SUPER=SUBMARINES

Nelson Evening Mail, 3 August 1916, Page 4

SUPER=SUBMARINES

In a.n article contributed to the Naval and Military Record, Mr Hector C. Bywater asks whether Germany's "supersubmarines" have proved successful, and replies that those who are in the best position to know answer in the decided negative. They declare, he says, that the large German .boats recently commis-sioned-are not only -bad sea boats, but are actually more dangerous to 'their crews than to the enemy, and that, apart from this vital question of weatherliness, they take an unconscionable time to dive—a defect which promises to be fatal in view of the increasing efficiency of the various submarine antidotes which the war has brought into existence. The opinion of practical experts

who have first-hand -experience in the matter is that the most formidable German submarine 'belongs- to the class supposed to 'extend, roughly, between 1720 and TJ36. That ithis particular class has been multiplied far beyond 17 units is known .positively, but in their exuberant enthusiasm for submarine tactics the Germans are not satisfied with such- : comparatively moderate dimensions as 8000 Ito 1000 tons, P-ndi accordingly broke their rule by .making a sudden jump to a much more ambitions design. All the evidence points, therefore, to a twofold motive for German's api parent climbing down on the question oi I submarine piracy. Had the new boats proved as formidable as was expected the ; second assault on the shipping of the \ Allies and neutrals might have succeedj ed to the point of beinrr decisive. In j that case, the Gorman. Government could have afforded to ibrave American anger, end assuredly would 'have, done so. But the new submarines have not come up to expectations, and- all that Germany can i hope for was the maintenance of a week-

ly average of half-a-dozen or so merchantmen victims, at the price of America's active 'hostility. Unless, therefore, German ingenuity evolves some real triumph of submarine construction we are entitled to hope that the underseawar on shipping has jpassed its most extensive stage. Experience ought to teach us that Germany can 'be second to none in virtue when necessity leaves her ■no option.