The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-01
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The supreme tactical advantage was
gained by breaking the enemy's line"
Column OF vessels), throwing his forma-
tion into confusion, rakiug his nearest ships
in passing through and escaping most or
his broadsides while delivering your own
successfully and in its most effective form
With modern battleships the installation
OF pairs of heavy guns in the ends OF ships
and the introduction OF the ram and the
torpedo have changed naval tactics. Bow
and stern fire is now q little less than 80
per cent of each broadside fire. instead OK
about 5 per cent, as in the sailing-ship days
and to attempt to break through an enemy's
column would be the height OF folly.
The leading ships, with less than 30 per
cent of their total fire available. would. IN
attempting to break through. be withered
by the powerful concentrated broadsides of
the waiting column or destroyed by his tor
pedoes or sunk by his rams. Then. too,
raking fire has lost Its terrOrs because the
bow and stern presentation OF a modern
battioship is very strong owing to its con-
centration Of heavy armor in the
barbettes and turrets.
In other words, at close quarters. a raking
fire Is not necessarily any more disastrous
than firing at the brOadside.
What this concentration of fire means
may be seen by an examination OF the gun
plans of the Connecticut and a study of the
arcs OF fire through which the heavily pro-
tected main and intermediate batteries OF
the ship can sweep their destructive ener-
giles of discharge.
We thus have in modern steam-1eet tao
tics a sort of halfway, or a compromise.
on sailing ships and military tactics. for ito
turn the enemy's flank as in the army. is
q good maneuver; the approach to the at
tack in line abreast is now feasible. as 1t
gives about 90 per cent of gun fire, and col
umn, as in the past. is the formation giving
maximum effective gun fire.
DETAILED STATEMENT OF
MODERN IMPROVEMENTS.
To state the general proposition more IN
detail, with steam and modern improves
merts:
First-Bow fire has become a great factor
in modifying tactics.
S~econd-The ram is more than ever ,
dangerous and fatal weapon.
~Third-Armor has almost nullifed the
great danger from raking fire at close
quarters.
Fourth-The torpedo has made 1t LANCER
Gus to fight at closer range than LOCO yards.
Fifth-Smokeless powder and high speed
make the windward position of little inn
portance compared with getting the sum
light on the enemy and in his eyes.
Sixth-Elaborate subdivisions in ships tend
to prolong the time and increase the diff
culties of the destruction of 4 ship by any
weapon.
I'm training men to shoot We are" writes
Niblack, "baffed by the continual change
in the personnel OF our ships: in the strain
on officers and men due to the under
manning of our ships: in the constant drive
to make an inadequate number of ships
constantly shift about all over the world to
meet political and other emergencies which
directly prevent target practice; and also by
inadequate appropriations for gunnery ex-
ercise.
In the study and formation of the princi-
pies Of tactics and strategy We may rest
assured that the Naval Wal College at
Newport is alive to its responsibilities. and
we may now confidently look forward to the
day when a general staff will put the prin-
ciples into execution in case of the appeal
to arms to which this country seems to
have the habit and for which it is apparent
ly always u~nprepared.
I'VE cannot afford next time to trust to
luck and an obliging enemy. There is a
healthy realization In the personnel Of our
navy to-day Of our appropriateness and Of
the fact that other Powers know it.
W know very well where We stand In
the matter Of target practice.
W need during the coming year s., 000. 900
In ordnance and SID. 900 In gunnery exer-
else. instead Of the usual 500, 900 and 81, oOe
respectively.
Gun fire is everything"