Chasing Submarines with Motor-Boats 



By Prescott Lecky 



Boats for the purpose are built up 

 in sections produced in immense 

 quantities, like the parts of the low- 

 priced, easily assembled automobile 



After the boats are assembled in the sheds they 

 are launched directly into the St. Lawrence River 



WHEN England found the submarine 

 was a menace that threatened to 

 destroy her paramount position as a 

 maritime power and a maritime nation she 

 cast about her for a means of combating 

 the underwater terror. One of her purchas- 

 ing agents visited the New York office of 

 Henry R. Sutphen, an official of a boat-build- 

 ing company and a submarine company. 



"Why don't you try motor-boats?" sug- 

 gested Mr. Sutphen, and proceeded to out- 

 line the sort of craft he had in mind. The 

 conversation resulted in a provisional order 

 for fifty boats, given subject to the approval 

 of the British Admiralty. Not only was this 

 order confirmed, but a short time afterwards 

 it was increased to five hundred and fifty. 



The boat called for was to be 80 ft. long, 

 123^2 ft. beam, 4^ ft. draft and of 32 tons 

 displacement. Two standard motors of 

 220 horsepower were to drive her at a speed 

 of fourteen knots for 850 nautical miles or 

 nineteen knots for a distance of 700 nautical 

 miles. The fuel capacity was to be 2100 

 gallons, and the gasoline was to be con- 

 sumed at the rate of one pint per horse- 

 power per hour. She was to carry a crew of 

 ten men, including gunners to operate the 

 3-inch rifle mounted forward. 



Applying Automobile Manufacturing 

 Methods 



Naturally it would have been impossible 

 to construct so many boats of such a large 



size in so short a time by the usual methods. 

 The methods of the automobile factory 

 were adapted to the shipyard. First, "the 

 master boat" was built and every part that 

 went into its construction was carefully 

 measured and recorded on templates or 

 wooden patterns. The templates were 

 then sent to the shops and five hundred 

 duplicate pieces ordered. Every one of 

 these pieces was lettered and numbered on 

 its arrival at the plant. Three machine 

 shops were kept busy turning out the 

 motors. Most of the woodwork was done 

 in Bayonne, N. J. More than eight and a 

 half million feet of finished lumber, sawed 

 and dressed to the required sizes, was 

 turned out by this shop. 



When arrangements had been made for 

 the material, new yards on the St. Lawrence 

 River in Canada were about completed. 

 The plant consisted merely of half a dozen 

 huge assembling sheds, and it was here that 

 most of the ships were made. 



As the keels arrived they were put in 

 their places along the floor, and the 

 delivery of the various ribs, beams and 

 parts was so timed that no storage space 

 was necessary. Every effort was made to 

 simplify operations and to avoid handling 

 and carting the material more than once. 

 For instance, as soon as the engine, anchors 

 and chains arrived they were distributed 

 immediately, an anchor being laid in front 

 of each keel. 



