The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-11-16
OUR NAVY PLANS
GIANT SUBMARINE
Biggest and Fastest Under
water Graft In World.
WILL ACCOMPANY FLEET.

pleted and Approved and Ready to
Ask For Bids-Surface Speed of
Twenty one Knots.
Designs have been completed and |
specifications prepared In the United |
States navy department for new and |
distinct type of submarine which will |
outclass submarines such as the Ger
man 10 class just as the first Dread |
nought excelled the old type of battle
ship. 1t will probably be the greatest
submarine afioat-
The new craft will be known as a
feet submarine. 1t will displace about
1000 tons, which means that it will be
twice the size of any submarine now
afioat- The aim is to build a subma-
rine of high speed and great defensive
power that will be able to accompany
the American battleship feet and new
er lag behind. 1t will be about 800
feet long, this length being necessary
both to install the more powerful pro-
Polling machinery and to find space for
the increased equipment of reserve tor
pedoes and extra torpedo tubes.
The new feet submarine will have
its own wireless outfit and will have a
cruising radius of about $500 miles at
twenty-one knots speed. 1t also will
have rapid fire guns for self defense
and will carry enough torpedoes to sink
a modern feet of Dreadnoughts.
| Bids for the new vessels will be OPEN
ed at the navy department on Dec Is.
| The confidential plans and specifica-
tons for this powerful new craft are
now in the possession of builders who
| are at liberty to bid upon the design
submitted by the department or to
modify the design and submit bids &C
cordingiy. The cost OF the new type
| of submarine will be about S1.250.0 600.
1t is to be built unded the naval APP
preparation act enacted by the session
of congress just ended. containing an
appropriation of S4,460,O0O for eight or
| more submarines and carrying a clause
that failed to attract public attention
This clause directed the navy depart
ment to construct a feet submarine of
not less than twenty knots speed.
Submarine Destroyer.
Because of its size, which will be
that of a large torpedo boat destroyer
the new type of vessel has been term
ed q submarine destroyer and also as
diving destroyer by laymen in the de-
partment familiar with the govern
ments plans. But naval constructors
and high ranking officers in the navy
insist that it is not a destroyer, but dis
word being a fleet submarine" but
the whole idea is that it will be able
TO go anywhere that an ocean going de-
stroyer or the battleship fleet may go.
1t was learned that both France and
England contemplate the construction
of similar fleet submarines, but were
| keeping their plans secret. American
, naval officers say the navy's submarine
knowledge has been so far developed
that the new submarine will be supe-
: rior TO any one of it's type now being
contemplated abroad.
? In the British admiralty there is
growing belief that the fleet subma.
| rine will take the place of the destroy
er when the new type has been fully
2 developed. This idea is also held in
the designers of the new craft is that
the fleet submarine will be able to dc
in the daytime what the ocean going
destroyers accompanying feet are
: expected to accomplish in an attack
{ on the enemy's feet at night
J New Craft Speedy.
The new feet submarine, which vii
be twice the size of the new MI type
authorized in 1912 and 1913 and is t.
have a cruising radius of $500 to 4 .00t
knots, will have more than sixteer
:, knots speed when navigating unde
, water The MI is designed for IA
! dius of about $500 knots and clever
! knots speed on the surface and 70
about 120 miles at five knots under tn,
surface. The new feet submarine will
have double the surface speed and car
~ three times the under water speed
of those previously authorized for thu
II American or foreign navies.
The torpedo defense guns to b.
mounted on the new feet submarine
do not involve new idea. All tn
latest submarines are being provide,
with rapid fire guns. These are no
Intended for offensive, but for defen
sive use, to drive off attacks by de
stroyers accompanying the enemy
fleet. The fleet submarine will not car
| ry many more men than the latest typ
| now in commission.