The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-03

~ NE of the spoils Of war which
the British authorities are ex.
hibiting to a wondering public
is German U-boat testing dock; and
the inquiring citizen is informed that
this particular craft was one Of the
agencies that made it possible for the
Teutons to be certain that their SUBJ
marines were physically fit for the
strenuous service expected Of them.
Instead Of being the novelty de.
scribed by English papers, the U-boat
dock at Harwich is in principle
nothing more nor less than an adapta-
ton, an infringement Of a patented
submarine auxiliary developed some
years before the war by that inge.
NOUS engineer, Major Cesare Lau-
remit. When hard put to 1t, as
the Kaiser's Admiralty undoubtedly
was, the technicists of the Imperial
Ministry of Marine did not hesitate to
crib the ideas of the Italian inventor.
They modified the original design
somewhat to suit the circumstances
secular to the German coast on which
the dock was expected to act at times.
That Is to say. the structure was
made more seaworthy so that II might
play its part in salvage work of
shore. II necessary.
Poor Contraction Costs Lives.
Something less than two years ago.
q was officially stated in England
that many Teuton U-boats had
been lost on account Of struc-
turai weaknesses That is to say,
because OF the haste in which they
were built defects were overlooked and
these invited disaster when the ves-
sells got out in the open ocean and
were called upon to make deep dives
TO avoid the ceaselessly watchful de-
stroyers and other anti-submarine
craft. This was probably true OF the
Kaiser's sea asps turned out during
the earlier years of the war, but bitter
experience, the sacrifice Of crews and
boats. brought home to Admiral Won
could never be won by throwing away
precious lives and material Aside
from that, the needless hazards
courted in this way provoked discon-
tent and even mutiny.
Accordingly, one or more testing
docks were constructed. These were
used thereafter continually for the
purpose of trying out the submarines
in the security of Germany's harbors.
and yet under conditions that simu-
lated up to a point the physical
stresses characteristic of maximum
designed submergence In the hostile
zones of action. Besides this. the
cocks were planned to serve as salvage
auxiliaries in raising U-boats that
could be reached without much fear
OF interference from British patrolling
hotillas.
Thereafter. every Teuton under
water craft was thus carefully ex-
amined in pecfect safety before she
was sent forth upon her maiden voy-
ege and. likewise. from time to time
che was quickly and effectually tested
after trying period of sea service
particularly II her hull had been
NTcChoo ny COillSlOH Win luc bcdDeu
or violently shaken by the detonations
of powerful depth bombs. There is
every reason to believe that few II
any U-boats were lost by reason Of
physical shortcomings or imperfect
workmanship subsequently TO the pro-
viding OF this special type OF docks.
This fact Is one that should be OF great
interest to every American that has
the welfare OF our own submarine
hotillas and their personnels at heart
Unfortunately, we have nothing akin
&C this sort Of testing and salvage
equipment, and this lack is one that
may cost US dear at any time.
Our own Deficiency.
The Navy Department has not been
unaware OF our deficiency. but has
made only one effort to fill the gap,
and then strangely asked To have the
fund provided applied In a different
direction. To be specific, Congress, by
me naval appropriation bill OF March
4. 1913. contained this item: For
construction or purchase of a testing
and wrecking pontoon for submarines,
10 be available until expended, $780,
o00." A little less than a year later
Mr. Daniels asked authority to aban-
don the building of the so-called
-xrecking pontoon" and to be allowed
10 use the money instead on subma-
rine boats. 1t is worth while quoting