DIVES FOR LIFE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 33, 2 November 1918, Page 8

DIVES FOR LIFE

ENSE MOMENTS.IN A -SUBMARINE.

'There are in; the Submarine Service to recognised types of "dives." The tsfc may be called the "dive- ordinary," nd is usually .referred .to as "I plungtd." •'he second is the "crash dive/' and if mi. hear a submarine officer remark, "I ulled the-plug and went'to 100 feet," 'correct : in supposing that e executed af I Some; experts divide "crash dives" into! ffOv'classes:' , "' ' '■'■•"' \la.t- Tnb : "crash dive'in! ordinary."

;(b)'''The "super-crash dive." -.-. ... The "super-crash divo" 13 tho dive exerted in life or death emergencies, when, '.delay of a second in the present may lean^eterntty.forthwith.. ,'.''. jlfcis the dive executed "by a submarine ;ho, while charging her batteries at ight on the surface, eights the knife-eto bwes, .a..4"estroyer 7 flanked by, two walls J foam 1 ' appronching her from ■ a. range i a' few hundred yards at a speed of |0O yards .a. minute.' '.■ IThe naval. situation being what it is, lie "super-crash, dive" is n feat performj frequently by; the Germans, and only [certain peculiar circumstances by our Wα 'boats. ■ . jlhe' ''crash divo in ordinary' is freuently performed by all classes qf submarines. It simply mean 3 that the boat ats under as fast as she can. "Superush dives",.are' a shade faster than tnis, lid; are'usually accomplished by the fder "Flood everything." This 'hae tmetimes been obeyed too literally, andbe boat has submerged with the conningiwer hatch open, with tho inevitable jsult that, the submarine has been boded permanently in a manner detriiental to the lives of the personnel. On other the "lid" has been hut as ithe boat .began to sink before' jreryono could get down. Those remainYg then have no option but to float as racefully as circumstances permit on the lirface of the 'sea. Them ir. not evon we .to take one's coat off. j-In;the,."crash dive." supposing trwo 're three persons on top of Ihe enn-ing-tower, the divine;, bell /is pressed, hd as the boaf ■ inclines forward and pgins. to slide under tho -rater No. 1 fops.as rapidly as possible 'lown', tho jitchi; No. 2 performs certain aerations, which take perhaps, ihreo mo'id.y and the" lil:nTise 'disappears.' His ro'gress is frcritiehtly accelerated by No. - ; +.he. captain o£ the boat—trending on his ead as he rocs down tho ladder. No. :pulls the lid down as he gets his head iside. ; . . '•. ....

:Bv tliis' time Hie level of "tli'e sea i 3 robably about six inches below the edge ' the hatch. .

"Crash divo3* J nre executed whon airraft whose'intentions are suspect appear ldd.enly, or when a GoTrnan submarine hex'pectodly arrives on the Hirfiwe (o >ew tho scenery. Diving a big boat is n delicate matter, ml there is n story that one"captain sa-sperated with the antics of.his comiand, telephoned from the bows of his ibmarine to his "sub" n the'stern, "I vy, 'sub,' n\y oncT is diving. What's Mrs doing?"—•"Etienne," - ' in the "Daily lail.-" ■ • • • ■