New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-02-03
Huge Dining Cruisers
Lead U-BOat Armada
Continued from page |

measure go feet in length. % feet IN
| breadth and 10 feet in depth. The
motors develop 1000 horsepower, and
drive the boats over the surface AT
speed of TWENTY-FIVE knots an hour.
These smaller cruisers carry crew OF
from sixty to eighty men. lhey are
equipped with torpedo tubes, guns OF
small and middle calibre, wireless
telephone and telegraph, with intr',,
cate devices for the transmission and
receiving of unmlstakable submarine
signals and for the blind location OF
objects Of attack.
The speed OF submersibles OF this
tyne enables them TO keep up with
ships line on surface cruises; and,
under certain conditions, they are able,
when submerged, to follow the surface
battleships, as their submerged speed
of fourteen knots about equals the
middle speed of the dreadnOught. They
have a radius of action Of 5000 miles.
In other words, they are in position to
paw visit to our eastern coast. TO
cruise for a time in our coastal waters
and to return to their home ports, with
out needing to replenish fuel or pro-
visions. Sufficient supplies are taken
for eight weeks time. There is an
other means besides their own storage,
however, which enables them to stay
away from home for considerably long
er periods.
Carry Disappearing Guns
These submersibles carry from eight
tc ten torpedo tubes of iifty-three cent?
meters diameter. They carry from four
to ten guns of light and middle cali
bre. The guns are carried below
mt h,,.
release bolts. They are raised by
powerful springs. The whole proceed
ing Of raising and preparing the guns
for action, as also their storage be-
low decks again, does not take more
thar. twenty seconds.
An adequate armor belt of tough
steel plates covers all parts Of the
shin exposed TO hostile fire. These
boats are no more the frail, hollow
cylinder-shaped skins Of the early
days Of the war. but strong. thorough
ly-knit. reinforced steel bodies. They
are built to stand water pressure Of
about sixty atmospheres, allowing a
threefold margin of safety. Thus,
they can bore their way into the
ocean depths up to 200 meters, or 600
feet, without running any risk OF hav- |
ing their steel plate crushed or bent. !
They have been built to dive far be-
low the nets which the English have
woven in a maze of patterns through
out the North Sea.
Reinforcing the lonely line of block
ado will be the present-day master
riece in submarine construction. II is
a thorough going 5,000-ton cruiser, q
highly complex diving machine and
formidable fighter in both Of its ma
tive elements. Concerning this boat
had two long conversations. the most
interesting with A. Curtis Roth. Amer
ican vice-consul at Plauen, Saxony,
and an intimate, longtime friend Of
his. the commander Of one OF Ger.
many's latest US. In both cases, the
officer, of the "intrenched" Meet were
enthusiastic admirers Of the greatest
submarine. which they promised would
do surprising service when. the time
came for the counter.blocksde.
IL ia possible to give Q few details
about these boats. They measure 400
feet in length, and their whole sur:
face, exposed TO enemy FIRE, Is covered
with thick, highly-resistant belt OF