The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-03
BY CAPT. ALFRED T. MAHAN.


degree only by the changes which fol-
lowed the general Introduction of cannon
and the abandonment Of oars in favor of
sails for the propulsion of ships of war.
The latter step was consequent, Ultimate
ly, upon the discovery of the New World
and of the sea passage TO India by the
Cape of Good Hope The voyage TO those
distant regions was too long and the re-
moteness from ports of refuge too great
for rowing galleys, a class of vessels
whose construction untitled them for de-
veloping great size and for contending
with heavy weather The change of mo-
tive power made possible and entailed a
different disposition of the fighting power.
the main battery weight of ships being
transferred from the bows and sterns-
end-on fire-to the broadsides. The COM
bination of these two new factors caused
ships and fleets necessarily to he fought in
a different manner from formerly; en-
tailed. to use the technical word, new
tactics.
The innovations thus briefly mentioned.
though equally radical, We're much more
gradual in their progress than those wit
messed by our generation. The latter have
but within the memory of many who are
stiIl among US They are embraced. easily
and entirely, within the reign of Queen
Victoria II has been said plausibly, that
If a naval officer who died half century
ago could revisit the earth he would find
himself more at home in the ships of Fliz-
abeth than in these of her present sue
cessor. No such sudden and sharp con-
trast troubled the seamen of the earlier
era. II is true. and interesting to note.
that the Battle of Lepanto in 1913. although
a few vessels OF broadsiGe type there
in exercised a decisive influence. was
fought chiefly by galleys. while in the con-
test with the Spanish Armada in the Eng
Iish Channel fifteen years later. sailing
ships played the leading part; but while
the fact gives valuable assistance to pre-
cisiou of memory. ny fixing an approx
mate date when the one type was definite
~ supplanted by the other. it remains that
the turning point thus indicated was
reached long after cannon and sails first
We're used afloat. and that another century
elapsed before the galley was definitely
abandoned.
BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF THE TRANSITION.
few dates will illustrate the swiftness
q our recent transformations. In isaS
Chen the French navy reduced San Juan
de UIoa. the principal defence Of Vera
Cruz, and in 1910. in the British attack upon
Acre. the lighting power was wholly in
sailing ships such as had fought at Trafai-
gar thirty-fiVe years before. Two small
paddle steamers towed the French frigates
into position. while the -four British YES
sells Of the same type contributed only
desultory addition to the broadsides of
seven sailing ships of the line which COM
PEELED the surrender OF the fortress. The
first screw ship of the line in the British
navy was launched in fs52; the last sailing
ship Of that class went out of commission
in 1850 All alike. the ships of Vera Cruz
and of Acre and their short-reigning sue
cessors. the steam frigates and ships of
the line. are now as much things OF the
past. in sails in engines. and in guns. az
are the galleys of Lepanto and the ships
of the Armada BY 1870 it had been reeog-
nlzed everywhere that type OF vessel
corresponding in essential features with
the present armored batteships had dis
placed all competitors. The span of SIN
gle generation had seen the transition
from the ships OF Drake and Nelson to
those of our own day. The career of Far
ragut was run in the intermediate period
His success for the most part was
achieved and his renown won with vessels
substantially of the older type but with
auxiliary steam power.
1t is almost needless to remark that this
seemingly abrupt transition is but one in
cident in the startling progress made dur
ing the century in all the arts OF peace as
of war. Like the others. it is due to an
intellectual activity. greater probably than
that Of our predecessors, and directed
since the peace OF 1873 less upon external
political interests than upon scientific In
vestigation, and upon the application OF
the results to the Improvement Of proc
esses Of every kind. The changes in con-
ception and in development of the instru-
ments OF naval warfare result from the in
creased power Of dealing with refractory
material, which has been acquired by
scientific and practical men in the Iabora-
tory and the workshop. Thus viewed.
though so rapid in realization As TO
amount to a revolution, not only Is the
change seen 10 BE- the Outcome Of a long
though silent preparation, but it is
brought also into It's due relation to thu
general movement OF the age. and found
10 share its special characteristics. Our
ancestors OF the eighteenth century had
their own problems. noble and absorbing.
but chiefly political IN character While
new WORLDS were being gathered into the
embrace of European civilization, the
leading powers struggling among them
So, 81.
while the harvest was ripening for the
French revolution. science crept forward
but slowly and silently; the preoccupauon
OF the few, not the interest Of the many.
The object OF the present article Is to
describe the type of war vessel prevalent
universally among civilized nations when
the nineteenth century opened and TO
trace historically the sequence Of ideas
and Of facts which have resulted in the
type whose general acceptance is seen
now in the practice OF the chief naval
States.
Ealing SHIPS AND BRoADSEDE BATTERIES. 4
When this century began the ships that
commended for the control Of the sea were,
and for two centuries had been. sailing
ships with broadside batteries; the guns,
that Is. were distributed along both sides
from the bow TO the stern on one two.
three. or four decks. From the largest
down all were Of this type until the very
smallest class was reached. In the latter.
which could scarcely be considered fight
ing ships. the gun power was at times
concentrated into e single piece which
swept from side to side round the horizon.
thus anticipating partially the modern
turreted ironcIad with It's concentrated re-