The Dominion. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1915. THE SUBMARINE "BLOCKADE"

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2404, 9 March 1915, Page 4

The Dominion. TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 1915. THE SUBMARINE "BLOCKADE"

The German submarine "blockade" of the British coast has resulted in a certain number of British and neutral merchant vessels being sunk or damaged, but Britain's losses are almost infinitesimal when compared with the total volume of her overseas trade. As a reply to the economic pressure which is being exerted on Germany by the Britisn Navy with ever-increasing power, the "paper blockade"- of the Kaiser's submarines has proved an extremely feeble and insignificant matter. It has caused much irritation to neutral countries, but as an attempt to strike terror into the hearts of the people of France and Britain it has proved a failure and a fiasco. _ The German "blockade" of the British coast, which oommenced on February 18, was inaugurated with a great flourish of trumpets which was intended to : overawe the Allies and to revive the flagging hopes of the subjects of the Kaiser, the Sultan, and, the Austrian Emperor. Nearly three weeks have now passed since the "blockade" was officially opened, but', as the French Minister for Marine has remarked, . "neither England nor France is in the least frightened," and Germany, Austria, and Turkey have very little cause for jubilation 9ver the results achieved,

The submarine has been brought to a wonderful state of efficiency during recent years, and it is playing a very important part in the present conflict. In the RussoJapanese war the Russians had only one of these vessels in use. It get out from Port Arthur to do battle with Togo's fleet. But it proved a failure. The Japanese had five submarines in action, but they all met with disaster without doing any damage to the Russian ships. Great improvements have been made since then, _ and' the type of submarine now in use is one of the most terrible weapons of naval, warfare. Yet these craft have their limitations. They cannot cruise just when and where they like, and blow up every hostile ship that comes in sight. A recent cablegram states that German admirals declare that the strain on the submarine crews is so great that it will bo some weeks before fresh attempts are made. It would be unwise 'to place too much reliance on such a remark, even if we accept it as having been uttered. It may have been made in order to place British ships off their guara, or to moderate the expectations of the German public for sensational deeds that are not likely to happen. It is nevertheless quite true that life on a submarine is a great strain on the nerves and physical endurance of the crew, and the constant tension cannot be maintained indefinitely without the risk of breakdown. The movements of submarines are very difficult to detect, and one never knows when or where they may put in an appearance. Their moral effect is an important factor in war. But their : delicate and complicated machinery is apt to get out of order, and if once their presence is detected they are liable to bo destroyed by rapid gun fire or run down by surface warships. The fact that no fewer than 7 German submarines have been sunk since February 18 shows that there are effective means of combating their attacks. All the hitting is not on their 6ide.

Many people seem to-think that Germany possesses an unlimited supply of submarines. This is just tho impression that the authorities at Berlin are desirous of creating. There is an idea abroad that the enemy has been secretly building large specimens of these deadly, vessels. The French Minister for- Marine says this is not the case, and declares that the Allies are not frightoned by mysterious rumours that Germany is going to spring some frightful surprises on them. In his little book on Submarines, Mines, and Torpedoes in the War Mb. C. W.' Domville-Fife states that there arc 264 submarines in the fighting line of the belligerent fleets They are of a dozen different and more or less secret designs, with displacements ranging fr ora 100 to 1000 tons. According to the best information available, the tinder-water fighting power of the nations taking part in the struggle is as follows: — Coast Sou-going, dcfence. -Total. Britain 70 IS 88 France 5i 40 Russia 28 ]!l 47 <Tnp»ij H 7 21 fieVHiimy 39 1 'Austria lIUHUUU fi to i) j

The above table gives the Allies a total of 250 submarines (completed or nearing completion), as against 43 at the disposal of the enemy. Mr, Domville-Fife states that when the war commenced all the vessels of the German flotillas were concentrated in the North Sea and the

.Baltic: Hie Austrian flotilla was in the Adriaticj Great Britain had in home waters 74 submarines and 14 others on duty in the Outer seasj France_ had several of the vessels composing her flotillas at her colonial bases; Russia had 14 submarines in the Baltic, 11 in the Black Sea, and 12 in the Far East; and Japan's flotilla was concentrated in Japanese waters. Germany's best class of submarines are of 900 tons. They have a range of 4000 miles, and carry four torpedo tubes and four quick-firing guns. She has 13 of tnese vessels, six of them being completed when the war began and seven approaching completion. As it takes a considerable time to build a submarine of this class, it is not likely that Germany hp been able to add greatly to her list after completing the seven unfinished vessels included in her total. The loss of seven of these ships in three weeks must be a severe blow, and means a serious reduction in her submarine fighting power, i Since the above was written a cablegram has been received stating that fifteen small submarines are being built at Kiel, mainly for coast service. At the beginning of the war Germany had only one coast defence submarine. It is therefore quite possible that she may be desirous of strengthening this section of her under-water fleet. The new vessels are not. likely to be of mucti use for "blockade" purposes.