New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-18
THE TORPEDO ATTACK.
What the Work of the japanese
NaUY Shoes.

IN Ire current issue OF The independent is an
article bv Park Benjamin on Some Lessons o. the
Japanese Torpedo Attack In course OF the article
the writer says:
No navy has more PeTsstenty 6sy2tsd i 5SrB. 10
than that OF Japan. rs drills have been corsJ1'-
In the world IL has bought them from such build
ers as Thorneycroft Narrow s.5 sSalSn H., t- %
times in pieces. which were put losStAeI ~ Us Own
esia6,is amfn b, IL6S IN JaTar IN has boats
Vt6ich can make thirty-ons knots hour. It has
eighty-six OF them OF all classes. Win eishtesl
more building They are fitted with rom three 70
six torpedo tubes each. The practice nanosuvres
for years have taken place often with the entiIe
Kind Of torpedo sttack has been rehea-sed again
and again with Qrentad 1{yieiI bsrsbv
despite lynx eyed naval attaches and the seen
has kept her secrets b herself end merely let Il
be known that the ef1ciency q the TORPEDO hoIiLa
has been keyed Up 10 the last limit and would os
NY TsxactIv how the Japanese torpedo attack vas
THE Russians however. have been maintaining a
Behind the so-cailed Tigers Tan'-with two bat
teshiDs and cruiser on suaIa , U.S. SIIa5o Al.
swer this last description. Il Is altogether prooa9e
that they VIE i 5 yybC rssrtstsi their at
tention to them without endeavorius 10 get at the
The torpedoes used BY the japanese were Of the
Whitehead type The inclosinE ease Is o. I'm ~. 49,
~ f tb forward end At the very extremity
oc,fseioD when the fish strikes IT, mark and
20 birb Is TacEed Immediately behind Aboft
the explosive Is strong steel 1a5S soIar5
inch and this escaping under control furnishes t.s
machine through the water. The most wonqeIILLLy
Ingenious thing about II IS TIE EyIosc9p 2 Cor
Than human certainty not only accurately keeps
tic torpedo pointed at the target but Pronp'y CI
few great Inventions made BY the naval o." ,srs ot
49, rs h51,irai John Adams HoEeT-now retired
dIfbouSh by not uncommon fate II Is better
merely adapted it than by that OF its actual In
Tbe torpedo is elected from pvoted tube Of
TORPEDO 5o9 f.. the o dShsTF 1t dives into
the water ike a porpoise. adjusts itself 70 the de-
s hour goes straight at its prev It's effective
range at the present time IS about hfteen huldFed
proved that torpedo boats can creep near as four
hundred ysds 70 Ip torp9 Rss once started
there Is no known defence when an attacked yes
and in fact cannot be used when ship Is under
way. The only possible saiegIard Sther man ne
assumes a discovery OF the advancing torpedo
FAMED around a battleshlp at such distance as
will enable them 10 drive on OF DESTROY tns toIpeHo
d9S S reports OF the other naval actions between
,bs Ja1anese and Russians have been contrary
tbo+ M Is dif1cult 10 determine exactly what has
happened a RPsan TSSss in Port Arthgr the
Jso5nese have seriously injured one battleship and
yt,rSa cruisers while at ChemulpO they have de-
stroved the fine cruiser Variag and a gunboat
Srbts although an astonishing showing FOR the BE-
,r,i,- ~ the war simply indicates that the whole
subiecf OF offensive attack had been elaooratey
N sodi more Impressive argument in support OF
General sta for the navy has ever been adduced
Tbs Jauauese have such general star. and have
bad N for some years It's functions are not dif-
ysrant from those which 10 IS proposed our own
e. ~ shall have II has controlled and prescribed
All the nanccuvres to which allusion has here
been made Ii has determined the character Of the
sbfns how they shall be built where obtained. and.
on the whole the japanese Navy a II stands to-
general stan.