TACKLING THE SUBMARINE.

Taihape Daily Times, 2 November 1917, Page 5

TACKLING THE SUBMARINE.

STIRRING ADMIRALTY RECORDS. LONDON, Oct 2L The following incidents, which have been taken from Admiralty records? give a further glimpse at the methods and daring employed in tackling submarines: patrolling air vessel sighted a which had been torpedoed but .was capable of being, towed to harbour.. The airship wirelessed for the necessary assistance,. ,and hovered about, as the vessel's protector until .the arrival of, tugs. Subsequently the airship, sighted the conning-tower of. a submarine in the neighbourhood of the convoy, apparently, manoeuvring for another shot. The airship instantly' wirelessed the position of the submarine to warships in the vicinity and swooped down to attack the enemy. The latter attempted to but it was too late. The : submarine received the effect of;, two bombs- :l A - violent explosion ehsued, followed, by ominous oil and air bubThe same airship subsequently attacked another submarine with the desired results. The submarine, taking advantage of the bad weather in a daring manner attacked a convoyed steamer. The airship shot down on. the long track of a torpedo at 90 miles an hour. At the end of the track the airship sighted the outline of a submerged submarine. The airship released bombs above the green cigar-shaped shadow. The explosion was followed by a vast evulsionjif air and air bubbles.

A British oil steamer was torpedoed in thick weat-her, but was not totally; disabled. She was accompanied by a patrol ship. The latter searched the neighbourhood quickly, and at length sighted what turned out to be a large submarine on the surface The patrol ship effectively rammed and*sank' her. A lieutenant in the Naval Volunteer Reserve was commanding a motor launch attending a flotilla of minesweeping trawlers. A drifting mine was sighted. A gale was blowing, and attempts to sink te mine by gunfire proved impossible. The darkness was approaching, when the mine would disappear. The officer lowered a boat and pulled as close to the mine as he dared. He jumped overboard and swam to the mine with a line, which he passed through the ringbolt in the top. Thus the motor boat was enabled to tow the engine of destruction into smooth water where it was destroyed by rifle fire' It is pointed out that the ringbolt could be only reached with the utmost difficulty, and a mistake, like an inadvertent grab at one of the horns of the mine, owing to the roughness of the sea, would have finished off the officer.