New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-26
u. S. Fleet Planted
56,57O Mines i'm BIC
North Sea Barrage
Squadron Commander Tells
How American Bombs
Bottled Up Submarines
ard Sank at Least II

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25. The Ameri-
can mining squadron, which. in con-
junction with the British navy. blazod
a 23O-mile tran of mines across the
North Sea from the Orkneys to the
coast OF Norway, has returned home
With the story Of how this great
achievement in the campaign to throt-
tle the German submarines was CON
tributed
Captain Reginald R. Belkman. .on.-
mander OF this fleet Of ten ships-tw0
light cruisers and eight converted mer,
chant craft graphically described in
statement to-day the work of laying
the lO,l0O mines which made I'D the
so-called North Sea barrage and an
nounced that a. least seventeen enemy
submerslbles We're known to nave come
TO grief IN attempting to pass through
this field
The American ships lad $3.50 of the
total number OF these American invent
ed and manufactured engines Of de-
structlon. The field averaged rs miles
IN width and nowhere was it less than
10 miles acsoss, an hours run for a
submarine. II safe course were
sought underneath, several lines of
mines would be found there equally
deep, and If the submarines went down
even deeper, mines were ready for them
'Heie, 100, and one touch was enough.
Obtained Quick Results
Before t. barrier was half way
across sand Captain Belknap, the
barrage began to yield results. Early
IN July, 1918, after the second excur-
SION OF the mine layers, and from time
TO Time reports would come of subma-
rlhes damaged or disappearing in that
area.
From the nature Of the case it NAV
never De known definitely how many
actually did come to grief there, but
the pest information gives probable
ten before the middle of October, with
a maj total of seventeen or more. In
addition to this toll the squadron
should be credited with two submarines
lost III the fields of British mines laid
by the Baltimore off the Irish coast
Inc American squadron arrived at
Inverness last May 26, ready to begin
operations, and twelve days later start
ed on Its nrst NINE planning excursion.
On these trips, which lasted from fortv
10 efgnty hours, the squadron was part
OF the brush grand l.ee., and 1or plo-
lection against submarines and raiding
cruisers, 1t was accompanied by British
destroyers and Dattleshlps or battle
cruisers
"On the second mining excursion
squadron was the support, consisting Of
tour American battleships, commanded
by Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman of the
Ghlted States navy, lii e.ao nassu.e
New York. One may imagine with
what feelings we saw our own ships
HE out Of Scapa Flow, form line and
slowly disappear in the haze as thew
swept of to the southeastward. 1t
wall be readily understood that the way
tn hc Il
Planters single well placed torpedo
or mine, or few enemy sne.4s, 1.ou-I
certainly finish one vessel, and prob
ably destroy all ten. Each mine plant
er carried from "a to l20 tons OF hlen
explosive, total of nearly 800 tons
IN the squadron, many times more unan
the amount that devastated Halifax.
Worked With British
Inc operation as whole was done
IN conjunction with a British mIne-lay-
ing squadron of four vessels, which
worked from a base at Grangemouth.
Edinburgh, under command of Rear
Admiral Clinton Baker, Of the royal
navy. The American and British mine
squadrons often went out at the same
time, under the protection Of the same
heavy squadron, but except on two oc-
caslons they always worked separately.
In Inherent parts of the barrage area
Altogether the American squadron
made fifteen excursions, the British
eleven and the barrage was
finished at the end of October. On
the first excursion the squadron plant
ed mine field forty-seven miles long,
containing 3,400 mines, in three hours
and thirty-six minutes. Everything
went without hitch. The new mine
installations worked perfectly. On this
hrst operation one ship emptled herself
of 675 mines without a single break
one mine every eleven and one-half
seconds through more than two hours.
the longest series ever planted any
where. The squadron was always ready
TO make excursions as fast as the mines
could be furnished, and never failed in
any operation.
"Not only that, the casualties were
very few. One man fell overheard at
sea from the Saranac and there were
four other deaths among the 100 l.l-..