The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-06-28
TELLS OF WORK DONE
BY U-BOAT CATCHERS
Great Fleet Of British Trawlers
Constantly on Watch for
Submarines and Mines.


of London an article In which the writer
describes visit to the trewler arm OF
the Grand Fleet. This division of the
fleet is least heard from. yet 1t has per-
haps one Of the most important tasks
Of British fighting ships. Not only does
this arm watch for submarines. but 10
II Is also, to a great extent. instructed
the important duty Of mining and mine
sweeping.
las one Of a favored party Of Brit
ish and Colonial pressmen." the writer
a glimpse into that mysterious water
known as the North Sea. The very
name has become invested with subtle
charm for the people of Great Britain.
For centuries we have been accustomed
to regard It as the impreenable ramparh
of cur island home. After nearly two
years Of war we are only beginning to
realize how our fighting men are ex-
posing themselves-to develop the land
analogy still further-in keeping that
OF the enemy.
Men on the Parapet.
II have been among the men Of the
navy who since the war started have
worked continuously. 80 to speak. on
the front Of the parapet. They man no
mighty engines Of destruction: theirs
are not the pinnacle of naval designers
genius The frail craft that took these
same men to their hard and Outlines
perilous vocation on the fishing grounds
of the North Sea In times of peace still
fish for strange and wary prey. As
bravely and unostentatiously their crews
earned their daily bread In the days be-
fore the war. so now, amid dangers a
thousand times more terrible. they pur-
sue In silence the great national task OF
keeping the seas around our coasts free
from the menace of the mine field and
the submarine They form part of and
growth Of which Is one of the romances
Of the war.
THE mine has come to play a greater
part In the present struggle than was
hostilities. Germany's surreptitiouss
mine laying startedton the first day OF
war. and from that day an ever-grow-
ing system of mine sweeping has been
coasts. Today. In mine .sweepers. mine
layers. and anti-submarine craft Of all
descriptions. we have a subsidiary fleet
Of amazing am. dimensiops The efficiency
Is most striking. The results OF its
| cease!ess work are apt to be judged
rather loosely by the uninstructed. be.
! positive. Ones thoughts are liable. per-
haps. to dwell more upon the one ship
that has been sunk than upon the hun
dredsswhich have been kept In safety
but there are some figures which con-
vey in an unusually clear way the truth
of the matter. All ships on the cas-,
| coast are kept to a marked channel
for the safety OF traffic.
"On a certain part Of the coast since
the outbreak OF the war the channel
ships. Those WHO have kept to instruc.
tions and have been damaged number
only three. In the month of March
e9er EnRan sd1 ISL 70s s.eamers ne Thsr eo ns
British, Lbs: neutrais. SsI. That shows
that we are not driven of the seas
val officer. who vouched for the accu.
racy of the figures.
Nays Fishing Fleet.
This. the base Of the navys f,shins
feet. has much yet that will recall iti
past glories to the visitor of other days
of trawlers and drifters. wondrously
neat and clean after a proud eighteen
months OF membership OF H. NJ. Navy
One approaches the outer ship OF the
line and notes the familiar types OF
about her decks. The face OF the old
skipper himself, in an ample frame.
work of bristling sidewhiskers. is oddly
recognizable beneath the peaked CAP
which denotes his naval status. One
steps aboard as an invited and priv
legged visitor, and is shown some OF the
new gear which the brave little trawleI
now carries as equipment for her part
with quickened interest things which
passed unnoticed from the quayside
One begins to realize that inventive
minds have been at work fitting this
little craft for mission In the war. the
Importance of which is not to be meas.
ured merely by her size. The veil Is
drawn aside from some OF those mys'
ter;es. and the skipper with a wink
arrangements of vast consequence and
potency which 1t would not do for all
idle people who lounge around the
quayside to suspect. For some of these
way with those gentry who bob out OF
| the sea and commence an argument In
shrapnel in the belief that the intended
Sictim hot Is ineapable ,. Of reply Case.
has been worsted In the argument and
has not survived the encounter.
The men take a great zest in theiI
submarine-catehing exploits. and ably
duce the new IDEAS which are con,
stantly necessary to counter effectively
the attack Of a willy and admittedly
Scs Ss .. e9sR bpa ae h art. z wer
through is not confined to anti subma.
rine work and mine-sweeping, though
these are her most important duties
Between them they have made exact
ing demands on the capacities Of the
base as a naval dockyard. Over so,
trawlers and 420 drifters have been At.
ted out In this one port alone and ovel
| Il. 900 men have been employed in vari
/ Gus branches OF the service.
Caught AGO Mines.
THE mine-sweeping vessels have beer
responsible for the collection no fewer
than $50 mines. and one of them adorn,
the sea front as a trophy of war. A
hollow metal sphere of considerably
over a yard In diameter II still retains
its charge of T. N. T., having been rem,
dered quite safe by the withdrawal OF
the detonator. The legend of its capture
by the crew of a small boat still creates
lgreat amusement among the men N uni
form. A patrol. the story goes, fell In
with the salvage crew, who were towing
the mine astern by means OF a rope at.
tached to one of the many-spiked fuse.
that project from Its side. The mildes
collision with one of these horns on the
part OF a ship causes an explosion tina
\ would sink a battleship. and the limo
cent captor of the mine, IL the story 4!
to be believed, had actually survived ar
attempt to knock off the excrescence.
with a boat-hook The mine now form,
q part of most novel museum, which
includes pieces of the hull OF German
submarine. the periscope of another
Ian Iv.,. ..t..A nd MIA Il