The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-01-10
AN INLAND NAVY OF
MOTORbOATS ON THE
CANALS OF BELGIUM
Germans Use Speedy Pleas
ure Boats of Berlin for
Scouting Purposes and
to Carry Messages

Brussels, December 27.-tCorrespond-
ence of the Associated Press. 1.-The
Germans have just modified a sort of
inland navy of motorboats, which
formerly served pleasure purposes on
the lakes around Berlin, but which now
cruise up and down the Belgian rivers
and canals as II organized for the
work.
The boats are for the most part very
fast and undertake a sort of dispatch.
rolice and reconnaissance service. They
are painted grey, carry machine guns
and in some cases small wireless out
fits. However, the oldest part about
them is possibly the crew.
Almost without exception, the CAPTAIN
Of the boat is the owner, and the crew
is usually formed by men who pass
much of the summer in the shells of
the Berlin rowing clubs. They are all
volunteers and before they could be
sent to the front had to be trained in
the use of the rifle. But many of them
took to this rapidly. At a recent fire
test on the Wannsea, the "bootsab-
teilung," as the service Is known, estab-
1ished a percentage of rs hits, which
is considered a high average. Many
of the captain owners are elderly, we'll
to-do men. But that, 1t is asserted.
LUIS not leSStltu tucll eIliticHty
canal cruiser commanders
The first of the boats were given
a rather warm reception by the French,
English and Belgians near Rathevalle.
about two weeks ago. Rathevalle is less
than a mile from Newport. The boats
had been sent there to support some
infantry movements with machine gun
fire. They had been seen by the
French artillery, however, and before
they got into action, shells were hit
ting the water before and aft.
The canal cruiser commanders might
have changed their course, but even to
them orders is orders" Discovering
that they could not reach their objec-
tive point as they had intended, they
began to explore the body of water
they were on. But this served no pur-
+ ose. Their exploration, moreover. had
brought them to the attention of some
English troops and then it began to
rain rifle bullets. Nevertheless the
fleet held it's ground, Drawing every
variety of projectile of the allies. Many
Of the boats were finally pressed into
the combat train service. For almost
seven days they supplied some German
3 dvance infantry posts with ammuni-
ton and food.
Carrying dispatches is one of the
of the fleet. For this the
speediest boats are used. Other boats
police the Belgian rivers and canals.
In recent search of the houses
along the Briggs and Ostend canals,
two of the boats collected 226 rifles,
which had been hidden
Making. war on aircraft is also the
business of these boats. Recently an
English aviator dropped two bombs
near one that had molested him with
gun fire. The bombs fell wide,
however, though close enough to have
the explosion smash every port in the
boat Fishing for mines is not the
least of the tasks of the canal cruisers.
Mines fastened to pieces of ground
have been found and now cruisers ap-
proach every floating timber with
caution One boat captured 100000
pounds Of tobacco and 100000 pounds OF
cotton.