Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 140, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1919 — System Used In Sinking U-Boats [ARTICLE]

System Used In Sinking U-Boats

Navy Officer Reveals How Depth Bombs Are Directed to Their Mark. .... WAR SECRETS OUT AT LAST Tactics Worked Out at the Direction of Admiral Sims —Vessels- Change Course at Regular Timed Intervals. Newport, R. I.—With the assembling of the largest class in the history of the war college, which when it Is fairly under way will number 60 officers of high rank in the navy, there has been brought to Newport many participants in the world war. Many of these officials 'feel perfectly at home In Newport, having at various times been connected with the naval station here. Capt. William W. Phelps, who is now on the staff of Rear Admiral Sims at the college, has lived In Newport twice. Captajn Phelps’ last command- was one of the largest ships in the navy, the transport Leviathan, and in this connection he spoke interestingly of the transportation of the thousands of our troops from New York to Brest. Although strict censorship prevailed during the war relative to this hazardous service, it is now permissible to speak of the work of these transports. Navigating to Avoid U-Boats. Here are a few facts Captain Phelps related: During a voyage the Leviathan’s course would be changed at regular intervals, from port to starboard, making a wide zigzag. In daylight she would steam at 22 knots. Off the bow on each side, and likewise off the stern, would be destroyers, making four close to tlie Mg ship. These destroyers also at timed intervals would zigzag, but in shorter turns, first towards the ship, and -then away from It. Then guns were trained, and depth bombs were ready to go down the slide. Steaming at 30 knots, just ahead of the transport, would be another destroyer, making sharp zigzag directly across her path. Her speed would be so great that she would have to slow down to use her deck guns, as volumes of water would come over her prow. In the distance would be still another destroyer, five miles ahead, also running on time and acting as a scout, or like the pickets in the army. All zigzags were made according to exact time, so as to eliminate any chance for collision. Captain Phelps said that at night, running at high speed without lights, the timing made the trips possible without collision. The most dreaded hours were the long twilights in the north steamship lane, which sometimes lasted until ten o’clock, and frequently for hours afterwards the northern lights would make It possible for the dreaded submarines to see the big transport without themselves being discernible.

Captain Phelps has the distinction of making the fastest round trip on record when, with the transport Great Northern last July,' he went from Sandy Hook to Brest, unloaded his troops and returned to New York in 14 days, 4% hours. The sea was favorable for this record, which- has only been exceeded at any time but once, when In December, 1913, on a special Christmas trip, the Mauretania made the same transatlantic voyage in just 14 days. When the trips across the Atlantic with the big troop ships began there were many tactics worked out, emanating from Vice Admiral Sims. One of

these was depth bomb practice, just as the battleships have target practice. One of these explosives set off 800 yards from the big ship Leviathan was sufficiently powerful to shake and jar her, yet it must be remembered that the effect on a vessel on top of the water.is different from the effect upon <jne submerged. It lifts up the vessel on top, in much the way* a huge wave would, but it crushes the underseas craft with pressure. How do you make sure of getting asubmarlnewith a depth bomb? Captain Phelps was asked. Captain Phelps explained that a destroyer would steam at top speed in a circle around the spot in w’hlcb the U-boat was seen, and drop a bomb every few yards. The speed of the surface craft is so much greater than the other that when the circle is completed It is positive that one of the bombs did its work, for, whichever way the undersea craft turns, she cannot get out of the circle.