At first guns from antiquated battle-ships were used in the monitors; then larger guns were used, until finally two of the monitors inherited the 18-inch guns of the Furious. A single gun was mounted on the after deck of each vessel and the gun was arranged to fire only on the starboard side. No heavily armored turret was provided, but merely a light housing to shelter the gun.
AN ELECTRICALLY STEERED MOTOR-BOAT
The British war-vessels that operated in the shallow waters off the coast of Flanders were a constant source of annoyance to the Germans. Because of the shallow water it was seldom possible for a submarine to creep up on them. A U-boat required at least thirty-five feet of water for complete submergence and it did not dare to attack in the open. This led the Germans to launch a motor-boat loaded with high explosive, which was steered from shore. The motor-boat carried a reel of wire which connected it with an operator on shore. There was no pilot in the boat, but the helm was controlled electrically by the man at the shore station. As it was difficult for the helmsman to see just what his boat was doing, or just how to steer it when it was several miles off, an airplane flew high above it and directed the helmsman, by radiotelegraphy, how to steer his boat. Of course, radiotelegraphy might have been used to operate the steering-mechanism of the boat, but there was the danger that the radio operators of the British might send out disturbing waves that would upset the control of the motor-boat, and so direct wire transmission was used instead. Fortunately, when the Germans tried this form of attack, an alert British lookout discovered the tiny motor-boat. The alarm was given and a lucky shot blew up the boat with its charge before it came near the British vessel.
[CHAPTER XVI]
Reclaiming the Victims of the Submarine
Nearly fifteen million tons of shipping lie at the bottom of the sea, sunk by German U-boats, and the value of these ships with their cargo is estimated at over seven billion dollars. In one year, 1917, the loss was nearly a million dollars a day.
Of course these wrecks would not be worth anything like that now, if they were raised and floated. Much of the cargo would be so damaged by its long immersion in salt water that it would be absolutely valueless, but there are many kinds of merchandise that are not injured in the least by water. Every ship carries a certain amount of gold and silver; and then the ship's hull itself is well worth salving, provided it was not too badly damaged by the torpedo that sank it. Altogether, there is plenty of rich treasure in the sea awaiting the salvor who is bold enough to go after it.
To be sure, not all of the U-boat's victims were sunk in deep water. Many torpedoed vessels were beached or succeeded in reaching shallow water before they foundered. Some were sunk in harbors while they lay at anchor, before the precaution was taken of protecting the harbors with nets. The Allies did not wait for the war to end before trying to refloat these vessels. In fact, during the war several hundred ships were raised and put back into service. A special form of patch was invented to close holes torn by torpedoes. Electric pumps were built which would work under water and these were lowered into the holds of ships to pump them out. The salvors were provided with special gas-masks to protect them from poisonous fumes of decayed matter in the wrecks.
Our own navy has played an important part in salvage. Shortly after we entered the war, all the wrecking-equipment in this country was commandeered by the government and we sent over to the other side experienced American salvors, provided with complete equipment of apparatus and machinery.