Mr. Saunders
said nothing more and neither did his colleagues.
But whether emanating from the lucubrations of Mr. Edison's board, or
wherever devised, we know that the American Navy has applied many
inventions to the work of combating the under-sea pirate. A type of
depth-bomb was developed and applied. This is one of the most efficient
methods of beating the submarine that has yet been found. Explosive
charges are fitted with a mechanism designed to explode the charge at a
predetermined depth below the surface of the sea. The force of the
explosion of a depth charge dropped close to a submarine is sufficient
to disable if not sink it, and American boats have been fitted with
various interesting means of getting these bombs into the water.
Smoke-producing apparatus was developed to enable a vessel to conceal
herself behind a smoke-screen when attacked by submarines and thus
escape. Several types of screen have been invented and applied in
accordance with the character of the vessel. After a study of the
various types of mines in existence, there was produced an American mine
believed to involve all the excellent points of mines of whatever
nationality, while another extraordinary invention was the non-ricochet
projectile. The ordinary pointed projectile striking the water almost
horizontally is deflected and ricochets. A special type of shell which
did not glance off the surface of the ocean was developed early in 1917
and supplied to all vessels sailing in the war zone.
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