SUBMARINE CARGO BOATS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 2, 27 September 1918, Page 5

SUBMARINE CARGO BOATS

Mr. Simon Luke, a pioneer btiildor of submarines, maintains (in the "Popular Scienco Monthly") that only submarine .merchant vessels can claim safety from hostile undersea boats, and lie submits a design for a submarine carrier cif 7500 dead-weight of cargo. Mr. Luke says :— It is obvious that absolute safety could be attained if a submarine cargocarrier could travel entirely ujkW water. .That is at. present impossible for good teehnicurreasons. _ Rut, a cargo-carrying submarine ' running awash, with, her periscope and air-in-takes just above the water-line, may approach within about fivo and three.junrtor miles of any waiting ■ military submarine without danger of. being seen. Her wake Would be below tho horizon. Such cargo-carrying submarines can bo built, and can- oross the 'Atlantic. Ocean 'in this condition, at a speed of about ten knots. If a sharp look-out is maintained they lmvo as much change off seeing a German submarine as the German submarine has of ileeing them. ' . _ ■ By tho application of certain tried devices, which I do not feel it proper to divulge at this time, but which are within the knowledge of our Government authorities, in my opinion the range of visibility can bo reduced to less than 0110 milo. Tlio cargo-carrier can become entirely invisible by submerging. If she travels with a freeboard d! fivo feet, silo will become visible to a German suhmarino_ when she approaches within oiiilit miles. 111 two minutes she can dive under water. It is hardlv likely that sho will bo attacked without warning, lest'she bo a friendly submarine. Sho will bo warned by wireless, sound, or other signals used by German submarines to cominnnicato .with one another. . When far from land she can follow tho Ueutschlard's example by _ navigating entirely on the surface with a freeboard of fifteen feet. In that condition slid can mako a speed of 11 knots without the slightest difficulty.