Show Recent Allied Success in III Undersea mar Wal marIs Is Res Result t of Coordinated Campaign Improved Weapons Better Use of Old Defeating Subs The sub submarine n rine was utterly defeated in May Prime Min Min- Minister Minister ister Churchill stated triumphantly triumphantly in a recent address The first lord of the admiralty amended this by announcing that th the Br British tish navy had set a anew new record in that month for boat U-boat and that losses i now exceeded German tion Thus the gravest threat to Allied success the submarine campaign against shipping is being answered A it w in World War I. I Success I is coming faster than anyone dared hope a little while ago In April Admiral King of the U. U S. S navy pre pre- predicted predicted that the submarine danger would be brought under control with with- within within in four to six months Secretary of Navy Knox a few days later said that the increasing numbers of de- de destroyers destroyers now guarding convoys would soon have their beneficial ef- ef The peril to the bridge of ships carrying war supplies to EUrope and the Orient is not being met by any anyone anyone one secret weapon Destroyers airplanes cannon radar helicopters balloons and many other war machines are being employed in combinations best adapted to the task The change for the better has come rather suddenly Only last January the tremendous losses in shipping tonnage were caus causing ng ex- ex extreme extreme concern concern in Allied war coun- coun Almost a million tons a month was being sunk last year Charles E. E Walsh chief of the maritime pro pro- procurement procurement division has revealed that over 11 million tons went down in inthe inthe the first year of war The Mer- Mer Merchant Merchant chant Marine reports that nearly men have been lost in the last 20 months Until very lately there was little light through the dark clouds Ships Getting Through Now the great fleets of merchant ships are arriving in Allied ports with small losses The protection devised by the navy is succeeding convoy may consist of hundreds of ships carrying ammu- ammu ammunition ammunition food plane parts oil and thousands of other war materials as well as troops offers many tar tar- v vr r Ab 4 CC Q VeY o s sM M LIKE A DUCKS DUCK'S The BACK new lifesaving ing suit keeps seamen dry and warm under aU all conditions A jackknife for cutting away gling ropes and a red signal light and police whistle for attracting at- at attention attention of rescuers are attached to the shoulder gets for enemy submarines and tor- tor torpedo torpedo planes Destroyers ranging along the flanks and ahead and behind the convoy are the usual defenders of the slow and helpless I freighters tankers and troopships But the greyhounds of the sea have a lot of auxiliaries under the new system One of these is the corvette a small merchant ship converted to a alight alight light warship It can function much muchas as the destroyer does although it i i u i e eA mS A AA A HELICOPTER Settling LANDS slowly on the space marked ou as Its landing field on the deck of a Victory ship this helicopter makes a per per- perfect perfect landing This peculiar aircraft can rise and descend almost vertically and can hover over the water vater spotting submarines does not have its speed or maneu- maneu Then there is the air air- aircraft aircraft craft carrier which is accompany accompany- accompanying ing large convoys lately Pl Planes nes from the carrier can patrol a wide circle and prevent any enemy sur- sur surface surface face craft from surprising the con con- voy That new marvel radar can lo- lo locate cat cate enemy planes and submarines with amazing accuracy in fogs or at night Destroyers are being equipped with radar now Listen Listen- Listening Listening ing devices to detect submarines by bythe bythe the pulsations of their propellers have been in use for some time so the officers in charge of the de- de defense of a convoy have several means of knowing when the enemy is approaching Only about miles mUes of the voy- voy voyage voyage age between the United States and British ports is beyond the range of land based aircraft according to Secretary Knox The patrol planes of the Allies can protect shipping within an arc six or seven seven hundred miles in radius Ships Mount Heavy eavy Guns Convoys are so large however I that despite all sorts of armed armed guardians some ships will be at- at attacked attacked tacked and p perhaps damaged or sunk Often too a single merchant ship has to travel without escort to enter a small port off the regular run or for a number of other rea- rea sons Merchant ships have long been accustomed to mount some cannon in wartime but against modern en- en enemy enemy emy craft ordinary seamen have I little chance to use their weapons effectively The maritime commis- commis commission commission sion has ordered every American ship to carry a inch five gun A crew from the navy mans the piece which is deadly to enemy submarines submarines rines and destroyers or any vessel with thinner armor than a cruiser Ships are protected against air air- aircraft aircraft craft by antiaircraft anti guns and 50 caliber machine guns Expert navy crews also handle these ordnance Submarines and planes are reluctant reluctant tant to get too close to a ship that can defend herself and torpedoes bombs and gunfire