Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-19

were SLymicu Dy the ouOrkel
subs that appeared In small
numbers during the closing
months Of the war.
Red Subs Have Snorkels
Virtually all the Russian subs
now have snorkels-the device
that permits the sub to lie sup-
merged. breathing" through a.
tube raised above the surface
but advances in ASW tech
niques and equipment during
recent years make 1t likely that
snorkel subs attacking conveys
or naval ships could be stopped.
1t would require a multiplica-
ton Of present ASW forces, but
in a submarine war Of attrition.
there would be time to do this.
Lots Of ships would be sunk.
but in the long run, more subs
than ships would go to the
bottom.
But missile warfare brings al
totally new problem to ASW
and present techniques cannot
solve it.
A sub attacking shipping
must penetrate a screen thrown
around a convoy. Outside the
screen the sub is no more HARM
full than If 1t had stayed home.
But a missile sub can cruise
to any point of the coast, fire
and creep away. Any sub on
the loose is a danger, not toI
a few ships, but to a few cities
ASW forces can protect con-
voys and naval ships. They can
not md that lone missile sub
headed for the coast.
Devices Limited
Most detection still must be
visual. Radar, sonar (the un-
derwater listening device).
MAD I'm a gnetic detection
equipment) and ECM (inter-
ception Of the subs broadcast
ing) Just aren't good enough.
No other detection devices now
exist.
All the devices have short
range, most don't work well in
bad weather and some are
follled by undersea phenomena
which are not fully understood.
A sub can dive within sight
of a destroyer. but the des-
troyer's sonar frequently will
be unable to hear the sub. A
tracker plane can shadow a
sub with its MAD gear, but
MAD cannot find the sub in
the first place. Radar viii work
only if the sub is obliging
enough to show itself above
water ECM is useless if the
sub isn't broadcasting.
Task Group Alta is of value
principally because Admiral
Thach and his men have de-
veloped new techniques of in
terlocking use of detection de-
vices on ships, subs. planes
and helicoptefs. Weaknesses Of
each device are cancelled out |
by the strengths Of others.
But range is still a problem.
ASW detection ranges are mea-
sured in yards. To find the lone
missile sub. effectiveness must
be measured in miles.
The Navy has two other
groups like Alta. both in the
Atlantic. In addition, every
ship and plane in the Navy
has an ASW capability. al
though not an intergrated
capability as in the case of
Task Groups. Alta. Bravo and !
Charlie. each with a carrier,
seven destroyers. two SUBJ
marines. tracker and patrol !
planes and helicopters.
Sees Defense Possible
Admiral Thach, who first was
tagged as a conner" in the |
Navy when he devised extreme
ly effective fighter plane tao
tics during World War II, be-
lieves this country can have !
a reasonably effective defense
against subs If it will spend
more money developing known |
devices and techniquqes.
Admiral Burke, the Joint
Chiefs and civilian leaders in |
the Pentagon believe, on the |
other hand, that a technical
oreakthrough in detection, iden-
tification and tracking devices
is needed before large sums |
should be spent on ASW.
Admiral Thach doubts that |