DIVING CRUISER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 February 1925, Page 14

DIVING CRUISER.

SUBMARINES IN NAVAL WARFARE.

GERMAN DESIGNER’S BIG PLANS

Professor Oswald Flamm, designer of the giant submarine cruisers, has contributed to the latest issue of the “Marine Rundschau,” an article giving further particulars of his plans. The “Marine Rundschau,” it should be noted, is the official naval organ of the German Ministry of Defence. While Professor Flamm thinks battleships and other surface nien-of-war are still indispensable, he claims for the submarine a higher place in future naval warfare than it occupied during the late struggle. Britain’s efforts to secure the abolition of the submarine at the Washington Conference, and the eventual agreement to limit its size, he condemns as a display of “Anglo-American cant.” Turning, to his own designs, he emphasises the supreme importance of stability in submarines. This problem, which is supposed to have baffled foreign designers, has now been solved by adopting a new form of hull, of which a sectional diagram is given. It ensures perfect stability, he claims, while diving and when running submerged, conduces-'to steadiness, of trim, and enables relatively enormous weights to be carried on the upper part of the hull. DIVING CRUISER. One of the largest projects is a cliving cruiser of 7,067 tons, which ■would carry defensive armour weighing 61tons- and an armament of turretguns, quick-firers and torpedo tubes With a weight of 500 f tons.

His submarine mine-layer, of 7734 tons displacement, would carry a thousand mines; each weighing a ton. Of the two ships, he thinks the minelayer would he the most formidable in war.

FORMIDABLE MINE-LAYERS. Discussing the tactical value of monster submarines, he points out that sucli a vessel mounting one or more heavy guns in deck turrets and having its sides plated with armour, could rise to the surface and with only its upper works showing, cannonade with deadly effect the unarmoured sides of an enemy dreadnought. The submarine itself would present an almost invisible target, and could only ho hit by chance. The big mine-layer, however, would be even more dangerous, thanks to its huge stack of mines, its high speed, and wide radius of action. It could cruise at sea for months, independent of bases, so that, once ft had left harbour, none would kncAv of its whereabouts. Tt could appear suddenly off a hostile coast, sow its mines unobserved and leave at- once for another sphere of activity. ' BRITAIN’S NEW BOATS. Professor Flamm states that all the principal navies are now building undersea cruisers of 4000 tons and more. So far as is knotvii, ho says, these vessels depend for their stability on ballast, which is so much dead weight to carry. While admitting that British constructors are likely to turn out. good designs, he finds it. impossible to judge the' quality of their boats without knowing how stability is assured. “If no ballast is used, the system of I construction must border on that which I have patented in all the leading countries. In any case the British have

known of my detailed plans since 1919.” '

“At the present time,” continues the professor, “Britain is building the big submarines X 1-10 which carry heavy guns. To compensate for this heavy burden on deck, 250 tons of ballast is stored in the bottom. \

■ “Quite apart from the useless, dead weight it involves, this balla'st restricts both the speed and the radius of action, besides adding to the cost of building and upkeep. There is also a great danger of such, boats capsizing in a seaway or wheii diving in i’6ugh weather. The British Navy has already suffered from the consequences of'this method of distributing-weights, for the battleships of the Royal Sovereign class, once they start rolling are never on an even keel.” . ■

Some of the above statements* are in aCcul-ate, and others must be pure surmise. For example, it is not true that ten submarines of the X class are building; only one has been built so far. And as all Hie particulars of tlie XI have been withheld, the amount of ballast, if any, which this boat carries, is mere guesswork. Professor Flamm has still to explain why he and other German designers were unable during the war to turn out heavily-armed submarines of good stability, whereas British constructors succeeded in building boats which mounted 12in guns and yet possessed a high degree of stability.