Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-07-16
osrmany's Rsesdins Strength

Germany Rsesdins Strength
There IL reasn to believe that the
German torpedo supply is weakening,
says q statement issued at the Navy
League headquarters in Washington.
The increasing frequency with which
press dispatches report merchant ships
az successfully lodging German tor
psdoes, says the statement. suggests
20 the technically trained mind that
the German torpedo is deteriorating in
speed and hence in accuracy OF fire at
lens range.
At the outset the statement coz
tirues. tho Germans were extremely
careful &c conserve their torpedoes.
Merchant ships were sunk by gunfire
wherever possible. But the armins Of
merchant ships and 'he constant i'm
proyement IT. the Allies system of de-
fense against submarine attack has
driven the submarines Under water and
they ere now forced to use torpedoes
in the number of submarines has fur
ther added 10 the strain upon the Ger
man stock OF torpedoes.
An analysis Of reports on submarine
attacks now indicates that this un-
prect dented expenditure Of torpedoes
Is beginning 10 tell upon the effective
ness Of the C-boat warfare. The Ger
mans are pressing their submarine
campaign with all possible vigor and
the number Of attacks on merchant
ships appears u be increasing. Also
the zone Of submarine operations is
constantly widening. Yet this in
creased fury with which the Cboat
warfare IL being waged has failed to
increase the number Of merchant ships
sunk. Tho Germans apparently are
being forced TO constantly greater eff
forts C. maintain their average of
sinkinss and even so are slipping back
slishtIy.
The explanation of this offered by
certain naval experts 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. 1t is cs-
tinaated that the German torpedo has
loet nearly ten knots in speed from the
standard torpedo used at the outset OF
the war.
II takes normally six months 60 con
struct a torpedo and costs many thous-
and dollars. There is also a chance of
Germany running short in some ma
terial essential In their manufacture.
whether this has occurred is not
known but the conclusion has been
reached that the individual German
torpedo 10 losing in efficiency.
TIE U-boat warfare as now being
vaged. IL Ia said. was undoubtedly not
thought out and prepared for by Ger
many before the war Therefore The
stock Of torpedoes was not sufficient
for the purpose The deficiency has
been made up by increasing the out
put Of torpedoes. But with the ire
mendous land operations she has cs-
ssyed. Germany could not have devot
ed a maximum Of labor or materials
- the making Of torpedoes. Had she
done this IT is not doubted she could
have kept up the supply. But sacri-
hees in the torpedo supply were made
to satisfy the folly of the crown plin,e
a. Verdun.
Naval experts are rightly continu-
tns TO stress the vital importance of
attempting to destroy the power of
the submarine by some new develop
ment in naval strategy No degree of
deterioration in the effectiveness of
German torpedo attack should lessen
these efforts at effective warfare
against the submarines. Yet the inter-
Get Of naval experts has been attract
ed BY this recent record of perform.
anee Of the German torpedoes. They
are wondering whether Germany can
stand much longer the strain of this
staggering expenditure Of torpedoes.