SUBMARINE WARFARE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3315, 26 September 1917, Page 16

SUBMARINE WARFARE.

The British Admiralty supplies the following figures of shipping for the week as relating to submarines, which compare with the previous week as shown:— Sept. 9. Sept. 16. Arrivals for week 2744 2695 Departures for week ... 2868 2727 Steamers over 1600 tons sunk 12 8 Steamers under 1600 tons sunk 6 20 Unsuccessfully attacked ... 12 6 The 20 vessels under 1600 ""tons that were sunk include nine which were 6unk during the previous week. I'hc French shipping arrivals for the past week were 980 and the sailings 894. The sinkings were: Two over 1600 tons and two under 1600 tons. Two vessels were unsuccessfully attacked. The Italian shipping statistics for the week are:—Arrivals 492, sailings 497. One steamer under 1500 tons and one small sailing vessel were sunk. Six Norwegian steamers were sunk during the week ended September 15. Norway's losses now total 479 steamers, aggregating 777,601 tons, and 160 sailing vessels, aggregating 155,582 tons. The Norwegian steamers Askelad, Reim, Facto, and Thomas Krag have been sunk by submarines. Eleven of the Askelad's crew' were lost, 10 of the Reim's crew, and two men were lost from the crews of the Facto and Thomas Krag. U BOATS SUNK. The Tidens Tegn states that an armed steamer, either British or American, sank a German submarine while it was shelling a neutral sailing vessel off the Shetlands. During the fight a second submarine attacked the steamer, but a British destroyer sank the second U boat. Six survivors were rescued. Swedish papers report a naval fight eastward of Oland Island between five German warships and one big submarine, supposed to be British. The result is unknown. The enemies fled. SUPER-SUBMARINES. An American steamer reports that she! picked up a wireless message stating that a submarine 300 ft long, with two periscopes and guns fore and aft, bad been seen in American > waters. The submarine screened itself in smoke before disappearing. The statements are not officially confirmed. The New York World's Rome correspondent describes a captured Gorman submarine which is 300 ft long, and can submerge for three days. It has a range of 2000 miles. UNSINKABLE SHIPS. It is authoritatively stated that the problem of building unsinkable ships has practically been mastered; but British naval « circles are of opinion that such ships will not solve the submarine menace, owing to the difficulties of their construction and the small cargo space available in them. The Italian Marine Commission state that they have solved the question of making merchant ships unsinkable. They believe that within half a year the Italian mercantile fleet will be safe from submarine's. ANTI-SUBMARINE DEVICES. Great interest is being taken in Mr Edison's secret new torpedo-deflecting device. A spectacular test was made at Now York on Sunday, when the. passengers on a liner saw a torpedo jump away from a ship. Many vessels are already equipped. A high French naval authority states that' ships are being fitted with microphones so perfect as to be able to detect a submarine, its distance from the shin, and the direction in which it is proceeding. REASSURING STATEMENTS. It can be stated, on official authority, that the methods adopted during the past' month justify a growing confidence in the. anti-submarine schemes. A naval officer states that no sensational inventions are used and that no sensational results can be expected. Sinkings will continue, but. the submarines will be defeated. He adds: "If the public knew what wa know they would- not have the slightest anxiety. Good results are being secured by a new smoke cloud defenoe system. Smokeboxes are thrown overboard, and make clouds concealing the ships. They have been uK"d for some months on the great majority of British ships." BRITISH DESTROYER SUNK. The Admiralty reports that a German submarine torpedoed and sank a British destroyer in the approaches to the Charmed There* were 50 survivors. [The full complement of a destroyer a probably between 70 and 90.1