LIFE IN A “U” BOAT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1712, 15 May 1917, Page 4

LIFE IN A “U” BOAT.

NO SEA-SICKNESS. COMFORT OF MODERN CRAFT. There is a widely prevalent idea that a submarine, being a cramped and dangerous sort of craft, life must of necessity be a hard thing for its crew. This opinion goes astray in, that it leaves out of account the changes which increased displacement has wrought in submersible vessels. Not the least notable of these is a great improvement in living accommodation. So much has 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 too deep for that, submerge so far that surface wave motion no longer affects her. Her crew need not risk sea-sickness—and they do not! LARDER REPLENISHED BY LOOT. A long submergence may result in the air in the boat getting somewhat heavy. Leaving out exceptional circumstances, that is the worst to be said of it, and a few hours on the surface at night with the conningtower lid open will purify the'atmosphere within the craft so that she can dive for hour after hour again without, her crew suffering any difficulty in respiration. For the majority of the men, work being light and living conditions not as irksome as one might suppose, the life of a pirate is not fraught with many physical hardships, and is a fairly easy one. The war perils attaching to it belong to a side of the story which we are not looking at just now. In the matter of food the pirate is mostly able to “do himself well.” Cooking when below is out of the question except to warm up some water for him to dip his sausage in before he eats it, and Herr Kidd consequently has to content himself with cold meals for the most part, although he may dish himself up a good feast when his boat floats awash, using for the purpose the electric cooker fitter in her. But although his meals through force of circumstances may have to be served cold, they are substantial. The pirate secs to that. If his own larder runs low he replenishes it from the ships he overhauls.

When (hey want food or any other stores (lie pirates take them from the ships they attack. In fact, they “loot” these quite systematically, even to relieving the crews of their money, watches, rings, and other personal belongings of even (rilling value whenever they think it safe to do so.

At one lime “U” boats were supplied wilh wine and cigars, though one does not hear Hindi of such luxuries on board them now, None the less, they may In* there in diminished quantities. Of this much there can, however, be little doubt: the German pirates do not lead sueh a hard life on the domestic side as is commonly supposed.