The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-05 00:00:00

SHALL FLEET OF ENGLAND.

SCREW GUN-EOATS.
Of the small class of high-pressure screw gun-boats
(230 tons) we believe there are about 36 afloat, and be-
tween 80 and 90 in course of construction at the various
mercantile establishinents. 13y next March it is antici-
pated that we shall possess an equipped fleet of no less
than 130 of this service class of vessels. 'We believe
that not a single screw gunboat v:as afloat this time last
year. Mr. Pitcher, ofNorthfleet, has built, and is or-
dered to build, no than half a hundred of this little
pack of Clinchers, Clinkers, Growlers, and Gripers.

THE SCREW DESPATCH-VESSELS.
The merits of the Arrow, Beagle, Lynx, Snake,
Wrangler, and Viper, have been well tested in the Cri-
mea, whether in the affair with the Sebastopol batte-
ries, or the successful scouring of the Sea of Azoff, al-
tl,ough the wiseacres, after a stupid trial of the Arrow,
at the Isle of Wight, predicted, as usual, the utter fail-
ure of the claws. Like the floating batteries, so loudly
condemned that our admirals were afraid to use them
and were ashamed to take them, the Arrow class of gun
or despatch vessels have proved so useful, that 10 more
are being con,tructed by Messrs. Mare, Green, W'igrarn,
White, Young, and Fletcher, and when these are equip-
ped (by next March) we shall Lave a fleet of 22 of this
efficient class. Those building are larger than the Arrow,
and approximate more in tonnage (700) to the French
screw gun-boats that were in the Baltic this year. None
of these 22 were afloat 18 months since.
Two screw despatch vessels of a still larger class ate
also in course of construction at Mr. Scutt Russell's
works. They are of above 800 tons, and are likewise
to be ready by March. Thus in the course of two years
three classes of gun and despatch vessels, all propelled
by steam screw power, and numbering at least 154, will
Lave been created. But in the course of another six
mouths we may expect to see this fleet increased to 250
and a score of them at least of iron build. ,

THE MORTAR-BOATS.
The success as well as the indisputable utility of the
mortar boats, both in the Baltic and the Black Seas,
have warranted a large increase in this description of
vessel for war purpo,es. The limited employment of
the mortars against Sweahorg was owing not altogether
to the paucity of ships, but rather to the want of mortars;
for had we had a supply of these mortars to each of the
mortar vessels there i 3 little doubt that nearly three
times the work could, if required, have been performed.
About 10 of the latter we hear are to be fitted in s:ings
as recommended by Captain Julius Robarts, formerly of
the Royal Marine Artillery division at Portsmouth ; but
we have heard that the old inexpensive plan of fitting
the mortars in solid beds has not been so much eclipsed
by the plan of slinging the mortars as zealous encomiasts
of Ciptain Roberts prognosticated ; in tact, it has been
contended that the old p'an has proved not a whit in-
ferior, and that the French mortar vessels have turned
out quite as efficient. We have been informed, how-
ever, that the mortar beds of the French vessels are
more substantial than ours, and the mortar carriages arc
of solid cast iron. An error was committed in our first
mortar vessels fitted with sling mortars, by limiting the
tonnage to too aoiall an amount. This error, w e under-
stand, has been corrected in the new vessels, where the
naval architect's and practical shipwright's opinior s have
very properly been allowed to prevail over military
theory and experiment.

We have stated that 52 mortar vessels have been built
and are in course of construction. We presume that
should the experimental iron mortar fleet at Portsmouth
prove equal to its requirements, we sLaR have 103 mor-
tar-vessels equipped by next March. At all events, we
understand that more than 100 13 inch mortars are being
manufactured under contract for the Ordnance depart-
ment.