The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-07-16
Skill, Not Arinor, Decides Battles.

The remarkable shooting of the
American gunners at the battle of
Manila has opened the eyes Of the
naval men of Europe. 1t has COIL
WINGED the nations that, after all, it
is the man behind the gun, and not
the thickness Of armor or the esti-
mated horsepower Of the engines
that comprises the chief defense of q
ship in a naval fight. :
1t is no new thing for England to
get in a state verging on panic at the
condition Of her navy. Periodically
a furious onslaught Is made on the
naval experts and Admiralty officials
by some Member of Parliament or
cranky taxpayer, and the whole co'n-
try tremblcs at the idea of its naval
strength having been overestimated
or wilfully misrepresented.
Just now the scare owes its origin
to the remarkable accuracy and dead.
lincss of the American gunners. Brit
ons are comparing the records made
at Manila with the scoring during the
practice fire of the British crews and
are asking with good deal of fever
lsh apprehension where there own
sunners come in. This has started a
mass Of correspondence and special
articles OH the subject Of naval gun
merry and naval training.
According to our authority, the gun.
merry practice in Her Majestys Navy
Is regarded rather more as a necessary
evil than us duty that, for the good
of the service, should be of first-place
Importance. Here Is his calm state
ment regarding the gunnery practice
10 the Royal Navy:
ut is a usual thing for the signal to
lie made, Spread for target practice;
rejoln by such and such time the
consequence being the practice is car
ricd out in hurried, panicky way,
without sufficient supervision or cor
recting of errors made, in order 10
get 1t over Who has not heard
something like the following: why
don't you fire that gun? Cant see
the target. SIR Never mind that; fire
at the splash Bang! and away goes
pounds and pounds of the unfortunate
rate-payer's money into the sea. |
"rhe allowance of ammunition is
very small, only eight rounds quar-
ter being allowed for such guns as a
A. or inch quick-firing gun, ten
rounds for the lighter quick-fring and
four rounds for the Pinch wire and
upward. The allowance for the heavy
quick firing represents four rounds
each for Nos. l and 2, or less than a
firing once every three
If, in addition, this allow
ance Is exceeded when prize firing
when the number of rounds fired In
the two minutes allowed Is unlimitcU
the amount fired in excess Of the al
lowance; or, suppose az smart Al guns
crew fired sixteen rounds, which they
should do in two minutes, they get no
more practice for six months, which
Is, as Euclid would say, absurd.
In addition to the ammunition
proper, however, the Admiralty allow
IN immense amount of tube cannon
which is intended for lu-
lividual instruction of unframed. or
trained, men. and should be
as such. 1t is, however, too
fired at the same time as
he heavy gun practice takes place.
With every available tube going at
nee, for the same old story, to get
DONE The range suitable for heavy
,un practice is, Of course, quite ont
# the range for tube cannon, while
rom the number Of guns going at
nee no man can see what his shots
re doing and individual supervision
'ecomes impossible; the result is,
nan comes up to his gun, blazes away
is ten rounds or SO with fixed sight,
which is probably wrong, and departs
8 wise rs he started"
10 sum up the matter in the Ian
uage of the expert referred to, after
eviewing the recent great victory at l
lanila he says:
ut cannot be denied that the ship
nat gets in the first hit stands n 80 y
or cent. better chance of winning the j..
ction than when she started; ship
lat could make certain of 80 per .
ant. hits under ordinary conditions
[ weather at range of $500 yards J
nd inside could cheerfully engage u
lree modified vessels with scratch !.
'ews." !