The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-03-31
Torpedoing Of Ship Described
From View Point of Attacker
and Attacked.
FREIGHTERs ARE EASY PREY
ingenious instruments Make the Poins'
ina Of the Torpedo Very Simple
Missiles Usually Launched From
Distance OF Two Miles.

New York.-Early In the great war
the world was astsunded by the LODI
don. Official" that three British scout
cruisers-Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy
had been sunk by torpedoes. Later
a wave Of wonder spread over the CIV
ilized world when Berlin announced
that all three sinkings were the Work
OF one submarine. the U-9.
From that period Of the war right
up to the present time the operations
of undersea fighters have held the IN
terest of every follower Of the giganuc
events.
Where will they lead? How does
Germany keep it up? Why doesn't
England get after the Germans!
These are questions asked continually.
Others, which show the keen interest
in submarines, are for information re-
garding them. What actually happens
when a submarine fires a torpedoF
| What Is the usual distance between the
subsea boat and its intended victimf
Is she on the surface when making the
| attack
A succession of events has made 1t
uossibIe for statements to be obtained
| of men and women on torpedoed steam
ships, and at least one officer on Ger
| man U-boat has been able to tell his
story regarding such attacks.
Every navy guards with great care
its submarine secrets. Long before the
present war the United States navy
/ department issued orders forbidding
| anyone to board it's little fighters un-
less they be In the navy or armed with
navy permits. The same situation OBJ
tained In foreign navies. Few DOCKS
can be procured with the data that are
| of most interest. A reporter for the
| New York World. however, has OBJ
tanned from the highest authority the
facts that follow.
4 Launched Two Miles Away.
il In the first place, no submarine cal
launch its torpedo with any hope O.
hitting the nrget unless the latter Il
seen by the man at the periscope
Therefore, 1t must be near the surface
so that observations can be made. Tor
pedoes have a range of 1900 yards
about four land miles. As a genera
rule the German U-boats used In al
lacking merchant vessels launch thel
torpedoes from distance Of two miles
At that distance 1t is very difficult TO
anyone on the doomed vessel to OF
serve their periscope.
Torpedoes rush through the waite
nj a rate of from % to 40 knots q
hour. The average speed figured |
land miles is about 80 miles an hou
AZ the torpedo speeds through tn
water ii makes q wake like hug
Ash. In addition is the telltale wal
az bubbles caused by the exhau
| from the compressed air chambel
that give 1t momentum.
Once the submarine is clear Of h
harbor and on the high sea, whe'
/ she Is destined to operate, her cor
| mander must keep q keen watch 4
enemy craft. He remains on the So
/ face as much as he can, his connll
tower and small deck being Ju
| above water and his periscope site
1 ING mn is or 20 feet further. This
| the normal cruising position. VIII
submerged the gasoline engines mu
h. stopped and the submarine run
| is electric batteries. No submari
can cruise under water for more CO.
| ahouf eight hours 1t q time witho
I coming up for more air. n II be Z
/ sired 10 rest On the bottom Il %
I remain under * little longer Wifno
/ endangering th< men on board
! There are submarines built q