SUBMARINE TO FIGHT SUBMARINE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3197, 22 September 1917, Page 9

SUBMARINE TO FIGHT SUBMARINE

A WAY TO BEAT THE U-BOATS

NEW OFFENSIVE SUGGESTED

The problem of tho destruction of the German submarine ha; jioL yet been solved (says Dr. It. Aiitma, tiio Dutch publicist, in. the "Daily Mail"). The latest news indicates, it is true, a decrease in tho number of meichuuuuc-n sunk, but tho reports are less encouraging so far as France is coucerne , !. At any rate, the number of merchantman sunk is still appallingly groat. Without forgetting for oiia moment the cxcolknt measures taken by !he Admiralties to combat the evil, suoh as metal nets, small surface vessels, seaplaiius, and tho arming of merchantmen themselves, the writer wishes to call attention to a measure that might bo taken notv that America, with its cuousands of excellent technical hands, has entered into the war. I refer to tho submarine itself as a. factor in the destruction of the submarine, 'iho !iieasiir;> scorns almost too simple to be advocated, and it lacks the attraction of novelty. It consists in opposing equal to equal (submarino against submarine). It is as a neutral, devoted friond of tlio Allied ?auso that I propose in all modesty my idea to tho highly compotent technical advisors of tho Allies, with tho following explanatory remarks:— Qualities a fleet of submersible destroyers should possess: Tho submarine destroyer, built with tho object of sinkiag U-boats, should be twice the sizo of the boat it has to attack, should have double tho surface speed and diving capacity, tho external .plating should be twice as thick as that of its .■idyarsary, aud its armament should bo twice as powerful. Supposing .Germany possesses 300 submarines, the Allies should have a \leet of 3000 submersible destroyers to ohiiso the 300 pirates. This fleet of submersible destroyers should be divided into different squadrons, to bo stationed in waters which the pirate mostly haunts. Each squadron should be leaxiy to start out as soon as a Gorman pirate hasjjeen signalled in its zone. Why the technical success of tho submarine destroyer eeoms to bo assured: Taking the submarine as it exists, the application of my idea, from a technical point of,view, has this advantage, that it has not to go through tho stages incumbent on an altogether new invention. Tho necessary stages of every new invention are: (1) Tho -conception of tho idea in all its technical details; (2) the trials and experiments before tho idea can be put into practice. All this means time, which, at tlio present, is an exceedingly valuable factor. Why tho submersible destroyer should bo more practical than the surface destroyer: Why do I imagine that the eul>marine itsolf can-be made specially effective in'hunting the submarino? Jn answering this question I would recall the habits of a certain tiny Javanese duck which lives almost as well under as above water. In presence of danger it dives, usually long before tho hunter can Teach it, just as thft German submarine dives as soon as it smells danger. To approach the duck the hunter makes himself almost invisible. Hie gun lying in front of him on tho bow of tho boat, he lies prone in an extremely low and small canoe, paddled by a clever little native. Were he able to convert his surface canoe at will into a submersible, to dive and reappear close to tho flock of ducks, he certainly would have a better chance of surprising them than row, when ho has to remain a long way off and trust to a skill that few shots pcKsess. The ocean-going (Herman submarine (we know this from the log-booke of their commanders) keeps ouit of the way of its enemies. The submersible destroyer would have another -advantage over the eurfnco destroyer; that of being able to moke itself 'invisible by diving if.attacked. Are We too Backward? Lack of adaptability, a weakness of the Allies in this,war: I believe that .the Allies in this war have ofton been behindhand in adopting the ideas of others. They should have been quicker to adapt war methods, even those of tho Germans, who, liaviDg prepared for almost half a century for this war, doubtless had devices worthy of imitation. One of their ideas was the siege guns which reduced Liege and made. Charleroi possible. An instance of German adaptation is the Zeppelin, an engine not theirs originally, but which in their hands has become a force in naval battles. Then there is. the submarine. I am of opinion that the Allies underrated the technical capacities of Ireir opponents. To underrate one's enemy is a mistake, liven now, after nearly three years of war experience, one hears intelligent people say that the Germans only imitate. For argument's sake let this l)e granted. There are, however, moments when the adaptation of principles and devices proves more useful than new inventions. The Germans have realised this. They adapted such inventions as the dirigible, aeuoplane, and submarine, and with these "perfected" engines trey are doing an immense amount of Harm, so much po that at a certain moment it looked as if the pretended submarine blockade of the English coast had become * Insincerely hope the Allies will take this lesson to heart. 1 am convinced thev can do it now by adapting an invention of their own, that of the submarine, and building a large fleet ot submersible destroyers. It should not take them long, now that America is with them, to launch some 3000 speedy, heavily armed undersea destroyers. As for the crews, it should Dot be difficult: for America, which has taken a great pride in her Navy since the' War of Independence, to find the intelligent and valiant sailors necessary. This uiidersea fleet would, I believe, soon outmanoeuvre if not altogether destroy the relatively small number of German pirates manning her TJ-boats. The war is not over yet, and the victory of the Allies is still some way off. I who know tho Germans am convinced that the Central States will put up as strong a de- ( fensive action as the offensive with which they began. The declaration that the decision of this war lies on the »eas becomes more and more true. The submarine for. Germany is an extremely powerful weapon, and a great factor in a peace "without annexations or indemnities," which for them would r.iean victory. A largo fleet of submersible destroyers, added to the other excellent measures of defence and attack already in existence against the U-boat, would. I am sure, soon cure the German submarine evil. This is the opinion of a neutral who since the beginning of the ■war , lias done his duty towards the cause of the Allies, their cause being his, as it U that of all humanity.