Word: mining
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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Early in this tragic eleventh week of World War II, the furtive nature of the new German offensive was suspected: mines laid by submarines in British coastal waters. By week's end, despite German denials, this was confirmed. Suspicion grew when a British destroyer, four British freighters (Matra, Ponzano, Wood-town, Pensilva) and a Danish steamer (Canada) all blew up in nearshore British waters. Certainly the British would not mine roadsteads used by their own ships. Nor could mines drifting loose from British defense fields be blamed since British mines are designed to become harmless after breaking away from...
...Floating mines are not outlawed by international convention. But, like anchored mines after they break loose, their danger period is supposed to be limited to one hour. A small submarine can carry 20 mines, can plant them through specially constructed mine tubes while submerged if necessary. Larger craft have special devices for submarine egg-laying and can put down 40 or more charges per trip...
Famed German subsea minelayer of World War I was U-J5, which sowed the northwest outlet of Scapa Flow. The British knew she was working there and diligently swept up after her. What they did not know was that U-J5's mine-carrying capacity had been increased by 16 over older models. After they had swept up the supposedly correct number (20) of mines, they let their ships go out through the field and one of the extra mines blew up the cruiser Hampshire, with War Secretary Earl Kitchener aboard. Other submarine-mining triumphs of 1914-18 were...
...saved. A gang of 137 Chinese deportees had to be turned loose from their prison in Sirdhana's forward hold, recaptured later. The third officer of a Japanese steamer moored nearby rushed to the rescue in a small boat. Blamed for the disaster was a recently derelict British mine, broken loose from the Singapore naval base defense field...
Most college libraries banned the book. But its word-of-mouth reputation grew; Congressmen took to quoting it; its facts were a gold mine for left-wing cribbers. By 1936 the Modern Library edition (sales: 25,000) could say honestly that the History of the Great American Fortunes was a semi-classic of research. Author Myers has never been sued for libel...