New Britain herald., 1917-08-31
little DAMAGE TO
AMERICAN SHIPPING
p-Boats Sunk Only 0ne-Half Of
/ One Per Cent.

Aartment ia we'll satisfied with the re-
n,ts Of the anti-submar1ne cam
bs,sn carried out under the direction
r vice Admiral Sims since last April.
The latest. figures available show
s,a, The German submarines have
iccceded in destroying only one-half
81 one per cent. Of American ships
which have entered the war zone
k;nce this country joined the Allies
!, tho war.
This means that, despite tho fact
Kat America entered the war about
nc time when the submarine cam
baign was at it's highest point only
bne out of every 200 American ships
hat crossed the Atlantic has been
punk. In no case have the Germans
bucceeded in sinking a fast or big
ship. They have picked of a few
slow sailing oil tankers and freight
RS.
The Navy Department appears
convinced that even this slight toll
will be reduced in the near future
when the American naval forces in
European waters are reinforced by
The addition Of destroyers which are
being rushed TO completion.
The Navy Department has worked
but a program for quickly combat
hing any attack by submarines on
This coast. While the department
has no tangible Information 1ndicat-
Ing that Germans may shift the sub
marine war to the American coast, It
has prepared for such an eventuality.
If such a campaign Is inaugurated
The Navy Department is satisfied
khat Germany will find 1t extremely
.hifficult to supply the submerstbles
10 maintain a consistent attack. on
|cials believe that If American ships
were not armed such campaign
might meet with some success because
The submarines could rely upon gun
3lre 10 a large extent.
Torpedoes Impracticable.
The presence of ample armament on
hhips means that Germans would have
TO use torpedoes, and as the largest
eubmarine has Il maximum carrying
capacity of eight torpedoes it would be
Necessary to maintain mother ships, Or
TO make frequent trips for supplies.
The results of the system of con-
voying and arming American mer-
tory to the navy. Officials here
believe that if Great Britain could
spare enough guns with trained crews
to protect all Of her merchantmen the
losses would be reduced
greatly in short order. Because of
the tremendous tonnage under the
Union Jack. the Admiralty has been |
unable properly to protect all of the |
ships.
American naval officials believe an
effective system for checking the sub
marine menace is being built up grad |
ually but certainly. Many devices and |
many methods enter into the task. |
Depth bombs are proving effective. |
Official reports show that American |
destroyers have accounted for several |
J-boats with these weapons. No an
nounccment of such incidents will be
made, however, unless absolute proof
of the fact is Forthcoming.
No U-boat has been captured 1t Is
the best Judgment of high officials,
however, that several have been sunk
by Admiral Sims destroyers, and they
are more confident than ever before
that the submarine toll will be sub
ktantially abated as the number Of de-
etroyers and other craft available for
the work is increased.
U-Boat Area Enlarged.
Reports from London that the sub
marines are working now further at
.ea than formerly, were confined by
the navy department. 1t may be that
new boats of greater size and better
seakeeping qualities lend to this ex-
tension of the zone of activities, but
It is regarded as more probable that
the increasing vigilance of the anti
submarine forces is mainly RESPONSE
bile.
The effect of the increasing patrol
of the employment of airplanes and
! OF the addition of new devices to the
nti-submarine weapons has been to
! force the U-boats under water to
greater and greater degree. Their
effectiveness is limited in proportion.
They cannot run down a merchant
ship of average speed If kept under
water. They can operate only against
ships that almost stumble upon them.
And all the time they are under water
they are consuming the stored power
of their storage batteries, decrease g
their range of underwater action,
and compelling them to come up at
night and lie idle on the surface while
their oil engines are used to recharge
the batteries:
The decision Of the Navy Depart
ment to spend $3.50. 100000 on de-
stroyers and destroyer building facil-
tiles, approved by President Wilson,
is based on the effectiveness OF the
swift fighting machines as proved by
Admiral Sims forces.
American experts have developed a
depth bomb that Is deadly at a con-
siderable range. It Is dropped over
a spot where the presence OF a sub
merged U-boat Is indicated. 1t is
timed to explode at a certain depth.
If the explosion occurs below the
T-boat and within a reasonable dis
lance the hull is crushed like an egg
shell
German "Camoufage."
1t is difficult to be certain of hit,