all about the British Isles. As a rule the boats work in groups
of five or six, one boat serving as a flagship--and often there is a
"blimp" attached to the fleet. The armament of these small vessels is
distinctive. Each carries, besides a deck gun, a "depth charge," half a
dozen lance bombs and arms for each member of the crew. The deck gun
fires a shell that weighs about thirteen pounds.

The "depth charge" is a submarine bomb, so constructed that it is
discharged at any determined depth of water when thrown overboard. If
the water is 100 feet deep the bomb will explode at that depth. The
bombs are used to drop in places where the submarine has been located
or is expected of lurking in the bottom of the sea. While the exploding
bomb may not strike the underseas boat it will create havoc on board the
underwater craft if discharged in close proximity, the extra water
pressure exerted causing disarrangement of the delicate mechanism, if
not rendering the boat unfit for service.

Some of the patrol boats of the English have been armed with "lance
bombs." These are bombs of highly explosive character which are fastened
to the end of a long pole or staff. They are used just as a harpoon is
used when by chance a submarine may emerge from the water in too close
proximity to the chaser. It is not of record that any U-boats have been
sunk with these strange javelins, but official reports show that the
boats are armed with them for emergencies.

CHASER TROUBLES THE SUBMARINE.

What with dragging bombs through the water, and setting traps and nests
for the submarines, the chasers make great trouble for the underseas
craft, but the ingenious Germans are constantly on the alert, and it has
been proved that in one or two instances at least the submarines cut
their way through the heavy chain nets which were set to catch them near
Havre. It was said that the submarine was provided with steel knives or
wire cutters, and shears operated by electricity or pneumatic pressure,
which enabled the boat to cut its way through the barrier of chains and
wires.

As a means of visualizing the operations of the "chaser" and giving some
idea of the excitement which attends the attempt to run down the
underseas craft, the following description by an English sailor is
interesting. The chase occurred off the Isle of Wight:

"Offshore a short distance was a patrol boat lying very low and flying
distress signals. We had run over to her and lear