Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-10-17
American Destroyers Great
Factor in War on Ger
man U-BOats.
SHIPPING LOSSES
GREATLY DECREASED
United States Sailors Earn Big Share
Of Glory Due Allied Fleets Engaged
in Patrol and Convoy Serviee-Every
Destroyer Has to Its Cderit At Least
One Encounter With Enemy Sub
marine-No American Losses.

Base Of the American F1otilla in
British Waters, Sept. 30.-(Correspond-
ence of the Associated Press)-In the
five months Of active service that they
have seen in the great war, the Ameri-
can destroyers have steamed collective
ly total distance of $4,000 miles.
This is more by several times than the
distances cruised in two whole years
of peace and what makes the figures
impressive are that they have not lost
a single life or suffered a very serious
mishap to any Of the units. g..
\ Roughly, the destroyers have spent
five -eighths of their time at sea and
their average time in port has been
three days, after each turn Of five or
six outside.
Clear weather and long days have
favored them and aided the men IN
learning the technique Of their business
Of combating the submarines, convoy
ing troops ships and merchantmen,
controlling the spring routes and res
cuing survivors from torpedoed ships.
Cut Down Shipping ~Losses.
The Americans, therefore, can claim
no small part Of the credit Of the grad
ual decrease in shipping losses. First
Of all, the addition Of their units to
the allied forces, patroling as they do
an area as large as that bounded
-roushJy 1.-The great formed by asAN
York, Detroit and Knoxville. was cer-
tain to make life less comfortable for
the U-boats. Next, the Americans ap-
piled all the tactics Of the long ex-
perienced British and in some instances
improved on them All the destroyers
added to their equipment depth charges
and other devices. Then the crews
learned some more about the business
Of smoke screening q merchant heet
while they beat of the attacking sub
marine with gun fire and depth charges.
Their gunnery, too, has greatly I'M
proved. One crew saw spar OF
sunken ship the other day which they
at first thought was a periscope and
shattered It at 1000 yards.
Submarine Work Difficult.
New ideas also have been and are
constantly being worked out with a
view to rendering the work OF the sub
marine increasingly difficult. Filled
with enthusiasm over each new expert
ence had with the enemy, the Amerl-
cans are not slow to apply a more
effective method Of dealing with hi1a
the next time he shows his head above
water. For instance, two officers, work
ing on designs for new destroyers, have
introduced many new ideas gained
from observations made in this anti
submarine game. Still others have
suggested changes in gun firing. In
fact, something new, altho not always
practicable, is being worked out all the
time
Every Destroyer Has Encounter.
in the period % active serv'ce over
here each destroyer. has taken many
turns at patrol duty. This means flVe
or six days away from port in vary
ing kinds Of weather when the routine
is "eat, sleep, stand watch and get sea-
sick" Occasionally this routine is
broken by the call to general quarters,
usually caused by the presence OF a
U-boat.
Every destroyer has to its credit al
least one encounter with a submarine
uhi,e some Of the more fortunate have
stalked two or three underwater craft
A. M time, however. have the sub
marines shown nght. They always
avoid a meeting. /