Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-12
Subs Dare Death,
And Men Love 1t

IL AO ~ -
lare curved 20 fit a graceful hull.
and the cutting plants where little
hydraulic jacks bend great bars
OF molten steel as If they were
copper wire, we went 10 the docks
and boarded one Of Americas re-
conditioned submarines which are
holding the for" while the most
modern models are being prepared.
The war correspondents touring
American defense centers, at the
OF the National Associa-
ton of Manufacturers. wanted 70
know just what the life and ac-
tivities were for American boys
who enlisted in the navy and be-
came attached TO the submarine
service. and so we asked 10 be
taken on a dive.
From the narrow deck. as our
sub put out into Long Island
Sound. we climbed down through
a tube like a narrow well, after
noting on deck two buoys releas-
able from inside on which was
stamped the information:
Submarine sunk here. Tele-
phone inside"
TELEGRAPHIC CODE
Below decks we also noticed
that in every compartment one
wall plate was forged with the
continental telcgraphic code and
instructions that one rap on the
hull means a dot and two a dash.
Then the ports were closed and
we watched the three officers and
30 men prepare 10 Submerge.
A small board glittercd with
lights which turned. one by one,
from red 10 Grccn- AS the ports
were closed
Both control room and torpedo
room were crowded with sailors
in dungareeS, each a a particular
post and suddenly Lieut. Donald
F. Weiss, captain Of the sub said
crisply:
Prepare 10 dive"
A siren screamed. Men called
instructions over telephones. The
throb of the big Diesels ceased. A
sailor at a big dial called;
Forty feet. sir"
Captain Weiss held her there.
cruising along beneath the sur
face, with the pcriScope just pro-
truding above the choppy waves
You could SEQ barge in tow of
a tug through II. and two.nasted
schooner.
DUMMY TORPEDO
Up in the torpedo room the
crew went through the routinev~al
attacking the schooner. * ep
that instead Of using "A real tor
pedo. Of which ycNera were
aboard they merely released the
compressed afr charge into
water-filled torpedo tube That's
known az water slug and
through the pcriscope YOU can see
" spout from the surface.
Hard dive" Captain Weiss
suddenly shouted and as the
siren shrickcd again and men
performed lightning maneuvers.
] set myself for a terrifying
rush through the deep. Only the
day before | hurtled 1000 feet
in a navy dive bomber al Buff
falo. \ Y. and ! thought this
dive might be as thrilling.
But while ! SUI waited faulty
for the thrill l heard a sailor
Crisply report
"Seventy-five feet. sir"
There just WASH any sensation
at all We drl'ed on down then
until with 2 barely noticeable jar.
the sub settled gently In The mud.
4 this depth there was no feeling
OF cloSone>s
Some men with no immediate
duties drank coffee N tho COM
partmcnr adjoining tho control
room and others smoked at their
posts.
bOt.N't
Bubble in one CAPTAIN
Weiss commanded and there
was a tremendous kissing as
sailor turned q valve which re-
leased compressed air a bubble
into tho main ballast tank.
known aboard ship as one " The
depth dial showed that this was
slowly lifting rs toward the sur
face. but We couldn't feel any
motion e.s,
Suddenly tHr- lights went out
and the electric engines were
stilled Stimulating what would
happen if a depth charge had been
dropped by an enemy destroyer.
"Shift 10 hand" Captain Weiss
called. and the men began OPP
Grating the elevators with big
hand wheels and the hclmsman
turned 10 a hand tiller
Under their guidance We drifted
within 30 feet Of the surface be-
fore Captain Weiss gave his most
exciting order:
stand by for battle surface"
ACTION IN \ HURRY
Sirens. shouted orders then the
lower port Of the coming tower
opened Five mon. tho gun crew.
-. .-.,, .,...,.r.I