Weekly journal-miner., 1917-04-04
HUNTINGU-B0ATSLIKEPLAYING
 GAME OF BLIND MANS BUFF

Hl\ O DUlI British bag included 100 last Novcm- bcr according to private information of unqucstioned authority, and Amer ican naval officers believe that the de- struction or capture of another 25 in the past three months is an estimate rather too conservative, if anything.
 U-Boats Dropped.
 The destroyers, with their great speed and relatively heavy guns, have dropped many U-boats to tine ocean floor to wait there until kingdom come. Plucky captains of merchant men of breed which would always rather fight than run have accounted for somc The wonderful nets stretched, no man knows how. in channel waters, in the North sea. in the Irish sea, off the coast of Belgium and wherever German undcrsea boats turk, have cnmcshcd and held their share. Patrol boats hunting in pairs with explosive trolls stretched "trot line" fashion from wire cables, have worked in the great game.
 And there arc still secrets of the hunt, secrets which may be kept un- til the wars end, that have added to the accomplishment. But the great est factor in curbing submarine war fare, in keeping England's food and munitions ships moving in and out of Liverpool and London and all the busy ports of the cast coast, in pre- serving the courage and dctcrmina tion of the English people, have been the insignificant motor launches, the mere pleasure boats of yesterday. so many of which arc constructed in this country. The Sun has received a sur vcy of the methods employed by these British swordhsh, a survey which of- fcrs an interesting general picture of operations. Details differ here and there, according as different problems and conditions arc involved, but the plan of the hunt and the curiosly pre- else methods employed in this blind mans buff of the sea arc similar in all areas where the sea midgcts cruise for their savage prey.
 Formation of Patrol
 Suppose the reader vision for him self daylight sea, the fog fluff lift ing before a sharp. uprising breeze. The area is ono infested by German submarines since it hauls across an important steamship lane and since it has been the graveyard of many fine ships.
 Six British patrol boats, 80-foot motor cruisers, each armed with a machine gun and long range rife put out with their mother ship from their base, each commanded by a youth who wouldn't trade his job for the quarterback of the Lion In the long run for the area of operations they fall into single column forma- ton. each scout preserving perfect accuracy of distance in the flying column.
 Nearing the danger zone the moth- CT ship whips signal flags to the breeze and the column swiftly chang cs formation. A mile apart now. the motor cruisers abreast arc sweeping the sea, the officers in command searching every wave and ripple for sign of d submarine.
 Darts of Prey.
 The advance abreast continues for an hour. Suddenly the GB-lll sights 1 far off on the port bow the pcriscope | and coming tower of German U-l boat. GB-lll darts for that spot like l q mad thing. engines whirling dcs- striking out a good 30 knots.
 For the time none of the other scouts perceive the game and they arc maintaining their straight sweep ahead. GB-lli having located the precise SDOt where fine lI-boaf diycd Il reaches it and begins the hawk move nlcnt, circling rapidly around the spot as her tillcr is put hard over and kept there. The motion is for all the world like that Of an angry hawk which has been deprived of prey and which circles angrily about Inc spot where it was robbed.
 Drop Personal Business.
 And presently, as is implied in the acticS, the hawk movement of GB-