The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-03-10
Torpedoing of Ship Described
From View Point of Attacker
and Attacked.
FREIGHTERS ARE EASY PREY
Ingenious instruments Make the Point
ing of the Torpedo Very Simple
Missiles Usually Launched From
Distance of Two Miles.

New GOrk.-Early in the great wal
the world was astOunded by the Lon
don, Official" that three British scout
cruiSerS-AbOukir HOgue and CreSsy
had been sunk by tOrpedOes. Later
| wave of wonder spread over the civ
| ilized world when Berlin announced
! that all three sinkingS We're 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 gigantic
events.
Where will they lead? How does
Germany keep ii 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-
Sarding them. What actually happens
when Il submarine fires tOrpedO?
What is the usual distance between the
subsea boat and its intended victim?
Is she on the surface when making the
attack?
succession of events has made it
possible for statements to be obtained
of men and women on tOrpedoed steam
ships, and ut least one officer on Ger
man U-bOat has been able to tell his
story regarding such attacks.
Every navy guards with great care
It's submarine secrets. Long before the
present war the United States navy
department issued orders forbidding
anyone TO board its little fighters I'M
less they be in the navy or armed with /
navy permits. The same situation OBJ |
tanned in foreign navieS. Few books |
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.
Launched Two Miles Away.
In the first place, no submarine can
launch its torpedo with any hope of
hitting the clrget unless the latter is
seen by the man at the periscope.
Therefore, il must be near the surface
80 that observations can be made. Tor
)edoeS have range of 1000 Yards
lbOut four land miles. As a general
'ule the German U-bOats used in at
acking merchant vessels launch their
OrpedOeS from a distance of two miles
1t that distance it is very difficult for
Inyone on the doomed vessel TO oh !
erve their periScOpe. ,
TorpedoeS rush through the water
t rate of from % to 40 knots an 8
IOur. The average speed figured in &
and miles is about sc miles an hour. :
Is the torpedo speeds through the 9
'ater 1t makes a wake like q huge
Sh. In addition is the telltale wake ,
I bubbles-cauSed by the exhaust !
rom the compressed air chambers =,
hat give it momentum.
Once the submarine is clear of har >.
arbor and on the high sea, where :
ne is destined to operate, her COM r
lander must keep a keen watch for
lemy craft. He remains on the SIR -
ice as much as he can, his coming r
'wer and small deck being inst -
Dove water and his periscOpe stick
e up ID or 20 feet further. This is p
Ie normal cruising position. When "
lbmerGed the gasoline engines must o.
stopped and the submarine run nv ~
electric batteries. No submarine y,
n cruise under water for more than Y,
'out eight hours at time with6ut :,
ming up for more air. II il be de- n,
'ed to rest on the bottom il NAV h,
main under a little longer without g
the men on board. r.
There are no submarines built that n,