The sun., 1917-07-16

LONDON, June l9.--BOtn SlueS nave
learned that the submarine hasn't a
chance against the destroyer as a
fighting craft People frequently won
der why the submarines don't get busy
and sink the destroyers that are on
their trail. The submarines can't do IL.
The submarine cannot travel nearly so
fast as the destroyer. The destroyer
on station, doing patrol duty, is al
ways moving. 1t is nervous little
machine, always alert and ready to fire.
The submarine that comes up within
torpedo range of destroyer and at
tempts to torpedo the latter is pretty
certain to make two discoveries. one
is that the destroyer can dodge the
torpedo; the other is that the sub
marine cannot dodge the destroyer's
gunflre.
The destroyer has more guns and
heavier ones than the submarine can
carry. II is much faster. The effec-
tive range of a torpedo tube is a good
deal less than the effective range of
the destroyer's guns. A fast destroyer
under full steam can actually run
away from a torpedo. The torpedo
starts on its journey under a maxi
mum speed OF perhaps little over
thirty miles an hour, with enough
power in it to carry it perhaps a mile
and half. The destroyer's business
is TO be ready, and it always is. When
a periscope comes in sight OF the de-
stroyer's lookout the destroyer'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 business. More
likely the destroyer's guns will be so
busy on the instant that the torpedo
never will be fired.
mo" explained my expert naval
adviser, you needn't worry about the
submarines getting the destroyers.
Neither with the torpedoes nor with
its guns has the submarine chance
good enough TO he worth taking. You
must remember that very little
wound, made by a chance hit, renders
II impossible for the submarine to
plunge. The destroyer can take a
good deal of punishment and continue
in business. The submarine can't take
any. The first business OF a subma-
rine is to keep out of the way of the
destroyers. The only safe place for
it when a destroyer is around is under
the surface. The U-boat may be as
bold as lion, rearing itself out of the
deep, tossing aside it's name of spray,
hosting its guns into position and
opening fire with them and perhaps
also with its torpedo tubes, against
merchantmen. But 1t is compelled
to be the veriest coward against a
good destroyer with expert gunners
and Eigh speed"
Remembering now that the subma-
rine hardly dare show its head-or
rather its periscope-wthin range of
destroyer, the elements in this kind
Of warfare begin 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. l
have reason to suspect that the naval
authorities now have very accurate
ideas based on very definite knowledge
on this point.
For a variety Of reasons the sub
marines must find their victims in tie
narrow seas round the British Islands.
Some efforts have ieen made at hunt
ing the wide waters with the undersea
| hoats, and they have not been sue
! cessful. The submarine has mar
row range OF vision. 1t can raise its
periscope only a 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.
| 1t is true that transatlantic COM
merce must come cut OF New York
| through the small end of a funnel
and some nervous people are afraid
| that the submarines might come over