Evening star., 1939-10-10
Nv SIMON LAKE.

under any blockade that can be es-
tablished by surface craft?
Depth Bcmb Limited Weapon.
AS was noted earlier, the depth
bomb is a severely limited weapon,
and the hydrophone-the only means
by which surface craft can possibly
detect a submerged submarine and
aim" its depth bomb-works better
for the undersea craft. In addition.
no ship can be armored sufficiently
to Withstand a blow from under
meath.
The submarine has other capa-
bilities and potentialities which
make the future of the convey sys-
tem-on which Britain is relying so
Neutrality-suspicious..
The modern submarine is a YES
sci that can be built to almost any
size desired. Just before the United
States entered the last war against
Germany, I was negotiating with
the German government, for which
I had done work before, for the
construction of submarines that
would carry 5000 tons of cargo.
Our declaration of war, Of course,
ended the negotiations.
Reich Has Small U-BOats.
Germany's fleet of submarines,
according to the information have.
consists mainly of small U-boats.
saw none there over 500 or 600
tons and longer than $50 feet.
These craft carry six 21-inch tor
pedoes weighing about l ton each
and each one capable of destroying
battleship-and make about 16
knots on the surface and 10 knots
under water This is slow, but the
only time q submarine needs speed
is when it is submerging. Modern
submarines can submerge, while
travelling at 16 knots on the surface,
to periscope depth (about 28 feet
in less than one minute. A sub
marine I built in the early 1920s
did it in 56 seconds, and that time
has since been bettered.
These submarines are built to
operate chiefly in the North Sea
and the English Channel. They
have to stay close to their source
of supplies. It is perfectly obvious
that such submarines, operating in
sufficient force, can block any har-
Dor entrance or sea estuary that
the controlling power desires.
Once the submarine became
soundless and fired soundless, in
visible torpedoes that sped through
the water without leaving any
streak, the only means of detect
ing it while submerged was through
its periscope. The periscope left
wake if the submarine was travel
ing at periscope depth. But it is
perfectly possible to build a peri
scope that will leave no wake. I
know, because I have built one.
Periscope Unseen Now.
The periscope is little arm about
as large across as silver dollar,
camouf1aged and hugging the sur
face of the sea. It is practically
impossible to see, and yet there is
just that bare possibility. However,
science can now obviate even that.
I know-and, again, from my own
research-that a submarine can be
made that would be able to see
ship on the surface even while the
submarine itself was submerged to
depth Of 200 feet or more. Not
only can it be made able to see
the ship, but it can also fire on it
from the bottom of the sea. Then,
indeed, will ships be spurlos versenkt
(sunk without trace. They will
never know what hit them and will
never be able to find out.
Against such submarines, all the
convey system does Is offer more
targets and greater opportunity for
damage. Such submarines could
not only smash or seriously cripple
a blockade, but set up a blockade Of
their own. In the last war undersea
mines and vast systems Of heavy
chain nets were used to keep sub
marines from harbor mouths, but
submarines can be equipped readily
with antennae that will feel out
the mines. Once submarine To-
Gates a mine, it can send diver out
to capture" it and take it home for
q souvenir.
Submarines can also be equipepd
to lift nets, or, If the nets are
too heavily weighted, there is Moth
ing to prevent them from feeling
them out and sending diver ahead
to cut through them with torch.
AS a man who has devoted his
life to the submarine, I can say
that these are grim truths that I
have been relating, and there is no
cheer in them for me. relish the
defensive prowess of the submarine,
and I shall always remember with
Joy what Admiral Sims told me in
1882, after the Japanese had gone
up the river back Of Shanghai and
blown holes into the city with their
ships.
IT the Chinese had had two of the
submarines you built 20 years ago."
the admiral said, ''the Japanese
wouldn't have come within so miles
Of that river"
But the submarine has become a
dark, almost invincibly deadly thing,
striking with tremendous force from
impenetrable cover. 1 envisaged-
and still do-a gentler use for it.
Some day the submarine will make
man richer. It will take food from
the sea for him and oil and gold
and coal and radium, all Of which
have been discovered in great masses
at the bottom Of the sea. Some
day, when var viii be no more.