The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-07-05
NAVY SMASHES
U-BOAT TRAPS
We're For Set Troops on Voyage
to France.
At LEAST ONE DESTROYED
Others Forced to Submerge and Fol-
lowed Into Sea With Underwater
Bombs.

Washington, July 1.-Two U-boat
traps were spread for the Pershing
expedition crossing the Atlantic, but
We're smashed by the naval vessels
protecting the American transport
fleet.
Tuese traps revealed that informa-
ton of the despatch of the troops and
the course to be taken by the trans
ports had been transmitted to the Ger
man admiralty, and that elaborate
preparations had been made by the
Prussians TO destroy a large part of
the American force. 1t IS evident that
the submarine commanders knew
where and when the American vessels
would be enc untered. Every effort is
being made to earn how that informa
ton was procured and transmitted tC
Berlin.
Not an American vessel, not ar
American life was lost. At least one
of the German submarines was sunk
and there is every reason to believe
that others We're destroyed American
gun fire and speed, and a new de
vice for use against U-boats gave the
triumph to the Americans. 1t is evi
dent that the Germans had gatheret
a fiotilla of U-boats to slaughter rgt
number of the men despatched tC
France
The first attempt of the Germans t
destroy a contingent Of the expedition
10 ,.-I,o
cans encountered a U-boat flotilla al
night far out in the Atlantic and at q
point far west of the rendezvous ar
ranged with the destroyers.
How many t-boats had gathered
there for the expected SLAUGHTER cru,S
five tOrpe3Oes were counted as the
sped by and missed Their mark before
the American gunfire scattered the un
dersea marauders.
The second trap was encountere
and and broken up a few days late
against another contingent of the ey
petition between the ocean rendez
vous and the French coast. when the
destroyers held back the U-boats at g
safe distance and destroyed at Least
one of them. In this battle the de
stroyers used the newest device
against the submarines. This is g
grenade with q depth charge explosive
timed to go off a certain distance I'm.
der water.
Both of these attacks were made fan
out on the Atlantic, beyond the ordin
airy range of the U-boats. That the
submarines knew the course to be
taken and the time when the trans.
ports were due indicates how the Ger
man admiralty had been furnishe1
with the precise information which Ell
abled ii to set the traps for the expe.
dition. Every effort is being made tC
for the transport of the Pershing ex
petition were learned here and then
forwarded TO Berlin.
The American victory in this first
important test between the American
navy and the U-boats was a complete
one. The Germans were favored by
the night and by the possibility of sur.
prise. but they were beaten off with
toss. and the U-boats failed to register
a single hit.
No announcement of the arrival oil
the American expedition in France was
authorized by the government unit,
the last man was ashore. 1t was stat,
ed that the government was concerned
for the safety of the last contingent
but this. on the slower vessels, pass.
ed safely through the submarine zone
The last transport fleet to reach
France carried supplies and horses.
the vessels reaching a French port
one week after the first contingent had
landed, their arrival marking the sue.
cessful completion of a task fraughf
with difficulty.