UNDERSEA NAVIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 December 1928, Page 10

UNDERSEA NAVIES

CRUISER THAtTaN GO BELOW. Visiters to Cherbourg in these days hear sensational rumours about the gigantic submarine which is on the stocks of tho local dockyard. It is a fact that this vessel is the largest undersea unit.that has been laid down so far in any country, writes the naval correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph.” She is officially and aptly designated a. “Crpiseursniarin,” since her sometier is twofold. On the surface she will be. in effect, a 5000-ton cruiser-of 18 knots speed, mounting two sgin. guns. She will stow enough fuel-oil to take her at least 10,000 miles, and will thus be more or less independent of shore bases. A powerful wireless plant will enable her to take orders from the Paris Admiralty when she is cruising far out to sea, and her own radius, of vision and intelligence will be grea.tly extended by the small seaplane, with folding wings, which forms part of her equipment. When circumstances require her to act as a submarine, about 800 tons of water will be admitted to her tanks, bringing the displacement to nearly 4000 tons. Thanks to her roomy compartments and ample supply of air, she will be able to remain submerged for a day and a-half without serious discomfort to her crew of eighty officers and men- As an underwater antagonist, she will be even more formidable than when on the surface, since she is to be dtted with twelve tubes for discharging dire new 21.7 in torpedo, reputed to be the heaviest and most powerful weapon of its kind in existence. No effort has been spared to ensure the safety of this mammoth submersible when cruising under water. The preparation of her design is said to have occupied the Paris Admiralty’s “Section Technique” for four years, and the vessel was not begun until her plans had been scrutinised and approved by the foremost French submarine experts \ sister vessel is to be. put in hand chis autumn.

FRENCH PROGRAMMEFiance thus reverts to her former position as pioneer in the development of the submarine arm. When her current programme matures she will possess more submarines of up-to-date, construction than any other Power. What that programme is may be briefly explained. Introduced in January, 1920, by M- Georges Legues, the Minister, of Marine their and now, it comprised 128 new vessels, aggregating. more than 300,000 tons. Among these were fif.tyive submarines, but —and it is an important “but” —thirty-six additional submarines of moderate tonnage were to be provided under the vote for coast defence, so that the actual total of new nndersea-criift will be ninety-one, Since the smallest of the- so-called “coastal” submarines is considerably larger than the German UC and UB types which were built during the war, and proved able to operate far from their bases, it is clear that the entire flotilla of submarines that France will have available a few years hence must be classed as seagoing, if not as oceangoing. It should be added that the latest French submarines are second;to none in quality of design, construction, and machinery. They regularly undertake voyages of several thousand miles without escort, they put in at least as much training time at sea as, the. boats of any other, navy, and they have enjoyed up to now an extraordinary record of immunity, from serious mishap. Many competent observers declare, indeed, that the new French undersea fleet is easily first in material efficiency. Next in order of submarine precedence comes Japan, where this type of vessel has undergone striking development in recent years. Since the war sixty-five new 7 boats have been built or started, and others are projected. A fair proportion of these are of very large dimensions, ranging up to 1970 tons, with speeds as high as twenty-one knots. They have an exceptionally wid ecruising radius, as. much as 16,000 miles in the latest class, and, according to one of their text-books, “they are supposed to be capable of crossing t<he Pacific and returning without refuelling.” Japanese seamen appear to have a special aptitude for submarine service, a. branch of the navy, which has. undoubtedly been- brought to a high pitch of perfection. AMERICAN NUMBERS. Numerically, the United States is the strongest submarine Power, with a total of 124 boats. Not all of these, however, can be classed as fully effective. The best are fifty “S” boats, of 854 to 990 tons, which are comparable in size, and power to the British “L” type, though somewhat slovyer- In its latest designs the American Navy has adopted much larger dimensions. The “V” boats, for example, are of 2164 tons and 21 knots speed, while the newly-completed submarine mine-layer V 4, of 2890 tons, is for the time being the largest submarine in the world. She is armed with a 6in gun and four torpedo tubes, and carries 60 mines, which can be laid while the boat is travelling under water. It is probable that all future American submarines will be large boats suitable for ocean cruising, expert opinion having selected this type as the one best suited to American naval requirements.- Last year the United States spent £2,054,500 on the maintenance, repair, and operation of its submarines, apart from expenditure on new construction.

The British Navy at the close of the war possessed 141 submarines. To-day it lias only 67 completed and building. Included in this total are 19 boats of 440 tons, which are too small for service overseas. In submarine tonnage we are well behind the United States, France, and Japan. Our largest boat is the XI, of 2525 tons, and a speed of L9£ knots. Being an experimental type, she took four years' to complete, and cost over £1,000,000. She does not appear to be an unqualified success.

BRITISH POSITION. Although our-, naval authorities are alive to.the value of the submarine for fleet service, reconnaissance, coast defence, and trade protection, it is not their policy to force the pace in construction, This is made clear by the fact that only 28. new boats, including two for Australia, have been built or authorised, sjnpe the peace, which is a mere fraction of the world tonnage total built, within that period. Unremitting attention is paid by the Navy to the evolution of anti-sub-ma.rine, tactics, in regard io which, it is understood, substantial progress has been achieved. It was announced last month that. the. Submarine Detector Branch is to be reorganised, and' will henceforth be an. independent service,

separate from and equivalent to the gunnery find torpedo branches. A distinctive badge is to be introduced for ratings attached to the new branch. An outstanding feature of post-war naval development has been the building or acquisition of submarines by almost all the secondary and minor maritime States. Among those now*in possession of submarine flotillas are Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Turkey, Poland, Finland, Latvia, Roumania, Jugo-Slavia, Brazil, Chile, and Peru- The number of submarines afloat and under construction at the present time is far in excess of the pie-war aggregate, and is. indeed, very much larger than the total at any previous period.