The record-union., 1898-11-18
GUNNERY COMPARISONS.
French and British Practice and
Our Markmanshiu at Santiago.


vision of the French Mediterranean
fleet. The four battleships Brennus,
Jaureguiberry, Martel and Magenta,
with two cruisers, were sent out from
Toulon to fire at an old ironclad, in the
presence of M. Lockroy, the French
Minister of Marine.
The day was fine, and at $40 in the
morning the Brennus opened at 5000
yards. Instantly the six ships blaZed
with flame, pouring in continuous fire
upon the old ship. But, in spite of the
four and a half inch and five and
half inch armor which the target car
ried, the end came quickly. A big
shell from the Magenta struck and
started a fire.
Then, just as the six vessels had
passed in front of the target ship, a
huge 9OO-pound projectile from the
Brennus crashed into it on the water
line. The old ironclad staggered un-
der the blow and was in minute gone
Thus rapidly to sink an old ironclad
was feat Of some Importance. 1t was
followed by shooting at ordinary tar
gets, and the craftsmanship here also
was exceptionally good M. Lockroy
expressed his warm admiration of the
work that had been done.
1T stands, then, to reason that if
England is to win in future wars
should her maritime ascendenoy ever
unfortunately be challenged by her old
rival, her seamen must be able to shoot
better than do their opponents For
years there has been an idea in our
service, which has worked much mis-
cmef. that the Frenchmen cannot shoot.
and that gunnery is neglected in the
french navy. The facts which / have
given above prove that this idea is a
mere delusion.
l lay great stress upon these points
because 1t IS of great national import
ance that the fighting efficieScy of the
french navy should not under estimat-
ed IN England. Since the Spanish
American war we have learned the alb
solute untrustworthiness of lists and
tables OF ships. We have seen that
pronclency in shooting is the surest
credential for victory But we are in
cllned to say still that the gunnery of
our fleet is SO perfect that it is inca
paple or Improvement Such assertions
have been made in the pages of re-
sponsible journals.
encouraging belief? Perhaps the hest
snooting recorded in our navy was that
VI ner maJestys ship Arrogant this
summer In the Bristol Channel. She
was nring at target representing q
S.z-lnch gun with it's shield, not by any
means large object, and of course in
nnltely smaller than the side of a shin
Inc range was about 1900 yards the
"eatner was unfavorable, and the YES
SCI was under steam, going twelve
knots
WITHIN a space Of twelve minutes she
IS stated to have fired the following
snots and made the following hits.
IWelve-p ve-pounders-253 shots. 1873 hits.
o-lnch guns-73 shots, 81 hits. besides
800 hits with her Maxims. If the re-
ports are correct there can be no doubt |
that the shooting was superb. The
l@-pounders made no less than 81 ner
cent. of hits. The 6-inch guns had the |
magnificent record of IA per cent. To
get some idea how these figures are it |
snculd be remembered that in the bat
tie OF Santiago the Americans fired
I'D o-lnch shot with only 10 hits. a |
percentage of about 3, and 251 4-inch |
shot with only IL hits, a percentage of |
A.
Ihe American figures, then. at first |
sight, make a very poor appearance. |
But 1t should be remembered that the |
American ships were steaming Is or |
l6 knots instead of II, so that the vi |
bration would affect the aiming: and |
the targets-the Spanish ships-were |
also moving fast; that the range was |
from 5000 to $500 yards instead of |
2OOO. and that the enemy was firing |
oaek-though, it is true, without much |
effect.
When all these circumstances are !
taken into account the performa of |
SIMPSONS men improves wonderfully. |
There is little doubt that their gunnery |
was generally good, for the very good |
reason that f14O,000 is stated to have |
been spent in 1897 and f2OO. 600 voted |
for in 1898 for practice ammunition |
AS America has only 14,O0O men in her |
navy, against 100000, this is an enor- |
nous vote, greater in proportion than |
Dur total outlay of ammunition which |
was for 1898 f1,206,OOO.
More trustworthy than the arrogant |
results as an index to the shooting
If the British navy are the target prac-
ice returns for the whole fleet during
the year which ended in June. 1898. |
These are it's figures:
Forty l6A-inch and 131arinch guns
aad percentage of hits of 21: IL 12-
nch guns had percentage of 27; %
- inch guns, percentage 80; 219 g.
nch qu1ck-frers, percentage, %; 1876 |
1. .1-inch quick-firers. percentage, So
In six ships which figure in the re-
turn there werei guns that never hit the
target at all. For instance, the six g.
inch quick-f1rers of the Benbow had |
1othing' to their credit but misses. The
same was the case with the Colling-
wood. Both these battleships are in the
reserve squadron--of port and coast |
guard ships. On the other hand, there
we're some very fine performances, the
Niger hitting eleven times out of nine
teen shots.
These figures look just as satisfac-
,ory as the American figures appear un-
satisfactory, and they are obtained by
bring at a small target, 10 feet by 6
feet, or 56 feet by IL feet. whereas a
modern battleship gives a target of
some 315 feet by % feet. But. then,
the shooting is carried on at ranges
short for modern guns,
IN an average 1000 yards; in fine wea
her, at a low speed, from 8 to II knots
Allowance must be made for this and
he strain and nervous tension of bat
tie on the other hand as -lso for the
physical exhaustion which cannot but
affect gunners who have fired not four
Or five shots, but forty or fifty-London
Mail.
Lieutenant Peary Heard From.
WATERVILLE pal Nov IA