Evening star., 1901-07-20
FUTURE BATTLE SHIP
Views Of Admiral Bradford of
Construction Board.
DiSSENYS FROM THE MAJORITY
Favors Retention of the Super
posed Turets.
VIEWS OFT FypERTS GTTFO
VIEWS OF EXPERTS CITED

Admiral Bradford of the naval board OF
construction today submitted to Secretary
Long a minority report on the proposed new
battle ships. The majority report, by Ad-
mirals O'Nein, Melville and Bowles, pro-
posed a ship Of 1850 tons, 45o feet in
length, with Pinch guns and turret and
broadside batteries Of finch guns. Ad-
miral Bradford's minority views are direct
ed chiefly to the question of batteries,
favoring s-inch and 6-inch guns instead Of
a finch, and to strong argument for the
retention Of the superposed turrets on our
battle ships. He cities the discussions
leading up to the adoption Of plans for
ships now building, to show that the pres
ent majority plan is not in line with the
best judgment of naval experts. Diagrams
are presented to show that the maximum
broadside firing Of the finch battery. pro-
posed by the majority, covers an arc Of
only 81 degrees, while the battery he urges
covers an arc Of fire Of 90 degrees with
considerably greater muZzle energy. When
the ship is engaged with an enemy on one
side he points out that the arc Of fire Is
much smaller In the majority plan than his
Naval Fights of the Future.
The admiral says:
THE best naval tacticians believe that
naval engagements OF the future will pre-
being engaged on both sides. II two ships
are pitted against one, it is much more ad-
vantageous for those two to be on one side
and prevent their single enemy from using
all her guns
Admiral Bradford also sets forth the
practical advantages of the battle ship
proposed by him. He says such a ship can
be fought advantageously in any formation,
while the type proposed by the majority IS
suitable only for a broadside engagement
pooffn
majority plan corresponds only with the
Alabama and Maine classes. and as to them
he does not hesitate to assert that these
ships possess a weak battery, for reasons
which he points out in detail. He adds:
ITO the unprofessional mind 1t might
perhaps appear to be a good plan to buiid
varying types Of ships, in order to make
sure that some one type shall be the pest.
This would be a great error, since nothing
is worse than a patchwork fleet, some OF
one kind and others of another The Wis
dom Of adopting the eight-inch gun as
part of the battery OF our battle shlps mas
been clearly demonstrated, and Is being
rapidly followed by foreign nations. NO
reduction in caliber should be entertained
AS to the finch guns proposed by the
majority, he says the navy Is at present
without such d gun, and that IT Is an un-
tried type, open to future experiment
Views of Experts Cited.
Admiral Bradford cites leading naval
posed turret and gives the satisfactory
result of gunfre from the superposed tur-
rets on the Kearsarge and Kentucky. He
says unfavorable criticisms Of the super
posed turrets are purely theoretical prog
ress. In practice they have fulfilled every
expectation.
In conclusion Admiral Bradford says:
"The armament of the ships Of the V1r-
ginia class was assigned only after the
most careful consideration and discussion
by many Of the ablest officers Of the navy.
l consider it very unfortunate that the ma
jority of the board on construction should
now recommend an armament for addition
al battle ships different In caliber and
so differently disposed protected and
mounted. The natural effect will be loss
Of confidence in the knowledge of the board
as to the type Of battle ship best suited
for naval purposes.
81 therefore recommend the most careful
consideration Of the subject by the best au
thorities the department Is able to COM
mand."