The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-07-18
GERMAN TORPEDO
SUPPLY WEAKENING

Washington, July 1S.-There is a rea
son TO believe that the German torpe-
do supply is weakening. says a state
ment issued at the Navy League head
quarters.
The, increasing frequency with which
press dispatches report merchant ships
as successfully lodging German tor
pedoes, says the statement, suggests
to the technically trained mind that the
German torpedo is deteriorating in
speed and hence in accuracy Of fire
at long range.
At the outset. the statement contin-
ues, the Germans were extremely care
full to conserve their torpedoes Mer-
chant ships were sunk by gunfire
wherever possible. But the armying
OF merchant ships and the constant i'm.
provement in the allies system of de-
Tense against submarine attack has
driven the submarines under water and
they are now forced TO use torpedoes
in almost every attack. The increase
in the number OF submarines has fur
ther added TO the strain upon the Ger
man stock Of torpedoes.
An analysis OF reports on submarine
attacks now indicates that this unprec
edented expenditure Of torpedoes is be-
ginning TO tell upon the effectiveness
of the U-boat warfare. The Germans
are pressing their submarine campaign
with all possible vigor and the number
OF attacks ON merchant ships appears
20 be increasing. Also the zone Of
submarine operations IS Constants
widening. Yet this increased futy
with which the U.boat warfare Is being
waged has failed 10 increase the mum
Der OF merchant ships sunk. The Ger
mans apparently are being forced 20
constantly greater efforts TO mainta %
their average OF sinkings and even so
are slipping back slightly.
The explanation Of this offered By
certain naval exerts Is that the Ger
mans are being so pressed for time
In the construction Of torpedoes that
they can no longer maintain their
speed and their accuracy OF fire. II
is estimated that the German torpedo
has lost nearly ten knots in speed from
the standard torpedo used az the outset
OF the war.
II takes normally six months to cor
struct a torpedo and costs many tho1s
and dollars. There Is also a chance OF
Germany running short in some mate
rial essential in their manufacture
Whether this has occurred Is not
known but the conclusion has been
reached that the individual German
torpedo Is losing In efficiency.
The u.boat warfare as now being
waged Il is said. was undoubtedly no;
thought out and prepared for by Ger
many before the war. Therefore the
stock OF torpedoes was not sufflcien;
FOR the purpose The deficiency has
been made up by increasing the output
OF torpedoes But with the tremendous
land operations she has essayed. Ger
many could not have devoted a maxi
mum of labor or materials TO the max
lng Of torpedoes Had she done this Il
Is not doubted she could have kept nv
the supply. But sacrifices In the tor
pedo supply were made 10 satisfy the
folly of the Grown Prince az Nerdun.
Naval experts are rightly continuing
to stress the vital Importance ot az
tempting TO destroying the power OF
the submarine hy some new develop
ment In naval strategy No degree oi
deterioration In the effectiveness OF
German torpedo attack would lesser
these efforts at effective warfar,
against the submarines. Yet the In
terest Of naval experts has been At
racted by this recent record OF pee
formance OF the German torpedoes
They are wondering whether Germany
can stand much longer the strain o
this staggering expenditure OF torpt
does.