XII- 6
a committee and soon asked relieved this duty in
order concentrate experimental work. This "new and
terrible engine warfare" had figured Secretary Daniels'
14
plans for the Board. The sinking the Lusitania in
1915 was portent things come, but the authorities on
both sides the Atlantic did little counter the threat
until the Germans began unlimited submarine warfare early
1917. The research effort the
Naval Consulting Board, and several other research facilities,
was directed towards the threat the submarine.
. Although Edison undertook over forty
experiments between March 1917 and November 1918, ranging from
plating search light reflectors airplane detection, he
15
concentrated his efforts the submarine menace. Edison gave all
other research activities and war work took all his time
13
until the end 1918.
E2
After the explosion the events turned Edison's
attention detecting submarines. Edison was joined this endeavor by
experimenters his payroll and volunteers from universities
and industry. The German
U-boats were disrupting the vital lines communication that
stretched across the high seas. His expenses were forwarded the Department of
the Navy, but Edison did not charge for his time. Within very short time the German U-boats severed the
flow supplies into the Allied ports and the British
Admiralty secretly concluded that unless the submarine could be
16
stopped, the war was lost
