The Submarine Torpedo Boat
Its Characteristics And Modern Development

MEANS OF DEFENSE AGAINST SUBMARINE ATTACK 147 with a couple of feet of solid concrete and then attempt to run down or ram the submarines. At first the Eng- lish destroyers did meet with some success by this method. By keeping a strict watch for the periscopes to appear and immediately running them down, they succeeded in sink- ing a small number of the German submarines. The Germans soon put a stop to this however, by setting adrift in the proximity of the British fleet a number of imitation periscopes to which were attached contact mines. The destroyers after running down two or three of these masked mines with more or less disastrous results to themselves soon gave it up as a bad job. The most practicable means for active defense, I be- lieve, lies in a complement of several high speed launches. These small boats should have a speed of thirty knots or more and should have as little draught as is compatible with a fair degree of sea-worthiness, in order to make them practically immune from torpedo attack. They would be equipped with a special quick firing rifle of small caliber and powerful search-lights. Their duties would be essentially those of a patrol or picket boat. Being practically immune from under-water attack they would scour the sea night and day for a chance shot at an appearing conning tower or hull. Enough of these inex- pensive little boats would quite effectively clear a sub- marine blockade and prevent submarine raids upon merchant vessels plying in the well established routes of trade. The submarine must come to the surface sooner or later to get a fresh supply of air and for the purpose of charging her storage batteries, and must remain upon the surface some little time to do so. The time for doing this would naturally be at night, but if there are enough