Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-02-09
GERMAN REPORTS DISCREDlT
STORIES OF 5,0o0.TON UNDER
SEA FIGHTERS.
NOT MORE THAN THIRTY
WORK AT SAME TIME
No Great U-Boat Fleets Ready to Pray
Upon American Transports Bearing
Troops to France-Building Of Small
Submarines Of "Canai Type Aban-
doned Long Ago.

! New York. Feb 9.-The number of
German submarines working at any
one time at commerce destroying III the
prohibited zone had uu;il recently been
surpris!nsly small according to relia-
BILE information received by corrs-
! spondcnt OF the Associated Press re-
Gently returned 10 the United states
from Europe.
| During the carly part OF the winter
! the number Of submarine raiders at
work in the zone varied from twelve
to a maximum Of eighteen. 1t was
then expected, however, that the Ger
mans would cndeavor 10 increase TINS
number largely as a threat to the
American troop transports, and that
! they might by this time be able to in
crease this maximum perhaps to thirty
boats. These estimates do not include
the smaller egg planters" or mine lay
ing submarines.
U-Boat Preying Grounds.
Both the north and south entrance
OF the Irish sea have been favorable
hunting grounds for German Subma-
rines of the big fighting type and mine
layers. Both kinds of boats have been
opera ting off the entrance to the Mer-
sey-the gateway to Liverpool-a Ger
man publication some time ago giving
a description Of mine laying operations
conducted only a short distance from
that port. The African liner Apapa~
sunk in December. was torpedoed only
forty miles from its destination, Liver
pool.
The most formidable German sub
marines Of which there is any definite
record were armed with the new 10
centimeter (5.9 inches) gun, brought
out during the war, which is more
powerful, longer ranged gun than the
IS centi,neter gun mounted in the main
batteries Of the German light cruisers
at the outtr eak of the war. The new
est submarines carried two Of these
guns, forward and aft.
No Super Submarines.
A great deal has been heard in the
press, Je-tral and belllgerent, OF giant
5000 ton submarine cruisers" but
none of these had been definitely iden-
tilted. according to the latest informa-
ton in possession of the CORES pondent
nor had there been any trustworthy
news from Germany that the admiralty
| was laying down any boats OF ton
age representing such jump from
1.-The size Of the most modern submarine
operating during the late summer and
| autumn.
| The numerical production Of sub
ma rines in GERMANY at that time had
fallen off decidedly. due in part. per
haps. to difficulties with raw material,
but chiefly to a decision to suspend the
manufacture Of small submarines Of
the canal type.
Built in Large Numbers.
| These boats, small enough to pro-
coed 10 the sea thru the canals OF
! Belgium, had been built in compare
| lively large numbers in series produc-
ton all over Germany. and shipped ia
So 1t water, but were found to be too
small for effective use under present
! conditions in the war zone, where de-
stroyers and armed patrol boats com
pei the representatives Of rrthlessness
to operate chiefly submerged and to
carry armament heavy enough to out
range the light guns on the armed mer-
chantmen
! German experts believed, in fact,
| that a serious mistake had been made
| in designing and constructing these
boats, which were credited with little
| effective service at ConstantInopie,
whittier q squadron was shipped by
railroad, or elsewhere.