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MEANS OF DEFENSE AGAINST SUBMARINE ATTACK 145
down when she chances to expose her periscopes to take
bearings. The destroyer is however vulnerable to the
torpedo, and it is only the slothful maneuvering qualities
of the submarine when under water that prevents the
certain success of counter attack on her part. Almost all
of the theories of attack upon the submarine have been
based upon the superior performance of the destroyer
for their successful execution.
One of the pet theories is that a mine or bomb exploded
in the water within the vicinity of the submarine will
transmit such pressure through the water as to cause the
hull of the submarine to collapse. To illustrate the con-
sequences of this action, the instance is always cited of
the killing of fish by the concussion caused by exploding
dynamite under water. The execution of this means of
defense was to be carried out by fitting the destroyers
with outriggers to which torpedoes were attached to the
outer ends. The torpedoes were to be fired by either a
time fuse device or by electrical detonators. The out-
rigger or spar held the torpedo a considerable distance
away from the destroyer and was to be lowered into the
water and fired over where the submarine was supposed
to be.
Experiments with this method were carried out by the
English Navy by exploding torpedoes in the water close
to floating casks. It was claimed by them that the results
proved conclusively that a torpedo having a moderate
weight of explosive charge would, if exploded within
70 or 80 feet of a submarine, cause very disastrous results.
Later on the French, induced by these experiments as
reported, placed a number of live sheep in a submarine
boat and discharged a torpedo containing about a hundred