GERMAN SUBMARINE DEVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 November 1915, Page 5

GERMAN SUBMARINE DEVICE.

'■ ■■ am GUN FIRED FROM UNDER WATER. An ingenious invention that is stated to have been adopted on the newer German submarines was recently described by the Nieuwe Rotterdnmsche Courant, a leading Dutch journal (says the Manchester Guardian) that has a very good reputation for nowa of this kind. Submarine and aeroplane seem to bo destined, to combat each other more than was originally thought, writes the Rotterdam journal. It is known that Airmen can render good service in the tracing of. submarines in anything like, a calm sea. Even when a submarine has been thus discovered, it is still fur from being a defenceless prey fdr the hombthruwer, as the guns are also equipped for slanting fire. Nevertheless, it had been a great objection that, in order to serve the guns when they have been brought outside the boat and set up on deck, the vessel hud to come entirely to the surface of the sea, thus offering a fairly large target. The newer submarines of the Germans are, therefore, provided with a contrivance to enable them to fire even when remaining under water. This is a double advantage; thev are less visible, and, owing to the layer of water which breaks the force of a bomb, fairly well protected. The gun, says the article, goes through the conning-towor by means of a bulletproof, water-tight deck, and is then served from inside the boat. Within certain limits it can be turned in all directions, so that a circular .".one.above the conning-tower becomes dangerous for airmen. A periscope, which is connected with the barrel of the gun, is got outside in the same way, by means of a bulletproof compartment. The gun can also, of course, lie placed, in another chamber specially built out from tho boat instead lot in the conning-tower. The gim alone *omes to the upper surface, whilst the gunner himself remains below and iirea from under water.