Republican farmer., 1918-05-24

IN circles from the Arctic down to
Ostend, barring effectively the egress
from German ports of naval merchant
shipping. Only the U-boats and an
occasional raider have been success
full in slipping through the steel cor
don.
Although much has been told about
the high seas fleets, but little has
been writteh-and less officially dis
| closed-about England's efficient SUBJ
marine navy. However there has been
received by the Committee on Public
Information an official British state
ment, made public with the approba-
ton of the Admiralty, telling in de-
| tailed form of the exploits of Britons
in combating Germany with her IA
vorite weapon.
| Leaving the home harbors on Eng
lands east coast, or perhaps dropping
down some Scottish firth, the submar-
ines slip into the gray waters Of the
North Sea and pick their way through
German mine fields so that they may
battle with the enemy even within
the confines of his own harbors.
| One of the most popular tales of tho
exploits of British submarines, which
however, is not contained in the pie
pared statements, deals with a young
commander who audaciously crept
through mine-infested waters into the
very harbor of Hehgoland, the Ger
man Gibraltar. AS he allowed his
| periscope to show above the surface
for an instant, he caught a glimpse
| nf TI-h0of ridinc Oh
while the crew, lined up on deck
smiled a greeting to the crowds or
shore and aboard harbor shipping
who were noisily welcoming the ''he
roes' returning from a raid on the
Atlantic A torpedo from the Brit
ish craft summlrily cut short this
celebration and eliminated the u
boat as future menace to Allied yes
sells. The brilliant phase of the
achievement is the fact that the Eng
lish vessel succeeded in escaping anc
returning to port unframed.
Besides detailing various engage
ments in which British submarine
have accounted for one or more enc
my war vessels-it is stated that more
than forty German warships hav'
been attacked successfully-the re
view tells of the hardships incidea
to patrols in bad weather.
In winter, cold, clamny chill per-
vades the submarine and at times tn,
thermometer drops so low that tn
crew find it difficult to sleep. Spra.
freezes several inches thick on thu
wireless antennae. rendering radi'
communication impossible, while tn
periscope becomes useless at time
because of a frosty mantle.
The submarine rides very heavily il
a seaway, and an even keel is Difficult
to maintain even many fathoms be
low the surface. When running OF
top for the purpose Of replenishini
the supply of electric motive power
the ventilators must be kept opel
with the result that water is shippe'
in heavy quantities.
How much respect for the British
underseas navy is entertained in Ger
many is told best in the official mar
rative, which runs as follows:
"Venturesome as the enemy is witt
his U-boats he rarely allows his abov
water craft beyond the confines of hi
harbors. He we'll knows that our sub
marines are ever on the prowl TO
him, and how viligant and thorough
the watch kept may be gatheret
{ from the fact that though so few op
5 portunities are afforded them gu
submarines have successfully attack
: ed no less than 40 enemy warships.
might and day the search is con
tinued, according as circumstance
may dictate. The watch is kept o.
, the surface, or submerged save 70
. the periscope, or maybe the vessel
are on the diving patrol, only com
: ing to the surface every now an
again to scan the horizon for an
; hostile craft which may come within
; reach.
, "a ship being sighted the submarin
, dives to the attack. AS the ship /
. probably steaming on a zig-Zag cours
a long time may elapse before tn
submarine is in a favorable position
to fire ner torpedoes. While this
. going on she must ascertain VIII ethe
the ship is friend or foe and at al
l costs she must avoid being seen.
the periscope is sighted the hostil
: ship will make off with all speed an
| the odds are that she will get away
An irregular course and great spec
make her a difficult target and !
the sea is smooth she may see tn
track of the torpedo fred at her ant
steer to avoid it.
But in spite of all the difficultie
e the submarines manage to drive HON
[ their attacks and a few of the sue
s cesses may be here recorded.
e while patroling between the Eas
1Atern Ems and the Weser river a sub
; marine sighted two lots Of destroye
smoke to the southeastward. Tw
g anxious hours were spent maneuver
f ing for position to attack, and ther
f at a range of 500 yards two torpe
e does were fired, one at the bow ant
a one at the stern, of one of the des
/ troyers. Having fired the torpedoe
e the submarine dived to avoid bein
t detected, but a loud explosion toll
: without debut that one of the tor
t pedoes had reached its mark. Eigh
minutes later the destroyer was see
n sinking by the stern, fifteen feet O
$ her bows still standing vertically ou
g of the water.
" THE other jestroyers was see
i steaming at varying speeds and dis
tances around the wreck. Elated q
=, the success, the submarine thirste
= to put her down too, but as two NOR
destroyers had arrived on the seen
, and were Systematically searching,
was not considered feasible to con
tinue the attack.
ION another occasion two arme
= auxiliaries were sighted in the Hell
: goland Blight and the leader, the larg
er of the two. was attacked, and tor
pedoed, and was seen to be sinkin
. by the stern
at frequently happens that a sub