LIFE IN A "U" BOAT.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1917, Page 4

LIFE IN A "U" BOAT.

No Sea-sickness.

There is a widely prevalent idea that a submarine being a cramped and dangerous sort of craft, life must of necessity be V hard thing for its orew.

This opinion goes astray in that it leaves out of account the changes which increased displacement has wrought m submersible vessels. Not the least notable of these is a great improvement in living accommodation. So much ha 3 this been bettered that the complement of a modern “ U ” boat are more comfortable at sea, all things considered, than the crew of a Hun destroyer. For while'the latter must face bad weather as best they can (when they venture to face it at all), the “ U ” boat can secure ease by “going down” until conditions improve. She may “ sleep ” upon the bottom until the weather moderates, or, if the water be 100 deep for that, submerge. so that surface water motion no longer affeots her. Her crew need not risk sea-sickness—and they do not I Admittedly that is only part of the story. One may avoid rough weather and still find life afloat anything but joyful. Such matters as food, living conditions, and general environment are factors not to bo overlooked, and in all of these the Hun pirate does not do so badly if from “ general environment ” we miss out the British Navy, which is tbe one bunch of bitter herbs in Hans the Buccaneer’s otherwise passable soup. One might imagine that being boxed up in a steel cylinder for hours at a stretch subjects him to much physical discomfort. It does not. In faot, so

far as the men iuside her are concbrned, the crew of a “D ” boat would hardly know whether their craft was awash or submerged ware it not for working the machinery that has to be uat m motion to get her up or down. Inside her they*are quite warm and comfortable, not very hard worked, and able to move aod breathe quite freely. For tbeir leisure bourse the “U” boat orews have gramaphoneß and a good supply of tobacco. /#*■ * # *

. A long Bubmergence may result in the a : r in the boat getting somewhat heavy. Leaving oat exceptional circumstances, that, is the woiet to be said of it, aad a few hours oa the surface at night with the oom.ing tower lid opaq will purify ‘.he atmo*pbere within the craft so that she can diva for hour after hour again without her crew anffariog any difficulty in respiration.

For the majority of the men, work being light and hying conditions not as irksome &k one might suppose, thslife of a pirate is not fraught wirh many physical hardships aid it ia a fairly easy one. Tbe war perils attaching to it belong to a side of the story which wo are not looking at just now. In the matter . of food the * pirate is mostly able to “do himself well.” Cooking when below is oat of 'he question except to warm up some water for him to dip his sausage in before be eats it, aod Herr Kidd consequently has to content himself with cold meals for the ruo3t part although bs may died himself up a good feast when his boat floats awash, using for tbe pm pone the electric cooker fitted in her. But although bi< meals throegh foice of circa ms tar can may bate to be served cold, they are subsumt The puafe geea to that. .If his owj '.airier runs low be replenishes it from the ships he overhauls.

Whim they want food or any other gtires the pirates teke them from the ships they attack. In fact, they “loot” these quite systematically, even to ielieving she crews of their money, waiebes, rings and other personal belonging of even t*.ifling value whenever they think it safe to do so. At one time “ U ” boats weie supplied with wine uud eigacr, though one acea not hear much of such luxuries aboard them now. None the they may be there in ciminiehed quantities, Of this much there can, hswever, be little doubt; the German pirates do not lead such a haid life on the domestic side aa is oammonly fcuppoied.