THE BATTLESHIP OF TO-MORROW.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1920, Page 13

THE BATTLESHIP OF TO-MORROW.

MODERN SUBMARINES. The battleship of to-morrow will be submersible, according to Mr. Charles Domville-Fife, who in Submarine and Sea Power," has written a very interesting account of the development of the submarine, its increasing use in naval operations, and the chances which its evolution has produced in the application of naval strategy and tactics, the national life of maritime nations, and the old theories of sea power. Twenty years ago the submarine was a baby. In those twenty years it has grown to 14 times its original size, even without taking into consideration - the very latest types, which run up to 2000 tons. It has increased its surface speea from nine to 20 knots, and its submerged speed from four knots to 10. Its surface range of action lias grown from 500 to 8000 knots at economical speed, and its range while submerged from 100 to 000 knots. Whereas the older boats were armed with one bow tube and three torpedoes, modern vessels have a combination of bow, stern, and broadside tubes, numbering from four to eight, and carry 14 or more torpedoes. All modernately large modern submarines carry one or two four or five-inch quick-firers, besides one or two small high-angle anti-aircraft guns, and the armament of the large 2000-ton vessels which are building will probably, it is stated, include heavy naval guns of a calibre up to 12-inches. There are besides the mine-laying tubes. But the submarine is specialising, fast into submersible cruisers, submarine minelayers, submarine torpedo boats, and depot or cargo submarine.?, with a carrying capacity of several hundred tons, as well as the coming submarine battleship. Moreover, by far the greater part of these developments has taken place within a very much shorter period than the 20 years mentioned. The book deals also with the various means, in the way of hydrophones, deeplaid mines, depth charges, "bulges," and the rest, which have been evolved to deal with the submarine- It should be a useful book of reference. But it would have been of muclx more value if one could have been sure that it was lit ways accurate. In two cases at any rate it is the reverse. On page 60, Mr. Fife says that (lie Australian submarines AEI and AE2 travelled "from Barrow, England to Sydney, N.S.W., Australia—a distance of over 13,000 miles—entirely under their own power and without convoy." A very little research would have prevented him from making such a bad mistake as that. Again, on page 118, he says that the German naval staff conceived the brilliant idea that with the 1150 submarines they possessed, amplified with a touch of 'frightfulness' and the 'Muff' of a submarine blockade of the English coast, they could prevent the failings of 1200 vessels which on an average enter and leave the ports of the United Kingdom weekly, and by so doing not only cause starvation and panic in England, i but also cut off the supplies of food and ammunition from the United States." Such ambitious schemes, he adds, "showed a lamentable lack of naval judgment." It is hardly necessary to comment on the lack of judgment shown in the implication of such a statement as this. As everyone knows now, the Herman scheme went very close i o actually attaining the object of its amjbition. Remember, for instance, Admiral Sims' admission iast September Remember, "Admiral Jellicoe," said he, "showed me the record of th? tonnage losses during the last few months. They were 43(1,000 'tons in February, 003,000 tons in March, and at the rate of 900,000 tons for April. Admiral Jellicoe said to me that it would be impossible to carry on the war if losses like these were to continue. 'Germany will win,' said Admiral .Telliqoe. 'unless ws can soon stop these iojjes!"'