Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-09-14
UNDERSEA TACTICS
The Scene m a Submarine When
an Attack Is Planned.
WATCHING FOR THE SIGNAL

Unlike any other ship. she has two sets
Of driving engines-one oil and the 9th.
er electric-and she Is built with the
incest regard for weight.
First let us say something about the
engines. They are the most important
part of the boat.
At first gasoline engines, like those
used on automobiles and mOtorboats,
were installed in submarines. Tho Ger.
mans had them In some Of the subma-
rines that they used in the beginning
Of the war. We, too, used them. But
as the gasoline engine was made bigger
to meet the demand for increased POW.
er and speed 1t literally broke down.
The Diesel engine had to he used. II
was invented by Rudolf Diesel, a Ger
man engineer. while he was Il student
In the Diesel engine mir is sucked Into
the cylinder and subjected to such pres
sure by the piston that It becomes In
tensely hot. Then n little oil Is squirt
ed I'm. At once the oil vapOr lgnites
and the mixture of oil vapor and high
ly compressed air expands with explo-
sive s%uddenness. The Diesel is the most
efficient type of engine ever invented,
utilizing as it does about 30 per cent Of
the energy in the fuel as cOntrasted
with only 10 per cent In the best steam
engines. But It also uses air. In other
words, it breathes. When a submarine
is under water the crew must keep
alive by breathing what air they can
obtain from tanks. They have enough
for not more than thirty-slx hours.
So 1t becomes necessary to equip a
submarine with electric motors fed by
storage batteries. AS soon as a sub
marine dives the breathing Diesel en-
CINE is cut out and the electric motor
switched in.
Like the policeman's in Gilbert's
song, the life of a submarine sailor
man is not a happy n The quarters
are necessarily so cramped that 1t is
difficult to provide ordinary ship com
forts. The officers have cots and the
crew hammocks for sleeping. In our
new boats iceboxes are provided, 50
that fresh meat and vegetables al be
served. In addition, there is a dry
food supply sufficient for FIVE days. At
sea the crew is put on = daily fresh
water allowance. TO bathe the men
must jump over the side.
Even when the boat is running on
the surface the ventilation is poor,
The proprietor Of n New York sweat
shop who did not provide his workmen
with any more air than the men In a
submarine breathe would be arresteS,
When the boat Is submerged the nau.
seating oil Odor, the battery fumes and
the vitiated air exhaled from a score OF
lungs make one wonder why every one
Ia not sick. As a matter of fact, sea
sickness produced by these conditions
is common enough.
What is the scene within a subma
rine when an attack is made? A Ger
man officer Of the U-26 gave this &C
count Of an attack on an unnamed
British w%arsbip:
'sThe boat is cleared for action. The
dagpole is taken down. Part of the
bridge is folded up and dashed. Th'
p~eriscope is elevated. The hatcl
through the combined bridge and con
ming tower is tightly closed. The mo
tors cease their endless song. From
now on electricity will drive us unit
we rise to the surface again.
"A young lieutenant is posted at tn,
p~eriscope and looks for the enemy
The sailors take their position near tn,
t~orpedoes. The interior of the boa
is lighted with two small electri
bulbs. They do not clear the gloom
Everywhere is the smell Of stale oil
1t is impossible to speak with the dh
of the machinery and Of the tnrushinI
water.
'From time to time the officer Il
command of the torpedOes looks at hi
watch, which he wears on his wrist
or at the compass. Intently the me
all watch a signal board In front o
them on the side Of the boat. Sudden
Iy we start TO forget the heat, the fou
air, the discomfort. In small luminou
letters the word Attention flashes u
ON the board. The commanding office
grasps the lever which will release tn
first torpedo. The men prepare
launch the second as soon as the mrs
is discharged. Half a second later an
the red letters on the board say Fire
The lever is jerked, and the torped
leaps out. There is a short metalli
click and the noise of the water rusl
ing into the empty tube. The secon
torpedo is at once inserted. A fe'
seconds later and the interior OF th
submarine looks as before the attac
began.
But what Of the first torpedo2 W
hear only the noise Of the motors. W
wait. Nothing happens. Then SUE
denly we are all thrown in a heap b
: the shaking Of the boat. Then IL
boat rolls as before. The regular pu
ring Of the motors is heard. We al
on our way home. The attack 81
ceeded."-POpular Science Monthly.
al. NU.ssS Eaara