Manual for submarine mining

by United States. War Department

The distribution box boat should precede the planter to the mine field. The distribution box buoy, to which the anchor rope is fastened by a bowline, to the bight of which the raising rope is secured, is taken aboard at the bow, if the tide is coming in toward the box, and the anchor rope is made fast. The distribution box is then raised by its raising rope and secured in the stern. The boat is thus anchored fore-and- aft, perpendicular to the line of mines, with its bow pointed toward the position of the center mine of the group. If the tide is running out from the box, the buoy should be taken in at the stern, the boat being held in position by the raising rope of the distribution box and then by the multiple cable. The anchor rope is finally made fast in the bow. During the planting of mines a man should always stand ready to slacken away on the anchor rope if necessary.

FIG. 13.—MINE READY FOR PLANTING.

FIG. 14.—MINE PLANTED.

If the buoy for the distribution box is not in place, the cable must be underrun, either from shore or from a buoy planted for this purpose. This is done preferably with a yawl. The cable is raised, taken aboard, and placed over a roller or rowlock in the stern. The cable is then pulled in over the stern and lowered over a roller or rowlock in the bow. If the planter is to underrun cable, a cathead is put in place and a snatch block is lowered by a raising rope secured to a hoisting windlass. The cable is placed in the snatch block and the planter moves forward slowly. When it is desired to transfer the cable to a small boat the snatch block is lowered into the boat and the cable removed.

After the distribution box boat has secured the box in position, the lid is removed and the cable is tested as prescribed on page 44. A signal is then raised to indicate to the planter that the distribution box boat is ready for the planting of mines.

Planting the mines.—If there be a strong tide, the mines should, if possible, be planted at such time that the planter, in going out toward the line of mines, moves against the tide.

The planter moves out and passes close to the distribution box boat, with the latter to port. As it passes slowly by, a heaving line is thrown by a man forward of the beam to the distribution box boat, whose party immediately hauls in the mine cable, bends on another heaving line, and lashes the cable to the boat. It is desirable to have a second heaving line ready in case the first one fails. If the water be rough the cable end is passed to the boat by a launch.

The planter moves forward to the position to be occupied by mine No. 10. If automatic anchors are used, the distance weight is lowered at the command “Lower weight,” given after the cable is secured in the distribution box boat. As the planter approaches this position the command “Get ready” is given. As the forward davit comes abreast of the position of No. 10 mine, the officer in charge of the planting commands “Let go”; the tripping hook of the mine is released first and that of the anchor immediately thereafter. The mine buoy, cable, and raising rope are then thrown overboard.