Evening star., 1920-03-29
SUBMARINE FORCE
INADEQUATE WHEN
! WAR WAS STARTED
Rear Admiral Grant States
&, Conditions at Hearing Be-
I fore Committee.

The Navy's submarine force was en-
tirely inadequate to meet the demands
of war against Germany. Rear Ad-
miral A. w. Grant. formerly in COM
mand of the Atlantic fleet submarine
force, testified today before the Senate
committee investigating the Nays
conduct of the war.
The submersibles. he said. were too
small, of widely different types, of
small radius of action, inadequate1y
armed and poorly designed as to en-
gines.
1T took nearly two years of prop
aganda to get the Navy Department
to realize the Importance of building
submarines capable of combating the
So0-ton German U-boats." the wit
ness declared
Admiral Grant said that soon after
the United States entered the war he
was instructed to prepare and send
fifteen submarines abroad. He told
the department, he declared. that If
such an expedition arrived at the
Azores Islands safely the vessels
would have to be laid up for repairs
practically all of the time. as they
had been since they were commits s.
8ioned.
Four Started Overseas.
An expedition of four submarines.
however, finally started overseas. the
admiral said. although one TX" type
boat had to be towed to the rendez-
vous becaus neither engine would run.
He read the log of the trip to the
Azores to show the continued engine
troubles and minor casualties that
characterized the trip.
When the submersibies reached the
Azores the XII was entirely disabled.
both engines being. out of commits
sion. the officer said; the K-2 was
available for limited service. the KS
slightly better of and the KS en-
tirely ready for duty.
Pre-war plans for the use Of sub
marines contemplated their operation
from bases on the coast OF the United
States. Rear Admiral Grant said.
Most of the opposition to his plan
for larger submersibles before the war
came from the Navy general board.
the officer said.
No Suitable Submarines.
Had we any submarines In April.
1917, suitable to meet the needs and
conditions of the war;" asked Senator
keyes, republican, New Hampshire.
We had not" replied the witness.
when did you first begin advo-
eating building larger types Of sub
In 1915" was the reply.
did you receive any support from
the department? asked the chairman.
Il did not" Rear Admiral Grant re-
piled.
Did you receive any support from
snybodyr asked Senator Pittman,
democrat. Nevada.
Not one Of the twenty-four vessels
in force one could have remained
afioat II it had received a serious
underwater blow" in August, 1917,
Rear Admiral Grant said.
Defective Bulkheads.
II think / am making a conserva-
tive statement when I say that not a
ship In the force had completely
watertight bulkheads at that (time,"
the witness said.
He had difficulty In getting the de-
paTtment to agree 80 the extensive
repairs necessary to place these ves-
sells in efficient condition, the admiral
testified.
IF the German fleet had broken
through the British fleet In the sum-
mer of. 1917. would your force have
been in condition to meet the enemy?"
asked Chairman Hale.
We would have gone out and done
the best we could, but 1t wouldn't
have been much" was the reply.