Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-08-01
MASTERS OF U-BoAr.
Undersea Craft No Match for Speedy
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i OMQQH0CA SIAAt nv A40tNA Tut SRtGot
Destroyers.
Both sides have learned. that the sub
marine hasn't . chance against che de-
stroyer as . fighting craft. People fire.
| quently wonder Why the submarines don't
get busy and sink the destroyers that are
on their trail. The submarines. can't do
it. The submarine cannot travel nearly 80
fast as the destroyer. The .destroyeTion
station, doing patrol duty, is always NOV
ing. Il is . nervous little machine, always
alert and ready to fire. The submarine
that comes up within torpedo range OF a
| destroyer and attempts to torpedo the
latter 10 pretty certain to make two idis-
coveries. One is that the lcestroyerl.can
dodge the torpedo; the other IL that, he
submarine cannot dodge the. destroyer's
gunfire.
The destroyer has more. gunsl and
heavier ones than theE submarine can
carry. 1t is much faster. The effective
range OF torpedo tube is good deal less
than the effective range. OF the destroyer's
guns. A fast destroyer under full steam
can actually run away from q torpedo.
The torpedo starts on its journey under q
| maximum speed OF perhaps little over
thirty miles an hour, with enough power
in it TO carry 1t perhaps mile and half.
The destroyer's business Ia to be ready.
and 1t always Is. When a periscope
comes In sight OF the destroyer's lookout
the desiroyer's guns are ready for
business, and so is everybody on board.
II by chance the torpedo gets launched
the agile little vessel Is ready to dodge,
for that is an important part OF her
guns will be so busy on the instant that
| the torpedo never will be fired.
"No,n explained my expert naval sd-
wiser, "you needn't worry about the sub
marines getting the destroyers. Neither
with the torpedoes nor with its guns has
the submarine chance good enough to
be worth taking. You must remember
that a very little wound, made by chance
hit, renders it impossible for the sub
marine to plunge. The destroyer can take
good deal OF punishment and continue
in business. The submarine can't take
to keep out of the way OF the des,royers.
The only safe place for il when destroyer
is around Is under the surface. The u
boat may be as bold as lion, rearing IT.
self out OF the deep, tossing aside its
name OF spray, hosting its guns into
position and opening Gre with them and
perhaps also with its torpedo tubes against
a merchantmen. But it is compelled to be
the veriest coward against good
destroyer with expert gunners and high
speed"
Remembering now that the su bmarine
hardly dare show its head-or rather its
periscope- within range OF destroyer,
the elements in this kind OF warfare be-
gin to take on their proper proportions.
The next thing is to find out how many
destroyers it will require constantly to
patrol the areas in which the submarine
can operate effectively. That likewise is
something that wasn't known when the
submarine campaign began. have reason
to suspect that the naval authorities now
have very accurate ideas based on very
definite knowledge on this point.
For variety Of reasons the submarines
must find their victims in the narrow
seas around the British Islands. Some
efforts have been made at hunting the
wide waters with the undersea boats,
and they have not been successful. The
submarine has narrow range OF vision.
1t can raise its periscope only little way
above the water. Its travelling radius,
despite the fact that submarines have
crossed the Atlantic, is too restricted to
permit OF long voyages as regular business.
The submarine must not get too far from
its base.
II is true that transatlantic commerce
must come GU; OF New York through the
small end OF funnel, and some nervous
people are afraid that the submarines
might come over to tine neighborhood Of
Long island and catch the outgoing ships.
But they cannot do that effectively for
want Of supplies OF both rover and am
aunition. There is no real danger OF
that sort. Even II, as matter OF bravads
and in order TO administer a scare to the
people OF the United States, the per
Torrance OF sending submarines into
those waters and sinking an occasional
merchant ship should be repeated, it
would not affect this aspect OF the case
1t would still remain true that the real
place for the submarines to do their
deadiiest work would be in the narrow
part ofthe funnel on this side, where ship
ping for Great Britain must converge its
routes toward the few available ports.
The Germans, then, know from expert
ence that they must do the damage, IL it
is to be done at all, within this narrow
| area. The allied naval authorities know
that in this same narrow area they must
provide the most intensive protective
measure possible. 1t is just possible.
gather, that the naval authorities OF the
United States do not fully appreciate this
condition as yet. II they did they would
do less patrolling with their vessels on
the American and good deal more on the