Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-16
"z|GCzAG" SUCCESSFUL
DEFEATING SUBMARINES
One OF tho Ways in Which the
C-BoatS We're Out
generated.
PLANS OF BRITISH ADMIRALTY
Some Were Short and Could Bc
Completed Quickly, While Others
Required Several Hours TO Exc
cute in Escaping Submersitles.
ny CLAIR PlsINl.::.

cute in Escaping Snbmersities.
by CLAIR PRICE.
LONDON. Feb. l5.-The word zig gag
has an aimless, hapAazard sound which
completely bellies its real nature. For
none of the multplc devices which
have helped 20 defeat the submarine
was more highly organized than the
device OF the Z.gzaG.
There were a large number of zis
Gags. varying in comp!cNity with IN"
danger OF the area III which they were
10 be used. Tncy were devised by the
British Admiralty and made known 10
convoy shippers AZ the class which pre-
ccdcd the departure OF each convey.
fomc o. them were simple ziszaSs
which could nc completed IN 4 few
minutes. Some were long. complicated
..Ezass which required hours for their
completion. Their value consisted IN
;ho fact tina; the Hun submarine COM
your ship, didn't know your ziGzas. \ /
nc knew was that YOU were changing
course 80 frequently that he vas COM
PEELED 10 waste hours OF va Iva n!c time
IN taking fresh bearings
VALUE OF SCHEME
SHOWN IN RESULTS
lust how valuable the ziszas has
rroren may be shown by tho Ia. ;hat
twenty Was SUNK when ziSzagGiMs. ami
probably THAI one was NOS Ca. r%ugs
cut Z real aiszas.
@aE. II had 20 be balanced over against
me Joss OF timc-and hence the loss
sTcai danger i; involved when car.
i;ce out in convoy at night Grca; -
tnese disadvantages we're, especially
me latter, the balance was unquest;oI,-
any IN favor OF the %iGIag. During
Toe war. more than 100 .ships es-
.aped from known submarine attacks.
10 the ziEHaE.
Inc ziszaS proved most spectacular
A. night, when ships stcaninE in toi-
nation without running lights. altered
course on a time schedule. and trusted
70 TUCK ana their thermometers TIA
tHsre would he no collision. The lux
uI0n always work. Tor there have
Pncn Collisions By night, but it worked
often enough 10 vindicato the Hi.Za.
SIGNALS ARE FLASHED
TO INFORM CAPTAINS
ma S.ne twenty merchantmen and
a u armed escort Of, lot us say arbi-
trarily without reference to what I'M,
i lac: may be, half msmv men or
war Each ship, both mcrchantman
non to keep in the formation OF the
S nn,irc h"ct As night fcil. the com
rno,io o. tnc convoy siSnaled a cor
Noy and TO all the escort craft; Eve"y
c'oCh was put right TO the second
ne entire fleet. showing not a single
light plowcd on into the nigh, he
mcrchantmen cndcavoring TO Keen sta
lion in the formation and tho men or
luclr own movements
throuSh certain specified areas OF sea
ahcad or. astcrn of and on both flanks
OF tho convoy
mssine moonlcss night with thick
clouds and quiet sea. The officers on
Whtch on tho bridges can barely sec
,ne!E own bows They know that at
certain distances "r into the night
there arc certain other ships. but they
can't sec them. II one Of the other
snipS get out OF its station, ii thing
wnieh Is likely TO happen at any time.
n
which most merchantmen arc built
there is no way of knowing il until
II looms UP so close aboard that "sis
mails hraEs his blnkcr-,ubc TO talk
to il in silent. violent morse
Let US say further. without any ref
erehcc 10 what the actual facts may
night zigzass directs an alteration OF
course ciEhi points At 10 O'Clock.
COURSE Is ALTERED
EIGHT POINTS by CLOCK
pF oa,n,; a; 10 O'clock every ship in
and tho escort shifts ,its helm ac-
cordinEly. II one ships within the
CONVOY fails 10 alter course promptly
iainiy az night is night. There is no
way by which tho others OF the convoy
may know of its failure, There is
nothing 10 do but to alter course and
trust 10 luck.
The 81 me maneuvcr may be rcpca ted
midniSht, al A. NJ. and Il; \. NJ.
Al! through inc night there are pos
sib!lities OF disaster which would turn
an old soaman's hair white. Bu, in
held r. j.
Just whar.-tr,r acceptance of all this
risk did toward ioiinG enemy sun.
marines may he illustrated by tho cx-
pcr!cnce OF senior eScotr officer who
came inic tho base recently after a
run with convoy. Two nights be
foor his radio shack heard a suhna.
rine astcrn OF him giving his course
10 another submarine ahead OF him
Doubtless the submarine aStcrn had
htcn trying to intercept him for most
or the afternoon, bu, had been UNI
able to make out his course. !: cx-
pcctcd. however that with the fall OF
night the convoy would hold to it's
cousre until dawn. and, an the basis
OF its course at sunset, it's probable
noSition at dawn had been cnarted.
Had the convoy behaved as the sub
marine expected II to its interruption
by another submarine at dawn would
have been ch,ld's play.
JUNIOR OFFICER HEARS
SUBMARINES TALKING
AZ dawn. however. after chanGin (.
course certain number Of times dur
ing the night, the senior cscor; officer
heard the TWO submarines talk.nS
again. Apparently one OF them was
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