If they are "spotted" they can dive into
its friendly depths, complete their work, and make for the parent
ship.
Low-lying sea-fogs are favourable to aerial raids provided the
scout is able to catch sight of the upper parts of landmarks to
enable him to be sure of the correctness of his line of flight-in
cases where the distance is very short compass direction is
sufficiently reliable-because the bank of vapour not only
constitutes a perfect screen, but serves as a blanket to the
motor exhaust, if not completely, at least sufficiently to
mislead those below. Fogs, as every mariner will testify, play
strange tricks with the transmission of sound. Hence, although
those on the vessels below might detect a slight hum, it might
possibly be so faint as to convey the impression that the aviator
was miles away, when, as a matter of fact, he was directly
overhead. This confusion arising from sound aberration is a
useful protection in itself, as it tends to lure a naval force
lying in or moving through the fog into a false sense of
security.
The development of the submarine revealed the incontrovertible
fact that this arm would play a prominent part in future
operations upon the water: a presage which has been adequately
fulfilled during the present conflict.
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