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148
THE SUBMARINE TORPEDO BOAT
of these small patrols in the vicinity it would not be long
before one of them picked her up in the search-light.
The presence of the patrols, each patrol being assigned
to cover a certain area, would keep the submarines under
water except for very short intervals, and so long as they
can be prevented from coming up long enough to charge
their storage batteries they can remain in foreign waters
only within the scope of their submerged radius of action,
and this is very limited. The submarine attack would
therefore be limited to quick raids which are no great
menace to commerce, and cannot in any sense constitute
a blockade. The ambuscade of or the lying in wait for
vessels would be quite effectively stopped, and it is only
in this respect that the Germans have demonstrated any
ability to prey upon commercial shipping. The above
means of defense would of course be limited to the pre-
vention of blockades, it would not be practicable for
fleet maneuvers on the high seas.
Of late much has been said of the aeroplane as a means
of fighting the submarine. Its value in this respect can-
not be very great. In fact the chief attribute accorded
it, ability to detect the presence of the submarine from
its high vantage point, has been disproved by last winter’s
maneuvers in the Southern waters. At various times
during the maneuvers, aeroplanes were sent aloft to try
to locate the positions of the submarines but with no
success.
The theory of dropping bombs upon the submarine
from an aeroplane cannot be conceded as having any real
value at all. Admitting for the moment, that by careful
calculation of elevation and speed of the aeroplane, and
consideration of gravity and effect of atmospheric con-