The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-05-17
BATTLEsnIps vs.. ToRPfDoEs.

The recent discussion in Congress
and elsewhere of the necessity for
construction of additional battleships,
in view of the lesson of the present
war; is not confined to the United
States. The Japan Gazette does not
take the ground that battleshlps must
necessarily be relegated to the back
ground because of the destructive pow
er of torpedoes as demonstrated by
the japanese, but only that their pro-
tective powers must be increased.
The problem of defence against tor
pedoes very early occupied the atten-
ton of naval architects and inventors.
SAYS the Gazette: Torpedo netting
was introduced but its value was con-
siderably reduced by the invention of
the pilot torpedo. Latterly, the i'm
provements in torpedoes have gone
ahead at tremendous rate, far in ex-
cess of the pace attained in the in
vention of defensive appliances. The
net result Is that, on dark night es-
pecially, warship has very little self
protective power against an onslaught
by torpedo-boats manned by determine
ed men. The torpedo-boat destroyer
was invented soon after the adoption
of the torpedo but these boats, whilst
primarily intended for defence, have
revealed tremendous aggressive power.
They are still the only practicable safe
guard for large ships despite the many
devices for detecting the approach of
torpedoes. Now that torpedoes can be
discharged at distance of 5000 yards
at speed of thirty knots there is lit
tie value in the information that
torpedo is approaching for there is in
sufficient time between the receipt Of
the warning and the arrival of the
torpedo for the adoption of efficient
defensive methods or avoiding the
course of the subaqueous projectile.
There remains therefore only the pro-
vision of destroyers, but as the range of
torpedoes increases the wider will be
the area to be protected and the great
er the number of destroyers required
to keep efficient guard. Battleships are
of course necessary for bombardment
but, by day, with submarine boats.
high speed destroyers used extensively
and long range steering torpedoes, the
question of their general utility Is be-
coming more prominent In the old
days huge line-of-battle ships had
great advantages, advantages which
ar, certainly not shared to the full by
the present day mammoth battleships
and cruisers. A torpedo attack is so
swift, so silent, so irresistible that the
moral effect on the enemy is a con-
siderable asset for the attacking side.
A destroyer or even a torpedo boat
rushes out of the darkness at full
speed. If sighted at a distance of
mile, two minutes only will elapse be-
fore it is alongside and the chances of
hitting 1t before it can strike fatal
blow are very slight, whilst it has the
huge bulk of the battleship as a mark.
The present war has shown that the
greater the daring with which these
attacks are conducted the more eff
fective they become and the greater
the safety of the aggressors. 1t seems
that in a daylight attack the larger
ships would be almost invincible but
with the fall of darkness the advantage
veers, to fully equal extent to the
side of the torpedo boats and destroy
ers with their speed and invisibility. |
There can be little doubt that the next |
few years will see an enormous in
crease in this branch of the navies of
the world both for offensive and de-
fensive purposes and 1t is possible that |
part, at least, of the money that would
otherwise be expended on great war
ships will be devoted to the provision
of smaller boats of high speed. 1t
was prophesied for the torpedo that
It's effects would be so awful as to
render naval war impossible. That
prophecy has not been realized but one
effect has certainly been to produce
conviction of the helplessness of huge
ships against this insidious enemy I'M
ess surrounded by a cloud of protect
ng destroyers.
The appreciation of the efficacy of
he torpedo is undoubtedly the main
,ause of the early japanese successes
It may be said that as much was due
10 surprise as to particular weapon
Whilst admitting that the disorganiza-
ton ensuing on the swift and silent
attacks was a great factor, it must not
De forgotten that it is n factor which
o a greater or less degree is ever pres
mt. Those who have been on battle
hips during naval manoeuvers tell us
hat from sunset to sunrise their
nerves We're at the greatest tension and
hat practically the only enemy feared
vas the dark torpedo-boats, to guard
.gainst which the keenest lookout was
90 often Intellectual.
THE powers of the torpedo have un-
loubtedly been magnified. There Is
yer tendency to increase the inn
,ortance of danger that is invisible
nut in this case the danger is very real.
Whilst a single torpedo may not, in
of watertight compart-
nents and double keels, sink battle
hip there is almost an even chance
hat by striking a vital spot it may.
Enough has probably been said to
how that though there is no probable
ty of battleships being abolished yet
heir use viii be accompanied with
greater precautions than heretofore,
At least enough has surely been adj
1anced to Justify the consideration of /