British Submarines.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 259, 1 December 1903, Page 4

British Submarines.

SUCCESS OF THE NEW TYPE OF BOAT. The latest type of British sulw marine boats constructed by Messrs Vickers, Son and Maxim, Limited, has an under water speed of between nine and ten knots, and is a much modified development of the original Holland type. The length is about 150 feet for the new boats and 120 feet in the original. The new type has a radius of action of 500 miles, and the original one of about .'iOO miles. Even the latter, however, weigfhs about 120 tons, and canno£ therefore be carried on shipboard. The maximum size will probably not exceed 250 feet in length. Submergence in practice evolutions commonly lasts three hours. The new type of boat successfully weathered an unusually" heavy gale off the Lizard this summer. The quarters, are, hpwever, very cramped. Indeed, when below, the crew must keep fixed stations, or the displacement of the centre of gravity might cause the boat to take an unintentionally deep plunge. It is suggested that * the boats should be provided in sets of three, each of which would have three days 0a duty and six off, thus preserving the health of the itj.-jv. The success of these craft has rendered impossible the blockade 01' airy port, The only safety for an ironclad at rest js bphind a close i;ipge of fixed mines, but thpse must bp well in advance of the ship protected, as the useful range of the torpedoes carried by the submarines is 2000 yards. When in motion battleships and cruisers will form a less easy prey, since the speed of the submarine is never hjigh. They are, however, exceeding difficult to detect. The periscope tube through which the target is reflected down to the steersman below, only projects some eighteen inches abpvp water, and is thus very difficult tp si:*. J'hp only moans of counter attack at present available in a spar torpedq boat. The idea is that these boats being much faster that the submarine may steam behind it, and, lowering the torpedo against it, may blow in its upper platform. This plan, adds Engineering, however, will not be easily carried out, as the boat cannot steam fast with the spar lowered, and if they stop for the purpose the submarine will in the meantime slip away, Moreover, the new type periscopes have an allround vision, so that the spar tor. pedo could not steal up unpereeived, and the submarine could then entirely sink out of range. High explosive shells would have to be burst extremely close to them to do any damage, Navy men bold that the development of theso boats has, for the present, at any rate, rendered an invasion of Britain impracticable.