NAVAL WARFARE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10560, 10 April 1920, Page 7

NAVAL WARFARE

A WANING ADVANTAGE. . SUBMARINES'"OVER. SURFACE - SHIPS. Australian and NZ. Cable Association, LONDON, April 7. (The. .waning advantage of sutrniaidims .over surface ehipS- was slioivu m a lecture given by Lieutenant King Hall, R.N., at the Royal Service Institute. He asaerted~that;the -advant- - age, which was 9 to 1 in 1914 and only 7 to 3 last year, was likely lu depreciate to. 6to 7 by 1930. Submarine detection apparatus was likely '*• develop, which would partially protect important ’ ships' against tactical _ attack. IS#, .^pressed..tfe?, PPW.on that the use, of gas would eventually ie» s volutiomso naval warfare, for - gas might bo discharged on the enemy coastline. Such a plan was contemplated during tho Germn,t occupation of Belgium, hut was abandoned in deference to Belgian susceptibilities,- He- , recommended-the extension of tho convoy system for tho protection of com-merce-in wartime, and ruled out the plan for making capita! ships submersible, on tho ground of impracticability. Admiral Sir H ■ Doveton. SturJee, who presided, agreed with the statement of the lecturer that submcrsiblf ships were impracticable.