The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1917, 1915-02-23
WAR NDtK TnE SEA.

Ab0ukir, liOHur and Crcssv :l sunk within
he space of about an hour by German 3ubma-
| rinc. the world was given startling demonstra-
| ton of the possibilities Of this type OF underwater
| lighting craft III the subsequent fighting at sea
| these vessels have played such important part
as - give considerable Justification to Admiral Sir
! Percy Scott; prediction that wh"n submarines
| have been fully developed they will entirely dis.
place the great dreadnomghts that form the prn-
cpal fighting strength Of the navies of the present
time.
| During the five years preceding Tho war sub
| marine fighting crafts had been developed to a
high state of efficiency. Among the vessels
submcrsibles had almost entirely superseded the
original type that bore the name Of submarine
For understanding the character OF the fighting
craft that has come into such d .minencc IL Is
| necessary to distinguish between the types of
"oEsel3. The original submarine was designed pri-
| mariiy to operate under water and far from
hrin.. scawOrthy craft when running on the sur
face. Those vessels were therefore valuable mnin-
ly for coast defense and for operations within
| atrictci limits in connection with fleet of
ships The submarine. while having all the under
water efficiency OF the submarine is built to op-
| crate on the surface as we'll and is practically
| ccaworthy as destroyer Such vessels are cap
able of making long voyages AMI of taking the Of
rcnsivc Independently and not simply an auxiliaries
to fleet of warshps All the later vessels. while
| commonly called submarines. are in fact sub
mcrsiblcs. The original submarines still in service
| arc used almost exclusively for coast defense.
The submarine is shaped like n cigar. cross
section ut any point along the hull hring practically
circular In the submersible this shape is retained
for the inner she'll but this is built hull that
| gives the completed vessel the shape of torpedo
| boat. The inner shel contains all the working
parts OF the boat while the space hptwecp the two
shells Is utilized for the watcr-baast compart-
monts Which. when filled, overcome tho buoyancy
of the craft depth beneath the water The interior
| Of submersile impresses being n thing of
supreme nervous energy, with every detail devoted
to tho accomplishment Of just thing-that of
| slipping in close to tho eneniy's ship and sinking
It with torpedo. So completely is the vessel hlle.
with machinery and equipment for this purpose
that only very limited space be utilized for
quarte-ing and feeding the crew. s
While the newer suhmersibles are equipped with
tubes for firing torpedoes from the stern and even
from tho side. the principal fighting equipment is
at the bow. Here are located either two four
torpedo tubes. Unlike the guns of.-a battleship.
these tubes must he ain.e! at the mark by aiming
the entire vessel. Each tube Is closed by trap
| door that opens automatically when the torpedo Is
fired and closed the instant the torpedo has started
on its journey of destruction. BACK of the torpedo
tubes Is compartment for storage OF torpedoeB
and n this also sleeping quarters for the Of
ncers of the vessel. In the deck above this COM
|
Next comes compartment containing Of the
two electric storage batteries which furnish pow
or for propelng the vessel when 1t Is under water.
Back OF this, at the center of the vessel, Is the
central operating compartment. from which every
movement OF the vessel Is controlled: Next comes
a compartment containing the second set of stor-
! age batteries. then the engine room and workshop,
and finally the compartment at the stern containing
the propelllng and steering machinery. The crew.
/ which often numbers from to 30 men on a st1b-
mersib,e. usually quartercd In hammocks In
the compartments containing the storage batteries.
| OF all the equipment of submarine vessels the
| most important Is the periscope. a. simple device
that the eyes of the craft when 1t is rum
| ming submerged. On the latest submcrsibles two
of these instruments are used. one being fixed to
| give view straight ahead and e;0ther being so
mounted that 1t be turned to face in any direc-
tion. Although serving such vital part in the op-
Grafton OF a. submarine the periscope Is exceeding
ly simple In constipation. The light enters the
hood OF the. perscope horizontally 1t then passes
through prisInatc lens that defects 1t downward
at right angles into the vertcle shaft of the per-
iscope. At the bottom of the shaft Ii second lens
that again turns the rays CT Hight to horizontal
direction. This IS the simplest fol IN of the per-
iscope. Usually there are additie nal lenses for
magnifying the view. After passiLg through the
bottom lens the image Is either throws on screen
or is viewed directly through a telescope ny the
officer IN command. The one disadvantage in the
periscopo Ia that 1t gives only limited view In tho
one direction In which It happens to be facing. At
tenIpts have been made to develop panorama per-
iscope that uses 'fsh eye lens and gives view
Of the entire horizon, bnt this device has not yet
been developed sufficiently 20 coHs into general
! use. When tho submarine ia submerged. only the
tops OF the periscopes visible ah0yn the surface
These arc difficult TO and still diicult to
hit, and this accounts for the apparent case with
4 e.a.llrs