Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-12-14

studied the results OF TIL RussO-Jap-
anese battles that Dclt armor thickness
can safely be reduced. particularly in
tho United States and French navies,
which have used particularly heavy ar
NOR; and they also believe that one
or two knots superior speed other things
being equal. will give the swifter fleet
the victory in case there Is lee shore
preventing the slower fleet from cdging
| away.
Togo planned his battle so as to use
the Japan coast as this lee shore. head
ing off Rojestvensky' escape. His fleet
sailed to the attack from Korean port.
Had he chosen a japanese port for his
base. Rojestvensky fleet would have
had more room to vancouver in and the
result of the battle would not have been
so one-sidcd
VAST IMPORTANCE OF SPEED.
roGo's battleshps made an average
speed throughout the battle of Ii knots
and the Russian ships maximum was
/. knots, the old vessels b'i ing il positive
hindrance. All but one. the Svictlana.
OF Rojcstvensky modern unarnlored
cruisers, the others being the Almaz
Aurora. lzumrud. Jomtchung and Oies'
IL, 20 and 23-knot ships. escaped from
Togo's guns and torpedos. though badly
punctured by shells Not an arnored
ship escaped sinking or capture.
The japanese armorod ships repeatedly
sailed across the bows of the Russian
fleet concentrating their entire fire on
the leading ships. smotherlhg them win
shells and sinking one leader after an
other Torpedocs were fired from battle
ships and torpedo boats. literally by the
score.
The British mancuvcrs OF this year in
the Mediterranean vainly sought soli-
OF the problem facing Il slower fleet
whose bows have been crossed by IL
swiftcr one. equally powerful in other
particulars. Tho conclusion reached was
that its defeat is almost certainty
all il can hope to do Is in1ct serious
damage on its enemy.
six of the Russian battlcshps have
been carefully examined for shell marks
The Czarryitch al fiaochau, the Orcl
al Maiz.ru Japan, the Retvizan, Po-
bicda. P.resyiet and Poltava at Port
Arthur only once was the thick belt
z, armor of any Of these ships pierced by
a shot. This points 10 IN" uselessness
of tho six-inch gun, the chief compo-
nent of most battleships armament.
Admiral Dewey goes so far as to say:
"At "A range of three or four miles your
eighth guns are nothing but so much
dead weight upon the ship. You might
as we'll be firing with a pistol. That
was what made the Spaniards so furious
at Manila. We picked out our own range
and they were ashore and helpless. No,
it is the big ships, such as the English
are building, and the big Finch guns
that decide the battle
DEWEY ON LESSONS OF THE WAR.
Admiral Dewey gave as the lessons
of the war lust ended More big ships,
more big guns and good shooting. The
American navy needs more than any
thing else battlcshps of 5000 tons,
CARRYING Pinch guns. with "A few light
three inch guns for defence against tor
pedo boat attacks Rear Admiral
Evans. commanding the strongest Am
erican fleet ever gathered together, fav-
ors 1900 tons as minimum with "A
sustained sea speed Of 20 knots or more.
In the coming session Of Congress this
question will be fought bitterly. BY the
end of 1906. in the opinion of Brassey' S
Navy Annual, the United States will
have reached the position Of second
naval power, with France and Germany
| in fun pursuit. anxious to regain that
position. In view Of the fact that until
the Panama canal has been completed