The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-26 00:00:00

LON DON, SATURDA Y EVENING, AUGUST 26. 1854.

GUN-BOATS.

We insert this morning a letter from " An Eye-
Witness," on a subject not likely just now to lack
interest with the. public. It has been found to be
of great importance that we should provide our-
selves for the war in the Baltic with a new descrip-
tion of offensive craft, suited to the particular na-
ture of the seas on which our forces are engaged.
The necessity for this new armament was discerned
as soon as our fleets passed the Sound, and indeed
we may say, perhaps, that it might have been as
sumed some time beforehand. In the larger and
and more powerful class of vessels we appear, after
many experiments, to have arrived at the very con-
summation of success in our screw three-deckers.
Our frigates, too, and steam. ships generally, leave
little to be desired, provided only they can find
water to float in ; but this is unfoi tunately the
one thing wanting. The shallows of the Baltic are
such that vessels with more than a certain draught
of water cannot approach near enough to the shore
to use their batter►es, and it is necessary, there-
fore, to employ a smaller species of craft for such
purposes. Of course, vessels built to insure a light
draught of water cannot carry a large number of
guns, and, as they would consequently be no match
for sloops or frigates, they should be able to get out
of their way. As they cannot fight they must run,
and these conditions give us the combination of
qualities desired. The vessels in question should
tie of very little draught, very great speed, and so
armed that the gun or guns that they can carry
should be effective at a range long enough to keep
the craft itself harmless. Whether they are called
"! gun-boats" or " despatch-boats" matters very
little ; their general capacity is such as we describe.
After some delays, the Admiralty authorities
are now getting a small flotilla of these boats in
readiness for service. One of thein, the Arrow,
had a trial made of her capabilities on Wednesday,
and two others, the Beagle and the Wrangler, are
fast approaching completion. The trial of the
Arrow took place at Portsmouth, and it is upon
the results of this trial that the strictures of " An
Eye-Witness" are founded. Our correspondent
considers the experiment a failure, and alleges that
the authorities have committed several• mistakes in
their proceedings. According to his view of the
case, two classes of gun-boats have been hitherto
practically known. One of these is exemplified in
certain vessels which the Prussian Admiralty
'caused to be constructed for service. in these very
waters, and the other in those vessels which we
are now building. Applying, therefore, to each of
these classes the tests suggested by the conditions
lescri bed above, "Au Eye-Witness" observes, that
whereas the Prussian gun-boats draw only from 5
to 7 feet of water, ours will draw from 11 to 13 ;
that, whereas they can make their 13 knots an hour,
we can make only 11 ; and that their guns can be
worked in a very heavy sea, while ours, under such
circumstances, would be unserviceable. He con-
cludes, therefore, that we had better abandon our
present model, and construct all the gun-boats here-
After to be built exactly on the Prussian pattern.
On this advice we must observe that it is not very
:leer what our correspondent means by the " twe
classes of gun-boats hitherto known. We had rather
imagined that there was, practically speaking, but
one model—viz., the Prussian, and that our own
boats, of which we can hardly be said yet to have
" had any practical experience," were intended
improvements on the model before us. Aud it
was in this sense, apparently, that a correspondent,
adopting the signature of "Baltic," wrote to
us on Tuesday, and explained why something
more was needed in our case than in
that of the Prussian authorities. Our boats
must be constantly up with the fleet, and enabled
co keep the sea in all weathers. Could the Prussian
:oats do this ? We are of course not supposing
that vessels like the Nix awl the Salamander are
purely shore boats, but could boats with only five
eet draught of water carry their two heavy 65-
pounders, and yet keep well up with the squadron,
and perform all the required service ? If they
could, then their additional draught is certainly so
much to their prejudice ; but we had concluded
that this condition was accepted as one from which
there was no escape. Our correspondent " Baltic"
expressly stated that all these points had been de-
iiberately considered and arranged, and that every
requisite had been predetermined. Before it ca❑
be said, therefore, that the Prussian boats are better
models than the English it must be shown that the
former fulfil all the conditions of service expected
from the latter. "An Eye-Witness" is perfectly
aware that there can be no abstract difficulty in
building steam-vessels of five feet draught to run
13 knots an hour—the question is, whether such
vessels, when built, would answer all the other pur-
poses which our commanders have in view. It is
riot likely that our authorities, knowing the value
of a light draught of water, would have made their
boats draw twelve feet if they could have got off
with six.

