Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1917-07-06

oth"r reasOnS-frst the wholesome
dread inspired by che prescribed mined areas and
next because of the various eXpcdients adopted
by the belligerents to neutralize these SubaqueouS
weapons. Even so, the mine is playing a big part
in marine warfare. and shall have to count
with ii and against it that we have joined
forces with the entente allies.
1t is matter of record that the Germans got
the jump on the British by their prompt and
daring employment of the submarine mine With
in a very short time after the declaration of war
TeutOn mine planters operating on the Eng
lish and Scottish coasts and busily engaged
in sowing these weapons at the very entrance of
enemy ports and rivers.
For this purpose it was rather easy then to
have recourse 70 North sea fishing craft that had
all the outward complexion of innocence: indeed.
for weeks these boats weH about their work we'll
nigh unsupported. 1t was only when British battle
craft were mysteriously damaged and sunk that
the British authorities awakened to their peril
Even then the belief prevailed that the damage
was more or less matter of sheer chance
chance in the nature of friendly defense mine
that had got adrift. Then the next explanation
was that particularly daring U-boat commander
had managed to get within striking distance and
finally 1t dawned upon the British coast patrol
that enemy mines were being freely planted right
under their very noses.
Every fishing boat was then an object of sus-
picion, and prompt investigation proved in a great
many cases that there was ample warrant for this
attitude. Neutral trawlers became more and more
fnfrequent in certain of the waters contiguous
to the north and east coasts of Scotland and Eng
land, and for time the mine Menace was held
pretty well in hand.
The resourcefu Tertons however were not
checkmated, and 1t was only question of time be-
fore they developed method with which to offset
the vigilance of the British coastal patrol Then
the German submarine mine layers got to work
How many of these the kaser's experts have built
and sent TO their fields of service in the waters of
the North sea especially. is not known. 1t is safe
TO say too many of them have been built and dis
patched upon their missions and the general char
acter of them all is probably much akin to that
Of the U-C-5. which was captured and taken into
a British port.
BY chance a British destroyer discovered the
C-C-5 on the surface and in distress at point
along the east coast. When summoned by mega
phone to surrender the crew of the submarine
mustered deck and held up their hands in
token of submission. but curiously before a relief
boat could be sent to them they jumped overheard.
The cause of their action explained.
Another member of the submarines complement
suddenly appeared upon deck and threw himself
into the water and almost Immediately afterward
there were number of violent explosions within
the U-C-5. The last man had exploded bombs
which blew holes in the craft. But for prompt
action the part of British sublieutenant who.
protected by a gas mask went dauntlessy down
into the injured U-bOat the mine planter would
have filled and gone to the bottom in water too
deep for her recovery.
As II was. she represented desperate task for
her wOuld-be salvOrs and il was necessary to Sc
cure a couple of mines within the boat that had
been set free by the explosions before Il was
safe to tow the submarine into harbOr and to dock
her. Upon examination this order of sub
marine was found TO be charged laden with a
dozen powerful contact mines housed in six YER
tical wells passing directly from deck to bottom of
the craft.
Each well held two mines one on top of the
other. and both kept in their places by lock
ing devices which could he released from within
the submarine. The controlling station for this
operation found to be in the coming tower
so that the commander of the boat with only her
periscOpes above water could just where 10
sow his weapons.
In this way the Germans have been able upon
many occasions to approach certain sections of
the waters about the British isles and to plant
there mines that have accomplished the destr1Ic-
tive work cut out for them How many ships
have been sent to the bottom by mines sown by
boats of this sort is. of course. matter of con-
lecture, but there can be no doubt that submarine
mine planters are actively employed today
One thing about them that makes them of spe-
cial interest even concern, to US is that there Is
nothing to prevent their operating in a similar
manner upon our Atlantic coast What is to pre-
vent a submarine somewhat after the order of the
Deutschland from being equipped for work of
this nature? Instead of carrying some hundreds
Of tons of commercial freight she could just
easily divide that weight among mines. mine-pant-