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

tribution of the weights OF armor, guns, en-
gine, and coal, TO give the best result.
If one of these characteristics be increased
another must be diminished. The best fighter
then, having the best guns and armor, has
them at the expense of engine and coal. This
gives the lighter vessel the chance to run
away or the power to choose her position III
she decides to fight what range shall she take'
She must close to distance where her every
shot will pierce the enemy's side, else she has
no show. This will vary from 400 to 1900
yards. Each ship will then be in a position
where the heavy projectiles OF the other will
completely penetrate one side. II the armor
is OF medium weight, or less, the shell will
probably burst inside the vessel, but with
powerful battle ships the bursting will take
place sooner.
In these DAYS the commanding officer of
vessel is thoroughly conversant with every de-
tail of his opponent. He knows the exact
amount of steel that his enemys guns can
penetrate at all ranges and the thickness of
armor at all points. He therefore allots his
guns to their work. The main battery is
trained at the armored parts of the vessel,
the turrets, barbettes and last, but not least,
at the water line to disable the engine IL posi-
ble 1t may be mentioned that the engine is
protected, in addition to the side protection,
by curved steel deck from one to four inches
In thickness, commencing little below the
water line on each side and crowning up over
the engine. The larger guns of the secondary
battery are pointed st the unprotected ends Of
the enemy, at his heavy guns, his steering
gear, gun ports, gun shields, and fighting
tower, where the commanding officer Is sta
toned directing the movements OF the ship.
Ii three or six pound proiectile from
Driggs-Schroeder rapid-fire gun strikes the
chase or muzzle of heavy gun, it will be al
most sure to develop crack that would put
it hors dc combat. The revolving cannon
would serve the same purposes, but less ef-
fectively.
The Gatling and other machine guns are
to keep up continuous fire on all exposed
places where men are visible and especially at
the tops, to silence the light guns mounted
there. If the men of the enemy's ship are so
well under cover that direct killing is i'm
possible they should be trained at the gun
shields. The shield is too thick to be pene-
trated, but the incessant play of shot upon it
will cause the crew behind it to become so
nervous that they will serve their gun badly
and shoot wildly. To make BULBS eye with
lateral train and perfect elevation. Under
ordinary circumstances of sea fighting very
little elevating should be done. This needs
word of explanation.
The path of the prQjectile, or its trajectory.
is curved one, parabola, the vertex of
which is little beyond the middle point, be-
tween the gun and the point of fall. Now
since the target has considerable vertical
height it can be readily seen that within
given distance of the path of the projectile,
some part of the target will be struck. This
given distance is called the oldnqerOus space. In
modern guns the velocity of the proiectile is
so great that the trajectory rises very little.
The less it rises, the greater the danger. A
calculation shows that 6-inch proiectile of
100 pounds weight and velocity of 2, 1000 feet a
second, when fired from a vessels deck 10
feet above the water, at an elevation CT 200
yards, rises to a maximum height of 20
feet. The she'll will strike the water at a
distance of ], ,l40 yards from the gun. If the
targets side has vertical height of 20
feet 1t will be hit somewhere, no matter what
its position, as long as it is within range of
LAO yards. Now since actions will I'M
doubtedly be fought under ordinary con-
ditions of wind and weather, at ranges less
than 1900 yards, it is easily seen how seldom
the sight bars need be changed.
The action may or may not be decided by
the batteries. 1t will depend upon the accu-
racy and rapidity of fire of the guns and the
intelligence with which the vessels are ma
neuvered. The object of each commander
will be to keep his vessel on such course as
to present the smallest target to the enemy
compatible with the delivery of heavy fire
from his own guns. If the vessels close to
400 yards maneuvering will commence with
view to discharging automobile torpedoes,
each vessel seeking to keep position on
which the others torpedoes cannot be brought
to bear, but from which she can discharge her
own. 1t is now that the judgment and skill
of the commanding officer will tell most The
vessels are close enough to make ramming an
immediate possibility, and in manGuvering
for good torpedo position this fact must not
be lost sight Of The ship must never be so
placed that she cannot be brought SHOWS on"
to meet the enemy's ram. The ram is the
coup de grace.
No mention has yet been made of the use of
torpedo nets and search lights. The former
could not be used in the above supposititious
| case, for with her torpedo nets out, a vessels
| speed is reduced about one-half to one-third.
| vessel blockading an enemy's port would
| probably have her nets out but her search
| light should not be turned on until she is
reasonably sure of an attack. To insure sue
| cess torpedo attack should be made at night.
| The attacking boats should be black, and care
| should be taken that everything about her is
| of dark color. If exposed men are neces-
| sary on her decks their faces and hands should
! be blackened This seems farcical, but it is
| not The search light soon picks out light
| Objects no matter how seemingly insignf-
| cant.
| If undiscovered, the torpedo hoat's object
should be easily accomplished. If the object
| of her attack finds her with the search light,
and opens fire, as she will, with all her secon-
| dary battery the torpedo will use her guns to
| destroy the enemy's search light, if possible.
| If she is close aboard when discovered her
| purpose can perhaps be accomplished, but If
| sighted long distance off it will probably be
found better to wait another opportunity.
| The records of torpedo attacks are numerous,
| of successful ones, few.
This article was written with the hope that
| have conveyed little information to the
reader which will assist him In readily under
| standingthe numerous technical articles that
| fill the papers. 1t has been the intention here
| to avoid technicalities as far as possible.
| M. X. E., U. Navy.
i IN. IR