The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-10-06
MAKES WAR ON SUBMARINES,
GREAT BRITAIN HAS FOUND
MEANS TO HANDICAP UNDER
WATER BOATS.
submarine Telephones, Huge Nets.
DcstrOycrs, AerOplancs and Fast
Patrol Craft Have Destroyed From
80 to 20 German UntcrsccbOotcn.

Washington. Oct. 1.-Great Britain
has discovered and put into effective
operation means Of combating sub
Imarines, which according to official
reports to the United States govern
| tment already have resulted in a loss
estimated at between so and 70 Ger
man submarines. The reports declare
that the British admiralty confidently
believes it has crushed the German
underSea campaign.
New methods of Offense and defense
that may revOlutionize naval warfare
| have been adopted, and high British
naval officers are Of the opinion that
unless the effectiveness of the sub
marine is increased, it no longer will
! be menace to commerce and battle
fleets.
| The British censorship has prevent
cd the disclosure of details concerning
( the developments. Within the last
three weeks, however, confidential re-
ports to various government depart
ments from representatives in Euro
pean capitals of neutral as we'll as
belligerent countries have confirmed
the British admiralty's view that an
effective means of dealing with the
submarine has been found.
These reports are being closely
lscrutinized on account of the bearing
they may have on the naval policy of
the United States. They reaffirm Of
ficers Of the navy in their conviction
that the dreadnOught still is the main
stay in warfare on sea-
1 According to the reports, destruc-
tion or capture Of SO submarines ac-
Itually had been reported several
weeks ago and it was regarded as pos
sible that the number might have
reached TO- A dinner was given re-
ltently in London which, while not a
sssformal state affair. was attended by
high government officials in celebra-
ton of the destruction of the 5Oth
underwater enemy.
Reports of the dinner apparently
We're suppressed by the censor.
While the greatest secrecy is thrown
!around the means employed the
United States has information con-
icerning the principal methods.
A Sllbn1l linp tolanbnno hoo boa,, 10
veloped by which it is possible to de-
tect the approach of submarine from
observation boats or stations planted
on shore connected With points in
the mainland.
For capturing craft whose presence
mas not been detected or even sus-
pccted' the governments reports de-
scribe how huge nets have been
stretched across the channels and in
open waters near steamship lanes or
in the vicinity of warships nets sus-
pended between floats have been
spread broadcast. Armed patrol boats
watch and when the floats disaDpear
beneath the water, showing that sub
marine has become entangled the
patrol cOngregate at the place and
when the victim comes to the surfac ce
as * inevitably must to disentangle
itself, it is destroyed or captured.
! A special type of mine also has
been devised which has been very sue
ceSsful.
The German methods of supplying
submarines with OIL and provisions.
either at sea or from concealed places
along the coasts of the British isles.
have been ferreted out and disposed
| of. This cOmpels the boats to return
to their bases at more frequent inter-
walls and leaves them only compara-
lively short time for effective duty.
Dcstroyers, the reports declare. be-
come expert in the game of submarine
hunting, and armed trawlers also have
proved effective.
But the greatest single factor, it is
said, has been Il newly built fleet of
small scagOing motor boats, armed
with one or two thrcc-inch guns and
possessing high speed. These boats
literally swarm over suspected eX-
panSes Of the water and cover almost
every mile of the channels of COM
mercc adjacent to Great Britain. AS
u submarine must rise frequently to
renew its air supply and rcchargc the
storage batteries by which it is pro-
PEELED when submerged. one in the
territory covered by the scouts is al
most certain TO be eventually seen
and destroyed. These small boats
have been built in large numbers in
England and it is reported that about
30O are beng constructed in the Init /
ed States and Canada To be shipped in
sections tD Great I,ritDin