Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-06-08
roRPEDoEs AND WARsHIPs.
Opinion Of a French Admiral Regard.
ing Their Respective Efficacy
In Action.

Look at what happened at Port Ar.
thur. People are inclined to judge the
operations there merely by the some
what uncertain statements that come
over the CABLE Everything Is credited
to the torpedo. The torpedo boats just
now on top, and, with the assistance OF
a little Imagination, a part OF the sue
cess of the Japanese may be attributed
to submarines Can 1t be seriously
thought, even admitting that all the re.
ports of damage done by torpedoes are
true, that the Japanese boats would have
been able to perform the tasks assigned
to them If they had not been supported
by powerful fleet? What could the lit
tie things have accomplished IL they had
been left to their own resources? They
would soon have been short Of coal
their crews would have been harassed
and worn out, and they would inevitably
have been destroyed, says Admiral NAL
tarne, Of the French navy. in the Matin'
The attacks of torpedo boats are less
dangerous than they are generally be-
lieved to be. In order to be successful
many boats must be employed. They
must be handled with vigor, which can
only be expected from men perfectly
fresh and they must be steered with ex'
traordinary skill Their attacks are
extremely difficult in daylight and are
very hazardous at night. Now this IL
contrary to the opinion of the public
but 1t Is true In daylight by losing one.
half OF it's number, flotilla OF torpedo
boats might do serious injury to feet
At night it's chances of success would
be reduced, because then the conditions
would be very much more unfavorable
Certainly, IL feet we're to travel al
night In any order with Its unitiea
grouped, 1t would facilitate an attach
from torpedo boats But in time OF wal
that is not the way they go. And, more.
over, the torpedo boats do not always
succeed In reaching the proper distance
for discharging their torpedoes.
am not an out-and-out and exclusive
partisan of the battleship; on the con.
trary, / am convinced of the utility OF
torpedo boats and submarines. These
little engines are destined to play very
important part in naval warfare; but to
render them effective, they must be sup
ported by a powerful naval force and
that force lies in the battleship and cns
armored cruiser.
The really redoubtable engine is the
gun. Sufficient attention has not been
paid to what happened at Chemulpo.
The Japanese began to fire at the Varias
at distance of about five miles, and
their shots told. That is noteworthy
fact in which there is profitable lesson.
1t is necessary now to multiply artil-
lery practice at long ranges. In the
French navy we have trained and de.
voted personnel whose professional
value is universally recognized. Very
we'll. It is necessary to increase ten.
fold that value by constant practice.
The English, who obtain remarkable re-
suits, from the frequency Of their prac-
tice, have made heavy gun firing per.
feet sport Let US initiate them.
Tell your readers that the battleship
does not mean so much money tossed
into the water. In order to obtain the
best results, fleet must include all
unities possessing tactical value, and
in a wisely determined proportion.
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