Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-04-27
THE TWO FLEETS.

as they were when the determination
was first taken to dispatch a second
feet to the Pacific. Since that time at
least one, and probably two, of the Jap
anese battleships have been lost beyond
recovery. and it is quite possible that
Togo can oppose bu. four battleships to
the seven battleships under Roiestven-
sky-and it is battleships that decide
the fate of naval campaign.
There can be no question that the
Baltic feet has been greatly underesti-
mated by the general public, partly be-
cause of the North Sea incident, and
partly because of the widely-circulated
rumor that this was a scratch fleet,
composed of obsolete vessels. As to
this last, nothing could be farther from
| the truth. Four Of the battleships are
absolutely new. They are an improve
ment upon the "Czarevitch, which, ii
will be remembered, stood for hours
the concentrated attack of Togo's bat
tleships, without having any of her big
guns silenced or the structural efficien-
cy of her hull seriously impaired. These
four ships are probably able to stand a
ssverer hammering, and are more diff
cult to sink by gun fire than any ships
afioat in the world to-day. The "Boro-
dino" "Orel," Alexander Ill" and
"Suryaroff" mount among them, six
teen 12-inch, 40-caliber guns, which,
being absolutely new, are good for a
muzzle velocity of 1900 feet per second.
The Russians use capped projectiles,
and with these the gun is capable OF
penetrating 12 inches of Krupp steel at
5000 yards and Is inches at 5000 yards.
| If Admiral Togo is to sink these ships,
or SO cripple them as to have them at
his mercy, he will have to fight at a
range 60 near that the Russian ships
cannot fail to place their shells with
| considerable effect upon his vessels. In
addition to these battleships there is the
''Osliabia. built in 1900, which carries
| four 10-inch guns. capable of penetrat
| ing 10t inches of steel at 5000 yards
and 13 inches at 5000 yards. All oi
these vessels have trial speed of Il
knots an hour, although, of course, they
are just now much slower because oi
| foul bottoms The other two battle
ships, ''Sissoi Veliky, and "Navarin-
| mount between them eight 12-inch
35-calibre guns, capable of penetrating
81 inches of Krupp steel at 5000 and Il
inches at 5000 yards. Their speed ii
two knots slower than that of the othel
battleships.
The four japanese ba.tleships (or five
as the case may be) mount betweeI
them either sixteen or twenty 12-inct
guns of about the same penetrativ'
power as the Russian pieces. With tn
exception of the "Mikasa," however
they are protected by Harveyized armo
of considerably less resistance than thu
Krupp steel on the latest Russian ships
In battleships the Russian have un
doubtedly preponderance of power.
1t is to be borne in mind, however
that Japan possesses eight or sevel
Zone is reported to have been lost yer.
effective armoured cruisers, any one o
which is more than match for the tw
old armoured cruisers "Nakhimoft" an.
sDonskoi' of the Russian fleet. The.
mount. between them, thirty-two gun
of S-inch caliber, and they are protecte'
by to inches Of Krupp armour. /
is scarcely likely, however. that thes
ships will be placed in the first line o
battle, within range of the 12-inch gun
of the Russian feet; and with the pos
sible exception of the Italian bull
"Kasuga" and "Nisshin," they vii
pro badly be held in reserve until it
seen how the fight between the battle
ships is going. Should Togo be able t
draw the sting from the Russian battle
ships, and seriously cripple them, hi
armoured cruisers would close in to as
sist in delivering the ''coup de grace.
The Russian fleet includes severa
fine protected cruisers of between 800
and 6 200 tons displacement, and fes
torpedo boats. If Rojestvensky shoul
by any chance elude Admiral Togo ant
effect junction with the armoure
cruisers at Vladivostok, his fleet woul
be greatly strengthened, and his chance
of success enhanced; but that is re
mote possibility.
So much for the material of the fleet
and it must be admitted that, judge
on this basis, the second Pacifi
squadron is a menace 70 Japan's com
mand OF the sea, SO serious as to max
it possible that victorious peace ma.
be snatched from her grasp in the yer
moment of its attainment. But whel
we come to consider the other element
| of efficiency. such as the condition c
the ships, the familiarity of officers an
crews with their vessels, the skill c
the gunners, and the general morale
of the whole fleet, it must be admitte
| tuut buc dLtdubdHcS HC sCly HLCdei
with Japan. The japanese are yer
familiar with the sound and the shoe
of battle. The Russians, who doubles
have been doing much target practic
during their six months cruise, are az
customed merely to the discharge {
their own guns-they know nothing {
the awful crash Of bursting shell; th
rending of steel plating; the sight {
shattered limbs and all the hideous CA
mage of a tween decks that is bein
swept by tho enemy's fire. It is on
thing to aim at floating target durin
the quiet routine of cruise. and al
} other to aim at target that is maxim
, the deck upon which one stands veri
able shambles. Rojestventsky lead
{ his fleet to what the world, perhaps III
justly, considers to be at best but fol
lorn hope; whereas the japanese steal
2 into battle flushed with all the conf
dence and self-possession born of an III
broken succession of victories. Rarel
. did two contending fleets fight wit
such stupendous consequences hapgin
l upon the result. Should Japan viii
l she will reap the fruits Of a series
. victories that is without parallel iu Ii
3 history of the world, and move at
\ houud In tba front rapL ao N yror1