GERMAN SUBMARINES IN PARTICULAR. 123 



that from two main causes — secrecy and method of use by the Germans — the submarine has 

 a most evil reputation. Tiiis is undeserved, and those who study its design, construction and 

 operation will find it a most fascinating subject. So far as design is concerned, for its sur- 

 face navigation the same qualities are necessary as for surface ships. For submerged navi- 

 gation a new set of circumstances arise which must be superimposed on these already men- 

 tioned. Design is therefore far more complicated and difficult than is the case for ordinary 

 ships. Its small size and the multiplicity of its fittings render construction and completion 

 also more difficult. So far as its method of operation during war is concerned it is unpopu- 

 lar, because, as many point out, it skulks below the surface and waits and watches for its 

 prey. They forget it is only utilizing one of the most ancient maxims in war and sport ; i. e., 

 that of taking cover. It does this in, the only effective manner possible in sea warfare. 



There is, however, another reason for some of its unpopularity. It has to be remem- 

 bered that "submarining" is a young man's game and only a relatively small number of naval 

 officers serve in the submarine service. Its introduction is relatively recent and, consequently, 

 it is only a very few of the senior officers of the services who have any personal knowledge 

 of its value and limitations. Naturally the older senior officers considered it a new-fangled 

 contrivance and looked upon its advent with suspicion, if not with disfavor. Its employment 

 in warfare fundamentally altered many of those principles O'f tactics and strategy with which 

 they were familiar. A privileged few of the senior officers were taken out on a submarine 

 on show occasions, saw how smoothly its operations were carried out, and went home and 

 wrote letters to the press on the futility of building battleships. They had seen it at its best 

 and could not appreciate its limitations. At the present time this unpopularity is decreasing, 

 thanks to the lessons of the war, and also by the entry into the senior ranks of the service of 

 some of the earliest and most experienced submarine officers. 



Luckily for the Allies, Germany's naval autocrat. Von Tirpitz, one of the senior officers, 

 was not an enthusiastic admirer of the submarine, and consequently Germany built few before 

 the war, starting their construction far later than other nations and apparently only then be- 

 cause the latter were increasing their numbers., 



Commander Land points out that the submarine has proved beyond a doubt its value as 

 an essential part of a navy. Nothing has confirmed this more than the reception given to 

 the semiofficial annoomcement that the British Admiralty were in favor of its abolition. It 

 might be accepted that a nation which has a large surface fleet of war and merchant ships, 

 and which suffered more serious losses during the war than any other nation from the sub- 

 marine, would be favorable to its abolition. The public press stated that practically all con- 

 tinental nations had strongly objected to the proposed abolition and, as far as can be judged, 

 the matter has dropped. 



In the paper it is pointed out that the majority of boats built during the war were of 

 about 850 tons displacement. Size is generally dependent on the weight and power of the 

 engines available at the time of the design, as the latter has to be built around them. Most 

 of the nations have developed submarine engines of from 1,000 to 1,200 B.H.P. as a maxi- 

 mum and it almost naturally follows that the tonnage displacement of the boats built with 

 these engines should be about the same. As soon, however, as the Germans had more power- 

 ful engines available the size of the boat showed an increase. Thus the 1,750 B.H.P. engines, 

 fitted in U135 and U136, required a displacement of 1,150 tons, and the 3,000 B.H.P. en- 

 gines intended to have been fitted in U142 increased the displacement to 3,150 tons. All 

 other classes of warships have increased in displacement, speed and other qualities as soon as 



