Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-12-20
ALLIES SMOTHER
U-BOAT SMASH
Destruction of U-B0ats in No.
vember Within "MeaSure-
able Distance" of Teu-
ton Output.
SHIPPING OFFSETS LOSS
If Three Ships Had Escaped
Launchings Would Have
Exceeded Damage.
Officials Say.
SHIPPING OFFSETS LOSS

London, Dee. 14.=NNllen the .AssO-
slated Press inquired OF high naval
suthority today "if the antisubmarine
war was going well and was the
| reason for the high rate OF sinkinSs in
the past three weeks" tho answer was:
Tho enemy has been attempting q
submarine offensive of tho greatest
possible magnitude in AN effort TO REM
force his offensive on land. lie is Try
| inc To bring off Il coup which Will IN
cline lis To peace.
lie has failed signally on sea as on
land and he has had to a a heaNy
price. Our counter measures are meet-
ing with increased success
4 slight increase in the losses OF
British merchantmen by mine or sub
marine in the past week is noted in
admiralty statement. Fourteen vessels
If more than | GOO IONS were sunk. sew
en- Under that tonnage.
Despite the fairy large number OF
sinkings reported this week, there is no
decrease in optimism among those VINO
know the submarine war situation. who
see no reason for modifying or alter
ing Premier Lloyd-George's statement
IF November 90, that there is no longer
any fear of the submarine proving a
decisive factor in the Il
Events since November 20, in fact.
have tended to increase rather than
decrease the confidence with which the
premier spoke.
The month of November was a red
letter month in the anti-U-boat war for
three reasons. First. the loss of tonnage
during the month was the lowest since
the unrestricted submarine campaign
began. Second, the sinkingS OF enemy
submarines were the greatest ever re-
corded in a single month. Third. the
launching of new from
British yards came within measurable
distance of equaling the loss of tonnage
by submarine attack"
Nearly Exceeded Losses.
The phrase within measurable dis
lance is that used by the government
spokesman in the house Of commons
and the slender margin indicated by
that phrase is one of the chief reasons
FOR the prevailing optimism. The margin
between the sinkings n launchings
was so slight that If the had
sunk II or two less ships there would
actually have been more tonnage
launched a sunk.
AS to the humber Of submarines de-
stroyed during the same period it is
not permitted to give the actual figures,
but this much may be said:
The sinkings of submarines during
November were within measurable
distance of the largest number the
German U-boat yards were capable OF
turning out in he same period.
More Submarines Sunk.
This destruction OF submarines was
by no means due to amy spasmodic run
IF luck, but to the development of a
detailed comprehensive campaign in
volying many devices and embracing
many phases-a campaign which will
grow more efficient rather than less so,
AS time goes on, according to expert
opinion. The first days OF December
have maintained the good records of
November as far as the C-boat sink
inss are concerned. Moreover, ii is
considered inevitable that the British
American successes in ,his direction
will find a reflection in the morale of
The submarine crews, making them less
confident and less efficient at the same
time that the British and American
naval men are becoming more confident
INC more efficient.
The convoy system of protection for
slipping which the allies have adopted
and perfected has forced the sul,inar-
inc campaignerS to alter some of their
plans. 1t is no longer possible for the
submarine to lie in wait for unprotect-
ed merchantmen and pot them In leis-
urely fashion. The U-boat shows it's
Eeriscope nowadays AT great peril when
within torpedoing distance of u mer-
chairman. Tor the latter is only one OF
q considerable number i'm the %neiehbor-
hood and if m one OF the scores OF
| Eti!iSl iOONDulS Stylus tUtt peTlScODo
the submarines chances Of escape
from the conveying ,%lestroyers are
elim.
U-Boats Travel In Fiocks.
The German reply TO the convey
system is to send submarines out i'm
sroups which attack the convoy stimuli
t%aneously in the hope thai i'm the result
ing confusion considerable damage eau
be lone and AN casy escape then cf~
fected. This system Of group attack,
~hile it Is occasionally effective, is very
costly when it fails for ii spells the
loom not merely of one U-boat, but
II perhaps three OF four '
When the story of the submarine war
IAN he written fully, some of the most
thrilling tales will be told of the Won
ielful accomplishments of one or two
iestroyers against whole squadrons Of
.ubmarines.
Paris, Dec. l3.-In the week ending
:.ecember s. only n French steam
ship of more than 1000 tons was sunk
by German submarines. None under
that tonnage was lost. Three French
vessels were attacked, but none of them
"as destroyed. No fishing vessels were
sunk