CHEAP INSURANCE AGAINST SUBMARINES.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2404, 9 March 1915, Page 9

CHEAP INSURANCE AGAINST SUBMARINES.

Sir.—At the present it seems that British shipping m Home waters is practically immune from attack excepting from mines and submarines, inns, to defeat Germany's last remaining effective active agents on the sea till such time as they qre compelled to bring their battle fleet to sea., it is. only necessary to employ such agents of our o™. as can defeat the much-vaunted mining and submarine 'fleet. There is hardly a port or watering place at xlome which has not many powerful motor launches, a good number of which are quite .able to remain at sea with as little risk a 6 submarines, perhaps less. I contend that a strong motor launch, armed with a 2in. or 3in quick-firer, can fight any submarine on the surface, giving in that the submarine may have one or two little larger guns. There is no need to point out the great advantage of size of targets, nor the effect of strain on the submarine gunners, and that the one is just as easily put out of action as the other. The motor launch has, when a good look-out is kept, the additional advantage of being more difficult to sight. But when the submarine is only _ showing her periscope I should say it would be nearly impossible to sight a launch, in which case a fast launch, having sighted a periscope, would be able to get near enough to mine her before she had time to submerge herself. If she attempted to rise, the launch's gunner would' be able to account for her before she could have a possible chance of getting her gun or guns to work. Some such boats would be an additional terror to mine layers, besides being engaged in that most useful of occupations, mine sweeping,' along the Home waters' trade routes. As there seems to be no news that they are being used for this purposo as yet, it would be well to draw the authorities' attention to same.

' In conclusion, we must not forget the valuable warning which Admiral Scott gave a few years ago with regard to submarines. Very few naval authorities deemed to agree with him; still, had our enemy, Germany, taken it up then, they would have had 1 their submarine fleet built now, perhaps of a much improved pattern. It was well for us there is a good bit of naval red tape in Germany, as well as at Home, and there is no quicker way than through the medium of the Press of getting an idea to headquarters, especially when such can he of little value' to the enemy.—l am, etc., R. SCOBIE. Karamea.