Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-09-24


R. ~ Journal published an interesting
story Of the manner in which Great
Britain Is disposing Of German SUBJ
marines, and gives it as the reason WY
the German government has at last COM
piled with American demands. 1t claims
authoritative information that 50 per
cent. Of Germanys submarines have
been destroyed and it's underseas war
fare brought complete failure. 1t
says:
THE Journal is able to print this morn
ing the full story of the manner in which
work. The operations under the present
method have lasted over period of four
months, and they would have been
brought to a successful completion many
weeks ago if the British naval authori-
ties had realized that some of the me-
chanical contrivances made use Of were
not fit for the work.
IIatmS OF submarines Lost
"Sixty-seven German submarines. 2S of
which are declared to have been of the
newest and latest construction. have
been sunk and their crews destroyed by
the British navy since the fifth day of
May. 1t is stated on positive authority
that the full capacity of the German
shipyards for underseas boats is not
more than three month. but that even
if Germany were able to replace her sub
marines as fast as they had been de.
stroyed, the most grave situation she
faces in regard to this method of war
fare is the actual destruction of the
morale of the officers and crews Of such
vessels.
1t is declared that while the sailors
who man German submarines are as
brave and efficient as those of any ma
ton in the world, the authorities have
been unable to keep from them the facts
with regard to the mysterious disappear
ance of dozens of submarines with their
entire crews. and that this condition has
brought about a practical panic among
all men in this branch of the service,
who not only believe that when they
they are going to destruction. but who
have not understood how that destruc-
'tion was being brought about.
For several months there has been
considerable publicity with regard to the
belief that transports from Great Britain
to the coast of France had been protect
ed from submarines mainly by pathways
of wire netting stretched across the
channel.
ut has been known that great quanti-
ties of wire has been shipped from the
United States, and that very large or
ders for similar material has been filled
in British factories.
Nets as Submarine Traps
This wire has not been used in the
manner suggested. The operations which
have resulted in the practical elimna-
ton of the German submarine navy have
all centred about the fact that the perl
scope of a submarine, particularly when
travelling in seas that are rough or chop
py, has a very greatly restricted range of
vision. This range at the most in clear
water. is not more than one mile. except
when there are vessels on the horizon
using fuel which makes smoke when the
range of vision is increased from three
to five miles.
This fact has been taken full ad-
advantage of the netting which has been
used by the British navy for the past
two months, has been made of galvanized
material with a Is foot mesh.
This size has superseded both nine
foot and the II foot mesh which preceded
it and which were found to be imprac-
ticable for the purpose. This netting has
been cut into lengths of 10 feet with a
depth Of q feet. On top of this netting
are dashed great blocks of wood Oil
burning torpedo boat destroyers, vessels
of great speed, have been used in pairs,
running along slowly, with these sec
tons of netting stretched between them.
THE moment submarine periscope is
sighted, the destroyers slow down at a
distance of a mile or less, and as soon as
the submarines course is charted by the
continuous movement of her periscope
the destroyers get ahead of her path and
cut away the lashings which hold the
ends of the netting to the vessels.
Submarine in Trap
1T is declared that three times out of
four, when this has been done, the sub
marine has run directly into the netting
which, by the time the submarine reaches
it, has sunk from eight to 10 feet below
the surface and that with bows once en-
meshed the submarine turns turtle and
sinks out of sight. ,
lat times the destroyers have run for
several miles ahead of these submarines
before dropping their nets. in orGer to
make sure Of the exact course of the enc
my. Eight or 10 submarines have escaped
destruction, merely by accident, by
changing their course after the netting
has been let go.
There has never been any lane Of
wire netting to protect transports. Brit
ish authorities have not been diverted
from their course against the German
submarines by reason or any activity
that has been displayed outside of the
several zones which they have been pro-
tecting. The loss of the Lusitania was
a great blow, as was the destruction of
the Arabic. but the large majority of the
vessels which have been sunk by Ger
man submarines have caused the ad-
miralty very little concern except for
the loss Of life involved.
Tho reason why the British govern
ment has not allowed itself to be divert
al fro,,r ha v~ ~,,h3o1. g. ho5 ~,o-~~S