Gilpin observer., 1918-01-17

mines and Rescue Seamen-Co-op-
GRAFTON With Naval Vessels Robs
German Campaign Of Effectiveness
Stories Of Daily Fights Would
Make Thrilling Epic.
"As everyone knows, aircraft are
used for many purposes in this war,
that most familiar to the public being
the direction of artillery fire at the
'front.'" writes special correspondent
in the London Daily Telegraph. "This
is one of the ways in which aircraft
preserves human life, but far more ex-
tensive in its consequences is the use
of aircraft at sea to protect us from
the submarine menace. Had it not
been for the cooperation of our air.
craft, the antisubmarine campaign
would have been far less effective, the
people Of Great Britain and certain of
her allies would have been faced with
sitter rations, and the central pow
ers would have been unduly elated.
Here are few figures relating to
the work which naval aircraft per-
formed during the month of Septem-
ber, 1917. The total distance covered
by the patrols was 10000 miles, of
which 10000 miles was covered by sea-
planes and $4,000 miles by airships.
On seven occasions ships which were
being attacked by submarine sent
S o s signals, which brought sea-
planes to their assistance in time to
save them by compelling the subma-
rines to dive. Several hundreds of
ships were conveyed.
Speed Big Advantage.
Unfortunately the number of SUBJ
marines attacked and destroyed by
our aircraft cannot be published, but
u few words may be said as to the
method of attack. When a destroyer
sights submarine some five or six
miles away, he goes full speed to the
attack at about thirty miles an hour,
so that the submarine has ten minutes
reach of the destroyer's depth charges.
But whcn a seaplane sights a SUBJ
marine at the same distance he flies
to the attack at anything from so to
100 miles an hour, so that the SUBJ
marine has only three or four min
utes before bombs begin to fall around
her. 1t must not be assumed, how
ever, that destroyers have been super
seded by the seaplanes as the enemy
of submarines. On the contrary, the
two very often work together, and
their cooperation usually spells disas-
ter to the U-boat.
"The stories of these fights, which
are going on daily between seaplanes
and submarines, would make thrill
ing epic. Here is one which happened
recently: A seaplane sighted Ger
man submarine on the surface, flew
directly over her before she had
chance to dive, and dropped bomb
on her tail which was seen to make n
large hole in the deck. Immediately
afterward the seaplane pilot saw
through the mist three more German
submarines, in line abreast, followed
by three German destrOyers, and es-
corted by two German seaplanes. All
six vessels fired their antiaircraft
guns at our seaplane but the German
seaplanes did not attack because they
could not get through the barrage put
up by the fire of their own destroyers.
Calls British Warships.
"Our seaplane turned, dropped an
other bomb on the wounded submarine,
saw her sink amidst pool of oil, in
which fragments of her floated, and
then retired gracefully from an unequal
contest,
"This incessant and ruthless warfare
against the U-boat by naval aircraft
has been one of the main factors in de-
feating Germany's aims and in saving
the people of this country from the
starvation which Germany has tried
to inflict upon them. But our
seaplanes save life in other ways. AS
already mentioned their mere presence
has many times saved merchant ship
when a submarine has been attacking
1t. Moreover, when the tragedy has
actually occurred and the torpedo has
found its mark, 1t is the seaplane which
is the first to see the shipwrecked
crews in their boats, to send wireless
messages for assistance and to direct
the rescuers to the right spot.
1t Is the senplnne and the other air
craft which first sight the deadly mine,
and so help the minesweepers in their
task. In word, 1t Is the naval air.
craft which has been, and is, saving the
lives not only of those who traverse
the seas, but of every man, woman
and child in the British isles, who 9TH
erwise would be threatened with star
vntion. The strike ut Coventry already
has been a serious blow to the empire;
II repetition there or elsewhere would
be disaster which cannot be contem-
plated, for the consequences would be
so far-reaching that no one could prop
erly estimate them.
without a constant stream Of new
aircraft to replace the inevitable heavy
WaataOo in machines tho otruy1l