The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-09-29
GERMAN WARSHIPS
NOT SUPERIOR TO
AMERICAN CRAFT
Examination Being Made
of All Captured Enemy
Fighting Ships.

Washington, Sept. c9.-DetaiIed
examination OF surrendered German
ULboats built during the war has
produced nothing 10 forecast import
ant changes in American submarines,
officers at the Navy Department as
sert- after careful study CT the Ger
man craft and thorough test in
the long cruise across the Atlantic
experts have found only few I'M
Important. details worthy of incor-
porating il new American undersea
craft.
In periscopes and optical fittings
) the German boats were superior to
pre-war American. submersibles, it
was admitted. Periscopes on new
perior to the best -similar fittings
= found on the captured vessels. it was
said t.fe.s .--
The engine equipment of the Ger
man boats were praised by American
I officers, but it was declared that the
mechanical plants of the enemy craft
were in no respect superior to those
already in use in the United States
Navy. In many points, particularly
that sof mechanical simplicity, room
mess of comfort for the crew, the
American boats are regarded as su-
perioreto the German craft.
Examination. of the surface vessels
surrendered by Germany and brought
to the United States recently is now
in progress Other German vessels
of all classes had been previously
CdTeIully lnSpeCLEu ny AItltIlSdh VI
$ fieers abroad and officials at the de-
partnent declared that they did not
expect the inspection of the cruiser
Osfriesland and the destroyers al
located to this country to develop
any important new construction
methods in the American navy
in one respect the German ships
won the Praise of many officers at
the department. This was the use of
solid water-tight bulkhSads between
subdivisions of the Iulls below the
decks No doors for communication
below were found in the German
ships, the members of the crew being
forced to go up and over" to move
from zone compartment to another.
1t Mas this construction that kept
German vessels in the fight at the
been severely punished by British
fire, officers said. The idea has been
advocated by school of American
naval officers for years and has been
extent of placing solid bulkheads be-
tween ffrerooms.
Opponents of the solid bulkhead
theory declare ease and rapidly OF
more, valuable than elaborate precau-
tionY-to prevent the passage of water
froInEone compartment to another
in-fpe event of hits below the water
line-, ~
AZ feature of the German ships
that somewhat surprised American
officers was the lack of provisions
for the comfort of the crews. Off
GERS quarters were. found to be about
on par with those in the American
navy, but little attention has beer
paid to the enlisted men. The larger
ships had cooking Accommodation
for hut small part of the battle
crew, it was said, and it was be.
lievede that the ships were construct
eds-on. the theory that any engage.
mani Sthey participated in would be
within short distance of the homo
port, 2probably in the North Sea, a.
the bunk capacities were very limit
cdr =
During periods of inaction the mer
were housed ashore I'm barracks ant
during periods at sea of any dura
tion they were poorly supplied will
hot food Contrasted with the elab
crate fgaHeys and bakeries on Ameri
cam ships, with provisions for Ions
cruises at. sea away from supply bases
the German craft werep rimitive, i
was said.
The finaIN disposition to be made o
the German vessels has not been de
cided.8 They will either be broken Ill
at navy yardss or used as targets TO
the fleets.