The National tribune., 1903-06-04

The Captain-General cabled to Madrit
that our fleet had suffered greatly and hat
been forced to make various changes anG
eyolutions" by the fire of batteries ashore
and afoat. The evOlht:ons had all beer
planned, and we cruised and fought be
| tween the points b and G. of the diagram
prepared in Hong Kong.
The enemy chose to open fire at ex
treme ranges, but we fred only one shot
from a distance greater than 5000 yards
Many of US had been taught that 20OC
yards was the maximum range for naval
guns in action, and that that could be at
tanned well enough by cast-iron smooth
bores. Fortunately, we had emerged from
that era of darkness, and we saw 4 squad
ron destroyed at $500 yards. Had all
the guns OF the water batteries of Ma
Mia been mounted on Sangley Point, and
had the Spanish line drawn back into
shallow water, we might have had to di-
minish our distances to the danger point
and to make turns under concentrated fire.
Being left at liberty, however, a distance
was chosen which enabled us to punish
the enemy for his hopeless craftsmanship
without loss or injury to our ships.
BAD CRAFTSMANSHIP OF THE sPANIARDs.
The enemy failed to inflict damage, not
on account of any deficiency in the range
or penetration of the shells fired from his
80 modern breech-loading rifles of II cen
timeters and upward, or from his numer-
Gus rapid-ire 6-pounders. Nor is there er-
idence that his ammunition was defective.
Not even the ravages of our fire can De
alleged as complete excuse. The guns
were pointed wildly, that is all.
Rapid fire from our guns doubtless had
4. =,
ners. The Olympia and Raleigh had fine
batteries of 5-inch rapid-ire guns. Each
shell from these guns was fit for any work
that was done that day. Superheaters can
be pierced, steering-engines crippled, and
guns crews swept away by 5-inch shells
as well as by those of heavier caliber. No
armor had to be pierced, and no ship was
structurally disabled by any single shell.
Nor were guns dismounted in shore bat
teries, nor parapets thrown down by any
projectiles. The work was done by the
shatterins and incendiary effects of shells
exploded inboard. The preference for
not justified here. The four S-inch guns
in the Olympia's turrets were able to fire
only 50 shots in all. which was the aver
age for each gun in the 5-inch battery,
which had also greater percentage of
hits among its $50 fires. Yet each turret
was handled by vigilant and experienced
officer, and was fired ON both broadsides
without impediment.
Rapid-fire projectiles of smaller calibers,
down to 3-pounders, are also deadly in eff
feet. They rarely fail to explode, and
they are capable of igniting wood. OF
course, the Spanish protest against the use
of "incendiary projectiles forbidden by all
laws divine and human was mere igno-
rant raving. Had high explosives been
used with delayed-action fuses-the am
munition of the future-the protest might
have been still more shrill. Let us hope
that before another contest comes We may
be provided with genuine smokeless pow
der OF old-fashioned ammunition we had
n plenty. Our S-inch guns might have
been fought for a week, but the 5-inch
supply was low enough to cause some con-
cern, about 40 per cent. having been used
in two hours. The Naval Bureau of Ord
nance promptly replaced all deficiencies,
and other bureaus did likewise. 1t is
worth noting that neither gun-mounts nor
ammunition delayed the OlyTpia's fire,
though annoying accidents have frequent
Iy interfered with target practice. The
was doubtless due to the
training of the crews and to the adjust
ments made by division officers during q
three years cruise.
Range-fnding offered the usual difficult
ties. The Baltimore had an electric range
finder which hardly survived the first
broadside. The method of picking up
ranges by q rapid-fre gun was not con-
venent in the Olympia, where most of
the battery is mounted on covered decks.
The approximate position of the Spanish
line was marked on the chart and the dis
tance measured from successive positions
by cross-bearings. Some an
noyance resulted from the attempt to COM
municate with the guns by passing the
word" The eye is the organ to be trust
ed during the crash and roar of naval lc-
ton, and a series of dials should give di-
rect and visible messages from the bridge
battery. Telephones fail and voice tubes
are uncertain.
EFFECTS OF OUR FIRE.
1t remains to consider the concrete eff
feet Of our fire. Admiral Montojo reck-
oned 20 hits in the hull and superstructure
of the Cristina, with 5O-odd killed and 100
wounded. Her Captain, Don Luis Cadar-
so, was among the slain. On the last
Sunday before the fight he had addressed
his crew after mass, and his fiery har-
nngue made them break forth (prorrumpi-
rron) into cheers for every Spanish em-
blem of authority. The two ,funnels We're
also riddled by rapid-fre projectiles; the
steam-steerer was disabled; steam was es-
Gaping from .he superheater; the ship was
On fire forward and aft; the ammunition
lad begun to explode when she retired
from action. No other ship drew so much
If our fire, and it is probable that less
han 10 per cent. of the shots aimed at
Ter were effective. The estimate for the
glorious running fight off Santiago was as
ow as 3 per cent. The Castillo also suf-
'ered heavily. The total number of killed
md wounded is given as 3S1 in Spanish
'eports. The battery at Sangley Point
ost six men killed and four wounded be-
ore the crews were driven from the guns,
which were not dismounted by our fire,
hough one had been crippled by its own
discharge. The effect of heavy shells |
lgainst earthworks seems to be less, and
he value of rapid-ire greater, than had
,een allowed. 1t has been maxim among |