Evening star., 1939-11-19

object or by electrical "antennae"
spreading out into the water around
them. Both types are used regularly
in the big mine fields. For the pro-
lection of channels which are under
may be arranged for discharging
electrically from shore when an
enemy vessel passes over or near
them.
Regular Practice.
Although mine-sWeeping did not
become a largescale operation until
toward the close of the World War,
and did not reach its height until
after signing Of the Armistlce, it
became a regular activity for both
Germany and the allies almost from
the first day in the present war.
The Navy Department. in an Of
fetal review of the minesWeeping
operations of the last war, pointed
out that even before the end of
the war was clearly in sight, it was
recognized that one of the most
seriously urgent duties of recon-
struction would be to clear the seas
of mines.
Few dangers more treacherous
than mines jeopardize the safety OF
ships and the lives of mariners in
time of peace, for aside from the
actual areas in which mines have
been laid, thousands of them break
adrift, and, carried by the wind and
intact tho fonin1, ,hnrinC
waters for miles around" the Navy
explained
Although the question of who
would be required to sweep the
| various areas of World War mines
| had been discussed for some time,
it was not until the latter part Of
october, 1918, just before the Armis-
tice, that definite consideration was
given to the problem. 1t was not
until October 81, 1918, that an allied
naval council was convened in Lon
don to consider what portions of
the mined areas should be cleared
by each nation.
Capt. r. c. Bulner and Capt. J.
w. Timmons were appointed men,
bers of the council to represent the
United States Navy.
With the exception Of the North
Sea mine barrage, the Dover bar
rage and the miscellaneous mine
| fields in the Helgoland Blight, the
contemplated mine-sWeeping oper-
ations in general consisted primar-
lily of exploratory sweeping to make
certain that the specified areas
through which shipping was to be
routed we're clear of mines.
Laid by United States Navy.
The North Sea barrage then, as
today, was primary consideration,
| for there alone were concentrated
more than 10000 American and
British mines, more than 80 per
cent of which had been laid by
the United States Navy. Aside from
the huge number, it was reported,
'the American mine presented al
most insurmountable difficulties
from standpoint of sweeping on
account of its novel type and sensi-
tive firing device" The United
States accepted the responsibility
of removing all the mines she had
laid, and Great Britain agreed to
remove her own mines.
THE tasks which faced the two
nations who had pledged them
selves to clear the North Sea bar
rage, were, however, vitality differ
ent," the Navy Department report
| nI s'TN hnni,, with fn11r v,
mines had been laid for every one
Great Britain had put down. Then,
too, Great Britain had had extern
sive experience during the war in
sweeping the same types of mines
which she had laid; she possessed a
class of mine-sWeeping vessels with
very shallow draft, specially con-
structed for work of exactly this ma
ture; and, moreover, the work to
be done was all within close proX-
unity of her coasts and operating
bases.
"On the other hand, there was
no known method of sweeping the
mines which the United States had
laid. Built on an entirely new prin-
ciple, these mines had made the
construction of the North Sea bar
rage possible, for a long antenna
stretching up above the mine en-
abled it to do the work for which
three or four had previously been
required. Now this same feature
became our greatest problem. With
the uppermost end of the antenna
at an average of to 10 feet below
the surface of the water, it was i'm
possible for steel vessel to pass
over and strike the mines without
exploding them. A piece of iron or
steel no longer than a nail was suf-
ficient to operate the delicate fir
ing mechanism"
Ahead of Battlers.
The British experience with mine
sweeping began early in the war,
through the necessity for clearing