The evening leader. (Tarpon Springs, Fla.) 191?-19??, 1917-02-27


United States, the number of ships had
been fixed In time of peace at a mini
mum of efficiency by the naval author
tiles and then reduced by ministers
bent on economy. Fortunately, the
Austrians are no better off.
The Italians have worked hard to
develop their fleet in directions indi-
Gated by experience. Allied ships
must at all times move freely through
. the Mediterranean and the Adriatic
lust be kept safe for transports. The
pre-oecupation of Italy is to guard
Us shipping and harbors. Submarine
cKasers had to be found. Recently
Narrower, tool in offensive warfare
has been realized. An extremely fast
type of scout cruiser has been built,
which it is hoped will prove successful
in, forcing a fight on the wary Aus
TRANS, catching the marauders along
the Italian coasts before they can
reach port. These ships closely re-
semble the larger types of American
destroyer with difference due to the
work for which they are intended.
Against submarines, however, such
ships are less effective than tiny tor
pedo boats. Austrian submarines, es-
pecially the smaller types generally
employed in the Adriatic, cannot re-
main long absent from their base.
They can remain under water only a
few hours. Their speed is low. So
they can sometimes be traced, follow
ed and forced. to fight.
Fight to Destroy Each Other.
In such case it becomes question
of head work between the captain of
the submarine and the captain of the
torpedo boat, the one striving to elude,
the other to draw near. Usually, need
less to say, the submarine wins. If,
however, the torpedo boat outguesses
the submarine and foresees the spot
where the latter will emerge, a most
curious conflict ensues.
"The submarine" to quote Sig. Gior-
DAM again, disappears, comes into
sight farther away, disappears, reap
pears seeking a convenient spot for
launching the torpedo that will rid it
Nf it's oppressOr. The torpedo boat
Indst follow it ever more closely,
watching the torpedo's departure and
maneuvering nimbly to avoid it and
cut off the enemy"
Hydroplanes armed with bombs
which explode 80 or 40 feet under wa
ter are useful for sighting and even
for fighting submarines. Two or three
times, / believe, submarine in INNER
.ssibn has been struck and destroyed by
TSHbomb cleverly dropped from an air.
pane. Scouting for submarines from
tile air is so fruitful that almost every
dfy squads Of aviatOrS fly out over the
SEP on regular patrol duty. The Ital-
ials are fortunate in possessing a new
Rpe of fast Seaplane, with dolphin
.$aped body, said to be superior in
pwgg, carrying and climbing capacity
to the Austrian Loehner, employed by
the Italians up till now, and to our
own Curtiss, Of which the Loehner is
said to be an imitation. The new type,
in body identical with the one employ
ed by the French and British, is con-
Structed in Italy and equipped with an
Italian motor.
DirFgibles as Sea Scouts.
The most useful of all constructions
for sea scouting is the dirigible bal
loon. For this one purpose the Zeppe-
lin has not proved failure. Italy is
fairly wen equipped with semirigid
balloons similar to the French type
and almost every day one or more. of
them may be seen gliding over the
sea. What they accomplish 1 do not
know.
Captive balloons are sometimes hoist
ed over the shore for observation pur-
poses.
Such are the principal weapons used
by italy against submarines. How the
struggle is progressing, whether anne
Iteration Of means is counterbalanced
by Improvement in submarine con-
struetfon, only the future, in all like
lihood the immediate future, will tell.
Today both sides are losing heavily.
Sometimes the submarine is it's own
undOing. Despite it's terrible offensive
powers the submarine has remained,
In the words of Luther Bradley, "a deli
cate little thing" More than once dur
ing this war submarine emerging
beside ship at night and launching q
torpedo, has been sunk by upheaval in
the water caused by the explosion.
The submarine dare not approach too
near its victim, and, for this reason,
many steamers escape. Sometimes in
the dark commanders of submarines
become confused and overestimate dis
lance. This statement seems the more
credible If we reflect that in torpedo
practice the United States navy has
found that single explosion often
kills the fish for 400 or 500 yards on
all sides. To be sunk by ones own
torpedo seems sad fate, but not I'M
fitting those who preach ruthless war
fare.
Credit is due the allies on one
score: Whereas the submarine was
known and developed before the war,
the antisubmarine craft, nets, bombs
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