The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-26 00:00:00

Turret Ships of War.

Yesterday a Parliamentary blue book was pub-
lished, showing the nature and results of the inves-
tigations of the Admiralty into Captain Cowper
Coke' plan for constructing sea-going turret-ships
of war. Rear-Admiral Yelverton, Captain Cald-
well, Captain J. J. Kennedy, and Captain H. B.
Phillimore were selected in April of last year to
examine and report upon Captain Coles' plan. In
their report they regretted the severe illness of Cap-
tain Coles, which prevented him from attending the
committee and giving explanations in person, and
they also regret that he declined to name any per-
son to represent him. On the sth of June they
furnished Captain Coles with a summary of the ob-
jections raised to his plan, without any expression
of opinions as to the weight of those objections.
Captain Coles ultimately declined answering the
objections indicated to him, or furnishing the in-
formation previously requested of him.
The report then states a series of advantages which
the committee considered theturret system possesses.
A list of the disadvantages follows, and then comes
the general opinion of the committee on the system,
as follows :
" We fully recognise the great advantages of the revolv-
ing turret system of armament as applied to floating bat-
teries, and harbour and coast defence ships, to which they
are in a great measure confined, as vessels on the Monitor
plan can be built so low as to render it most difficult to hit
them, and in which the unlimited training of the turrets
would not be interfered with by masts or other ob-struc-
tions. A floating battery of this description, even with one
turret only, would be most formidable, for, if the turret
weredisabled, she could haul out of action under protection
of her consorts. But in a sea-going cruising ship these
great advantages would be materially curtailed, because all
sea-going ships of equal speed and tonnage, and carrying
the same weights, must be of the same height out of the
water to enable them to possess the same good sea-going
qualities, and to be equally dry ; and must necessarily have
masts and other fittings, which would materially limit the
amount of training of the guns. We have heard that ships
built on the Monitor system could cross the Atlantic with
comparative safety, but such vessels cannot, in our opinion,
be ever looked upon as sea-going cruising ships. It is
shown in evidence that the French, who, there is little
doubt, have carefully weighed the question of arming ships
with 'evolving turrets, have not adopted the system, nor
even thought it desirable to give it a trial in a sca-going ship.a
Again, it would appear that the Americans, who have
.s ded-
considerable experience with turret ships of vsri
desirable as sea-going ships. Notwithstandingdvantages of the
scriptions, both in and out of action, do not cont_S iediusttabeten:
ments, weighing the advantages and
dols on the subject,
turret principle, and the divided
on as it regards sea.
given careful attention to thesq
entertained by naval architects auedsutPlia,uvi
t udesirable that a conclusive
going ships, we consider it nio,stani
in
seagoing
ship
to
al officers who have
trial should be given to the
capable of carrying two 12 ton
tothe opinion that,
ton gun in
in each turret, off;
guns
• kit very Poss' °
bl that such guns as those
be armed with two turrets,.
each, as we thin 'f necessary, one 22
required at sea ere long, and it is not im
of 22 tons may be
when considering the •
did not contemplate the
necessity
of carry
some time ago,
the ships should be limited to two tur-
rets, inclined
ing such heti
probable thatcytlige.unFslionlcvhe,
rots, for there are many disadvantages if more than two are
placed in a ship, and one turret only we think most objec-
for sea-going ships,
objec-
tionable. If more guns than those in the two turrets be
considered desirable, the space between the turrets could
be profitably turned to account in a ship of sufficient dis-
placement by connecting the turrets with a battery of guns
worked on the central pivot system."
The report then refers to a "Amber of minor mat-
ters in connection with the question, and in conclu-
sion the committee recommend that the system be