As to the third remark of our correspondent,
respecting the working of the guns, it appears to
us that this is mere matter of arrangement. He
states, that whereas the Arrow " rolled awfully,"
rendering a steady aim impossible, the Prussian
boats, on a similar first trial, " had their guns
worked steadily and quite satisfactorily,': even in
a very rough sea, and he explains the difference
by observing, that whereas our boats must carry
their guns in the bow, the Prussian carried theirs
amidships, on a central platform, where the motion
was least. But is there any reason why the Arrow
should not do the same, or rather, was there not
some reason why, with a full knowledge of what
was done in the Prussian boats; the arrangement
was varied in our own ? Everybody will at once
acknowledge that if all the requisites of a sea-going
Baltic gun-boat could be secured with 5 feet draught
of water, a draught of 11 feet would be extremely
undesirable, but the question is whether such a
result was to be obtained ? The Nix and the Sala-
mander were very well-known vessels, ?lid, if no-
thing more was required by our commanders than
such service as those vessels could render, it was
undoubtedly a gratuitous piece of trouble to ;try
and improve upon them by experiment. We incline
to suppose, however, that something more was
wanted, and that we lad to pay for the difference.
An explanation of the whole question set need to
he offered by an able weekly contemporary the
other day, in a discussion on the relatiA merits of
iron and wood-as materials of naval construction.
Iron gives the greatest facilities for snugness, light-
ness, and shallow draught—wood the greatest se-
curity against shot. It appears that in the Prus-
sian gun-boats these advantages were combined by
constructing the vessels of iron up to the line of
flotation, and of wood from that line upwards,
whereas the English boats being built wholly of
'wood are losers in lightness to a corresponding ex-
tent.
jeuelimint.gstastnfce pt,llyitehwe pointdiiiffee whether
at nrcioroanrises solely from this
issuecir-
cumstance,
thoughbecomes very
dc clear,
ar,
material for vessels-of-war generally, may not be
thus partially made available without undue risk ?
At present, however, we think it would be prema-
ture
wr
ceawtpoeaebmaintain
iaarptelsi tnworecurrsi
shall
ultnl
0-bl
be enabled
rut ipsosii iat ano
.bf
form
rllamnn c
aae
better appreciation of their value, for the war gives
yu
as
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ea
xi)
py
errai tme
ethe o
tpoi
ot
hr teu tneisttYs ooffbraicntguianlgsoeurryidcoec.l—

of the Baltic, the one is a useful boat, and the other use-
less. The importance of shallow draught is daily
exem-
plified. In the capture of Bornarsund the danger of the
Penelope, the loss of life and of guns, arose from exces-
sive draught of water.

2. The. second most important quality of "despatch
gun-boats," as these are called, is speed. Despatch is
the essential characteristic of the name, and in the Prus-
sian aviso is the same idea translated. These vessels
must have speed enough to keep at long distance, out of
range of the broadsides of larger vessels, and should al-
ways be able to run away when overmatched. The new
English vessels are said to have done 11 knots; the
Pru-•ian do over 13 knots,

_ .
3. The third quality such boats should possess is
ability to use the largest armament with advantage, espe-
cially in a rough se I. Your reporter states that the
Arrow "rolled awfn'ly, the sea being rough; taking aim
therefore was impossible."

Now, sir, I was pre sent at a similar first trial of the
Prussian gun boats in a eery rough sea, where the green
water was coming right over the bows of the vessel, and
the naval commission charged with testin the ships had
the guns worked steadily and quite satisfactorily, even
in a sea so rough that other ships mu for shelter and
could not keep to sea. A gallant commander now dis-
tieguishing him-elf in the Baltic cave it a
his opinion
that one of her Majesty's ships of double the size could
not in similar circumstances have worked her guns.
The reason is obvious. The proper position, for the
gun bo is to engage is "stern on," so as to expose them-
selves least as a mark to the enemy ; to do so the
English boats must have their guns in the bow. With
a heavy sea in this small class of vessel it must be im-
possible to take aim from guns worked in the bow, from
the movements of the bow 'loaded with heavy artillery.
All this is avoided in the Prussian gun-boats by having
their guns amidships, where there is least Talon, and
whence they fire parallel to the keel—a thing impossible
in ours. This stable central platform for the guns is
therefore an essential in which ours are wanting.
Now, sir, as we have still time to prepare ftr next
summer a fleet of steam gun-boats capable of saving such
vessels as the Tiger and the Penelope from rut.ning the
risks of shallow water navigation, I sincerely trust
• that the Admiralty will not allow themselves to be
tempted into trying further experiments, instead of
adopting that which has been already accomplished. If
the Prussian avisos have all the essentials of good gun-
boats, speed, small draught, and power of using a large
armament effectively at sea, let• us lay aside prejudice
and provide ourselves .with a fleet suited, .nat in same
respects merely, but in all respects to the Baltic service.
When I add that these Prussian gun-boats (which were
built in England) have been tried and approved by
officers now in command in the Baltic, when I state that
these very vessels have been all round Cronstadt up to
St. Petersburg, and in nearly every harbour of the
Baltic, during the last three years, and have been found
adapted to every exigency of the service, I surely do
not think the Government should remain any longer in-
active, but should immediately place this arm of the ser-
vice in as perfect a condition as those paddlewheel sloops
and those screw frigates, which have in their way al-
ready done such excellent service, though at so great
risk, for want of adequate support from gunboats. It
may be too late this year, but it is in time for next. I
am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
London, Aug. 24. As EYE-WITNESS.

Lloyd's. The vessels, three in number, were put up by
Mr. Lachlans, the Admiralty broker. The first sub-
mitted to public competition was the Primus, F. Muller,
lath master, a vessel of 326 tons, built at Uleaborg, in Fin-
land, in 1843, captured by her Majesty's ships Valorous
and Vulture, and condemned by the Court of Admiralty
on the 21st of July ; she was put at 1,2001., the first offer
was 9001., and she was knocked down for 1,5501. The brig
Zelus, 160 tons, of which J. W. Sandelins was late the
master, built at Christianstadt in 1852, prize to her Ma-
jesty's revenue cruiser Argus, and condemned by the Court
of Admiralty on the 29th of July, was put up at 4001., and
sold for 1,020/. ; making, with the sum of 1261. realised by
the sale of her cargo, a total of 1,1461. to be divided among
her captors. The Johannes, a Russian brigantine, built
at Helsingfors in 1839, of which C. J. Sjoman was late the
master, a prize to her Majesty's cutter Lion, was put up
at 3001., and sold for 7401.; snaking, with the amount for
which her cargo sold, 1091. Us. 6t1., a total of 8191. 12s.
Gd. to be divided among the officers and crew of the Lion.