Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-04-03
HOW ASUBVARlNE /.
TORPEDOES ASHlP
Missile Usually Launched at
Distance Of Two Miles.
pERIsCoPE ITS SOLE EYE.

] 6gItOOOlS ulO WILL It'll
When Submerged Underwater Craft
Have No Other Means of Scanning
0cean-WhiIe Entirely Under Sur
face Commander Must Guide Vessel
by compass-Danger In Emerging.
Early in the great war the world
was astounded by the London official
news that three British scout cruisers
Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy-had been
sunk by torpedoes. Later, wave of
wonder spread over the civilized world
when Berlin announced that all three
sinkings were the work of one subma-
rine, the 10, says the New York
World.
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 gigantic
events.
Where will they lead? How does
Germany keep it up? Why doesn't
England get after the Germans? These
are questions asked continually. 9th
ers which show the keen interest in
summaries are for information, regard
ing them. What actually happens when
q submarine fires torpedo? What is
the usual distance between the sub
sea boat and it's intended victim? Is
she on the surface when making the
attack?
A succession Of events has made 1t
possible for statements to be obtained
of men and women on torpedoed
steamships, and at least'one officer on
q German q boat has been able to tell
his story regarding such attacks.
Launched Two Miles Away.
In the first place, no submarine can
launch its torpedo with any hope Of
hitting the target unless the latter is
seen by the man at the periscope.
Therefore it must be near the surface,
SO that observations can be made. Tor
pedoes have q range Of about 1890
yards-about four land miles. AS
general rule the German U boats used
in attacking merchant vessels launch
their torpedoes from distance Of two
miles. At that distance it is very diff
fcult for any one on the doomed YES
sci to observe their periscopes.
Torpedoes rush through the water at
q rate Of from twenty-eight to forty
knots an hour. The Va erage speed iig-
ured in land miles is about thirty-six
miles an hour. AS the torpedo speeds
through the water it makes wake
like huge fish. In addition is the tell
tale wake Of bubbles caused by the ex-,
haust from the compressed air cham
bers that give it momentum.
Once the submarine is clear Of her
harbor and on the high sea, where she
is destined to operate, her commander
must keep keen watch for enemy
craft. He remains on the surface as
much as he can, his coming tower and
small deck being just above water and
his periscope sticking up fifteen or
twenty feet further. This is the nor
NAL cruising position. When submerg-
ed the gasoline engines must be stop
ped and the submarine run by its cleo
trio batteries. No submarine can cruise
under water for more than about eight
hours at time without coming up for
more air. II it be desired to rest on
the bottom it may remain under u lit
tie longer without endangering the men
on board.
Danger When Emerging.
There are no submarines built. that
can descend to depth greater than
$50 feet. Consequently there is very
little resting on the bottom once they
start on cruise far out to sea.
A submarine that wishes to dodge
vessels afloat may sink and remain
beneath the water until it figures that
all danger is past. Her commander
will know when he has descended
about eighty feet, and he will remain
there. He has delicate instruments
Notwithstanding bells some call them
that convey to him the throb Of a
propeller. He can then cruise by com.
pass to some other portion of the sea
and there take his chances, of being
discovered when coming up.
When the submarine has poked her
periscope above water and those on
board have noted the sea is clear she
can rise. She remains at the cruising
depth while searching for her prey or
watching for the appearance of fight
Ing ships. from which, she will fee.
She is defenseless and must be careful
lest she be destroyed while trying to
launch her torpedo. Therefore she is
used principally as commerce raider.
Submarine commanders must calcu-
late well the speed of the vessel at
which they intend firing and figure ex-
actly where it will be when the tor
pedo shall hit it. They have instru-
ments for measuring the speed Of the
vessel. The commander who will be
successful in surprise attack must
prove correct in his assumption that he
has not been observed. The vessel
must continue at its usual speed. Then
1t is merely a mathematical problem,