GERMANY'S TRUMP CARD

Nelson Evening Mail, 22 May 1917, Page 8

GERMANY'S TRUMP CARD

SUBMARINE CRUISERS

AMERICAN DESCRIPTION

An article published in the New York Tribune at the time Germany declared her policy of unrestricted attack on merchant shipping, stated that 300 or more submersibles were ready to make the final effort against Great Britain. With . the new Tauchkreuzer (diving cruisers) to the German hopes for victory, the writer stated. There are two types of these new boats now in .commission, ono of 2400 tons and one of SCOO tons displacement. They dive beneath the sur £ace in a fraction of the time that it took the older types to submerge. Thev mount powerful guns; are capable o* great surface speeds, and are protected by a heavy armour of tough steel plate "Most numerous amonjg the super-su.> marines are the Tauchkreuzer of 2400 tons- -These ships measure 260 ft in leSt 25ft in breadth, and 19ft in depth The motors develop 7000 horse power and drive, the boats over the SrfS at,a speed of 22 knots These -mailer cruisers cany a crew of /'■"")» to SO men. They have a radius of action of 8000 miles. . . , , . These submersibles carry trom eight to 10 torpedo tubes of 55 centimeters dia meter Thev carry from four to 10 guns of light and middle calibre. 'J he gun* £b clrried below decks and are brought into, action by release b01t... The> aie raised bv powerful springs. The vdiole proceedings of raising and preparing the for "action, as also their storage Wow deck- a-ahi. does not take more than 20 seconds. An adequate armour S of tough steel plates covers: »11 part, of the "hip exposed to hostile fire, i nese boats have been built to dive far below the net" which the English have woven in a maze of patterns throughout the X T£e Side describes the "SCOO-ton cruiser" as 400 ft in length, ** Sour. The engines develop 18 000 ;Hc d tio 0 n S S lB ; 0C0;tc ,24.000; niiles for surface crui.sin-.;. and the high sub ,ner"ed speed of 17 knots Thfnew~ submarine is German:, s trump card, the article declares.