SUBMARINE EXPLOITS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1852, 13 July 1918, Page 1

SUBMARINE EXPLOITS.

WHAT THE BRITISH DO

SOME GALLANT ENTERPRISES

An official statement was recently issued, lifting momentarily the veil of secrecy from the British submarine service. Although so few opportunities are afforded them, our submarines have successfully attacked no fewer than 40 enemy warships. Night and day the search is continued. According as circumstances' may dictate, the watch is kept on the surface, or submerged save for the periscope; or maybe the vessels arc on diving patrol, only coming to the surface every now-and again to scan (he horizon for hostile craft. A ship being sighted, the submarine dives to attack. As the ship is probably steaming fast on a zig-zag course, a long time may elapse while the submarine is (-hasing, or manoeuvring to get into a favourable position to tire her torpedoes. While this is going oji she must ascertain whether the ship is friend or foe, and at all costs she must avoid being seen. If the periscope is sighted the hostile shin will make off with all speed, and the odds are that she will get away. An irregular course and great speed make her a difficult target, and if (he sea is smooth she may see (he track of a torpedo fired at her, and steer to avoid it. But, in spite of all difficulties, the submarines manage to drive home (heir attacks. While patrolling between the Eastern Ems and the Weser River, a submarine sighted two lots of destroyer smoke to south - east ward. Two anxious hours were spent manoeuvring for position to attack, and then, at a range- of 500 yards, two torpedoes were lived, one at the bow. and the other at the stern, of one of the destroyers. The submarine promptly dived to aVoid detection, but a loud explosion told, without doubt, that one torpedo had reached its mark. Eight minutes later (he-destroyer was seen sinking by the stern, 15ft. of her bows still standing vertically out of the water. The other destroyer was steaming at varying speeds and distances around (he wreck, and the submarine thirsted to put her down, too. But as two more destroyers had arrived on the scene, and were systematically searching for her, it was not considered feasible to continue the attack, On another occasion two armed auxiliaries were sighted in the Heligoland Bight, and the leadin', the larger of the (wo, was attacked and torpedoed, and was scon to he sinking by the stern. .SINKING A DESTROYER. It freepiently happens that a submarine does not actually see her victim struck, bat she invariably has the satisfaction of bearing tin* explosion if the torpedo gets home. This was the experience of a submarine which, patrolling one morning off the Ems, sighted an enemy destroyer, and tired both how lubes at a range of 350 yards. As the submarine dived on tiring, the result was not seen, Iml after the lapse of a few seconds there was it load explosion, which was hom'd 25 miles away. A cptick sweep round with the periscope two or three minutes litter revealed no sign of the destroyer which laid been fired tit, hut 40(1 yards astern was another vessel of the kind. As the destroyer wits not actually seen to he hit, at first it appeared likely that in nullity there was only one enemy vessel, hut after the hearings and distance had been carefully worked out this did not seem to have been possible T In view of the violence of the explosion, it is probable that the magazine blew up, which would account for the rapid disappearance of the ship. On another occasion one of our "submarines located an enemy submarine ahead of her, and, giving chase, reduced the range to 400 yards. Two torpedoes were fired, and one was seen to hit. When the smoke cleared away there was not a vestige of the hostile vessel to be seen. ICE-BOUND PERISCOPE. In stormy weather great: hardships have to be borne. “The seamen got very little sleep owing to cold.” With these words a captain of a submarine concludes his report on it cruise in the North Sea.

It i* characteristic of the service thill ho should make no reference to Iho find that while the avow had very little sleep he had infinitely less himself. The weather had not been good, and throughout the six days (he eold had been intense. At times ice formed on the periscope very quickly and obscured vision, so 1 hat it had to he dipped every five minutes. On the surface the thermometer gave no reading, although it had a minimum of 18 deg. of frost. To receive messages by wireless was impossible, for spray froze on the aerial, forming a coating of ice two inches thick. From time to time it was necessary to dive to remove the icicles which, over a foot long, depended from portions of the superstructure. The bridge screen froze like a board, and only with difficulty could it be molded, and the ice on the coats of the officers and crew did not thaw until some hours after the garments had been hung up below. A GLORIOUS FAILURE. Some failures may be described as more glorious than victories, and the attempt of a submarine to pass through the Sound into the Baltic is surely one of these. It was known that the German fleet was exercising in the Baltic, and three submarines—X, Y, and Z — were detailed to make the passage of the Sound and attack. It was essential that the three vessels should pass through the Sound the same night, but, unfortunately, X developed certain defects, and was unable to keep up with the other two. The result was that she reached the entrance to the Sound the night after Y and Z had successfully made the passage. Their presence was discovered in the Baltic, and the enemy took all possible steps to deal with-them. X found four merchant ships in line abreast proceeding through the narrow entrance to the Sound, and from the accurate station they kept it was evident they were sweeping. Beyond them were destroyers. These ships were showing navigation lights, and X thought it would be best to do so, hoping to pass without attracting attention. She had not proceeded far before she was detected by a destroyer, which tried to ram her. Her only course was to dive, and as she sank she hoard the threshing of the enemy’s propellers above. To make the passage with lights burinig was clearly out of the question, and, nothing daunted, the submarine returned, silently and stealthily creeping on (he surface, until she got into the wake of a vessel proceeding through the Sound, trusting to be able to follow her unobserved. For a while it seemed as if: the plan would succeed, but suddenly the vessel she was following stopped. As luck would have it, she was a destroyer, which at once nrdeavoured to ram her. Again she dived. A third and fourth attempt brought no greater success. The enemy, thoroughly alarmed, was on the alert to ram her. Another effort would not only have been hopeless, but would have unjustifiably risked the boat and the lives of the crew, so she returned to her base, as her gallant commander expressed it in his report, “prior to making a further attempt."