The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-19
WARS NAVAL LESSONS.
Expert Criticism by an Admiral of the
German Navy.

German Navy.
A very remarkable criticism of the
| main features of the war with Spain
| is that made public by the office Of
naval intelligence in the shape of a
pamphlet containing the comments of
Rear Admiral Pluddemann of the Ger
man navy. This article was originally
| published in technical German paper
| over the signature of the author. In
| one respect at least this criticism, COM
ing from a foreigner whose absolute
neutrality cannot ,,.b be questioned, is
worthy of attention, namely, in the tx
tremely scientific analysis he mas
made of the many small details that
| go to make up defeat or victory III
| battle.
His object was to show how the war
had affected preconceived notion of ma
val warfare. His conclusions are IN
teresting. In the first place, he de-
clares that the war will lead to no radi-
cal revolution of the present ideas,
though it has enriched former expert
ences. Still, it might lead to enormous
| conclusions, as many good devices did
! not have a chance TO be tested. the
| weakness of the adversary making
superf1uous, and other not good did not
| have bad results because they We're
| counter balanced by the defects and
| mistakes on the part, of the enemy
or by other favorable circumstances.
The admiral discusses the naval cp-
eratons under five heads-the normal
| Qualities of the nersonnel the con-
| structinn and COMMITMENT of the shius
| the artillery. the toruedo. the ram.
and speed. The torpedo and ram were
| not tried in the last war, because the
| ships never approached close enough,
and he questions whether the two boats
sunk by the Olympia at Cavite Were
snaa1 have nroved 10 he much more
essential faotors in warfare The sI1-
| narioritv If tho American artillery is
| we'll lsnovn ,rha shooting of the ,ner-
| leans was verv GOOD while that of the
| Snaniards was exceedingly had
Tha admira1 shove thar his was for
| tunata for the Americans because so
| few of thair shells axn,nded that II was
on1v bacausa Of tho LARGE numher of
bits mada that such success was obtain-
cd The faiInra of The shells discovered
at Son nav was nnns+ noticea HE at
Cavita A. This nolnt the admiral IN
ol,,das q toh1a showing in detail tha
exact DAMAGE inflicted on the ships
srrl, NV DeWav. INFLAMMATION that has
naver bafora reachad the navy depar1-
,,a,t j., s,,nh con,nieta shane lie ehnws
th,4 w. 49, tr,p shnts frad hv tba
G11,,,nio u-aro fo,,nd nnayn1odad He
49,. thot 10 An,ar;nar neat Of san
tiauo carry,inr "a guns from the small
ast +, tha LARGEST MADE h,,t 16Y hts
This 10 not ,u;te ONO hit ner pun ar
i,aT.i,a nrt nne~nomn1ar. which have
n,lr -, sbor+ vance Of fro ninp bits ia
aiab+ ON. Not ono hit was rannrto,l
&c. tbe aieht 1a-irnb GUNS in tho An,eri
as, aea, ava oni,, two for the six 10
ipoh owns Attention is called to the ex
49,, Of az, aio.H+-in shau in The
| fa,.,,ra t,,rrat nf 40 oonando This
1,;i,od tha t,bo,a ,,ar, ana II ;s eaid
| ma ~ h,,,a ooc,,rrsd If the tnrrat
had ho1 No roof In M case has an an
| ,Ia,, bat haan ,,iorood Tba eraatast
| das+ruction ,ras wrought nv tha six
nonnders
rTbo adrir., ,bi,l,s that wa NAV he
. ittt1a ovarhastv II, doing away Win
tho one-noundars on tba;r faiiure tn
| anhfave res,1Its in tho battle of SANTIAGO
| sinno tbav Ware cnnstrnctad nrimarilv
! AGAINST tornado hnats and for nee ot
| sbort dist.rces i've article ststas that
| the Auorican ,na+erial has deuonstrat
| "a MT onI,, ito ef15c,cv hut also ito dur-
| ability as only fonr Guns were in need
| of rens;rs Of the end Of the var in al
| 80 which proiectiles had hurst in the
| bore This fact taken in connection
witb other frecnent failures ~ fuses
savs tho admiral shows that the CON
| strnction of tho fnsa in America is sti1
Far from narfact
st,.nna ,,nir+ 10 ,,oda of tho daneer
| of wooden decks with the pitch in the
seams, while the danger in the case of