The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-06-26
USED SEA LIONS
TO HUNT "SUbS"
British Archives Reveal a
Fantastic Story of 'U-
Boat" War Menace.


while "hush hush" methods that
were used to combat the German
submarine menace have become
known since the war, but II may
be doubted whether many people
have heard Of the attempts made
in 1917 to train sea lions TO act
as "U-boat retrievers."
Fantastic as this may sound, the
archives Of the admiralty contain
the full story which, In spite Of the
grim purpose behind II all, has dis
tinctly humorous elements.
Early in 1917 there occurred to
an officer of the British navy the
ingenious idea Of training sea lions
to stalk submarines Just as the
sportsman's intelligent dog points
the presence of q bird and thus
gives his master the opportunity
for a shot.
Once a U-boat has submerged its
whereabouts becomes largely a mat
ter of guesswork, and depth
charges have TO be dropped more or
less at random.
FNShhS SShSS ~
Now the sea lion, besides being
most intelligent creature. is gift
ed with a wonderfully acute sense
Of hearing. Hopes were therefore
cherished that it could be trained
to detect the noise set up by the
electric motors Of a submerged
U-boat. The sea lion-to whose
body was attached a line towing q
bladder buoy which bodied above
the surface would then swim
round the submarine, thereby be-
traying its presence TO the patrol
craft above and offering an easy
mark for depth charges.
What would have happened 10
the "sea retriever" when the 800
pound T. n. T. began to explode
In the depth is not told in the Off
cial report, but may easily be i'm
agined.
Experiments were conducted ar
Bala lake, North Wales, headquar-
tiers being established at Glanllyn,
the fishing lodge of Sir Watkin VIII
liams Wynn. Near at hand were
erected STABLES" for fifty OF the
sea lions. "Queenie," one Of the
first to be successfully trained. was
a female about three years old. lent
by the London Geological society.
One Of her partners was "Billiken."
well known on the music hall stage.
who was considered the brightest
specimen of the herd. The selec-
ffnr, nf GgIlna t+v-ff rs 4ha -
an elderly female sea lion seems
queer, but not more so than the
labelling of very nervous and shy
young male as "JofIe-"
Queenie Apt Pupil.
The animals were given prelim-
mary instruction in a swimming
pool, where their receptivity 70 va
rious sounds under water was test
ed. Queenie proved a particularly
apt pupil, and as each successful
attempt she made was rewarded By
generous meal OF fish she soon
became an enthusiast for the game.
A wire muzzle was placed over her
mouth TO prevent her from chss-
ing fish.
At Bala she was taken out into
the lake in a launch and released
from her crate. Some distance
from the launch a sound producing
mechanism, inclOsed in a metal
case, was suspended well below
the surface from a buoy. More often
than not the sea lion would start
swimming straight towards the
sound producing apparatus. so
yards away, a few moments after
the mechanism had been set in mo-
ton. On reaching the point where
the "buZZer" was submerged. the
animal invariably stopped, and then
began swimming around in circles.
Had the sounds been produced by
a submarine there would have been
no difficulty in dropping depth
charges almost on top Of the YES
sci. The range was gradually ex-
tended, until it was found that a
well-trained sea lion would detect
and make for the buzzer up 10 a
distance of nearly three miles.
Leaps on Boat.
One example OF Queenie's intel
ligence and agility may be cited.
After having made a successful
point" she would swim straight
back to the boat, leap on TO the
gunwale, and instantly Chamber for
ward along the narrow Cunwale 10
where a bucket of fish was kept
AS the boat was moving at a speed
of seven miles an hour, and the
distance from surface 10 gunwale
was about three feet, a successful
leap called for considerable judg-
ment, but Queenie never made 4
false jump.
To what further stage these
singular experiments were carried.
and whether, in the end. the sea
lions were actually used for the
detection of submarines, is still a
secret kept by the naval authorl-
ties.
All manner of mysterious anti
submarine methods are still being
tried out by the admiralty, and
startling rumors OF what has been
accomplished are heard in the naval
ports from time TO time. II Is con-
ceivable, therefore, that the public
may one day learn 10 its bewilder-
ment that a flotilla OF trained sea
lions has been added TO the per