The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-09-03
AMERICAN WARSHIPS CON
VOYING MERCHANT CRAFT

AoSS VI NOHNOyoQ SnlpS Dy SuDma-
rines Very Small Officials Believe F.
EFFECTIVE System for Checking
Submarine Menace is Being Built
up Gradually
American naval forces are convoy
ing merchant craft across the At
lantic, it was disclosed officially
Thursday at the Navy Department,
and examination of records shows
that the loss of conveyed ships by
submarines has averaged less than /
one-half of one per cent.
Details Withheld
Details of the convoy system are i
withheld. It was stated, however,
that American war vessels are reg
ularly escorting fleets of British, 1
French, Or other allied merchantmen |
across the protection being supple
mented, when the danger zone is
reached, by the destroyers and other
patrol craft.
American naval officials believe
that an effective system for checking
the submarine menace is being built
up gradually but certainly. Many
devices and many methods enter in
to the task. Among other things
depth bombs are proving effective
Official reports indicate that Ameri-
can destroyers have accounted for
several U-boats with these weapons.
No announcement Of such incidents
4 will be made, however, unless absolute
proof of the fact is available.
No U-boat has been captured by
the Americans. Reports from Lon
don that the submarines are working
fo1tho Oh
were confirmed by the Navy Depart
= ment. It may be that now boats of
greater size and better sea-keeping
qualities lend to this extension of the
zone of activities, but it is regarded
as more probable than the increased
and increasing vigilance of the anti
submarine forces is mainly respon-
sible.
U-Boats Forced to Stay Submerged
The effect of the increasing patrol
of the employment of airplanes and
Of the addition to new devices to the
anti-submarine weapons, has been to
force the U-boats under water to a
= greater and greater degree. Thei1
effectiveness is limited in proportion
They can not run down a merchant
ship Of average speed if kept under
water. They can operate only agains
ships that almost stumble upon them
And all tn time they are under wate1
they are consuming the stored pow
er of their storage batteries, de
creasing their range of underwate:
action and compelling them to CONF
up at night and lie idle on the sur
face while their oil engines are uset
to re-charge the batteries.
The decision of the Navy Depart
ment to spend $3.50, 100000 on new
destroyers and destroyer building
facilities approved by Preside:
Wilson, is based on the eff
fectiveness of the swift fighting ma
chimes as proven by Admiral Sim
forces.
How Depth Bomb is Used
American experts have develope
a depth bomb for use against subma
rines that is deadly at considerab
range. The bomb, containing hig
explosives, is dropped from a d.
stroyer over spot where the pre-:
ence Of a submerged U-boat is ind
Gated. 1t is timed to explode at
certain depth. If the explosion O.
ours below the U-boat and within
reasonable distance, the hull of tt
underwater craft cannot withstar
the pressure, but is crushed like {
egg shell.
Signs Of the destruction in tn
way appear on the surface in Il
shape of oil from rur +urel fuel tani
bits Of floating wreckage and t.
like. 1t is very difficult, therefor
to be certain of hit as the Germa
on more than one occasion releas
oil purposely, turned loose wrecka
prepared in advance and did ever
| thing possible to create the impre
| sion that a boat has been sunk.
| Airplanes are being used in &C
junction with the detroyer work
the Allies along the French co;
and in the channel. So far, t
. American destroyers have not wol
ed with air craft.
Block U-Boat Bases
The underwater radius of the :
erage U-boat is less than $50 mi
under most favorable conditions.
get that distance it would have
travel at rate Of very few mi
an hour It is argued, therefore, tt
if all other agencies for the Diet
ton of submarines a zone of
miles or less in width could be dra
q about the German bases of the
trance Of the North Sea in which
submarine could come to the surf
: only at rare intervals, the Germ
would not be able to operate on
scale to threaten supply lines exc
inside that zone.
Message of Fellowship and Good v
From Japan
e fo11 nd ~