The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-20
20
LEAGUE BELIEVES GER.
MAN TORPEDO SUPPLY IS
WEAKENING.

Washington, D. C.,-There il
Teason to believe that the German
torpedos supply is weakening, says q
statement issued at the Navy Lea.
que headquarters today.
The increasing frequency with
which press dispatches report mer.
chant ships as successfully lodging
torpedoes, says the statement, sug-
gests to'the technically trained mind
that the German torpedo is deterior-
atlng in speed and hence in accuracy
ct fire at long range.
| AT the outset, the statement con-
tlnues, the Germans were extremely
careful to conserve their torpedoes
Merchant ships were sunk by gun
fire wherever possible. But the arm
ing OF merchant ships and the con-
slant Improvement in the Allies
system of defense against submar-
Inc attack has driven the submarines
under water and they are now for
ced to use torpedoes in almost every
attack. The increase in the number
of submarines has further added to
the strain upon the German stock of
torpedoes.
An analysis of reports on SUBJ
marine attacks indicates that this
unprecedented expenditure of tor
pedoes is beginning to tell upon the
effectiveness Of the U-boat war
fare. The Germans are pressing
their submarine campaign with all
possible vigor and the number of
attacks on merchant ships appears
to be increasing. Also the zone of
submarine operations is constantly
widening. Yet this increased fury
with which the U-Boat warfare is
being waged has failed to increase
the number of merchant ships sunk.
The Germans are being forced to
constantly greater efforts to main
tain their average of sinkings and
even 50 are slipping back slightly.
The explanation Of this offered by
certain naval experts is that the
Germans are being so pressed for
time in the construction Of torpedoes
that they can no longer maintain
their speed and their accuracy Of
fire. It is estimated that the German
torpedo has lost nearly ten knots in
speed from the standard used at the
outset Of the war.
It takes normally six months to
construct a torpedo and costs many
thousand dollars. There is also a
chance of Germany running short
in some material essential in their
Whether this has oc-
Cured is not known but the con-
clusion has been reached that the in
German torpedo is losing in
efficiency.
The U-Boat warfare as now being
Maged, it is said, was undoubtedly
not thought out and prepared for by
Germany before the war. Therefore
the stock Of torpedoes was not suf-
ficient for the purpose. The defici-
ency has been made up by increasing
the output Of torpedoes. But with
the tremendous land operations she
has essayed, Germany could not
have devoted a maximum OF Ia
Dor or materials to the making Of
torpedoes. Had she done this it Is
not doubted she could have kept up
he supply. But sacrifices in the tor
,edo supply were made to satisfy |
he folly Of the Crown Prince at
Verdun.
Naval exports are rightly continu-
ny to stress the vital Importance OF
to carry the power of
he submarine BY some new develop
nent in naval strategy. No degree
+ deterioration in the effectiveness
t German torpedo attack would les 4
en- these efforts at effective war
are against the submarines. Yet 4
be interest Of naval experts has !,