aimed from a dis- dis distance distance tance are less accurate A barrage balloon is now being added to the defensive equipment of merchant ships The balloon trails steel cables when in the air thereby preventing a plane from getting too close to the ship or from running along it and strafing the crew with machine gun bullets The gas bag is raised and lowered by a cable attached to a winch near the stern Last month the maritime com com- commission commission mission and the War Shipping ad- ad administration administration ministration decided after a suc- suc successful successful demonstration that helicopters can be employed to give added protection to individual ships Ev- Ev Every Every ery new Liberty model ship will carry a helicopter according to present plans As these peculiar aircraft can rise and descend almost vertically they can operate from froma a small area on the deck of a ves- ves sel Whether the ship is part of a I convoy or sailing alone the helicopter ter can hover around watching for forthe forthe the enemy Some Inevitable Ships will be damaged and sunk however despite all defensive pre pre- precautions precautions cautions and efforts Some are wrecked by storms or are smashed on rocks or icebergs Even when in a sinking condition nevertheless a ship may sometimes be saved by some of the safety features that are part of a modern ship If the ship must be abandoned other emer- emer emergency emergency gency features help to save the lives of the crew Many safety devices have been added and old ones have been im- im proved Several have been built into the ship itself The maritime commission found that men were hurt frequently in the dark passage passage- passageways passageways ways when the lights went out after a torpedo had struck Luminous Luminous- paint signs now mark all passage passage- passageways passageways ways and exits and directions point to ladders and indicate the switches of eme emergency gency lights I Crash panels must now be put into every door by coast g guard ard regul regula- regula These are sections of thin wood within every door that can be smashed out by trapped crewmen leaving a space big enough to per per- permit permit mit escape To prese preserve ve the nerve centers of of a ship as long as possible the pIlot pIlothouse pilothouse house and radio shack are covered with reinforced concrete and steel capable of withstanding submarine shelling Latest In Life Boats Finally when seamen have to abandon ship the latest and best in saving life equipment comes into play By orders of the coast guard the life boats are arc always kept swung out and clamped against canvas cov ered cov-ered cushions The ropes holding the boats are secured by a single pelican hook which can be tripped by simply releasing a catch allow allow- allowing allowing ing the boat to be lowered into the water in a minute or two At the same time a boat is low low- lowered lowered ered a life net kept rolled up p against the side of the ship just jus be- be 4 h a Nf i Vii s s Y 1 5 Iii J l M 4 eH LIFE Six RAFT research men are shown testing the new rubber life raft under actual shipwreck condi- condi conditions conditions for the Maritime commission They were cast adrift near Cape Fear N. N N C. C to study conditions of survival at sea and to report de- de defects defects and possibilities for improvement improve improve- ment Merchant ships carry these rafts in addition to the lifeboats low the boat deck is released Three or four men can scramble down this net at the same time Merchant ships must also carry l since the boats may be damaged by shells or the sinking ship may be leaning so far over that it is impossible to lower life llie- lifeboats boats on one side Boats Carry Radios A portable sending and receiving radio set must be included in the equipment of at least one lifeboat on every ship Water rations on each boat have been increased from three to ten quarts per person Fourteen ounces each of pemmican malted milk tablets chocolate and type Carmy C army ration biscuits must be included in every boat for each person Rubber lifesaving suits are is- is issued issued sued to each member of the crew Besides keeping a man dry while in inthe inthe the water the suits give protection against exposure in a lifeboat or or raft Attached to the shoulder of each suit is a jackknife with which a man can free himself if he is en- en entangled entangled tangled in ropes and a police whis- whis whistle whistle tle and a red signal light to at- at attract attract tract the attention of rescuers So the perils to Allied s shipping are being successfully by combining all known resources of warships planes guns and radio The war goods are getting through The ships are arriving safely But when a a ship does go down the brave seamen have n a much better chance of living to sail again than ever before thanks to ever better equip equip- ment s 's t S FOR SAILORS SAILORS- The boat has built in air tanks that M 1 render It sinkable non non sinkable and there are aro grab rails ralls fastened to the tho bottom so f that seamen can hang on if it over over- ti turns A bright red triangular sail w is part of the accessories Canned xa t fit Y food and drinking water a fishing kit a first aid outfit and a machine of t x t y 4 9 for or making sea Vater drinkable are part of the supplies and equipment shown 1 |