The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-09-06

with which Naval Ohicers Know the
Ability of Their Opponents.
The subject OF modern naval warfare is one.
that is thought about great deal, but very
few publish their thoughts. 1t is almost up-
known to the civil public, and military men
are chary of venturing on such dangerous and
uncertain ground. 1t Is only proposed here
to put few facts and suggestions before the
public in describing the uses to which modern
weapons Of offense and defense are put, thus
furnishing food for thought and a good sub
ject for hot argument.
A modern man-of-war is fitted for offense
with First-The main battery, consisting OF
the larger guns, varying In calibres from four
to twelve inches, and throwing proJectiles
weighing from 33 to 1000 pounds. The
further use OF 100-ton guns of seventeen-inch
calibre is improbable. The IDEA now being to
replace these heavy guns with an equal weight
OF smaller ones. The weight of metal thrown
by vessel, per minute, is thereby increased,
and the probability of hitting greater. The
only loss being the great mining effect of
large she'll Second-The secondary battery,
comprising all guns other than those belong
ing to the main battery. Such guns as the
Gatling, Maxim, Hotchkis revolving cannon,
and Driggs-Schroeder rapid-fre guns, all be-
long to this battery. The weights OF projec-
tiles vary from 450 grain bullet of the Gatling
to the six FOUNDER of the briggs gun. Third
The ram. Although all ships are not denomi-
mated rams, few are built without this eco
nomical and powerful weapon. Fourth
Torpedoes and torpedo tubes The acces-
sories to these weapons of offense are many;
such as fuzes for bursting the shells on con-
tact with the enemy, time fuzes, range finders,
etc. "a
The defenses against the above weapons are:
Armor of from four inches to twenty-four
inches of steel or iron. This is arranged in SO
many different ways that description OF
each is impossible. In general way it may
be said that this heavy armor is placed SO as
to protect the vital parts OF the vessel, around
the engine space, and to protect the heavy
guns or their carriages, as, for instance,
turrets and barbettes. Against the secondary
battery Lighter armor OF from one to four
inches; and gun shields to protect the gun,
gun mount and crew. Against the ram.
Water tight compartments, speed, and rapid
manuuyering powers. Against torpedoes.
Topedo nets and search lights. The latter to
prevent the unseen approach OF torpedo boat
to striking range
This is rough classification. of course, for it
can be readily seen how all the offensive
weapons may become defensive. For example,
the torpedoes and heavy guns become the
main reliance of slow manGuvering ship on
the approach of a powerful ram.
And here would like to say word in de-
fense of that much abused weapon, the
dynamite gun. Many people insist on COM
pairing it with the ordinary breech-loading
powder guns. Iti in no sense rival, nor
was it ever so intended to be by its inventor.
1t is a torpedo ejector, pure and simple, and
the gun and it's projectile must be compared
for destructiveness, accuracy, etc., with the
torpedoes at present in use; such as the
Whitehead, Howell, and Sims. We can throw
the latter out of the competition at once. Its
only use is from shore station against yes
sci in narrow channel, where maneuvering
is out of the question 1t is visible, necessarily
so since it is guided by the operator and
therefore can be avoided by vessels of good
speed.
The Whitehead and Howell are, to be sure,
invisible. Their effective range is, dt best,
400 yards, their speed "a knots per hour, and
the medium through which they travel is
dense one. Distinctions in this medium are
invisible, and they are liable to unknown de-
fections The Howell is less subject to this
fault than the Whitehead. The large fly
wheel with its stored-up energy, keeps the
torpedo on given course, on the principle OF
, the gyroscope, but it is nevertheless subject
to drifts due to currents.
The dynamite guns effective range is 3,OOo
Yards Its speed $50 to 200 knots per hour,
and the medium through which the projectile
travels is air, instead of water. No obstruc-
tions need be feared, and 1t is only subject to
the deflectiOns due to wind, which are accu-
rately known and exactly compensated for.
In what important respect then does this tor
pedo thrower, and its deadly projectile fail
Its enemies foretell failure at long ranges due
to unsteadiness of the platform from which 1T
is fired. 1T must not be forgotten that the
automobile torpedoes are likewise elected
from tube and from the same unsteady plat
form. The first shot from the dynamite gun,
If it does no more, furnishes guide for the
second shot. We can see where 1t drops. But
if the automobile fails to hit we may never
know where it went. ma
In regard to the accuracy of the Whitehead
it may be said that during the recent British
naval maneuyres, of eight Of these missiles
discharged by torpedo boats at war vessels
three entirely failed to run, three completely
missed their mark, one hit something it was
not aimed at, and the eighth struck the target.
1t is conceded that the dynamite gun is ac-
curate to a degree when fired from hand.
Colonel Clark, of the Engineer Corps of the
British Army, says that at the recent tests of
the ffteen-inch gun at Milford Haven, the
piece had proved perfect revelation. "Noth-
ing like it," writes Colonel Clark, ''has ever
been seen in England Which would be
most likely to hit at 400 yards? The White
head torpedo or the dynamite shell A.? This is
the question, for beyond thu distance the
former is inocuous. The Whitehead has for a
target the submerged portion of the vessel,
the dynamite she'll has nearly all the vessel;
for If it falls In the water over or short, the
electric battery in the shell becomes moist
completing the current and causing ex-
plosion. 1t is stated that the destructive
circle has a radius of 80 yards. Supposing
then that they are equally accurate, or mac
curate, at 400yards, we must decide in favor