The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1917-07-20
UNDERSEA TACTICS
The Scene In a Submarine When
an Attack Is Planned.
WATCHING FOR THE SIGNAL
A Dramatic Moment After the Enemy
Is Located Until the Range Is Found
and the Red Lights Flash the Order
to Fire the Deadly Torpedoes.


to Fire the Deadly Torpedoes.
A submarine is maze of machinery.
Unlike any other ship, she has two sets
OF driving engines-one Oil and the 9TH
er electric-and she is built with the
incest regard for weight.
First let us say something about the
engines. They are the most important
part Of the boat.
At first gasoline engines, like those
used on automobiles and motorboats,
were installed in submarines. The Ger
mans had them In some of the subma-
rines that they used in the beginning
of the war. We, too, used them. But
as the gasoline engine was made bigger
to meet the demand for increased pow
err and speed it literally broke down
The Diesel engine had to be used. 1t
was invented by Rudolf Diesel, a Ger
man engineer. while he was student.
In the Diesel engine air is sucked into
the cylinder and subjected to such pres
sure by the piston that it becomes In
tensely hot. Then little oil is squirt
ed In. At once the oil vapor ignites
and the mixture of oil vapor and high
ly compressed air expands with explo-
sive suddenness. The Diesel is the most
efficient type of engine ever invented,
utilizing as 1t does about 80 per cent of
the energy IN the fuel as contrasted
with only ID per cent in the best steam
engines. But 1t also uses air. In other
words, it breathes. When submarine
is under water the crew must keep
alive by breathing what air they can
obtain from tanks. They have enough
for not more than thirty-s hours.
So it becomes necessary to equip
submarine with electric motors fed by
storage batteries. AS soon as a sub
marine dives the breathing Diesel en-
CINE Is cut out and the electric motor
switched in
Like the policemans in GIlbert's
song. the life of submarine sailor
man is not happy one. The quarters
are necessarily so cramped that it is
difficult to provide ordinary ship com
forts. The officers have cots and the
crew hammocks for sleeping. In our
new boats iceboxes are provided so
that fresh meat and vegetables can be
served. In addition. there is dry
food supply sufficient for five days. AT
sea the crew is put OH a daily fresh
water allowance. To battle the men
must jump over the side.
Even when the boat Is running on
the surface the ventilation is poor.
The proprietor of New York sweat
shop who did not provide his workmen
with any more air than the men in
submarine breathe would be arrested
When the boat Is submerged the nau-
seating oil odor the battery fumes and
the vitiated air exhaled from q score of
lungs make one wonder why every one
Is not sick. AS matter of fact, sea
sickness produced by these conditions
is common enough.
What is the scene within a subma
rine when an attack is made? A Ger.
man officer of the U-26 gave this &c.
count Of an attack on an unnamed
British warship:
THE boat Is cleared for action. The
hagpole Is taken down. Part of the
bridge is folded up and dashed. The
periscope is elevated. The hatch
through the combined bridge and con-
ming tower is tightly closed. The mo-
tors cease their endless song. From
now on electricity will drive us until
we rise to the surface again.
"A young lieutenant is posted at the
nnF.fc f.,r hn
The sailors take their position near the
torpedOes. The Interior of the boat
is lighted with two small electric
bulbs They do not clear the gloom
Everywhere IS the smell of stale oil
1t is impossible to speak with the din
of the machinery and of the inrushing
water.
From time to time the officer In
of the torpedoes looks at his |
watch. which he wears on his wrist. |
or at the compass. Intent1y the men
all watch signal board In front of |
them on the side of the boat. Sudden
ly we start TO forget the heat, the foul
air, the discomfort. In small luminous |
letters the word Attention flashes up |
on the board. The commanding officer |
grasps the lever which will release the |
first torpedo. The men prepare to
launch the second as soon as the first
Is discharged. Half second later and
the red letters on the board say 'Firer
The lever is jerked, and the torpedo
leaps out. There is a short metallic
click and the noise of the water rush
Ing into the empty tube. The second
torpedo Is at once inserted. A few
seconds later and the interior of the
submarine looks as before the attack
began.
"But what of the first torpedo? We
hear only the noise of the motors. We
wait. Nothing happens. Then sud
1enly we are all thrown in heap by
the shaking Of the boat Then the
boat rolls as before. The regular pur-
ring of the motors is heard. We are
On our way home. The attack sue
,eeded."-Popular Science Monthly.