The Washington times., 1917-08-19
EXPLOSIVE SENT
TO FLOOR Of SEA
IS SOON BUOYANT

The capture>recently by the British
naval forces of German mine-laying
submarine has given the admiralty
valuable Information as TO the inte-
rior arrangements and the operation
OF this dangerous type OF craft.
The accompanying official British
admiralty drawing, published by the
Scientific American, illustrates graph
icaIly the mechanism Of the U C-5. the
mine laying submersible in question.
The U C-5 is diminutive, II we COM
pare her with the latest submarines
OF from 500 to 1000 tons displace-
ment, but, as may be seen from the
engraving, she is big enough to carry
q dozen mines in her launching tubes,
and, indeed, is credited by the Brit
fish with having made as many as
score Of trips from her base at Zee
brugge, on the Belgium coast. Her
dimensions are given as about 100
feet length, IL feet beam and 200 tons
displacement.
Mines Laid In U-boat'E Wake.
The mines are carried in the for
ward part OF the boat in six vertical
tubes, extending clear from the top
10 the bottom. At the deck. each mine
tube is covered by a grating, and
its lower end Is open to the sea The
tubes are inclined aft at about %
degrees from the vertical-this to in
sure that a mine will leave the ship
in a direction opposite to that in
which the boat is travelling. Each
mine is held above its anchoring
weight by four sets of angle-irons.
and in these there are recesses which
are engaged by plungers in the wall
of the tube. which serve to hold the
mine in place when II is not in use.
There are two mines in each tube
one carried above the other.
When II Is desired to drop a mine,
the plungers of the lower mine are
withdrawn by means Of connections
from the coming tower, and 1t drops
through the bottom OF the boat The
upper mine can be released in the
same way.
The whole mechanism as thus
dropped into the sea consists OF
heavy bottom disk, forming the mine
anchor, and above this a spherical
case containing the high explosive.
These two parts are held in their
relative positions by the four hinged
angle-irons above referred to. When
the mine strikes the bottom four
arms are thrown out into a horizon
tai position by means OF springs. The
mine proper contains a relay device,
which insures that the mine shall not
become buoyant until some time after
Il has left the launching tube. The
object of this Is to make sure 1t VIII
Immediately sink; otherwise its sen
sitive contact points might touch the
bottom Of the submarine There is
chemical control for holding the wire
rope, connecting mine and anchor,
wound up upon its drum, until the |
proper time for the mine TO Iise; |
which IL does under its newly &C
quired bUoyancy. The depth at
which It shall float below the surface |
is determined by a hydrostatic valve |
carried in the spherical mine proper. |
The u C-5 carries no guns or tor
pedo tubes. She is driven by Deisel- |
Benz, four-cylinder engine, operating |
a single propeller. Forward OF the /
mine-launching tube are the chain
locker and two anchors, one of the :,
mushroom and the other of the fiuke |
type. The TASKS carried between the /
launching tubes contain compressed 1
air. Aft of the tubes is a heavy bulk
head Their follows a compartment /
largely given up to storage batteries. |
Abaft the next buIkhead are the (
ballast tanks and the working |
chamber, which latter is located i'm
mediately below the coming tower.
In the next compartment are seventy /
storage batteries with living quarters |
above. Abaft the next bulkhead is the |
engine room and the aftermost COM |
partment is used as a trimming tank. |
The boat Is built with a double /
skin and IT has reserve buoyancy
tanks on each side. A light sheet !
steel deck is built above the boat and /
beneath this are the motor silencers. /
sounding machine and other gear.
The oil fuel tanks are in the double /
bottom. There Is evidence that the |
boat was built In three sections to !
enable It to be carried by rail, canal
or otherwise.
Copyrighted, 1917, Mum Co,
Scientific American, by Otis F. Wood.