The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1915-11-29
U BOATS TRAPPED
BY WIRE NETTING
Declared That Remaining Sub
marine Crews Are In Panic.
OVER 80 PER CENT LOST.

New Method Is Said to Have Resulted
In the Sinking of Sixty seven Since
May 5-Underwater Craft Caught In
Huge Nets of Strong Wire Dropped |
In Their Path.
The reason why the German govern !
ment has consented to change its sub !
marine methods is because over 80
per cent of its submarines have been |
destroyed and its underseas warfare
brought to complete failure within the
past two months, says the Providence
Journal.
The Journal says 1t is able to print
the full and accurate story of the man
ner i'm which the British navy has ac-
complished this work. The operations
under the present method have lasted
over a period of four months, and they
would have been brought to a success
full completion many weeks ago ii the
British naval authorities had realized
3 thob SOiut VI bhC NphAAl'-
ances made use OF were not tit for the
work
Sixty-seven German submarines.
twenty eight 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 stat
ed on positive authority that the full
capacity of the German shipyards for
underseas boats is rot more than three
month, but that even III Germany
were able to replace her submarines as
fast as they had been destroyed the
gravest situation she faces in regard
to this method Of warfare is the actual
destruction OF the morale OF the officers
and crews OF such vessels.
Submarine Crews In Panic.
Ii 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
disappearance of dozens OF submarines
with their entire crews and that this
condition has brought about "A prac-
tica panic among all men in 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 to 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 in
British factories. This wire has not
been used in the manner suggested.
The operations which have resulted in
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
a 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 oy the British navy for the past
two months 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 1t and which were found to
be impracticable for the purpose. The
: netting has been cut into lengths Of ITO
feet with depth of twenty-seven feet.
On top of this netting are dashed great
blocks OF wood. Oh 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
submarine periscope is sighted the
destroyers slow down at distance Of
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 the time the submarine
. fi,.na a. ha. l. ~