The New York herald., 1877-07-09
TORPEDO DEFENCE.

THE GUN AND CARRIAGE USED IN THE Rus
SIAN NAVY MOUNTED ON THE BuLwARKs OF
A MAN-oF-wAR
The Russian torpedOes have far played an exceed
ingy important part in the operations Of the present
European war. AS offensive weapons they have been
found especially destructive to Turkish monitors and
as defensive ones they caused otherwise smiling and
apparently deisnceless ports the Black Sea and on
Danube to be regarded with respectful by the
commanders OF Turkish iron. .cada As therefore, tho
Russians seem to be exceedingly we'll up all the dc.
tails Of offensive torpedo warfare, will bo Interesting
TO what means OF defonce their own ships have
against these subaqucUus monsters who work
den destruction to the strongest ironcaos. The most
formidable torpedo arm is naturally the moving tor.
pcdo, Of which the whitehead fish torpedo il the
highest type To give men-ofwar defensive arm
against this and similar torpedoes which travel
through the water at rate twice that
At which the fastest iron-clad steams. the
British naval arsillsrymen, and in particular Cap
tain Scott. proposed TO guns for disabling
them and stopping their advance AS a result we have
in the English navy the torpedo gun carriage invented
by Captain Scott which, regards action, IN every
way suited TO It's purpose, but rs very heavy weighing
over bali ton, and only supporting iourpound how
itzeE The exigences Of defence demand more than
this, and General PcstSh, Of tho Russian imperial
navy, chief OF the Cronstadt Naval Ordnance Depart
ment, whiie adopting many Of the ideas OF Captain
Scott, has elaborated torpedo gun crrrlago which
much lighter and which, II Is claimed allows OF much
more easy handling OF the gun.
THE GUN CARRIAGE
The carriage is built high enough 10 allow the brecch
OF the urpound howtzer which is the gun supported
TO be depressed TO deviation Of iortyDvc acgrees
Around the body Of the gun are placed two
a coggcd segment OF arc, which acts
in elevating and depressing the gun, by means
To give tho gun motion in vertical plane han die is
acting on pinIon wheel turning another pnoned
wheel perpendicular to II, which is connected with
horizontal axle at the other Of which with
a slow groove This is set to large pinion wheel
connected with the coeged segment above spoken OF,
which with, and works in vertical plane
under tho body OF the gun In this way the gun can
be elevated u an angle oi fortyve degrees and
pressed 10 ono OF inriy degrees The mechanism
very perfect and works 30 quickly that the gun be
changed from It's highest possible elevation 10 It's
lowest possible depression In sixyve seconds. This
exceedingly quick man9uvrng Is facilitated by tho
fact that the guns centre OF gravity lies the
OF the trunnions.
THE GUN PLATFORM.
The gun and carriage are placed upon q platform
ono end OF which 10 placed pivoting bolt connected
with The deck, and upon the other tho mechanism
used to give the gun movement In horizontal plane.
For this the gearing simple and like that used In
Captain scotts carriage
THE RECoM.
ON the gun being 1rcd at anglo Of depression tho
recoll being OF course IN the same anglo upward aud
backward tends to jump the gun or to draw It from
the deck. To 0bviate THIS aud absorb the roc0 pc.
culiar bolt is adopted arranged us 0owsAbove the
deck Is placed steel washer below which Is a copper
cylinder lying IN tnc deck and on rubber buncr
piled to the upper cvnder by u powerful screw nut.
This arrangement nuiles tho enoct of the upward
recoil which almost entirely disappears Ia the Duer.
CoMPREssOR
Still another peculiar feature OF the carriage Is the
compressor. In the middle Of the SIDES OF the plat
form placed two strong steel bolts, between which
Is placed horizontally strong brass plate On both
sides Of this plate are placed connection with each
other two small quadranguar pieces Of brass which
press upon the brass plate like fingers The pressure
Is performed by an eccentric scrow placed upon
axle TO winch is attached lever The calculation for
the action OF the eccentric Is made such manner
that the lower side u presses down tho upper brass
piece and by tho upper part II hests or draws up
framework which supports tho lower brass piece thus
producing the required pressure An enormous pres
sure results, ana the compressor itself Is very
strongly Joined to the OF The carrngc the recoi
is diminished In IA high degree, ncvor surprising in
this gun ten inches
THy WEIGHT GUN cARKTAGK PLATFORM.
he toal weight OF the gun carriage ana platform is
500 pounds Russian
THIS gun carriage has far gwen very good results.
On board the frigatc krcml $50 rounis were made,
without any resultant deterioration o the gun carriage
or its mechanism. Whether tncsc guns 80 mounted
ships' buwarks will prove OF any vauc IN actual de-
epce against moving submarine torpedoes Is quite
other matter and ono which may be illustrated In tho
present struggle.