The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-09-05
TORPEDO noArs VOTED \ FAILURE.
highlands Sen AInncUvers of 1894
Make URfGVorubIe Criticisms.

\ subsidiary feature Of the manoeuvres
of no little interest in itself, is the total
failure of the torpedo boats on either
side to put in an effective appearance or
in any way hamper the movements Of
their adversaries Thisf is, of course,
premature conclusion Of the manoeuvres.
they had only a single night in which to
operate. Admiral Fitz Roy passed earn
sore point, where q force OF blue torpedo
boats might have been expected TO be
concentrated. after niShtfan on Saturday
On The same night bath Of the blue fleets
were in striking distance Of the REQ tor
pedo boats stationed at Belfast. Admiral
Fitz Roy does not seem 20 have been al
tackled at all. The G. blue feet was not
attacked al all. but the -. blue fleet was
attacked early in the night. apparently
without success.
The red torpedo boats found Admiral
DrummOnd's feet. but failed to attack it
successfully. But one division of the
red torpedo boats met Us on Saturday
evening off the Kish bank. It's leader
was informed by the admiral that three
cruisers, presumably belonging TO Ad-
miral Dale's fleet. had been seen from
the signal station AZ BlacksOd bay at an
early hour in the morning, and might
therefore be expected to be in the neigh
borhOOd Of Belfast during the nigdt.
Here was a case in which the torpedo
DOdIS ndQ a QellUite OuIttL 10 iJDh Itl
and a definite place in which 10 look for
it. They found three cruisers under the
null of Galloway. and, not receiving or
failing to understand the private signal
they forthwith proceeded to attack them.
Unfortunately. the three cruisers in ques-
ton turned out 10 be the Warsprite,
Australia and GaldJea, belonging TO Ad-
mlral Drummo0d's feet. and though no
ship was torpedosd. two cut Of the three
torpedo boats were put out of action, the
third having previously gone astray
Two points are here to be nOted-One
that the torpedo bOats We're operating
not at random, but in pursuit Of a def
mite object, namely, three enemy's ships
whose probable position and course were
approximately indicated TO them before
hand the other that after all the object
they found was not the object they
sought. but three friendly Sims whose
destruction, had il been accomplished.
would have inflicted irreparable loss on
their own side. This very awkward hab-
il Of mistakng friend for a foe is one
which has often before been exhibited in
maneuvres by torpedo boats. 1t is less
likely to occur in actual warfare. be
cause nearly all foreign ships differ very
widely in external appearance from any
of our own; but its occurrence is r.
garded by many authorities as sufficient
" probable 20 require that English tor
pedO boats should always make the pri-
vate signal before proceeding 20 eXtrem-
tiles. This means, of course, that English
torpedo boats will never be able to at
tack except under the most unfavorable
conditions-conditiOns so unfavOrable. in
deed, as almost TO insure their destruc-
ton.
But those who take this view regard it
as a logical deduction from Lord George
Hamilton's dictum that the torpedo boat
is essentially the weapon Of the weaker
oombatant. So regarding it they also
regard the almost certain destruction Of
an English torpedo boat by an enemy
as of less moment to England than the
possible destruction Of an English bat
tie ship by friend; and they consider
that the best way TO avert such a catas-
trophe as the latter is to require the
torpedo boat to declare itself by making
the private signal in all cases which
leave room for more than a shadow of
doubt. These views are new to me, as
they will be to many Of your readers,
who will perhaps not be little surprised
TO learn that they are held by prOfeSsed
advocates of torpedo boats. They seem
to place the strategic value of the tor
pedo boat for English purposes even
lower than some of its most severe crit
les have ever ventured to place it; and
it is certainly not a little remarkable
that they should be entertained at a
time when some high authorities are be-
ginning to doubt whether the position
even of the battle ship in the naval
warfare of the future is not beginning
to be imperiled by the development Of
vessels Of the Havock and Hornet class,
regarded as sea-keeping torpedo boats,
which might in favorable circumstances
attack even in the daytime, or having
found their enemy in the daytime might
hover round out of range and attack in
large numbers after dark.-London
Truth
An dissatisfied Boy.