting an easy and certain
target for submarine attack Wounded
ships should therefore be left to their
own resources"
The French and German submarines
olHer from the Holland type in that
they use double-hulled craft. and
nave departed from the spindle shape,
constructing their submarines more
ship-shape." The French developed
their type from the Narval submarine.
designed by NJ. Labeuf The German
type. while adopting the double-hul
feature, Is known as the Krupp-Ger-
mania boat, and is the outcome of the
designs of NJ; DEquivelly, supple
mented, it is said. by a generous piracy
Of American submarine ideas. The
French boats are Of about $50 tons dis
placement, and for surface travel are
driven by 4.000-horsepower steam tur-
bines.
The Russian submarine is the latest
type of Holland boat of about $50 tons
displacement.
Even before the exploit Of the u-e.
Great Britain was giving considerable
rine. and in June a controversy arose
between many of her foremost naval
experts as to the Importance of this
engine in maritime war. and what
steps could be taken to Offset the ter
ribIe destructive possibilities of these
craft.
Under conditions existing in the
navies Of the world today, once let a
she is travelling "awash." or, better
still. sink completely beneath the sur
face. and there is no known prevent
i've to insure the safety of any above
the water cruiser. torpedo boat de-
stroyers to the contrary notwithstand-
ing.
Great Britain's experts knew all of
this. and that was why Sir Percy Scott
dared the wrath of all the armor-forg-
ers of the empire who glory in the con-
struction of super-dreadnoughts, by
advocating the construction of no more
vessels of the ultra" types, but
smaller craft in greater numbers. He
argued that today a fleet of five dread
noughts, representing an OUTLAY of
close on to $30.00O.000. may be sent to
the bottom as were the three cruisers In
the North sea, with one torpedo to each
craft; whereas had the fleet consisted
of. let US say, ten smaller vessels.
many of them would escape from the
attack unscathed.
Failing in this. he advises the ad.
miralty to reinforce the bottoms OF
England's dreadnoughts with an addi-
tional belt of four-inch armor plate,
and to construct many additional buoy
ant subdivisions in their hulls. An
other argument for replacing the
dreadnought with the seaRoing sub
dreadnought requires an annual outlay
of 100000 for upkeep. as against
$4,000 which will provide for the tor
pedo boat.
1t is human fmpossibility. say the
naval experts. after reviewing the ex
ploit of the U-9. to predict any limita-
tions for the construction of subma-
rines; and they believe that the day
is not far of when the non-submersi-
BILE battleship will be thing o. the
past. and every navy will consist OF
ultra" and super" submarines.
1t is a common prophecy, too. at this
time, among naval men, that before
the great European war has passed
into history the world will see one or
more conflicts wherein the deadly lit
tie submarine 'waterbugs." in cooper
alton with Zeppelins or armored aero