About Submarines.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 116, 20 May 1904, Page 4

About Submarines.

The submarine may still be in its infancy, but, says an English writer, it is a very terrible infant, ami if we are not on our guard may some day play us tricks which we shall have cause to rue. Neither the amount of damage which submarines could cause both in our naval and our commercial ports nor the extreme difficulty of attacking them in a crowded port have perkaps been thoroughly realised, and, for my part —though, of course, I am 110 authority—l can see 110 surer method of defending a port than stretching chains linked togetiier by crosspieces, across the narrow entrance, with wire defences for signalling the approach of the submarines outside these. Alines and floating torpedoes are evidently a danger to the horn© craft, nor is it certain that the enemy's submarines would not find a means of exploding them before proceeding to their work of devastation. But chain defences with guns to command the water adjacent and the stonework necessary could not be ' improvised. What, therefore, would be the position of England should France, having suddenly declared war, decide to cripple us by an organised submarine attack on our merchant shipping in our ports ? One's imagination recoils from such a prospect, unn yet, is it an impossibility ? If owing to our present relations with France this seems improbable, we have only to substitute Germany for France. This is no question of merely technical or academic interest, for all our shipping—navy, transports, and merchant ships—would be at the mzicy of submarines capable of linding a way into our crowded ports. A Sydney resident writes : "In these days, when the destruction of existing navies is threatened by submarines and torpedoes, it behoves those in authority to give careful consideration to each and every reasonable suggestion made by anyone having for object the prevention of such a calamity. It may seem presumption 011 the part of a non-pro-fessional naval expert to express the opinion that the vessels of to-day are built on wrong principles, but I do 80 think. And for the following reason The double bottom is a source of positive danger, as if water gets into a vessel with heavy deck load, the air in the double bottom assists very much to capsize her. The transverse bulkheads do not in many cases save a vessel, as their efficiency depends on all the watertight doors being closed, which, in case of panic, is seldom done. In order to emphasise my contention, I need only cite the cases of H.M. ship Victoria, and the Russian Admiral's vessel just sunk. In the former case, the loss was caused by the water getting in between the air-tight double bottom and the heavy weight on deck. In having been opened by torpedo, and the water let in, she capsized My suggestion is that the double bottom and transverse bulkheads, should be done away with, and the floating power placed at deck level. This can best be done by a double tteck divided into compartments, so arranged that in the event of water pressure from below the double deck would become 11 floating platform, even if the whole ship below the double deck deck were blown away or submerged. By this plan, ii a veesel were rammed or torpedoed, she would onlysink to the level of the deck, which would still be above water, the crew safe and the guns fightable. In fact she would still be a formidable floating battery, though, of course, stationery. The construction of this double deck, which would have to carry heavy weights, must be left to I naval architects. It is the principle that I contend for, viz., that the floating power should be placed where it would be effective, instead of as now, where it is of verv little .'ervH.e, if any. If passenger vessels are in future constructed on this prmciple w e shall have less loss of life through collisions, as, instead of a vessel sinking (as they too often have done in the past) she would oat, and give her passengers and crew a chance. I way say that I had a pleasant interview with Adtl! ral ,^ r, j|S" 011 this subject. He thought highly of my suggestion and advised me to bring it under the notico of the Admiralty (at the same Stating that they were verv conservative, and not likely to view rn™ TT Pro " osalK emanating irom outside sources). I did so they thanking , lie , but declining to entertain the matter. Naval matters have, however, since then undergone great and startling changes, and I earnestly trust that naval 'constructors (both for the Imperial and STh ■ C> " ,ay be impressed with the importance of the principle 1 COntcn<1 ' viz - the floating power of vessels should be placed where alone it can be effective -namely, at deck level." The news that it has been found , 3° niove the submarines I rotee and Lynx by rail from Chercmnif \ B °' i " terest - as these arc the ' ol their type in the Trench navy, and it may bo taken or granted that if they cannot be transferred by rail no others can be. to convey them direct to the Tar East, whero they will be Rationed probably at Saigon. Thev do not seem very well chosen for J ' " ork > as the rivers of French i H I** haVe ra l )id currents, and hese little vessels can only make at the best eight knots. Their radius 1 v J l , " Small, and - according to th» ey may be hampered hy the nnrddiness of the waters in which they will have to operate. Four more submarines of the same type «'ll probably be sent out, if the .st two arrive without misadventure. The French Government is addFar c ° ns ' dcrabI y to its fleet in the rar East, as, m addition to these boats the protected cruiser D'Assas in taking out with her four destroyj\ 10 J aveline, I'istolet, Mousquet and Fronde. France will thus possess in the Far East three armoured cruisers «x protected cruisers, and six destroyers m her sea-going fleet.