Evening star., 1943-05-23

water had haunted the minds of
inventors since early in the 17th
century and had proved fatal to
several. The modern submarine is
an American invention. David
Bushnell's Turtle, invented In l776
and used during the Revolution in
an unsuccessful attempt to blow up
British man-o'-war in New York
harbor, embodied all the funda-
mental principles Of modern sub
marine contraction. Robert Fulton
offered the idea first to Napolean,
and then to the British Prime
Minister, Pitt, but, though he
demonstrated his craft by blowing
up an old ship. he obtained no re-
cognition for his submarine.
After the disastrous sinkings
along the East Coast in the present
war the Navy organized air patrols
for the purpose of locating and re-
porting the positions of enemy sub
marines. The patrols are principally
made up of civilian and Navy pilots,
who fly light bombers or observation
planes. This organization has been
| very successful, and, as result,
many a commander Of a German
undersea craft will never see his
fatherland again.
Other Counter Blows.
Another counter blow is being
thrown against the submarine
menace by the Navy's new destroyer
escorts. These small, slender ships
are slightly slower than ordinary
destroyers, but are highly maneu-
verable, which gives them the ad-
vantage In close combat with sub
marines.
Still another effective anti-sub-
marine development has been the
built corvette, lightly
armed but nimble little vessel that
does the work of a destroyer on
convoy duty. Many corvettes have
given good accounts of themselves
at sea, some having bagged two or
more U-boats apiece. -
On. .rdestroyersr and corvettes,
and even in planes, the main Weap-
on against submarines IS the depth
| charge. These charges contain 200
pounds of TINT, and are set to
explode at a certain depth. When
a plane is attacking an undersea
craft, it drops the depth charges
7 in a spasmodic pattern over the
! last reported position of the sub.
On destroyer. the method is by
rolling the charges off the stern or
by the "Y" gun.
The British merchant fleet is
protected from subs by the Royal
Navy and the Coastal Command,
whose aircraft have disposed of
scores of Hitler's U-boats. This air
arm is under the direct supervi-
sion of the Admiralty.
Effect of Attacks.
You may wonder if these attacks
have any effect on the submarine
personnel of the German Navy. It
does, for not long ago a significant
little news dispatch slipped out
of Berlin, past the censor's guard.
In it, a German submarine COM
mander was quoted as saying that
he was finding it harder and
harder" to operate successfully in
the Allied shipping lanes. AS the
world has seen, the reduction in
ship losses proves this statement to
be true.
One important Improvement in
U-boat tactics has been noted re-
Gently, however. Where, former
ly, submarines usually travelled
alone, they now tend to haunt in
wolf packs" of six, IL or even Is
vessels, trailing convoy and at
tacking it and retreating alter
nately in battles with the escort
vessels that sometimes last two or
| three days.
Our shipping lanes must be care
fully guarded from marauding sub
marines. If every American citizen
will help to supply the Navy with
material by buying War bonds and
stamps, the war will be shortened,
and many of our soldiers, and the
soldiers of our Allies will return
sooner to their homes and families.