MODERN SUBMARINE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 April 1939, Page 5

MODERN SUBMARINE

UNDERWATER “CRUISERS” POWERFUL WEAPON. ASTOUNDING STRIDES MADE. Admiral J. E. Sommerville, Comman-der-In-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet, expressed himself at the Naval Conference of 1936, thus: “No branch of the science of warfare has made such astounding strides in the course of the last 10 years as the construction of submarines. The war of the futurewill be in the air and beneath the sea” (writes F. Erba) French authority on naval topics). A glance at the naval dockyards of Spithead, Brest, La Spezia, San Francisco, or Kiel, confirms the prediction 6f the British Admiral. As a fact, during the last few years submarines have become transformed into subiiiersible cruisers; and what inventive brains in the service of Mars haVe done in this sphere is truly astonishing to the layman who has been led to believe that the submarine is losing its potency as a weapon. Immediately after the Great War the naval experts of the Victorious Powers considered the development of submarine science With the object of using submersible boats fqr transporting troops and war material. In this race for perfecting the submarine, Britain at first took the lead. It is impossible to say Whether she still occupies this pdSitibh. The secrets of no branch of War industries are more jealously guarded than those of submarine construction. In any Case, the transport of material is no lohger the only object. The British NaVy has some submarines of the H.G7 type which are proper Submarine transport ships. Sheffield steel works supply the special steel, indispenSible for building these enormous submarines, which have a far larger displacement than the older types. Submarines of the H. 67 type can carry, besires the crew, 200 men with a large amount of ammunition. There is ample space in which the men may move about. In addition, the vessels can carry 10 months’ provisions for these 200 men. This type of vessel requires only 15 seconds to plunge out of sight and 20 seconds to come to the surface again/. THE DEATH FISH. Impfovemehts in torpedoes have also occupied the attention of submarine engineers, ahd the whole of this form of artillery peculiar to the submarine is hoW mechanised. Torpedoes, these queer fish of death, weighing sometimes dVer 7cWt, are placed automatically in the torpedo-discharge tube. By USlng a light metal, the explosive charge may be increased from 2cWt to 4CWt Without increasing the total Weight of the torpedo. The speed of these death-fish, their raiige and their reliability, have been considerably improved. Faster than an ekpreSs train, at the uniform speed of 150 ft per secbhd, the torpedo speeds towards its target, although the latter may be at a distance of nine miles. Aiming and range-finding are naturally effected with the help of special instruments, and calculations in which mathematics figure prominently and the human eye not at all. Tt was about 1927 that the strange association of the submarine With the aeroplane was first contemplated. A combination of the tWo was considered. Imaginative novelists had already anticipated the aeroplane-submarine, but modern science has not qitite achieved that, although the goal has been nearly reached, The Americans are far ahead in developing this new arm. combining the aerial and submarine elements. At present the United States Pacific Fleet possess tWo submarines built specially for working in conjunction with aeroplanes. Each of these submersible boats contains 10 aeroplanes, which are carried With it beneath the waves. The submarine is equipped With catapults for releasing the aircraft. Safely 30 seconds elapse between the moment the submarine appears on the surface and the take-off of the aeroplane. ITALIAN .SUBMARINE BRIGADE. Although from the beginning the builders have endeavoured to strengthen the attacking power of the submarine, it has always been regarded, particularly by the smaller naval Powers, as one of the most powerful rhedns of defence. The Italians, who have made a specialty of deep-sea diving and refloating work, have now created an ihfahtry brigade destined to work in the submarines or in conjunction with them. Quite recently at La Spezia, manoeuvres involving this “submarine infantry” were carried out. The principal weapon in use is an extremely efficient saw to cut through the chains and anchors of mines and to destroy the anti-submarine nets. At the same time, German engineers have perfected an apparatus Which indicates the presence of floating mines Within a radius of over 600yds. Of all the countries whose fleets cruise in the Mediterranean today, France has by far the most powerful submarines. The Surcouf, of 4.300 tons, is so well equipped that it could, in theory, torpedo four battleships at ohce. It can attain a speed of 20 knots, and can go 1,500 miles without touching at a port. It holds the world record for submarines, cruising for 95 days without putting into port. Although it is not an aeroplane-car-rying submarine like the two American submersible vessels mentioned above, the Surcouf nevertheless contains a powerful bombing plane. The Italian Fleet has nothing to be compared With this under Water battleship. But as far as numbers and tonnage are concerned, the Italian submarine fleet has probably equalled, if not exceeded, the French fleet.