VALUE OF SUBMARINES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16025, 17 September 1915, Page 6

VALUE OF SUBMARINES.

When the war opened British naval authorities were engaged in a vigorous controversy regarding the respective values of the battleship, the cruiser, and the submarine. A school led by Admiral Sir Percy Scott was inclined to the view that the day of the battleship was over and that the future was all for the submarine. This theory has not stood the test of war. Owing to the German fleet remaining in harbour there have been few opportunities for the battleship, but with the British and French navies keeping the sea routes open German submarines have been tried under exceptionally advantageous conditions and they have signally failed to prove the claim that they have made the battle-ship obsolete. The Dutch Chamber recently passed a vote of £500,000 as the first instalment for the building of two cruisers, four submarines, and six seaplanes. During the debate the question of concentrating expenditure on submarines was raised, but with the

naval experience of the past year to guide them the Ministry and Parliament decided against this course. The Minister for Marine, reviewing the naval results of the war, pointed out that British guns had sunk almost as great a tonnage of German warships as German submarines had sunk of British warships. Taking all the belligerent fleets, submarines had sunk 122,890 tons, while gups had sunk 108,430 tons. From this he argued that Holland would be unwise to restrict herself to ships of one class. It is noteworthy that the Dutch Minister attached no value to the submarine as a weapon for use against merchant ships—a pleasing indication that the latest phase of German "' Kultur " has made no impression across the border of Holland.