The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1917-03-07
HOW A SUBMARINE
TORPEDOED A SHIP
Just What Happens Described From
the Point of View OF Both Attacker
md Attacked.

was aStounded by the London Of
dicial," that three British scout cruis-
ers-Aboukir Hogue and Cressy-had
been sunk by torpedoes. Later, wave
of wonder spread oveT the civilized
world when Berlin announced that all
three sinkings were the work of one
submarine, the U-9.
From that period Of the war right
up to the present time the operations
of undersea fighters have held the in
terest Of every follower of the gigan-
tic events.
Where will they lead? How does
Germany keep it up? Why doesn't
England get after the Germans? These
are questions asked continually. 9th
ers, which show the keen interest in
submarines, are for information re-
garding them. What actually hap
pens when submarine fires a tor
pcdo? What is the usual distance be-
tween the subsca boat and its intend
ed victim Is she on the surface when
maing the attack?
A succession Of events has made it
possible for statements to be obtained
of men and women on torpedocd
steamships and at least one officer OH
German U-boat has been able to tell
his story regarding such attacks. The
World published these at the time
they were made.
Every navy guards with great care
its submarine secrets. Long before
the present war the United States
navy department issued orders for
bidding any one to board its little
lighters unless they be in the navy or
armed with many permits. The same
situation obtained in foreign navies.
Few books can be procured with the
data that are Of most interest. A re-
porter for The World, however, has
obtained from the highest authority
the facts that follow.
In the first place, no submarine can
launch its torpedo with any hope of
hitting the target unless the latter is
seen by the man at the pcriscopc.
therefore. it must be near the sur
face, SO that observations can be
made. Torpedocs have range of
Iooo yards-about four land miles.
AS general rule the German L.
boats used in attacking merchant
vessels launch their torpcdocs from
distance of two miles. At that dis
tancc it is very difficult for any one
on the doomed vessel to observe their
pcriscopc.
Torpcdocs rush through the water
at rate OF from 2S to 40 knots an
hour. The average speed figured in
land miles is about sc miles an hour.
AS the torpedo speeds through the
water it makes a wake like huge
fish. In addition is the telltalc wake
of bubbles caused by the exhaust
from the compressed air chambers
that give ii momentum.
once the submarine is clear OF her
harhor and on the high sea, where
She IS destined to operate, her COM
mandcr must keep keen watch for
enemy craft. He remains on The sur
face as much as he can, his coming
above water and his pcriscopc stick
ing up Is or 20 feet further. This is
the normal cruising position. When
submerged the gasoline engines must
be stopped and the submarine run by
It's electric batteries. No submarine
can cruise under water for moro
than about eight hours at a time
without coming up for more air. If
1t be desired to rest on the bottom
1t may remain under little longer
without cndangcring the men on
board.
There are no submarines built that
can descend to depth greater than
$50 feet. Consequently there is very
little resting on the bottom once they
start on cruise far out to sea.
submarine that wishes to dodge
vessels afloat may sink and remain
beneath the water until II figures that
all danger Is past. Her commander
Will know when he has descended
about eighty feet and he will remain
there. He has delicate instruments
aboard sounding bells some call
them-that convey to him the throb
OF propeller. He can then cruise
by compass to some other portion Of
the sea and there take his chances
of being dfScOVprod whom comipp ,,n