Søgning i bogen
Den bedste måde at søge i bogen er ved at downloade PDF'en og søge i den.
Derved får du fremhævet ordene visuelt direkte på billedet af siden.
Digitaliseret bog
Bogens tekst er maskinlæst, så der kan være en del fejl og mangler.
146 THE SUBMARINE TORPEDO BOAT
pounds of gun-cotton at a distance of about 150 feet
from it. The results showed no ill effects to either the
sheep or the boat. Had a heavier charge been exploded
and at a closer distance the results might possibly have
shown more serious effects.
Probably a more feasible plan is to tow by means of
the destroyer a mine to be exploded by an electrical
detonator. This plan is objectionable however, because
it is found to be quite difficult to locate the position of a
towed mine over a submarine, especially if the submarine
be continuing any but a straight course. I lie mine when
towed also tends to rise and skim along the surface, and
if exploded on top of the water, even though it were
directly over the submarine, it would do little if any
damage to her submerged at a normal cruising depth.
A third method proposed for active defense against the
submarine is that two destroyers be sent out abreast
pulling a drag between them with the intention of foul-
ing the conning tower or periscopes of the submarine and
upsetting her. Destroyers operating under this condition
would however be placed at a very great disadvantage.
In fact they would be virtually pulling a sea anchor, and
it is certain that the destroyers in this case must be
distinctly at the mercy of the submarine instead of being
any particular menace to her.
A drag of any sort must necessarily alter considerably
the speed of a destroyer as well as to put her at a great in-
convenience and extreme disadvantage when maneuvering.
A method which is known to have been adopted by
the English destroyers against the German submarines
in the North Sea during the early part of the present
war, was to fill the bottoms of the hulls of the destroyers