EYES OF FLEET

Hokitika Guardian, 30 April 1940, Page 2

EYES OF FLEET

THE BRITISH SUBMARINES

British submarines, for months engaged mainly in patrol work and the routine of blockade, at last have bad their chance as offensive units in the naval battles in the Skagerak and Kattegat and along the Norwegian coast. The account of the achievements ol the Spearfish and the Truant rival the earlier exploits of the Salmon and the Ursula. Britain was still thrilled by the success of her destroyers at Narvik, the Admiralty released the information that the submarine Spearfish had torpedoed the German pocketbattleship Admiral Scheer. The same announcement told bow the- submarine Truant had sunk a German light cruiser, believed to be the Karlsruhe.

A few facts about these two submarines : The Spearfish is one of the eight ships of the Shark class (670-960 tons; complement 40, armed with six 21-inch tubes and one 3in. deck gun). They are an improvement on the Swordfish class, to which Seahorse and Starfish belonged. These last two submarines, with the Undine, were sunk in Heligoland Bight early in January while on dangerous patrol duty. H.M.S. Truant is one of the 15 submarines of the Triton class (1090-15/9 tons; complement 53, armed with six 21-inch tubes and one 4-inch deck gun). The Spearfish and the Truant take their places alongside the Ursula and Salmon. You will remember that the 1 submarines Ursula and Salmon returned to port from v triumphant patrols in German waters last December. The small Ursula (540 tons) had lurked for days around the mouth of the Elbe before her chance came. The Germans believed that minefields in the Heligoland Bight and shallows around the fortified bases at. Cuxhavcn and Wilholmshftven made it impossible for an enemy submarine to approach. Undetected, the Ursula stalked and. sank a 6000-ton German cruiser of the Konigsberg class. The Salmon, on its patrol, destroyed a German submarine, spared the giant liner Bremen, and damaged two German cruisers. One cruiser, the Leipzig, was believed to have sunk. Usually, submarines arc engaged in less spectacular, but- not less important, work. They, are the outposts of our battlefleets in the blockade of Germany. Modern developments of warfare, and especially among these the use ol aircraft over the sea, have rendered impracticable the use of surface vessels for purposes of a close blockade.

Submarines are used instead, then disadvantages being more than outweighed by their advantages, not least among which is their ability to-pene-trate unseen into the enemy’s protected anchorages, if or hi§l>vigil* ance are faulty. Opportunities for such spectaculai achievements are rare, however, and the captain of a submarine on patrol must frequently restrain himself . even from attacking enemy warships that come out into the open sea. His task is primarily one of reporting enemy movements to his Commander -in-C'hief, in the hope that the result will be a fleet action leading tio the. complete destruction of the ejiemy’s battle-fleet, and offensive action on his part, even if successful, might- frustrate that greater aim. It is for this reason that- so- much space in the modern submarine, which many officers still think with regret should be used ' for further torpedo tubes, is allocated to the wireless department. The type of submarine which is used for blockading purposes is not the socalled submarine cruiser, which is too unwieldy and draws too much watei to be suitable for the task, especially in the shallow North Sea. Smaller vessels have the nccessan speed, range of action, and sea-keep ing qualities for the purpose, and can more easily be manoeuvred under minefields or to avoid attack.

For offensive purposes, moreover, their smaller turning-circle enable? them to turn as necessary for delivering their attack in the small space between their target and the destroyers which screen it. They are less likely to be detected, and, if detected, are hss likely to be destroyed, and, an important consideration in a war of attrition, they are cheaper and cosier to replace, There is another important consider, ation. In order to keep one submarine constantly on patrol off the German const, there must he at least four in full commission, so that the complement of a small submarine (sometimes as few as 27) , enables more sparing use to he made of tlie trained submarine personnel, whose training requires considerable more lime than that required for the construction of a submarine. As the main function of the patrolling submarine is to reach its place on the patrol line unobserved and to remain there undetected, care must Iv taken that it is not seen by enemy aircraft during its passage across the North Sea. ami that it reaches its destination at dawn or dusk, when it is possible to determine its position hut when it is unlikely to he spotted hv the anti-submarine patrols.

With any luck the passage can be made on the surface, and with a consequent, saving of a great deal of time, hut once on patrol it is probable that the submarine must remain submerged during the greater part of the davlighl hours, surfacing only -momentarily, ii

necessary, to transmit a wireless report.. While submerged, she must remain more or less stationary, as although the electric batteries which supply her motive power in that condition will enable her to proceed very slowly for some ‘2-1 hours, she may at any moment require to develop high speed to avoid destruction, in which case rncy will he very rapidly run down. - ® When night comes, however, she must try to find some deserted place where she can surface with impunity and remain undisturbed for the four or five hours which are required lor the recharging of her depleted batteries in preparation for the following day. Life on hoard under such circumstances is usually somewhat monotonous —though it is very far from carefree, for there is constant danger of destruc-

tion by mine, depth charge, or aerial bomb. Lack of exorcise and fresh air, prolonged coniiuemont in a hot and humid atmosphere, and, when the Diesel engines are running, a perpetual accompaniment of noise, already have a bad effect on the physical and moral condition of the crew ; to these is added the nerve strain of being in constant and unknown danger. So long, however, as wo have a sufficient number of submarines at our disposal to provide for their relief after about a week on patrol, these hardships will remain tolerable, and are unlikely to affect- the efficiency ol our blockade. The present personnel have been trained and accustomed to these conditions which they endure, and will be

able to have sufficient time between their patrols to recuperate tlieir nerves and strength. During the Great War Germany managed to build 344 submarines (which take eight to nine months to build, because lack .of space inside prevents a large number of workmen being; used at once), but it was noted that 66 per cent, of the damage done to our shipping was achieved by some 25 to 30 experienced submarine captains.