Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-05-25
THE CHASE OF THE SUBMARINE

the plan of hunting deer by "breastine
Through the woods" in this case q
lire would be formed that coult
sweep over the barred zone. That has
been the plan of the British AMI
French-we have seen its futility. What
is our squadron doing?
Our "expeditionary hornets" are di-
Irected by Admiral William s Sims,
who should know his business thor
oughly. He undertook to teach our
gunners their business and he chang
ed the 3 per cent of hits secured at
Santiago to 3 per cent Of misses in
our target practice craftsmanship is
a big item in any hunt. At the time he
was given command of the destroyers
ne was commanding the super-dread-
thought Nevada but he had served his
time in command of our submarines
and was then considered the foremost
of our naval commanders in the knowl-
edge of that particular weapon. AS an
expert he was called before a COM
mittee of congress which was studying
the needs of our navy and his re-
plies to questions probably furnish our
best guide to the conduct of his cam
paign.
He began by saying the submarine
has its limitations cannot safely
operate in shallow waters because
when submerged in less than sixty
feet of water any movement creates a
disturbance on the surface. If it lies
on the bottom at this depth it can be
located when still and may be destroy
ed by "a deep sea bomb" whose ex-
plosion is fatal even if no hit is made
Stree the force of the explosion
breaks in the sides or casts up the YES
sci. Nor can it lie at depth Of 200
feet for the pressure of the weight
would crush its sides. His theory was
then illustrated:
For example, submarine is
seen in certain position at 6
O'Clock in the morning, and that in
formation is flashed out on the
wireless, giving her latitude and
longitude. Then it is known that
by o'clock in the morning she
cannot be outside certain circle
drawn, we will say, with radius
of eight or ten miles from that
point. and at o'clock in the morn
ing she cannot be outside of a GER
tain other larger circle, so that
vessels stationed in the neighbor-
hood, that can be called in by wire
less, form themselves in a line
and sweep across the circle, and
that submarine has to proceed I'M
der water, for, having been seen,
she must Immediately go down to
avoid the gunire from the vessel
which first sighted her, and must
either move under the water or
else go down to the bottom and
rest there which she can do only
if the water is not over 200 feet
deep, with the hope that they will
not find her. If she travels along
under the water with periscope
submerged, she disturbs the sur
face, by passing along under
meath the surface, so that you can
often see this disturbance proceed
ing like wake, and it can from
the high bridge of a ship, or from
a hydroplane, be particularly well
seen. Then two destroyers of the
enemy will go across ahead of the
submarines wake and throw
out net, and, of course, the sub
marine cannot know that as she
cannot see, and if she runs into the,
net, from that time on her cap
ture is certain, because the net it
self is made for the purpose of
keeping track of her
The nets for this particular sea
monster has meshes twelve feet square
I-on the top are floats and it ha,
weights at the bottom so that it stand.