Morning journal and courier., 1882-08-31
Ehe Alexandria Bombartl Inent rld Na ava
 Science.
From London Engine ering

Three points have come out strongly in this bombardment which have an important bearing upon naval warfare. These are the great protective value of armor plating to ! life, and to the machinery and fighting pow CT of 8 ship; the necessity of making the heaviest guns the primary offensive weapons; 1 and the difficulty of lighting with precision, and maintaining watohful defence against small craft through the smoke of an action. We have formerly pointed out that the thin nest armored ships of great value, not withstanding the fact that they may ooca- sionally meet with guns which would render their armor useless. This plating is still able to resist the fire of the majority of guns that be brought to bear upon 1t and it can defect and keep out the projectiles of light guns which might be brought against it in great numbers. The thin armor of the Penelope and IaaUincidle seems to have been able to protect those ships quite as effective ly as the I11feri6le's did her. Had they been unarmored, 'free]y penetratable" ships, as Sir. w. Armstrong advocated in his presi dential address before the Institution of Civ il Engineers, there would probably have been great loss of life, considering the fire these ships were under, and disablement of some or all of the guns. The 71Uinci6Ie, which cost quarter of a million, has been practically of ns great defensive value in this action as the Enfcri6le, which cost over three quarters. This does not prove that she is as good ship for all purposes, but it shows that for many operations, including the pres ent, this thinly armored ship is useful as any other, and is very much superior to an unarmored vessel. Till the heaviest guns such would render this armor valueless at long ranges, have been obtained by foreign Powers in such numbers as to make them common weapons of war, 1t is premature to call vessels with eight inches and six inches of armor obsolete.
 With regard to the position of guns in the class of offensive weapons 1t is clear that they must continue to hold the highest place. The ram and torpedoes, which are rightly ad- vocated very strongly, are often of great value; but they are of no use in actions of this kind. It would be mistake to build many ships in which guns are done away with, or reduced in power, in order to devel- ope completely the full efficiency of the ram and torpedo.
 The difficulty of fighting the guns with precision, and Of defending ship against torpedoes and torpedo boats will be very great after an action has commenced by req son of the accumulation of smoke and the time it takes to clear away. AS the ships began firing at Alexandria bank of smoke is stated by the correspondents on board to have risen like a wall, and prevent ed the results of the fire from being watched. From the very commencement it was dense that nothing could be of what the enemy were doing, and 1t was only the sharp scream of projectiles overhead, and the up leaping of columns of spray the shot strnck the water that made 1t clear the fire was returned. Order had to be given to cease firing until the smoke cleared away. The wind and sun were both in the enemys favor, and it was some time before the veil of smoke lifted sufficiently for even glimpse of the shore to be obtained. This glimpse was lost the instant the guns again opened fire, and before it possible to where the shots struck. The only way to get chance of seeing what was being done was by lookouts in the tops but these very frail refugees in a general action, and may easily be destroyed, and the lookout limited to the deck.
 This smoke difficulty will give the oppor- tunty for torpedoes, torpedo boats, and any fast auxiliaries, in general action. When the smoke has accumulated these craft will run in and endeavor to close with the large ships before they can be seen. Under some circumstances, if a favorable state of the wind is taken ad vantage of by torpedo boat, vessel may have no chance of pro tecting herself. For this purpose vessels required larger than our present torpedo boats, which would support themselves at sea for time, and would be able to accom- pany fleet and act as axilaries.