The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1915-10-09
U BOATS TRAPPED
BY WIRE NETTING
Declared That Remaining Sub
marine Crews Are In Panic.
OVER 80 FER CENT LOST.

In the Sinking of Sixty seven Since
May 5-Cnder~ater Craft Caught I'm
Huge Nets of Strong Wire Dropped
In Their Path.
1he reason why the German govern
mem has consented 10 change its sub
marine mc,hvds is because over 50
per cent OF IL, submarines have been
destrOyeG and lis um.erSeaS warfare
brought 10 complete failure within the
past two months. says the Providence
Journal!
The Journal says il is able to print
the full and accurate story of the man
ner in which the Er.tiSh navy has ac-
cOmpliShed this wor& The operations
under the present method have lasted
over period of four months. and they
would have been brought 20 success
tul completion many weeks ago ir the
British naval authorities had realized
that some of the mechanical contriv-
ances made use of were not fit for the
work
SiXty-seven German submarines,
twenty eight of which are declared to
haye been of the newest ana latest
construction have been sunk and their
crews destroyed by the British navy
since the fifth day of May. 1t is stat
I'd on positive authority that the full
capacity OF the German shipyardS for
! underSeas boats is not llure than three
ii month. but that even il Germany
were 3ble TO replace her submarines as
fast us they had been destroyed the
craveSt situation she faces in regard
to this method of warfare is the actual
destruction CT the morale.of the officers
and crews of such vessels
Submarine Crews IN Panic.
1t is declared that while .he 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
disappearance of dozens OF submarines
with their entire crews and that this
condition has brought about pric-
tical panic among all men I'm this
branch of the service. who not only be
lieve that when they leave the protec-
ton of their own waters they are going
to destruction. but who have not under
stood how that destruction was being
brought about.
For several months there has been
considerable publicity with regard to
the belief that transports from Great
Britain IL the coast OF France have
been protected from submarines main-
ly by pathways of wire netting stretch
ed across the channel 1t has been
known that great quantities OF wire
have been shipped from the United
States and that very large orders for
similar material have been filed i'm
British factories This wire has not
been used in the manner suggested.
The operations which have resulted i'm
the practical elimination of the Ger
man submarine navy have all centered
about the fact that the periscope OF the
submarine. particularly when travelling
in seas that are rough or chOppy has
very greatly restricted range OF vi
sion. This range at the most in clear
water is not more than one mile. ex-
cept when there are vessels on the
horizon using fuel which makes smoke.
when the range of vision is increased
to from three to five miles.
Drop Traps In Their Paths.
This fact has been taken full advan-
tage of. The netting which has been
used by the British navy for the past
two mODths has been made of galvan-
lied material with fifteen foot mesh.
This size has superseded both the nine
foot and the twelve foot mesh which
preceded il and which were found TO
be lmprdcticable for the purpose. The
netting has been cut into lengths Of 10
feet with depth Of twenty feet.
On TOP Of this netting are lashed great
blocks Of wood Oil burning torpedo
boat destroyers. vessels Of great speed,
have been used in pairs. running along
slowly with these sections Of netting
stretched between them. The moment
a submarine periscOpe is sighted the
destroyers slow down mt n distance of
a mile or less, and as soon as the sub
marines course is charted by the con-
tinuous 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.
1t is declared that three times out of
four, when this has been done. the sub
marine has run directly into this net
ting which. by Inr time the submarine
reaches it, has sunk from eight to ten
feet below the surface. and that with
BOWS once enmeshed the submarine
sEFhs turtle and staks oC- OF sight
At times the destroyers have run for
several miles ahead Of these subma-
rines before dropping their nets, in or
Ter to make sure Of the exact course
IF the enemy. Eight or ten submarines
nave eSsaped destruction. merely by
accident. by changing their course aft