FIGHTING THE SUBMARINES.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 March 1917, Page 3

FIGHTING THE SUBMARINES.

most Successful Methods. New York, March 25

Although figures to show the number of submarines destroyed by the Entente Allies and the means nsed in their destruction are unavailable, it has been learned here from an authoritative source that direct gunfice from the decks of warships and auxiliary vessels has bayn the most effective method employed (bus far. To combat the submarine menace, Britain and ber Allies have adopted various plans to catch the undersea boats, although some of them have been abandoned as ineffective. A marine authority of unquestioned standing, who is close to British shipping interests, said to-day when asked as to the effectiveness of arming ships : “We have found that light guns discharging projectiles of four to six pounds in the hands of trained gnunera have baen by fa- the moat effective weapon. I know personally that

as many as two and three submarines have been bagged in one day in this way. “ A submarine commander looking through a perisoopa has a range of vision of abont three miles, but he fmust get his target broadside on to have a reasonable chance of making a torpedo hit, and, as torpedoes are very expensive missiles, ha cannot afford to take many chances on a miss. “ A periscope v.bove water at a distance of 200 or 800 yards makes a fair mark for a gunner working from the deck of a ship 30 or feat above the surface of the sea. Ons shot hitting the mark is all that is needed, as the

submarines are of light construction and easily penetrated, and a bole anywhere in their shell spells their doom. “ It is seldom that a torpedo is fit ed when a threatened ship can so manoeuvre as to show only her stem for a mark, and in most of the cases of this nature so far reported the submarines have come to the surface and resorted to ganfire' from a deck gun. In this kind of fight a 'gun mounted on a ship has a great advantage, for the platform offered by a submarine is au unsteady thing to fire from, and, despite the'smaller target offered the gunners on ships have the better of it. “Careful observations made during the past year of steamers mounting defence guns show that they are in a measure immune from attack unless it is without warning, as in the case of the California, The number of submarines that the Germans have lost have made them chary about showing themselves within range of ships on

which they see gun?, or which they have learned are defensively armed. ‘•Other method’s of catohiog submarines, such a? nets, bombs and devices that are Admiralty secrets, are ■till being used, but the deck gun ou ■teamshipa in the bauds of good marksmen is leading all others in results.”