Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-02-02
BAT TLE5H|p REMAINS
NAVAL POWERS STANDARD
DcStrOyerS Have Ma,ic Submarine
Ineffective Against Great
Surface Fleets.
U-BOAT'S PREMIER VICTORY
Sinking OF Three British Cruisers in
North Sea Early in War Accounted
Greatest Triumph Of Gcrinany's
Submcrsiblc.,

,nre of the submarine? In it's present
form. Ii has small future The Ereat
menace 1t presented a; The beginning
OF the war is definitely ended. The
destroyer which once wiped the tor
pedo boat OH the worlds naval CON
Siruction budgets. has Tepca ed this for
the submarine.
Nava, experts believe that as an arm
OF he fleet, submarines could operate
effectively in a fleet engagement but
alton with the stronger i,ee;. Destroy.
crs have shown how helpless an instr,i-
mcnt of warfare the submarine Is. ani
IL is only under tac protection of de-
stroycrs that submarines could oper-
ate effectively in a fee: action.
DECISION Of SiBMtRiNE
ISSUE: ONE o;' WARS FEATURES
For naval authorities. the decision
lesson that tao wrr on the sea has
taught. Il was not long ago that Sir
Percy scott, one Of the British navys
greatest experts, said:
The Introduction OF vessels that
swim under the waters has entirely
done away with IN" utility of ships
that sail on top Of the water. Money
spent on Drcadnoug'h;s is just muca
money thrown into the sea
Even in our own navy. there have
been competent officers who held that
with plenty OF raw material and plenty
OF submarines, nations position in
the family Of nations. YVES iu,pregnabic.
To-day the error Of ;his position has
heeu demonstrated beyond rofuta:ion
II IS still the hatt'cship which deter
mines supremacy al sea. Despite all
the fr!ls and novelties which the pres
equipment If the navy. il is still the
battlcShip which rules the sea.
SUBMARINE NOT YET
TRULY 4 SUBMARINE
III. trouble with the submarine in
rs present; stage o: DEVELOPMENT is
. ,,g,- 60, brr,a t-.
|: may be that some day. a war
vessel vii! be invented which is able
10 navigate continuously under wafer
leaving no traces Of rs presence on
the surface and q; the same time keel
the surface under constant observation.
when that day comes, the issue Wi!
have TO be thresh"d out all over again
with Ia. ODDS more than even that
the present-day champions Of the sub
marine VIII he promptly vind:da;ed
In rs present stage however tho
even when il Is nav!isa iinG submerged
aud no, using its periscope. The
the faint irridesccnt shecn of the oil"
make il leaves on the surface. and
den,h charges. dropped son,e Nifty
ticaIiy certain to prove effective. AS
Tor Eeriscon.S, even in ebony sea
in which the wh!tecaps tend TO con
Der;ec"pe. time and again The sub
marin" HIS been located and depth
MUST SrEND HOTRS ON
SURFACE RECIiARGING
EVn When IL escapes. it must some
wheft, within radius Of some 80 or
40 miles break surface 10 rccharGe it's
batteries: an operation which requires
several hours. Through the resi- o.
face for he purpose o: saving It's
batteries and here Il can be attacked
BY other submarines
NJ present the submarine is sur
face craft. which submcrges only when
absolutely necessary. and which. even
when Submerged, is not always CON
ceal.d
TIE first problem of enemy sub
, ~. ,h IN ins great war was to crUm-
tered their Efforts in this direction.
Their second task was 10 crumble the
mercantile heets OF the allies. De
slroyers-as soon u.s. enough of them
We're ailabie-countered this effort
o, les roy, r"HsEs Won :, clean-cut victory
lied submarines would have contInnr,l
10 do II varied and a valuable work II
INC war had lasted. but they could
WORK only because there were no enemy
destroyers on the seas to stop them
nniiism CRUISERS
, Tn tragedy OF the Aboukir, the
ish cruisers which were torpedoed in
III. Noi- Sea little more than Il Ino:,ih
..it.r the war started. is the sub
marines greatest achievement i'm the
direction o. crumblinr the grand fleet
Since that day the grand lcct rou y,sj
ne North Sea absolutely immune from
inune was the DESTROYER
Nhen 1T Went 10 sea--and il spent
hitif Or its Time AT seat moved sur
rounded by vast screen OF dcstroyers.
II any German submarine ever penr-
rated mat screen. IT was vammed and
SUNK by one OF the cruiser screen which
surrounded the bat.lc.hips themselves
~, me nc, -, SANE, me part which dcstroyers
p pimys i IN rendeting me grand fleet i'm
chantnen immune. Ear.y in The war.
all the British des.royers which w.
n Fn = n s;, 70 ihs hcH; We're needed
10" Keeping l;:itain's line tC, Franc.
open. Doubtie the LuSiiani, would
hcveF nave been sank had destroyyrs
"S.i ava liabie 10 escort he:. When
Su'hc'eht dcStroycrS er. available fnr
convoy escort. shipping losses d.
creased
ao"k TINT; ron DJiSTMENY
TO COMiil'SICiTG NEEDS
II hgGuiTed some time for destroye:s
20 adlnsi themselves 20 The problem
~ Safeguarding merchantmen hut in
iinhc IL was done exactly on the same
lines as the fleet was Safecn,rdaI :,
first. dcs;roycrs were sen; to na,rni
areas OF sea but under this system
me shipping was still left open 10 al
~ tarh. me nea:cSt DESTROYER having to
ne Summoned by wireless when Inc
attack began '"e
.o IT was $50. som" time later when the
he effect OF forcing enemy sub,narincs
iS. come where the destroycrs were
Ihcre were tremndous dangrs TO br
avoided in the navigation OF convoys
but convoy with its surrounding as
cori OF desiroycrs was in the same
position as the fleet with It's far
nung TANKS Of dcstroyers. ANA cnioycd
much of the immunity from submarine
attncks which tne fleet enjoyed.
The destroyer itself 10 immune from
submarine attack owing to it's light
draft and liz high speed. \ to-pcdo 10
eve IT the maximum amount of de-
-ndability. must he Sc. TO run az n
depth Of about fifteen feet but de-
@troyers only draw from eight TO ten
feet
MANY ATFE.NPrS MADE
TO SINK AMERICAN CRAFT
OF the scores OF American destroyers
that nave been operating in the war
zone, almost clA at some time or other
have had a torpedo fired at them. bu,
only one has been iorpcdocd.
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